Proposed Anglo-Welsh League (Alliance), mid-1970s

Gloucester were part of the unofficial Sunday Telegraph Merit Tables/Pennants during the 1960s and 1970s.  They competed in the English-Welsh and English tables.  There were three other tables – Welsh, Northern and South-West.  Gloucester did not compete in the South-West table, nor did Bath, Bristol, Cheltenham, Lydney or Stroud.  Cheltenham did compete in the English table.

There was another table proposed during the mid-1970s by Alf Wyman, who was at that time the Coventry Secretary.  It was to be known probably as the Anglo-Welsh Alliance.  The word ‘league’ would have been frowned upon.  As most of the clubs played each other already, it would not have required many additional fixtures, perhaps just tinkering with the home/away balance.  Interestingly, none of the proposed clubs came from the north of England.  It is not clear whether this competition came to fruition.

The twenty (thirteen English and seven Welsh) clubs which expressed an interest in joining were:  Aberavon, Bath, Bedford, Blackheath, Bridgend, Bristol, Cardiff, Coventry, Gloucester, Harlequins, Leicester, Llanelli, London Welsh, Moseley, Neath, Newport, Northampton, Richmond, Rosslyn Park and Swansea.

The details I have for the Sunday Telegraph tables (1973-74 season) are:

English-Welsh table – Gloucester eighth out of twenty-three clubs – P25, W14, L9, D2, 60%

English table – Gloucester third out of twenty clubs – P20, W14, L5, D1, 72.5%