Transcripts from the Minute Book of the Gloucester Football & Athletic Ground Company Ltd

Background

(by Malc King)

In January 1891, Gloucester had a home fixture at the Spa against Swansea, but on the morning of the match the ground was found to be frozen. Faced with the prospect of losing a major and lucrative fixture, officials and members fetched tons of salt in carts and spread it liberally across the pitch. Initially this seemed like a master stroke – the ground thawed, the match was played, and Gloucester won a famous victory. Thereafter the real cost became apparent – the grass died, the ground was described as having “the appearance of a newly ploughed piece of arable land”. The cricket club, which held the lease, were aghast, and it was agreed that the Rugby Club should leave the Spa. The Club had previously considered the desirability of having its own ground, but the idea had been shelved because it was thought to be beyond their means – now it was a necessity.

Four sites for the new ground were considered but one at Kingsholm was selected, and 7 acres of the Castle Grim estate were purchased for £4,400. A company was formed – the Gloucester Football and Athletic Ground Co Ltd – to make the purchase. It was registered on 12 Aug 1891, 3,000 £1 shares were issued, most being taken up by officials and supporters of the Rugby Club, and a £2,500 mortgage was taken out. For more than a century afterwards, these two bodies operated separately, but in close collaboration, one owning the ground and the Club leasing it. Many of the same people served as officers on the board/committee of each. The arrangement came to an end when Tom Walkinshaw bought out both.

The complete minutes for the Gloucester Football and Athletic Ground Co Ltd have been preserved and the originals can be viewed at the Gloucestershire Archives. We have also transcribed them so that they can be viewed on this website – see below.

Some of the minute books of the Rugby Club have also been preserved, and can also be viewed in the Gloucestershire Archives. We are in the process of summarising them into soft copy, and those completed so far can be viewed elsewhere on this website.

Downloads
Undated "History of the Club"; 1891 problems at The Spa; the search for a new ground; the opening of Kingsholm
1892 Calling Notice for 1st AGM; 1st Annual Report; Minutes of the meeting
1893 Calling Notice for 2nd AGM; 2nd Annual Report; Minutes of the meeting; extract from Citizen report
1894 Calling Notice for 3rd AGM; 3rd Annual Report; Minutes of the meeting; extract from Citizen report
1895 Calling Notice for 4th AGM; 4th Annual Report; Minutes of the meeting; newspaper report
1896 Calling Notice for 5th AGM; 5th Annual Report; Minutes of the meeting; Gloucestershire Echo report; Citizen report
1897 Calling Notice for 6th AGM; 6th Annual Report; Minutes of the meeting; Citizen report
1898 Calling Notice for 7th AGM; 7th Annual Report; Minutes of the meeting; extracts from Gloucestershire Echo, Citizen, unknown periodical
1899 Calling Notice for 8th AGM; 8th Annual Report; Minutes of the meeting; 2 extracts from unknown periodicals
1900 Calling Notice for 9th AGM; 9th Annual Report; Minutes of the meeting; Citizen extract
1901 Calling Notice for 10th AGM; 10th Annual Report; Minutes of the meeting; Citizen extract; U/I periodical
1902 Calling Notice for 11th AGM; 11th Annual Report; Minutes of the meeting; 2 U/I periodical extracts
1903 Calling Notice for 12th AGM; 12th Annual Report; Minutes of the meeting; two U/I periodical extracts
1904 Calling Notice for 13th AGM; 13th Annual Report; Minutes of the meeting; Citizen extract; Gloucestershire Echo extract
1905 Calling Notice for Special General Meeting re the building of a gymnasium, training quarters, football club office, committee room, etc. Minutes of the meeting; extracts from U/I periodical and Cheltenham Chronicle & Gloucester Graphic.
1905 Calling Notice for 14th AGM; 14th Annual Report; Minutes of the meeting; extract from U/I periodical
1906 Calling Notice for 15th AGM; 15th Annual Report; Minutes of the meeting; extract from U/I periodical
1907 Calling Notice for 16th AGM; 16th Annual Report; Minutes of the meeting; extracts prob from Citizen and Echo
1908 Calling Notice for 17th AGM; 17th Annual Report; Minutes of the meeting; extract from U/I newspaper
1909 Calling Notice for Special General Meeting re reduction of rent and other aspects of the terms of the tenancy; Minutes of the meeting; extract from the Citizen
1909 Calling Notice for 18th AGM; 18th Annual Report; Minutes of the meeting; extracts from 2 U/I periodicals
1910 Calling Notice for 19th AGM; 19th Annual Report; Minutes of the meeting; extracts from 2 U/I periodicals
1911 Calling Notice for 20th AGM; 20th Annual Report; Minutes of the meeting; extracts prob from Citizen and Echo
1912 Calling Notice for Special General Meeting re application for a reduction in rent and revision in other aspects of the terms of the tenency; Minutes of the meeting; extract prob from The Echo
1912 Calling Notice for 21st AGM; 21st Annual Report; Minutes of the meeting; extract prob from The Echo
1913 Calling Notice for 22nd AGM; 22nd Annual Report; Minutes of the meeting; U/I newspaper extract
1914 Calling Notice for 23rd AGM; 23rd Annual Report; Minutes of the meeting; prob Echo extract
1915 Calling Notice for 24th AGM; 24th Annual Report; Minutes of the meeting; Special General Meeting re the effect of the War; prob Citizen extract
1916 Calling Notice for 25th AGM; 25th Annual Report; Minutes of the meeting; prob Citizen extract
1918 Calling Notice for 26th AGM; 26th Annual Report; Minutes of the meeting; prob Citizen extract
1918 Calling Notice for 27th AGM; 27th Annual Report; Minutes of the meeting; U/I newspaper extract
1919 Calling Notice for 28th AGM; 28th Annual Report; Minutes of the meeting; U/I newspaper extract
1920 Calling Notice for 29th AGM; 29th Annual Report; Minutes of the meeting; prob Echo extract
1921 Calling Notice for 30th AGM; 30th Annual Report; Minutes of the meeting; prob Citizen extract
1922 Calling Notice for 31st AGM; 31st Annual Report; Minutes of the meeting; prob Citizen and Echo extracts
1923 Calling Notice for 32nd AGM; 32nd Annual Report; Minutes of the meeting
1924 Calling Notice for 33rd AGM; 33rd Annual Report; Minutes of the meeting
1925 Calling Notice for 34th AGM; 34th Annual Report; Minutes of the meeting
1926 Calling Notice for 35th AGM; 35th Annual Report; Minutes of the meeting
1927 Calling Notice for 36th AGM; 36th Annual Report; Minutes of the meeting
1928 Calling Notice for 37th AGM; 37th Annual Report; Minutes of the meeting
1929 Calling Notice for 38th AGM; 38th Annual Report; Minutes of the meeting; letter criticising the Balance Sheet
1930 Calling Notice for 39th AGM; 39th Annual Report; Minutes of the meeting
1931 Calling Notice for 40th AGM; 40th Annual Report; Minutes of the meeting
1932 Calling Notice for 41st AGM; 41st Annual Report; Minutes of the meeting
1933 Calling Notice for 42nd AGM; 42nd Annual Report; Minutes of the meeting
1934 Calling Notice for 43rd AGM; 43rd Annual Report; Minutes of the meeting
1935 Calling Notice for 44th AGM; 44th Annual Report; Minutes of the meeting
1936 Calling Notice for 45th AGM; 45th Annual Report; Minutes of the meeting
1937 Calling Notice for 46th AGM; 46th Annual Report; Minutes of the meeting
1938 Calling Notice for 47th AGM; 47th Annual Report; Minutes of the meeting
1939 Calling Notice for 48th AGM; 48th Annual Report; Minutes of the meeting
1940 Calling Notice for 49th AGM; 49th Annual Report; Minutes of the meeting
1941 Calling Notice for 50th AGM; 50th Annual Report; Minutes of the meeting
1942 Calling Notice for 51st AGM; 51st Annual Report; Minutes of the meeting
1943 Calling Notice for 52nd AGM; 52nd Annual Report; Minutes of the meeting
1945 Calling Notice for AGM; Annual Reports for 1944 & 1945; Minutes of the meeting
1946 Calling Notice for AGM; Annual Report; Minutes of the meeting
1948 Calling Notice for AGM; Annual Report; Minutes of Meeting
1949 Calling Notice for AGM; Annual Report; Minutes of Meeting

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