The Reddings, Moseley RFC, 1883-2000
As amateur-era grounds go, few were as tough as The Reddings, home of Moseley RFC, where even the mighty All Blacks fell to defeat.
“I was spectating that day,” recounts Derek Nutt, Moseley captain from 1981-82, of the day a Midlands Counties West side featuring nine Moseley players, defeated the 1972 All Blacks 16-8. “We were watching the game when, all of a sudden, Martin Cooper was flying down the wing. The crowd surged forward to see. With the weight of the crowd trying to get a glimpse, the fencing around the pitch collapsed. They went on to beat the All Blacks that day, it was a very special occasion for the ground.”
Incredibly, this was not the only victory against New Zealand that had been recorded at The Reddings, where Moseley had played their first game back in 1883. Just five years into their residency, the club would become the first team to beat an international side touring the British Isles when 5,000 fans watched them defeat New Zealand Natives 6-4.
The club eventually acquired the freehold for The Reddings in 1925, becoming the sole proprietors, as Moseley Cricket Club moved on. It wasn’t all halcyon days in this era, with the 1930-31 season, seeing them record only ten wins out of thirty four, but form began to improve over the next decade, until war broke out, sport was brought to a halt, and The Reddings became HQ for the War Agricultural Committee.
It wasn’t until the late-50s that Moseley would step out of the post-war darkness into their golden era. In 1957, a brand-new thousand seat stand was built, and floodlights followed, developments that brought with them a vastly improved fixture list. Regular battles with the finest clubs in England and Wales turned Moseley into a feeder club for the international stage, with 34 players representing their country .
In their centenary year, 1973, the club defeated Fiji and the Barbarians and then, in 1978, Moseley provided ten players including Derek, for a North Midlands XV to play against a touring Argentina. “This was probably the most memorable one for me,” recalls Derek, “I was sent off after a mass brawl erupted."
Argentina would go on to win 22-14, an irrelevant detail for Derek who still revels in the memory.
It wasn’t the internationals that were getting the Moseley faithful excited, as they were also witnessing the steady improvement of their club. Derek captained his side in the final of the RFU’s knockout cup in 1981, the third time they had been there, having lost to Gloucester 6-17 in 1971, and to Leicester 12-15 in 1978. An infamous 12-12 draw with Gloucester meant for the only time in its history, the cup was shared.
League rugby in England commenced in 1987. Their recent success saw Moseley land in the Courage National Division 1; the top tier at the time. However, their fairy tale trajectory was about to change. They failed to finish higher than seventh during their time in the league; and were eventually relegated after finishing twelfth in the 1990-91 season.
Worse was to come as, in 1994, half of the thousand-seater stand was lost to a fire. A devastating blow at a time money was being squeezed by the arrival of the professional era.
“I remember when the game went pro, most of us amateurs were made redundant,” says Derek.
In the 1996-97 season, New Zealander Mark Anscombe (father of Welsh fly-half Gareth) was appointed director of rugby, and six international players were signed. But his reign was short with Allan Lewis, former Welsh backs coach, taking over in February. The uphill struggle proved simply too much and, after finishing eighth in National Division, the club went into administration for the first time.
Despite the best efforts of former players and members to rescue the club, The Reddings did not survive. The 120-year-long love affair was finally over. The last home game was a 34-17 victory against Worcester. The grounds were sold to soften the financial burden incurred during the professional transition, with the land being used for housing. Moseley RFC became Birmingham-Moseley and, after a brief spell at the city’s university grounds, they landed a new permanent home at Billesley Common, where they now play in National League 1.
For long-term club members like Derek, the romance lives on despite the change of landscape: “I’ve been at the club for over 50 years. I joined as a colt, then moved from the second team to the first XV. I’ve mainly coached since then, but we started walking rugby last season. I was the instigator in doing that and it has become very successful. We are the newest section of the club with the oldest membership.”
