Birkenhead Park RFC

A Brief History of Birkenhead Park

150 Seasons of Rugby
42 International Players
Most capped player: J.R.Patterson (Scotland)21 Caps

• 1871     Birkenhead Park Football Club founded
• 1885     Club moved to the Upper Park ground where it has remained
• 1887     Wales vs Ireland – Home international at The Upper Park. A “home” match for Wales which they won 1-0 under the scoring system of the time.
• 1892     Construction of the original pavilion (still in use)
• 1894     England vs Wales home international - a home fixture for England at The Upper Park. England won 23-4.
• 1899     BPFC vs Barbarians at The Upper Park, we won 9-8!
• 1902     Harry Alexander (forward) becomes first Park player to captain England (vs Wales)
• 1903     P.D. “Toggie” Kendall (scrum half) becomes second player to captain England (vs Scotland). James Baxter became President. He was to remain in office until 1940 and also served as President of the RFU.
• 1905     Cheshire vs New Zealand All Blacks make first visit to Park. The Cheshire team contained 10 Park players and was captained by Toggie Kendall.
• 1908     Cheshire vs Australia at The Upper Park – Australia went onto beat Cornwall in the Olympic final of that year (the only 2 teams entered)
• 1914/18 Park lost 75 club members who fought and died for the Country in the Great War including Toggie Kendall and Harry Alexander. Both men in their mid 30s, ex England captains and Barbarians.
• 1920's             Club sides re-built after the war with an outstanding record – losing only 2 games in the 1920-21 season against all the UK and Ireland top clubs with H.M. Locke and W.M. Lowry as centre partners for both club and country. Locke was also England captain.
• 1924      Cheshire vs New Zealand Invincibles at The Upper Park
• 1925/29 Park player J.R. Paterson became Scotland’s most capped player, 21 tests including a Grand Slam in 1925, victory over Australia in 1927 and the first side to beat England at Twickenham.
• 1934      Lancashire and Cheshire vs New Zealand at the Upper Park
• 1939      Park appeared at Twickenham in the Middlesex Sevens
• 1939/45 30 club members pay the ultimate sacrifice in the Second World War
• 1950      Cheshire won their first County Championship vs Devon at The Upper Park
• 1951      Lancashire, Cheshire, Cumberland & Westmorland combined vs South Africa at The Upper Park
• 1955      Park play Dublin Wanderers at Lansdowne Road
• 1958      Park's last full international J.S.M Scott (England)
• 1961      Cheshire won their second County Championship vs East Midlands at The Upper Park.
• 1971      Park Centenary Season. Hosted North of England vs RFU President's Overseas XV as part of RFU celebrations. Park player Dave Robinson played a final England trail and toured with England.
• 1974      North of England vs Tonga at The Upper Park. Former Park player Bob Weighill appointed Secretary to the RFU
• 1975      Old Birkonian Club merged with Birkenhead Park
• 1978      North of England vs New Zealand at The Upper Park
• 1984      North of England vs Romania at The Upper Park. (Rob Andrew’s international trail)
• 1991      Park tour to South America - Chile, Argentina, Paraguay and Brazil.
• 2000      Park play West Indies International Team
• 2001      Park achieve first league promotion - Winners of South Lancashire and Cheshire Division One.
• 2002      Park Promoted - Winners of North 2 West. Park provide 3 players for  Cheshire County Championship Final v Gloucester at Twickenham
• 2006      A £1 Million Regeneration Programme Commences
• 2008      Cheshire cup winners. EDF Intermediate Cup runners up at Twickenham
• 2015      Cheshire Vase winners