One of the sights you’re sure to see at Northolt HQ is the renowned sign from Torquay train station. Sure enough the sign’s a bit of a baffler, some 200 miles from the seaside terminal. Not the sort of thing you want to see through blurry eyes if you’ve had a few too many in our new clubhouse. So what’s the story?
First off, it is the genuine article. This sign was once on display in the Devonshire station. The lucky fella was ‘liberated’ in 1997 when a group of Northolt players descended on the home of Fawlty Towers to paint the town red and its rugby pitch in shades of blue. Following a covert effort from a couple of the players (no mean feat if you’ve seen the size of rugby players in the 90’s), the sign was detached from its fixings and smuggled aboard the team bus.
Nearly 30 years later, it still adorns the wall of the old changing rooms as a reminder of the ruck-stomping, lewd-singing, sign-thieving mischief in the club’s past.
Other out-of-place objects you might spot in the club are ‘The White Mouse’ of the synonymous pub, and ‘Denish’, our souvenir from a helluva weekend in Amsterdam.
Want to get in on the fun or purchase the official NRFC endorsed I-Spy book? Email us at northoltrugby@gmail.com