Jock Whitson is something of a legend at Gordon League Rugby Club.

The now 69-year-old played for the club for more than 40 years, he was a regular in the 1^st XV for 20-plus years, and these days he’s still playing touch rugby on a Thursday evening.

Oh, and the second row also went toe-to-toe with England and British Lions legend Bill Beaumont back in the mid-70s when the 1980 England Grand Slam captain was really starting to make a name for himself in the game.

That was when Gordon League travelled north to face Fylde in the second round of the John Player Cup, a competition that back then was rugby’s equivalent of the FA Cup in football.

At 6ft 3in, Whitson was the same height as Beaumont and, like the former Lions and England captain, jumped at two at the lineout.

“It was a good battle, a good hard game,” Whitson said of a match that Fylde edged 9-4.

By that time Whitson had been a fixture in Gordon League’s flagship team for more than half-a-dozen years, having initially fallen in love with the game when he was at school.

“I started playing rugby when I was at Linden Road School in Gloucester, I’ve always been a second row,” said Whitson, who still works as an engineer in the city.

But why Gordon League?

“Somebody put up a flyer at school asking kids to join the club and two or three of us went down there, I’ve been there ever since,” said Whitson.

That was when Whitson – who was given the nickname Jock at school, his Christian name is David – was 15 and he remains a huge part of the club all these years later because he’s on the touchline every Saturday home and away supporting the team.

“When I first joined the club we had five teams,” remembers Whitson. “We had four adult teams and I played for the Colts until I was 18 and then went up through the teams.

“I think I got into the 1sts when I was 19.”

He says that when he was at his best he was about 15st 7lbs, adding, “nowadays that’s too small, they’re all monsters now!”

And while that may be true, Whitson was certainly a big part of Gordon League’s success story back in those days.

“I think the best times were in the 70s and early 80s,” he said. “In the mid-70s you judged yourself on how good your fixture list was and how many cups you won.

“We won the Combination Cup three times and also won the County Cup twice.

“In those days the main team to beat were Matson. We beat them occasionally, they beat us more than we beat them but I remember beating them in a final at Kingsholm, that was very nice.”

Whitson was obviously a very decent player.

“I could scrummage and I was alright in the lineout,” he said. And he’s clearly being modest when he says ‘alright in the lineout’ because ask him if he won any ball against the aforementioned Beaumont and he replies very quickly: “Of course I did!”

Whitson certainly wasn’t fazed by taking on someone who would go on to become one of rugby’s greats saying: “You just got on with it, in those days you just played, he was a nice man.”

Whitson also played with John Watkins, a wing forward who went on to play for Gloucester and England, during his time at Gordon League and also player with the Dix brothers – Stuart and John – wingers who both played for Gloucester.

“I was lucky enough to play with so many good players, it’s hard to pick out individuals,” said Whitson. “Everyone was good and I made a lot of good friends.

“They are friends for life, the people I played with when I was 17 or 18 I’m still friends with now.”

In those pre-league days – league rugby came in towards the tail-end of Whitson’s time in the 1^st XV – players would play a lot more games than most do today.

“We used to play 30-odd games a season,” said Whitson. “We used to play every Saturday from September through to the end of April.

“At the end of April we’d have the local cup games and if you reached the final that would be another four games.

“It’s a different kind of game now. In one respect it’s harder because they are quite big and physical, but I’m not sure they’re quite as good as us, although I’m not sure today’s players would agree with me on that!

“But we never had gyms or floodlights or anything like that.”

That didn’t dim his enjoyment of all things rugby, of course, and he went on to play for Gordon League’s 2nds and then 3rds until the age of 60.

“The 3rds became a real good social side,” he said. “We were all of a certain age, our attitude was if they score two tries we’ll score three.” 

That was fun and the touch rugby he plays on a Thursday evening at the club is fun too.

“It’s a runaround, we had 22 players the other week,” said Whitson.

“It’s a way to keep in touch with people. There are quite a few from my era although we’ve got a few youngsters in their 50s!

“There are no positions, the games last for an hour and then we’re in the bar for two hours!”

He enjoys that too, of course, and he’s happy to support the club in any way he can.

“I watch the club play on a Saturday because when I was playing people always watched me, now it’s my turn to watch,” he said.

Fortunately he doesn’t have too far to travel to home games because he lives in the city with his wife Diana, but although he clearly enjoys watching others play, it’s obvious he’d much rather be playing himself.

“I’ve never officially retired from playing,” he said with a laugh, “I’d like to think I’ve always got one more game in me,” before adding after a moment’s pause: “Maybe not!”