RFU president Chris Kelly will be among a host of top names who will share a special day with the North Gloucestershire Combination at the Memorial Ground in Tuffley Avenue, Gloucester, on Saturday.

It’s the day when many, many hours of hard work and planning will culminate with the unveiling of a memorial stone – a standing stone monument dedicated to the memory of all the local rugby players who left their families and clubs to serve their country in the two world wars and never returned home.

It means a lot to a good many rugby people and Dave Booth, one of the driving forces behind the big day, said: “Yes, it’s a very special day for sure.”

The Memorial Ground – which is where Widden Old Boys and Old Cryptians play their home games – was established in the 1950s thanks largely to the efforts of Arthur Hudson, the one-time Gloucester and England player.

He was awarded an honorarium of £150 by Gloucester Rugby Club immediately after the Second World War and started a memorial fund to buy a ground that local rugby clubs could use.

His vision has ensured that rugby has been played in Tuffley Avenue for close on 70 years now and his grandchildren, John Hudson and Jane Barton, will be at the Memorial Ground for the unveiling of the stone.

And there will be many others present as well with Booth hoping some great Gloucester rugby names of yesteryear such as Malcolm Preedy, Derrick Morgan, Ian Smith, Ron Etheridge, Matt Bayliss, Peter Ford and Mickey Booth will also be there.

One-time scrum-half Mickey Booth is Dave Booth’s dad of course and although Booth junior has done a lot of work to ensure that tomorrow is a big success he is by no means the only one.

Martin Slatter, who has been a major figure in rugby in Gloucester for many years, has worked hand in hand with Booth, who said: “If it wasn’t for Martin this day probably wouldn’t have happened.

“It’s the sort of bloke he is, he’s an expert on local rugby. He loves the game and he loves the history. He wants to make sure that people aren’t forgotten.”

North Gloucestershire treasurer Andy Payne is another who has put in a lot of hours and he along with Booth and Slatter was with Widden chairman Dave Easterbrook, John Hudson and Dave Reeves of Cryptians yesterday putting the final touches to the Memorial Ground in readiness for tomorrow.

Guests are expected to start arriving at 11am tomorrow with the ceremony of dedication and blessing of the memorial stone being carried out soon after noon by The Bishop of Tewkesbury, the Rt Revd Robert Springett.

That will be followed by two rugby games – the first between The Cherry Pickers and a Combination Vets XV at 1pm and the second between Widden Old Boys and Old Cryptians.

“I think they’re using an old lace-up ball to start the Cherry Pickers game,” continued Booth. “John Emery from Gordon League – he’s Mr Gordon League – is bringing down this old ball and we’re going to start the game with it.

“It’s fantastic. Mind you, I don’t know what’s going to happen to the ball once they’ve kicked off!”

The Widden/Cryptians game will kick off at 3pm.