Widden Old Boys are going to have an exciting end to this season, irrespective of what happens on the pitch over the next few months.

That’s because the club will be celebrating their centenary at the end of the campaign, and to mark the milestone they’ve got a number of high-profile events planned.

The club, who are one of the oldest in the North Gloucestershire Combination, were founded in 1922 so the celebrations will actually be taking place a few months into their 101st year, but there’s a very good reason for that. 

“Covid,” said Widden chairman David Easterbrook. “The centenary celebrations take quite a lot of organising. No-one knew what was happening with Covid so this was the earliest we could organise it.”

After 100 years, nobody at the club is going to quibble about a few months, of course, and it’s certain the wait will be worthwhile.

They’ve got a trip to Gibraltar in May – close on 50 players and officials have signed up for that – before three days of celebrations at the club in June.

“We’ve got a sportsman’s dinner in a marquee at the club on Friday 23rd June,” said Easterbrook. 

“Then the following evening we’ve got the end-of-season dinner and dance, and then on Sunday it’s all about the juniors, that will be their presentation.”

Easterbrook is also hoping to arrange an away-day for the juniors on Saturday 15th April – Weston Hornets or Burnham-on-Sea are possibilities – so he’s got plenty on his plate.

He’s been chairman for the past 11 years and is pleased with the overall position of the club.

“It’s looking good, we’re quite healthy,” he said. “We run two senior teams and we’ve also got a vets’ team who play every four weeks.”

They’ve got more than 100 players in their junior set-up, too – they may be joined on their end-of-season away-day by the vets’ team – so it’s no wonder that Easterbrook is happy with the way things are going.

The flagship team are currently fourth in the newly formed Counties 3 Gloucestershire North, having won six and drawn one of their opening nine games.

They’d obviously like to win promotion but Easterbrook has been in the game long enough to know that won’t be easy.

“We’ve got some good teams in our division,” he said. “Stroud, Old Patesians and Gloucester Old Boys.

“Stroud and Old Pats are probably the favourites but no-one knows how many teams will be promoted. It could be just one or it could even be three. If we get promoted that would be fantastic.”

Easterbrook is a big fan of the club’s director of rugby Neil Bennett and he’s also delighted that Danny Judge is captaining the side.

“He was the obvious choice to lead us in our centenary year, he’s a popular lad,” continued Easterbrook. “He’s our scrum-half, he’s a very good player.”

So what does Easterbrook hope to achieve for the club over the next few months?

“I’d like to get the clubhouse roof fixed, it leaks,” he said. “We’ve got a bit of money, I want to get that sorted.”

You know he will, of course, and he’s forever grateful to everyone who supports the club.

“I’d like to say a big thank you to the committee and all the volunteers,” he said. “The club would not be where we are without their help.”

Widden travel to 10^th-placed Fairford in Counties 3 Gloucestershire North on Saturday.