Chapter 10.
Social Events
Christmas Lunches.
In the early part of the 1990’s, John Percival and Tom Sammons occasionally met up for lunch at an Italian restaurant – Trattoria Verdi – in Southampton Row, Holborn, particularly near Christmas. Inevitably, conversation over lunch centred on Witan’s Foreign Easter Tours, many of which both had been involved in organising. After a year or two, they decided it would be good to invite other Witan tourists to join them and numbers swelled to around 10. As more Club members became aware of the lunches, the distinction between tourists and non-tourists became blurred and as many as 20 members then attended. Around 2010, it was clear the event should be opened up to all Club Members and that its organisation should be passed over to the Club.
By this time, John Percival had joined the WOT’s Committee (Witan Old Timer’s) and continued to take on the task of organising the lunch, which he has subsequently done, with notable success, over many years as witnessed by the numbers attending which hovered around 20 until Covid struck.
Witan Christmas Lunch 19/12/2002 at Trattoria Verdi, 110 Southampton Row, Holborn, London WC1B 4BL.
L - R Tom Sammons, Trevor Chambers, Mick Moore, David (Nick) Nicholson, Derek Balfour, Bernie Sadler, Ned O’Keeffe, Terry Burcombe, John Percival and Billy Jones
Witan AFC Christmas Lunch 8/12/2023 at Trattoria Verdi;
L-R: Ned O'Keeffe, Micky Moore, Geoff Prodger, Tony Belton, John Richardson, Ron Ellis, Alan Selby, Derek Balfour,
Roger (proprietor), Tom Sammons. Attended but missing from photo: Colin Hudnott and Rennie Quinn.
Wots Pub Gatherings.
Pub gatherings of Witan players have, of course, been going on since time immemorial – well, not as long ago as 1189 but you get the picture. In the sixties and seventies these gatherings would typically be in the Ordnance Arms just before Christmas. They involved much jollity and even street fights!
Following the abolitions of the GLC and the new ILEA, the wind-down of the London Residuary Body and with the post-war bulge generation of lads starting to retire from the game, the need was seen for an annual event so that old players could meet up for a jar or eight.
Ad hoc meets started in the early nineties. Jeff Cohen, John Russell, John Richardson, Derek Key, Gary Hudson and Jim Richards met at the Red Lion, Westminster Bridge Road on the 10th of May 1991. Other meet-ups followed at the Red Lion.
In 1995 dear lamented John Cremin generously took up convening the annual get-togethers, footing the cost of stationery and postage from his business. On the 8th May he wrote around:
WITAN OLD TIMERS (WOTS) HAPPENING – FRIDAY 26 MAY 1995.
No, this “happening” is not an opportunity to meet up socially with fellow survivors of the “W” Formation Appreciation Society. There has already been an initial “happening” organised by John Richardson and Jim Richards, when a dozen or so delinquents from various corners of the Globe/Home Counties met up earlier this year at the new J D Wetherspoon’s pub at Victoria Station concourse. As a follow on from this gathering (and to continue to research our theory that the drinking water at Belmont may be a cause of premature ageing) it was suggested that we should meet up again in a few months and also extend the invitation to all (currently) known contacts.
That was the birth of the name WOTS for which we have John Cremin to thank.
Later meets took place at the Market Porter (on the crowded pavement outside, at least one attended by Spud), The Royal Oak (Borough), The George, The Founders Arms, The Charles Dickens, The Lord Clyde, The Windmill in the Cut (which we twice drank dry of cask beer) and latterly the Stage Door.
Despite being based in the U.S., around 2015 Ken Anderton bravely took over email communications for WOTS with his sister posting the snail mail invites over here.
Unfortunately, contact was somehow lost BUT Gary Hudson stepped in late in the day to rescue the 2017 meet.
Since 2018 Geoff Prodger has very ably steered the ship and kept us all in touch and we are very grateful to him for all the work he does.
Jim Richards July 2024.
Golf Days.
Following their retirement from the football field a scattering of players took to the golf links forming the seeds of what became the WOTS golf society in 2013. The society meets annually in September to play for the WOTS trophy which gives the winner the ‘privilege’ of organising the following year’s outing. The society welcomes all past and present players, irrespective of their golfing ability and provides a friendly and competitive environment, albeit with a small ball.
Ned O’Keeffe September 2024.