The following history is based on extracts from a comprehensive article by Jock Imrie, published in our 50th anniversary booklet in 1995.

Jock has given immeasurable service to the club over the years, as player and committee man, and from 1946 to 1969 was both Secretary and Treasurer of the Trades.   His 1995 essay remains the definitive history of the club, and stands as a first-class contribution by one of the the most famous of all Trades men.

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We have also drawn heavily on this work in our pages on (i) Glynneath (ii) the club's playing records and (iii) the social aspects of Hawick Trades.  

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Following the outbreak of the Second World War in 1939, all of the town’s rugby clubs, senior, junior, and semi-junior ceased activities for the duration of the war, and in 1940 three well-known officials of Hawick Rugby Football Club - namely T Paterson, R L Scott, and A O Robson - called a meeting inviting representatives of junior clubs to consider forming a local semi-junior league in an effort to keep the game going in the town and to consist of teams from factories, youth organisations and any others who might be interested. Along with teams from most of the hosiery factories, Boys Brigade and Hawick High School FP the Combined Trades were entered and formed by three local gentlemen, Messrs J Murray, T Wright and A Middlemass, all of whom had considerable knowledge of the game. They amassed a team of apprentices from all sections of the building trade and from that first season in 1940-41, 1941-42 and 1943-44.

In 1942-43 the league was now reduced to four teams, Combined Trades, Boys Brigade, ATC and Pringles and that season was left unfinished when Pringles withdrew after ony playing two games.

1944-45 was another season when the league was unfinished mainly due to the postponement of matches in December, January and early February, snow and frost putting paid to games over that period. How fortunate we were to have a number of willing gentlemen who gave their time to referee these league games during the war years. The following participated regularly:  Messrs J Murray, Rev G B Hewitt, W Paterson, W Boyd, T Beattie, A L Bowie, T Wright and J Imrie.

Friendly matches in those years were played against a number of Army teams billeted in the town or nearby, namely West Kent Regiment, Royal Tank Regimant, Royal Engineers, Royal Artillery, Royal Ulster Rifles and the RAF from Millfield. Also during this period games were played against Selkirk Juniors, Gala Juniors, Edinburgh Rover Scouts, Melrose Juniors, Langholm Juniors and Jed Boys Club. Sevens tournament were very much limited during the war years but nevertheless the club did win three tournaments and were runners-up in two others.

At the end of season 1944-45 the members requested a special general meeting at which it was unanimously agreed to continue as a junior club and an application made for membership to the South District Union was accepted.

The first season as a junior club 1945-46 was fairly successful with a playing record of Played 17, Won 10, Lost 3, Drawn 4, Points For 252, Points Against 61. Six games were postponed on account of bad weather.   The club’s first invitation to a sevens tournament was to Huddersfield on 4th May 1946, but they unfortunately went out in the second round to the eventual winners Huddersfield Old Boys who were coached by an old Hawick favourite Ally Fiddes. At the AGM of 1946 it was unanimously approved to change the name of the club to Hawick Trades and an application for membership to the Border Junior League was accepted.

All of which has been mentioned of Combined Trades was the preparation and leading up to the commencement of Hawick Trades in 1946.

The Forties and the Fifties (from 1946)
The opening season of 1946-47 was severely interrupted during the months of February and March when no rugby was possible due to heavy snow, and the Border Junior League was declared void. However a double success was achieved in winning the sevens tournament at Langholm Junior and the South District Union on the same day - 26th April 1947. The following season 1947-48 was highly successful, Trades finishing runners up in the Junior League Championship won by Hawick Linden and winning the SDU sevens at Netherdale for the second year in succession. 1948-49 and 1949-50 were two outstanding seasons with the Border Junior League Championship won in both seasons (see records page for full details)

Outstanding players of that period included:

Eric Nixon also played at three-quarter, and all of these played for the Greens at one time or another.

The club always endeavoured to play attractive rugby and their record speaks for itself. From the 10th January, 1948 to the 15th October 1949 the club had a sequence of 40 games unbeaten. The remainder of the fifties had some really good seasons and a few not so good, something that all clubs encountered now and again. Harry Spreng who played from 1945 to 1952 mostly as a winger and occasionally at centre made 152 appearances for the club and scored 88 tries. Indeed no mean feat.

Glynneath
One of the highlights in the fixture list of the fifties was the introduction of the Welsh connection with Glynneath in 1956, and a full account of how this remarkable friendship started can be found in the Glynneath section of this site.

The Sixties
The Sixties produced three winning Championships in seasons 1961-62, 1963-64, and 1964-65 (see records page for full details), and of 17 points against on the Border Junior League record of 1964-65 only two tries were scored.

Outstanding players of these seasons were
 

Alan Crouch Alan Murphy Rob Smith Sandy Bannerman Brian Patterson Colin Telfer

Jim Irvine Rob Broatch Peter Robertson Jim Domingo Andy Amos John Auchinleck

Ronnie James Ronnie Grieve Colin Wright Tom Dawson Drew O’Mara

Most of these donned a Green jersey.

Other successful seasons of the sixties were 1965-66 and 1966-67. We finished runner-up in the junior league won by Hawick YM in 1965-66 and also in 1966-67 won by Hawick Harlequins.

It is interesting to record that from 1965 to 1968 the Border Junior League Championship was won by all four Hawick junior clubs in turn:

...and Linden won again in 1969.

Remarkable success was achieved in Sevens tournaments from 1946 to 1969. In fact, all in all, from 1946-1969 Trades were Sevens winners on no less than 52 occasions, and runners-up 10 times.   Details of these years can be found on the team records page

Clubrooms and facilities
It was in the late fifties that the club were given the opportunity of acquiring a hut at the rear of the Waverley Bar premises on condition we were prepared to meet the expenses of repairs required and converting it into a clubroom for meetings. Up to this time from commencing 1945 our weekly meetings in the rugby season and other monthly meetings had been held in the Library Hall

The offer was accepted and work carried out as required complete with floor covering, table and set of drawers supplied by a member of committee. A sufficient number of chairs were also acquired.

The premises were of tremendous value in more ways than one, and eventually we sometimes entertained officials and players of visiting teams after a game. We purchased a barrel of beer operated by a foot pump and were supplied with glasses by the manager of the Waverley Bar, Mr Hugh Innes, who was our Hon President. We had the honour of entertaining a number of the All Blacks touring team of 1963-64 in the premises.

In the early sixties the club made various enquiries of trying to obtain a ground of their own and of properties for the purpose of having their own clubroom. A field at Haughead was found to be the property of Trowmill and leased to Hawick Town Council but who only had an option on it and intended using it as a dump for two years. It was also made known from the Town Clerk that a field to the west of the walled gardens might be available for a playing pitch and space to build clubrooms, but following a surveyor's inspection of this site we were advised against taking any further interest as much of the area was rock.

It later became known that the Common Riding committee would be prepared to offer a lease of the Volunteer Park to two or more clubs provided the Hawick club were prepared to forego that lease of this ground. Meetings took place among the Junior clubs, Trades, Linden and YM along with representatives of the Hawick Club and Common-Riding committee to dicusss the situation and possibilities. The Hawick club agreed to forego the lease of the ground and the YM withdrew from any further arrangement, as they were negotiating some other possibility.

By this time the Trades and Linden following a further meeting agreed to apply together this being accepted by the Common-Riding committee to be given a 15-year lease of the ground with certain conditions attached. It was pointed out that a licence could only be granted to one club so five representatives were appointed from each of the rugby clubs and to be named the Volunteer Park Sports Club who would apply for a licence. Financial arrangements were discussed and agreed to after it became known that following plans being approved for dressing rooms etc and extensions for clubrooms supplied by architects to be in excess of six thousand pounds.

The work commenced after the holidays in 1963 and proceeded fairly smoothly until November when the weather interfered and caused a slight holdup. Most of the work was carried out by local tradesmen and one person in particular had to be congratulated for his continual attendance and offering most of his spare time to ensure the work was carried out. Jimmy Arnot kept urging the various tradesmen to get cracking and see that the job would be completed in time.

The premises were duly opened on 28th March 1964 although the official opening did not take place until Wednesday 9th September 1964, when Provost James A Henderson performed the opening ceremony prior to a special match arranged for the occasion between a Hawick Trades – Hawick Linden select and a Personalities XV selected by J Imrie.

The Select's points came from a try and the Personalities' from 1 goal, 1 penalty goal, and one try.

[At the time, a try was worth 3 points, a conversion a further 2 points, and a penalty 3 points]

After the game a Dinner was held in Victoria Hotel.

Before the alterations and occupying the Volunteer Park, clubs used to strip and wash at the public baths except on a public holiday such as September holiday and New Year’s Day.   The facilities consisted of on each side of the entrance a changing room with wash hand basins and cold water only and a toilet - pretty grim compared with today’s facilities of bath, showers, hot water, toilets etc. The clubrooms upstairs consist of kitchen with modern appliances, gents and ladies toilets, function room, small lounge and bar fitted with wall seating, tables and chairs. There are also showcases with international jerseys, portraits of international players and a host of various photos of both the clubs.

Committee Men of Note
The Trades club have been most fortunate in having outstanding leadership in firstly Jimmy Murray to 1949 and then Tom Reid, who succeeded him as president over the next two decades and more. Supporting Tom Reid in his early years was Tom Turnbull a most dedicated deputy as vice-president who unfortunately died in September 1952 and was a great loss to the club.  Fine working committees reigned over the fifties and sixties. Jimmy Murray was made the first life member of the club and richly deserved it was too, as was the election of the second life member Ally Nixon in 1964 for years of service.   Ally emigrated to Australia the following year.  (More in this site's section on officials of the club ).

...and ladies
The ladies of the club should not be forgotten for a lot of work behind the scenes, the wives of committee members, girlfriends of players who were regularly involved with activities in the club. Some of the meals they provide for the teams after games at the Volunteer Park are a treat and always much appreciated.

Club Dress
The dress of the club has always been Sky Blue jerseys, white shorts and navy blue stockings on the rugby field. Jerseys made of cotton were used in the early days and purchased from from a Glasgow firm but eventually woollen jerseys were used, made locally and over the years by different firms. A club tie was introduced in the early fifties, a navy background with sky blue and white stripes. Later a scarf was also produced in the same colours: navy blue, sky blue and white. The design of the tie has changed over the years, but the scarf remains the same. In the late fifties members of the club had blazers made by a local outfitters and also a badge was produced at the same time.