There was a time when any self respecting company employing a large workforce would see it as their responsibility to offer their employees a club in which they could enjoy their leisure hours.
Ransomes Sports and Social Club (RSSC) in Ipswich, owned by what was then Ransomes Sims and Jefferies Ltd., was typical of the many thousands of company owned sports clubs which existed through much of the last century.
But times have changed and the financial constraints put on companies has seen many clubs close. RSSC survived thanks to Ipswich Borough Council taking over the site.
RICHARD BISHOP reports on ...
FORSDIKE’S SAGA
Company Sports and Social Clubs typically had football pitches, a cricket square, a bowls green and tennis courts as well as the all important bar. The maintenance of the club was paid for by a small monthly subscription from the employees and the remainder, normally a considerable amount of money, would
come from the company. In the 1960s and 1970s there would have been many thousands of these clubs throughout the country. In the case of the Ransomes Sports and Social Club, there were (and still are) ten acres of sports grounds providing all of the sports mentioned. Being owned by a company making grass cutting machinery, maintenance equipment was not too much of a problem. The groundsman, Ray Forsdike, who started at the club in 1967 and is still there, probably didn’t get everything he would have liked though! The company had a full time employee in the personnel department (as it was known before the days of human resources) dedicated to the day to day running of the club and his role would be to make sure that everything ran smoothly at the club and that the employees were happy. How the situation has changed!
The 1970s were tough years for British industry and in the 1980s things became even tougher. Companies had to look long and hard at the way they operated and, inevitably, the pressure was on to reduce costs. Today, when large companies need to do this, they immediately look at advertising and entertaining. In those days there was an easier target; the sports club. The majority of the company owned sports clubs were closed down and the land sold off. RSSC lasted longer than most but eventually, after 89 years on the site, the inevitable happened and the club and grounds were sold to Ipswich Borough Council in 1994. RSSC is situated in a pleasant urban area of Ipswich and the immediate speculation was that the land would be developed. The council though were adamant that it should continue as a sports and social club; not just for the benefit of the existing members but also for the local community. The day to day management of the club transferred to a committee of members, and that situation still exists.
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