At last the big day arrived - Sunday, November 5th 1995 and the official opening of Bodicote Park, home of Banbury Rugby Union Football Club, by Northampton, England and British Lion, Tim Rodber.

There were representatives from the Rugby Football Union there alongside the Oxfordshire County RFU, local rugby clubs, Northampton Saints, Newcastle and Gosforth Rugby Club, Cherwell District Council and Oxfordshire County Council.

Other guests were town mayors from Banbury and Brackley, local schools, Euro MPs, builders and architects, the Thames Valley Police and many others.

It was a day to remember with showcase games between the England Classicals XV and Banbury, where the old England stars made light of the extra inches on their waistlines to record a skilful 93-26 win.

There were also games from both ends of the rugby spectrum with Banbury Under 13s playing Sutton Coldfield as well as The Old Nicks turning out.

It was congratulations all round for a job well done.

Club president Barrie Nichols had hosted a celebration dinner the night before too, with over 200 attending, where presentations were made to Nicky Lewis in appreciation of all her past work at the old club, and to Bob Jones, Clive Adkins and Bruce Hopkins, honorary life presidents, for all their sterling work in making the dream possible.

Away from the euphoria of the grand opening, however, things were not going well on the pitch.

The threat of relegation haunted the first team for much of the season, and indicative of their poor form they suffered a 17-12 defeat in the first round of the Bass Brewers Oxfordshire Cup to Oxon and Bucks Division One side Witney which was described as "one of the darkest playing moments in the club's history".

Drastic action was called for and director of rugby Peter Payne and chairman of the rugby committee Martin Court appointed a new player-coach, Crayton Phillips.

John Brodley, after eight years as coach which were not totally devoid of success, made a hasty exit.

The new regime brought in new signings, lock Richard Mackie and back row Paul Thomas, both from Coventry, along with lock Mark Strudwick from South Africa, for their first match at home to Clevedon ... and it seemed to do the trick!

Banbury recorded a sparkling 22-3 win, and more wins were to come to take the club clear of the bottom two relegation places. But as it happened, they needn't have worried about relegation. There was to be no drop anyway because of a reorganisation of the South West League. Instead Banbury headed north, having been accepted into Midland Division II.

There perhaps, Banbury might come into their own. The new facilities at Bodicote certainly were, for over 1,000 players took part in a mini-rugby festival with 15 different clubs taking part, and the club also hosted two internationals - England Ladies "A' v Spain and England Schools' Group 18 "A' v Japan High Schools - and an Oxfordshire v Gloucestershire game.

Away from it all, the club tour was to Holland, but it was soon back home and the club dinner, held for the first time in their very own premises.

It was certainly a time of "all change' and the prospect of a new league for the 1996-97 campaign raised some dissenting voices, perhaps because the excuse for long weekends in the West Country would disappear.

Midland Two was nonetheless viewed as a better prospect with the saving in travel expenses and the return to a more traditional fixture list. And what a fortuitous move it turned out to be.

The season developed into a vintage one for the club with promotion at the first attempt to Midland One on points difference, and a step nearer to president Malcolm Thomas' wish in the programme that National League rugby was the eventual aim.

Along the way there were some memorable games - a 56-10 win against Leamington in the opening game; a 57-16 trouncing of old rivals Buckby; and in what the local press described as "the most important game in the club's history", a 17-13 win against Dudley to clinch promotion.

Mini and junior rugby continued to boom too, and all sections of the club were bringing home the trophies.

The club continued on a roll as they went through the 97-98 season, finishing in a heady runners-up spot in their first season in Division One and getting their name again on the County Cup where they beat Chinnor 13-0.

Junior and veterans rugby was also prospering. The Under 10s won through to the National Plate Final to be played at Twickenham; the Under 15s won the junior rugby festival played at Bodicote Park, beating Cheltenham 12-10; and Banbury's Matthew Goode ended the tournament with eight tries and six conversions to his credit.

The Vets, showed there was still life in the old dogs too and under skipper Bruce Hopkins won the first-ever Oxfordshire Veterans Floodlit Cup, beating The Sly Old Foxes of Bicester 23-14.

The only downside to the year, in fact, had been the mid-term resignation of player-coach Crayton Phillips who called it a day after a 13-12 win against Burton. He had been struggling with his fitness and decided to make way for John Williamson, but took with him a remarkable record of guiding Banbury from the bottom half of South West Two to the top half of Midland One in an eventful two years.

And so to the club's 75th year, with English-born president Terry Humphreys breaking the sequence of three Welsh presidents, and heralding a change of name for the First XV. The Banbury Bulls were born, a tribute perhaps to the area's farming heritage and the much-mourned closure of the town's world-famous cattle market. It was a name that quickly came to be respected in Midland One where the club finished a creditable fourth, and wider afield as Banbury played host under the Bodicote Park lights to the England Under 21 "A' v South Africa Under 21s.

Over 3,000 enjoyed the club facilities and prompted Christopher Lyles to write in the "Daily Telegraph', "The match in which South Africa triumphed by five tries to three, was played at the marvellously appointed home of Banbury, who are third in Midland One and who have aspirations of gaining promotion to the National Leagues. Should they do so, they will have a pitch and facilities which would grace Allied Dunbar Premiership, let alone the National Leagues."

Praise indeed, and Twickenham directed more matches to Bodicote Park - the England 16 Schools v Italy Under 17s, the final of the English Universities Cup between Imperial Hospitals and Newcastle; the British Universities Competition; County Championship games and more.

These were all interesting distractions, but Banbury RFC was really what Bodicote Park was all about, and the club could take more than a little satisfaction from their own playing performances. It took fourth place in the League, were runners-up in the Oxfordshire County Cup, and the Colts, under Dave Fell and Nick Green, won their particular league besides being losing finalists in the County Cup. The Veterans won their County Cup; the Under 16s won everything they entered and various mini rugby age groups brought home cups and trophies from wherever they played.

Banbury Rugby Club was becoming a major force in Midlands rugby and now well known and respected even in National circles, due not only to its facilities but the enormous amount of work put in by its devoted band of helpers. It was a case of the concerted efforts of keen amateurs producing a club with a truly professional attitude. The management committee is the guiding force but all kinds of people responsible for their own section of the club combine to produce the finished article.

People like Bob Mitchelmore who produces what must be one of the best programmes anywhere in rugby; Pat Rix and her girls who run the Bull Pen, the profitable club shop; John (1st team manager) and Paula Baker who washes every senior jersey in the club and makes sure the teams run out looking their best; even the old farmers made an excellent contribution by providing the scoreboard clock from the profit on their lunches. The list is endless and these are just a few of the people who have made BRUFC the successful club it now is.

It had taken 75 years of highs and lows, but Banbury RFC looks as if it has finally come within touching distance of where it wants and deserves to be.

So, as this story, which had such unlikely beginnings in 1925, comes to an end, another is waiting to be written ...