HISTORY

THE SWINDON GOLDEN CARP ANGLING ASSOCIATION WAS FORMED IN 1894 AS A RECREATIONAL ACTIVITY FOR EMPLOYEES OF THE GREAT WESTERN RAILWAY. INITIAL FISHING RIGHTS WERE EXERCISED ON STRETCHES OF THE KENNET & AVON CANAL AT SAVERNAKE AND GREAT BEDWYN, BUT CEASED DUE TO THE DRYING UP OF THE CANAL IN 1976.

NEW WATERS WERE URGENTLY REQUIRED TO ALLOW THE EXISTING MEMBERS TO CONTINUE ENJOYING THEIR SPORT. FROM THEN, FISHING RIGHTS HAVE BEEN OBTAINED ON VARIOUS STRETCHES OF THE RIVERS' THAMES AND RAY NEAR CRICKLADE AND, MORE LATTERLY, AT BLUNSDON.

AT THE OUTSET, THE GREAT WESTERN RAILWAY LAID ON TRANSPORT, BUT ONLY ON SUNDAYS, TO ALLOW MEMBERS TO PARTICIPATE AND ENJOY THE PEACE AND QUIET OF BEING AWAY FROM THE WORKPLACE (AND THEIR HOMES). FISHING WAS SOLELY FOR FUN AND SOMETHING TO DO IN THOSE DAYS - THERE WERE NO CUPS OR TROPHIES TO AIM FOR.

THERE APPEARS TO BE NO DOCUMENTED INFORMATION AVAILABLE IN ANY ARCHIVE RELATING TO THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE ASSOCIATION. HOWEVER, IT IS KNOWN FOR SURE THAT ONE OF THE FOUNDER MEMBERS WAS A FRED WIGGINS, LATER TO BECOME CHAIRMAN.

THE ASSOCIATION'S FIRST TROPHY WAS A TANKARD, DONATED BY THE REV. T. S. GRAY, HIMSELF A CLUB MEMBER. HE STIPULATED THAT IT WAS TO BE AWARDED ANNUALLY TO THE MEMBER WHO REGISTERED THE LARGEST PIKE CAUGHT DURING THE SEASON. IT HAS BEEN KNOWN AS THE PIKE TANKARD EVER SINCE. IT WAS FIRST FISHED FOR IN THE 1920/21 SEASON AND WAS WON BY A. LOOKER WHO CAUGHT A 14lb 12oz FISH AT COATE WATER. THE RECORD IS A MONSTER FISH OF 31lb 2oz, CAUGHT BY REG WIGGINS (A GRANDSON OF THE PREVIOUSLY MENTIONED FRED). REG CAUGHT THIS SUPERB SPECIMEN DURING AN INTER-CLUB MATCH AGAINST KINTBURY FISHING CLUB ON THEIR RIVER KENNET IN THE 1977/78 SEASON.

THE RAILWAYMEN WOULD HAVE MATCHES AMONGST THEMSELVES, BUT THERE WAS NO CUP AWARDED TO THE WINNER OF AN INDIVIDUAL MATCH. A FRANK NETCOTT CAME FORWARD (DATE UNKNOWN) AND DONATED THE AGGREGATE CUP, WHICH, AS THE NAME IMPLIES, WAS AWARDED TO THE MEMBER WITH THE GREATEST AGGREGATE WEIGHT RECORDED FROM THOSE MATCHES, WITH THE EXCEPTION OF THE PIKE TANKARD.

SEVERAL CUPS, SHIELDS AND TROPHIES HAVE SO GENEROUSLY BEEN DONATED SINCE.

IN MARCH 1919, A FRANK W NETCOTT JOINED THE CLUB (PROBABLY THE SAME FRANK AS ABOVE). HE WAS TO REMAIN A MEMBER 'ON & OFF' FOR A NUMBER OF YEAR'S. IN 1945 HE HAS ALLOWED TO PAY THE RETIRED MEMBERS RATE, BUT THERE IS NO RECORD OF WHEN HIS MEMBERSHIP CEASED. THE COMMITTEE MINUTES OF 17 OCTOBER 1949 RECORDS THE DONATION OF A CUP BY AN R. NETCOTT. THERE IS NO MENTION OF THE PURPOSE OF THIS DONATION; PERHAPS IT WAS BY A SON, OR OTHER RELATIVE, DONATING IT FOLLOWING THE DEATH? OF F. W. NETCOTT. THIS CUP IS KNOWN AS 'THE NETCOTT CUP'. THE COMMITTEE MINUTES OF 25 AUGUST 1953 RECORDS THE DONATION OF A CUP BY A. PAYNE & SON. IT IS UNDERSTOOD THAT THIS WAS A BOOKMAKERS BUSINESS, BUT THERE IS NO REFERENCE TO THEM, ALTHOUGH A MR A. PAYNE WAS REGISTERED AS A MEMBER IN 1952. UNSURPRISINGLY, THIS CUP IS KNOWN AS 'THE PAYNE CUP'.

ALTHOUGH THE ABOVE ARE FISHED FOR BY SENIOR MEMBERS, IN MORE RECENT TIMES, MEMBERSHIP WAS OPENED UP TO ALLOW WIVES AND CHILDREN TO PARTICIPATE IN THE SPORT. JUNIORS ALSO HAVE THEIR FAIR SHARE OF CUPS TO FISH FOR.

SOME CURRENT MEMBERS HAVE BELONGED TO THE ASSOCIATION FOR 50+ YEARS. THESE INCLUDE THE CURRENT CHARIMAN, ERIC BIZLEY AND MEMBER RAY WILLIAMS, A PAST PRESIDENT. OTHER LONG STANDING MEMBERS INCLUDE COMMITTEE MEMBERS JOHN HALE AND BRIAN LEWINGTON.