This 25 year period in the Club's history began as tragically as the previous quarter ended! For Sidney Brown became the second Gloucester Rugby Club player to die as a result of injury.

He ruptured a kidney after tackling an Aberavon player and although he returned to the field of play, he died the next day.

As the Club entered into this third quarter in its history, it is interesting to note that the media of that period referred to the club as the 'Red and Whites'.

Earlier in its initial years it was known as 'The City' but it should not be forgotten that rugby union was called 'football'. The name of 'Red and Whites' lasted well into the 1960s.

The 'Shed', now famous throughout the vocabulary of rugby union, was mainly open terracing and known as 'the popular enclosure'.

There was a grandstand covering part of the enclosure that was named 'St Marks Pavilion'. It had a curved roof that in this period advertised the old Hippodrome cinema that later became the Gaumont and is now just shops! Next to it, where the club's gymnasium now is, the building was festooned with a Winfields advert, the local florist and seed merchant.

A main grandstand was erected in 1926 opposite the 'popular enclosure' at a cost of £2,500. It contained 1,750 seats. Six years later it was destroyed by fire. One year later grandiose plans to increase the capacity of Kingsholm to 20,000 with seating for 7000 was considered a feasible proposition. As we are aware the proposal remained as it was - a proposal. However, the grandstand was replaced.

During this 25-year period there was a personal achievement in that Alfred Wadley, who captained the club for three consecutive seasons 1932-33, 1933-34, 1934-35, was ever present in all first XV matches for two consecutive seasons in 1935-36 and 1936-37.

Once again this was a period where play was curtailed early in 1940, due to World War Two. In the 1939-40 season a total of 20 matches were played, only three of these being played away, at Oxford University, Stroud and Bristol.

In fact the Memorial Ground Club commenced the resumption of fixtures for the 1945-46 season with a visit to Kingsholm. Once again the Club recorded victories either side of the war period. They had defeated Somerset Police 22 points to 9 in their final match before the conflict and defeated Bristol 18 points to nil at the restart.

In the 1947-48 season the Kingsholm faithful were able to witness what is almost a lost art in modern day rugby union, the dropped goal! The diminutive Willie Jones scored 17.

The Club was well served by several players who were recognised for their endeavours in the colours of Gloucester RFC by representing England - Harold Boughton, Alfred Carpenter, Percy Hordern, Maurice McCanlis, Graham Parker, Leslie Saxby, Christopher Tanner, were all honoured with wearing the white shirt of England. Sadly Christopher Tanner lost his life serving his country in the Second World War.

Kingsholm was the venue for several of the wartime services internationals. Gordon Hudson, son of the revered Arthur, featured in the England versus Wales on 20 March 1943. Gordon was serving as a corporal in the Royal Air Force, and played in further services internationals against Wales and Scotland.

He was unlucky that he reached a peak in the war period, or he may have emulated his father, Arthur and gained full recognition.

Gordon Hudson once scored four tries for England in a war-time international, which was a record. Thus, emulating his father, Arthur's proud record of scoring four tries in an England shirt.

Arthur had scored his four tries in England's 35 points to 8 victory at Parc de Princes versus France on 22 March 1906. No family can boast of such a record - father and son scoring four tries playing for England! The Hudson family still serve the club, John; the grandson of Arthur is the Club Shop manager.

This was a period where the game was strictly amateur and as Graham Parker once commented, 'Rugger is democratic to the core'. Graham won Blues for Cambridge University in both rugby and cricket and represented England at rugby union in 1938. He represented Gloucestershire at cricket after leaving university in 1935. He later became secretary - manager of the County Cricket Club.

His comment on the democracy of rugby union at Kingsholm were further explained, 'It was sharply marked at Gloucester. With few exceptions, the backs came from the public schools, were schoolmasters, doctors or even clerics - Roy James, Don Meadows, Bob Hook, Vernon Sheppard, Maurice McCanlis, John Brooks, Francis Edwards and 'Kit' Tanner for instance'.

Graham referred to the forwards as 'Rough - hewn local sons with a thirsty humour'. Coming from Tredworth, Widden, Archdeacon, Atlas and Gordon League. How I recall such as 'Bumps' Carpenter, George Fowke, Fred Merrett, Les Franklin, Fred Wadley, Jack Hemmings, John A'Bear and Roy 'Digger' Morris, he stated.

Graham was a true son of Gloucester having attended the Crypt School and played at left back for Gloucester City in the 1929-30 season. In 1931 he was appearing for Gloucester Rugby Club!

A period of 25 years, where it was split into two a pre-war decade and the post war period. The main difference between the two periods was emphasised in the quality of the back play.

Gloucester Rugby Club has always fielded a renowned pack of forwards. In the pre-war period during the 1930s the Club had six internationals and four England trialists. They could not claim a representative in the five-year period following the Second World War.

The dearth of players who could challenge for representative honours led to the Club becoming somewhat forward dominated in the following 25 year period.

Off the field of play the Club could rightly claim that in the fifty-year period from the turn of the century it had produced three of the finest administrators the game had produced - Arthur Hudson, Arnold Alcock and Tom Voyce.