It may have taken an RFU decision to confirm a third successive promotion for Griffiths’ side following their ignominious drop from the Championship to Level 9 three years ago after going into liquidation, but there seems to be no stopping the world famous club’s ascent.
“It has to be four promotions in five years. If I don’t get that it will feel I have failed the club,” admitted director of rugby Griffiths.
Failure is hardly a word to be associated with the work that Griffiths has put into London Welsh since the former Wales U20 and Ospreys prop joined them. His work both on and off the field has been central to the transformation at Old Deer Park.
The recent announcement that they will move up to London 1 South next season meant it was the third time in successive seasons that the Exiles had taken a step back towards the heights they once enjoyed after going into liquidation three years ago and dropping down and finding themselves relegated from the Championship to Level 9 in Herts/Middlesex 1.
The fightback saw them win the league in which their amateur team once played in at the first attempt, follow that up with victory in London 3 North West and then topping London 2 North West in the recently truncated campaign.
Over the three seasons they have won 58 of their 62 matches, drawn another and lost three times, scoring 2,296 points at an average of 37 per game. Their only defeats have also been narrow as well, 17-7 at UCS Old Boys, 22-19 against Stevenage Town and 14-10 at Fullerians last term.
The next step sees them going into a 14 team division, London 1 South. Only the winners of that division are guaranteed promotion to the London and South East Premier, with the runners-up going into a play-off against the second placed team in London 1 North for the third and final promotion place.
From there it is on to the 16-strong National League 2 South, the National League 1 (16), the Championship (12) and finally the Premiership (12). It is only when you reach National League 1 status that you find any of London Welsh’s traditional rivals – Richmond, Blackheath, Richmond and Birmingham Moseley.
“We’re working hard in the background to ensure that we come back next season as strong as we finished this one, both on and off of the field of play,” said London Welsh chairman, Danny Griffiths.
“The London Welsh and Old Deer Park Boards are working constantly to monitor and adjust to the situation to ensure our great club will be in fine shape when we emerge from this current crisis. We are in full swing preparing for next season with all of the Coaching Staff, Management and Players on board for more of the same in 2020/21.
“The management team are also making contingency for every eventuality we can conceive in these uncertain times, to ensure we are as prepared as we can be to react to whatever outcome the next few months bring.
“This is a huge challenge both myself, as Chairman, and the Board never expected to face, although I take great comfort from the fact that as a club we have faced in our long and illustrious history wars, pandemics and financial crises before and always came out on the other side stronger.
“I have every confidence, because of the fantastic group of people involved in the running of our Club, that things will be no different this time.
“Between now and the start of next season, whenever that is, I want each and every one of our valued members to please remember that we did not stop being part of London Welsh when the last ball is kicked into touch or when the last bell rings in the bar after the last game.
“This wonderful community and gathering of friends is still there, still active and available for our members all year round, but even more so in these dark and worrying times. Nothing typifies the strength and integrity of this community more than the work of the Supporters Club, it has been a true inspiration to us all and exemplifies all that is best about our Club.”
Griffiths recently received a letter from Club patron, Prince Charles, offering his “greatest sympathy for the predicament you face and the many difficult decisions and circumstances that have to be managed” during the COVID-19 crisis.
Looking forward to next season, Exiles fans now know who they will face in their new league following the RFU’s decision to conduct promotion and relegation even though there were still games to be played to complete the season.
London 1 South will see them join fellow Exile teams in London Irish Wild Geese and London Cornish. Joining them will be the runners-up from their last league, Hammersmith & Fulham.
London South 1 League – 2020/2021
London Welsh, London Irish Wild Geese, Guildford, London Cornish, Battersea Ironsides, Hammersmith & Fulham, Camberley, Medway, Cobham, Horsham, Farnham, Chichester, KCS Old Boys, Haywards Heath
The shortest trip will be seven miles to play London Cornish, while the furthest will be 160 miles to Chichester. In all, the London Welsh army of fans will travel 874 miles watching their team as they meander their way through Middlesex, Surrey, Sussex and Kent.
It will be the latest step in the five-year plan put together by the London Welsh board after they were relegated. The initial phase was to secure four promotions to take the club back into the National Leagues, Tiers 3-5.
“We’re a huge club with a huge following and we’re trying to nurture that. The goal is not to make it back to the Premiership or back to the Championship, but to be sustainable,” explained head of men’s rugby, former player Jonathan Shankland.
“We want to keep building on the club’s core values and traditions and see where that goes. Our plan was just a blunt instrument.
“In my opinion, through the Premiership and Championship years the club had become a bit distant from its core. London Welsh is a natural home for Welsh people playing rugby in London and we’re a club that gets under your skin.
“The only secret is the dedication and commitment of the core people involved on the board, the supporters, the supporters’ clubs, sponsors and the coaches.”
With gates of over 1,000, and success throughout the club – the Druids were also promoted last season – things are certainly looking up at Old Deer Park. Griffiths has continued the great work done by Sonny Parker as player-coach, but next season is likely to be a significant step-up in class.
