Tony was the coach of Shire Horse (where he was also head doorman) on Ferensway when I started playing open age rugby. He was a huge man with the broadest cockney accent I’d ever heard this side of Watford Gap. I’m also led to believe he also worked as a Gas Rigger at Hull docks.
He would never train himself but flogged us to death. He never had any hang ups about his colour either (I guess that came from working on the doors). In fact I remember a really funny occasion during training when he was giving us a real beasting. One of the lads was out on his feet when Tony told him to do another set of sprints. The lad replied “you f**king b****rd” to which Banham replied “that’s you f**king black b****rd to you son.”
Every Saturday he would start a game telling the rest of the team that he would play the first 20 mins to “soften ‘em up a bit”. Talk about bringing the biff back!! But the problem with that was once he’d gone off the rest of us would feel the backlash! So we held a players meeting before training one night and it was unanimously decided that if Tony wanted to play he a) had to train b) had to play more game time and c) stop beating people up. But the problem then came that no one dare tell him. In the end it fell to the team captain and another one of the lads Ian T (who also worked the doors with Tony) to tell him. Shall we just say he didn’t take it very well? Tony wasn’t going to be dictated to and told us all that it was his way or no way. He walked out on the team that same night and never came back.
Although as rough as they come he was always the perfect gentleman when ladies were about.
I believe he died of a heart attack but apologises if this is not correct.
A great man sadly missed.

Played against him once for Abbey v Oddbottle...a sunday morning thing against 2 local pubs......i put a sly one in in a 3 man tackle....he flattend me about 10mins later....told me after the match he recognised my boots as he was being tackled when i hit him and knew who it was..........he was one big mean bugger.

Dave played in the same team as me at Stonehouse. I recall him getting into a bit of bother at someones house, which ended up all over the HDM. IIRC it was alleged he was running around the front garden stark naked with a dustbin lid in his hand. He took a real beating from the boys in blue that day! But he was totally innocent (but I won’t go into this any further). He was a great singer was Dave.

the story i was told was that he was ' friends' with a local butchers wife and was bragging about the friendship in Hastings in front of the husband. so the husband left and returned with a works knife and cut him. This may or may not be accurate as it was a well passed about story.

Hey RBA I played for Ace too alongside Duncan. who are you ?

Tony Banham was a HUGE man. Played a few times against him think he played for North Bransholme ay the time when I played for Reckitts as a young nipper.

We had a scrum half called Tommy Elm who tried taking Tony's head off with a swinging arm. From the ground you heard Tony say " I hope that fackin wont you Tommy " . As Tony got up, Tommy pointed to me and said " it want me Tony it was him !!!"

Closest I've come to shi**ing myself on a pitch LOL

Always a gentleman when we saw him in pubs after the game, and his enornmous hands made a pint glass look like a thimble.

I played alongside you for a couple of years mate. Wouldnt want to blow my cover on here though.