A CLUB HERITAGE FORGED IN IRON AND STEEL
The present day Whitehead Sports and Social Club has its modern origins rooted in a local industrial giant – Lionel Digby Whitehead
1903 Mr Whitehead purchased at scrap value an old mill in Tredegar
1906 Purchased a portion of Tredegar Works and formed the Whitehead Iron and Steel Co.
1906 Purchased one of the few continuous rolling mills in the world – but it wasn’t until 1910 that they were able to get it running successfully
1914 After purchasing a site in Newport, Mr Whitehead started planning to move from Tredegar
1920 A new mill was installed in Newport and an electro-galvanising process was developed and marketed
1921 Workers formed a cricket club and football team and the following year secured a ground in Maesglas which they quickly outgrew
1927 Mr Whitehead purchased Overton House on Cardiff Road – which later became the Courtybella Club as a social club for his employees
1927 Mr Whitehead negotiated an agreement with the YMCA to share their parkland ground in Bassaleg and set up
the Whiteheads Welfare Scheme to administer the Courtybella Club and Bassaleg grounds
1935 Took full control of the Bassaleg grounds and purchased it outright in 1937. Its annual sports day was one of the highlights of the year and would attracted thousands to enjoy a wide range of events
1936 Whitehead RFC was founded – they played at the Bassaleg grounds, but until the 60s their spiritual home was the Courtybella club (because Bassaleg didn’t sell beer!)
1938 On April 3, Mr Whitehead died tragically at the wheel of his car near Brecon. He was 61. The cause of death was a ruptured aorta
1967 Whitehead Steel and Iron Co became part of the British Steel Corporation 1978 The Bassaleg facilities were further improved by the provision of squash courts
1982 A new era began after the club house and grounds were purchased by a group of men, headed by Bill Porter who became the chairman
Today, the club has over a thousand members and still enjoys a reputation as one of the finest family community clubs in the area. It hosts
senior and junior rugby, football, bowls, archery and skittles as well as regular entertainment with its large dance floor and facilities.
