Bramley Road, Saracens F.C., 1939-1996

Unlike our other Ghost Grounds, rugby still takes place weekly on the public fields of Bramley Road, and its the colours of Saracens, and even their name, that still graces the shirts of the home team, Saracens Amateurs.

The current side ply their trade in Herts/Middlesex 1, alongside other sides blazing an amateur trail while their name also goes forth in the professional ranks: London Scottish Lions (currently top), Wasps FC (second), Ealing Trailfinders 1871 (fourth) and our Bramley Road residents Saracens Amateurs (fifth).

The original Saracens were founded in 1876 by the Old Boys of Philological School in Marylebone, and played early games in different areas across north London – including Southgate’s Crown Lane and Winchmore Hill – before Bramley Road became their permanent home in 1939.

Internationals were always a common sight here, right up until the Saracens women left the club’s spiritual home in 2014. In 1951, to celebrate the opening of the grandstand – that still stands today – a Middlesex County XV featuring seven internationals would narrowly beat Saracens, and two decades later a record 5,000-plus crowd would watch Saracens draw 34-34 with a British & Irish Lions-studded International XV (featuring ten Lions), raising funds for the children of the late Brian Goodchild.

More great moments in the 1970s: a 1972 semi-final in the newly formed national cup competition against London Welsh, pulling in 3,500. London Welsh lined up with JPR Williams, Gerald Davies, John Dawes, Keith Hughes and J Shanklin in the backs and John Taylor and Mervyn Davies in the forwards, as part of a nine-international contingent, six of whom were Lions. Saracens were overwhelmed 7-33.

There were also Middlesex cup wins, including a 1972 9-0 final victory over a strong Metropolitan Police side; touring sides from Australia also frequented the ground, including Sydney’s Northern Suburbs in 1973, who were despatched 19-6.

The invention of league rugby saw Saracens begin their climb to the top, although after first reaching the top division in 1989, they later spent time in the second tier again, before rising once more and – having been saved from relegation by a league expansion – saw the arrival of Nigel Wray in 1995, on the dawn of professionalism.

It was to Bramley Road that Rugby World Cup-winning fly-half Michael Lynagh arrived in disguise to check out the side he was being courted by, ‘and despite that he joined the club,’ exclaimed Wray. Some of the biggest names in England rugby played for Saracens at Bramley Road including future world-cup winners Richard Hill and Kyran Bracken, and even when Wray’s arrival signalled a new era, the side continued to train at Bramley Road, meaning Francois Pienaar, Philippe Sella, Lynagh et al, all trod the Southgate turf here regularly, while New Zealand icon Buck Shelford would be based here too as head coach.

The men’s side would take their games first to Enfield Town FC, then to Vicarage Road before finding Barnet Copthall, now the StoneX Stadium.  

They would continue training at Bramley Road, until 2004, a decade before the women followed suit.

At the same time, Saracens Amateurs were born, re-entering the league pyramid and, today, they boast 62 senior players across two sides, and a vets team, and a youth section of 280.

Even today, the clubhouse walls and cabinets are full of memories from the glory days of this ghost ground and, only six years ago, they were given a taste of what is was once like, as Nigel Wray returned with a star-stacked Saracens professionals side to face Worcester in a pre-season friendly. 

And even more recently, it hosted another iconic name, as London Welsh visited as they began their climb back to the top. You can read what happened here.