An RAC side in about 1979

L to R Standing: Tom Singleton ump, Hugo Broadfoot, Walter Courage, Cpl Forbes, Hugh Phillips, Mark Evans, George Lanning ump.
Kneeling: Colin Sandbach, John Douglas, Andrew Stewart, Nigel Ward.
Lying around! Guy Jenkinson, Angus Stormonth-Darling, Mark Faulkner.

The first minuted meeting of the Fantasians cricket club, where club officers were elected, took place at The Potters Heron public house Nr Romsey in Hampshire on 8^th August 1982. In 1980 Phillip Davies and Adrian Wright met at the Kings Head and Eight Bells public house in Cheyne Walk, Chelsea and named the club “The Fantasians”

Davies and Wright were part of a “bunch” of mainly ex Royal Armoured Corps cricketers playing against strong West Sussex and Hampshire village sides. Benefiting from their military connections they decided to arrange matches against the Royal Armoured Corps, The Honourable Artillery Company, a staff side from the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst as well as The Hurlingham Club, The Dorset Rangers and The Agrarians.

This naturally felt like a “new club” and as the plans for military exercises are written around a fictious enemy known as The Fantasian forces from the mythical land of Fantasia they decided, as opposition to the military, that the club should be known as “The Fantasians”

Present at the 1982 meeting were: the clubs first president Colonel Hugh Phillips MBE, who sadly and suddenly passed away in 1998, Adrian Wright, Phillip Davies, Mike Dudley-Jones, David Rosier, Nigel Peyton with apologies from Colonel Ned Yorke and Robin Bell. Robin’s son Andrew, who was born a few days prior to this meeting, subsequently joining the committee twenty-seven years later!

In addition to a memorable tour to Cyprus in 1982, a West Country tour in 1987, opposition in the early years included: The Ferrets, The Stranded Whales, LV11, The Warblers, The Dick Hawkins X1, Falconhurst, Settrington House, Rickling Green, The Rogues, and The Blues. Later The Canbashers, The Butterflies, The Rabelasians and more Dorset orientated opposition such as The Robert Mackintosh X1, The David Woodhouse X1 and The Sandpipers were added.

Whilst maintaining regular fixtures against The Hurlingham Club, the RAC and The HAC, for many years, in more recent times The Eton Ramblers, Hampshire Hogs, Gemini, and Suffolk Gents have been added.

Naturally the committee changes from time to time with past Key members becoming Vice Presidents of the Club. Adrian Wright accepted the committee’s invitation to become president in 1999. In memory of Colonel Hugh Phillips a trophy known as “The Phillips bowl” is awarded annually to the member who has contributed most to the club either on or off the field over the year.