The Howard School has very strong links with the Anchorians across generations of Howard boys and staff. Therefore, we are pleased to host the Annual Report from The Anchorians Association and its Affiliated Sports Clubs on our website.
Who are the Anchorians?
The Old Anchorians Club was formed on Boxing Day, 1926 by a group of 30 former pupils and members of staff of Gillingham County (later, to become Grammar) School in Third Avenue, Gillingham, Kent – now the location of Robert Napier Secondary School. The Club became The Anchorians Association and celebrates in 2026-27 its centenary.
The County School was established in 1923; then becoming Gillingham Grammar school in 1947 after the introduction of the 1944 Education Act which saw the introduction of the ‘11-plus’ examination, which determined in which of the three types of secondary school — grammar, technical, or secondary modern — a child should be educated.
The former Grammar school is not to be confused with Rainham Mark Grammar School, which was formerly, Gillingham Technical High School.
In 1975, Gillingham Grammar School merged with Rainham Secondary Boys’ School and moved to its Derwent Way site, to form The Howard School. The new School’s Board of Governors approved the adoption of the Anchorians Association as its ‘ready-made’ Old Boys’ organisation.
The ‘Anchs’ moved to their Darland Avenue (Watling Street Playing Fields) Clubhouse in 1984, from their first clubhouse which was located on the corner of Featherby Road and Cornwallis Avenue.
The Association leases from Medway Council the land on which its Clubhouse is situated, while its three affiliated sports clubs each have long-term leases on their respective pitches (and in the case of the Hockey Club, its artificial pitch).
Why ‘Anchorians’?
The former Gillingham Grammar School’s badge incorporated both the Kent Invicta white horse and an anchor. The anchor represented Gillingham’s and the wider Medway Towns’ relationship with the Royal Navy and HM Dockyard, Chatham – for which the School prepared many boys for the apprenticeship entrance examination.
The Howard School’s badge incorporates the emblems from its two founding schools: the anchor and the Tudor rose, from the former Rainham Secondary School for Boys. As such, anyone who has worn the uniform and the badge are ‘Anchorians’!
Affiliated Sports Clubs
From its inception, the Association saw the value of it being not just an organisation to share memories of one’s school days and to promote and support the School, but to create a vibrant basis for maintaining and creating new friendships, specifically (although not exclusively) through sport.
The Association currently supports three clubs:
- Gillingham Anchorians Rugby Football Club (formerly, Old Anchorians RFC): Formed in 1928, the Rugby Club is the oldest affiliated sports club within the Association and has been a constant in its life, generally.
- The 1st XV plays in RFU Counties (Kent) League 1 – Level 7 of the RFU pyramid and the highest level that the Club has ever achieved. Today, the Club runs two adult teams (at its peak, it ran 6). The Club now supports the full range of age groups (boys and girls), from Under-6s to Under 17s.
- Gillingham Anchorians Hockey Club (formerly Old Anchorians HC) The Club formed in 1954-55.
- The Club had, certainly until the mid-1990s, a strong and successful reputation, culminating with the Men’s 1st XI qualifying in 1987 for the National Leagues, and in 1992-93, becoming Champions of the national Premier League ‘A’.
Today, it runs four men’s and four women’s teams, as well as having a vibrant youth section.
- The Club had, certainly until the mid-1990s, a strong and successful reputation, culminating with the Men’s 1st XI qualifying in 1987 for the National Leagues, and in 1992-93, becoming Champions of the national Premier League ‘A’.
- Anchorians FC The Club, formed in 1984, is today, by far, the largest of the Association’s affiliated sports clubs, running around 70 teams and with 1,000 members.
- The Club has twice been recognised, in 2018 and 2024, as the Football Association (FA) ‘National Club of the Year’ and five times by the Kent FA as ‘Club of the Year’. It is now a FA Community Hub.
A Centenary of Camaraderie, Resilience, and Community, 1926-2026
The Anchorians Association has published a book, Floreat Ancora! to mark its centenary and its official history, chronicling its remarkable journey from a humble ‘Old Boys’ organisation’ to a vibrant, inclusive community asset.
Built on the dedication of countless volunteers and the strength of its affiliated sports clubs, this history is told through decades of detailed archives and cherished members’ recollections. It chronicles the Association’s evolution and the tireless efforts to build its first and current, iconic Clubhouses, while maintaining its relationship with the County School’s successor, The Howard School. Poignantly, a special chapter is dedicated to the 65 Old Anchorians who lost their lives during the Second World War, ensuring their sacrifice is never forgotten.
The Association remains, as it has always been, a non-profit making organisation run by volunteers, with all excess revenue being invested into maintaining its Clubhouse and supporting its affiliated sports clubs for the benefit of the community it serves. The proceeds from the sale of this book will be used for the same purpose.