WHO ARE WE?

Who are the Easton Cowboys & Cowgirls?
What have we done?
Why do we do it?
The Plough
Club Structure

WHO ARE WE THE EASTON COWBOYS & COWGIRLS?

The Easton Cowboys began with the formation of a football team in 1992. Fortunately we had bigger ideas than most Sunday league teams and have not only expanded our number of sports, players, supporters and friends, but have organised many social events, tournaments and trips abroad. The Cowboys have become not only a large sporting organisation, but also a social club of more than 150 based in Easton, with tentacles that have spread throughout the world.

All those involved in the Cowboys have a voice - whether they play a sport or not. We value the opinions of all our players, supporters, friends and lovers. This is why there is no fixed membership of the organisation. We value our social lives as being as, or even more important than our sporting activities. We try and create an atmosphere that does not exclude anybody by race, sex, sexuality, age or culture. Ideas and commitment are the lifeblood of our community. We think big and act on it.

Top Of The Page

WHAT HAVE WE DONE?

In May 1993 we travelled to Stuttgart in Germany to take part in a football tournament. It turned out to be a brilliant trip where we made many new friends, lost 3-1 in the final and forged ourselves as a club. This tour opened our eyes to many possibilities and over the succeeding years we have organised tours to Antwerp, Brussels, Stuttgart, Berlin, France, Amsterdam, Italy, Mexico, Poland, Morocco and California. In addition, we have held numerous football tournaments in the UK, including two 'Alternative World Cup' tournaments in the summers of 1998 and 2001, where 20 teams from around the globe came to Dorset for a weekend of football, music and fun. This is only the tip of the iceberg as there have been numerous other trips around the country, gigs, club nights and other social events down the years.

Top Of The Page

WHY DO WE DO IT?

The point about all this is to realise your dreams. The Cowboys will listen to any idea, however ludicrous it sounds - so don't be afraid to voice your opinion and try to convince other Cowboys that it should be done. If the Cowboys have a rule it is, if we say we're going to do something, we do it. We only have a short life, so let's make the most of it.

Top Of The Page

THE PLOUGH

The finest boozer in Bristol has been the home and sponsor of the Easton Cowboys since (almost) the very beginning. A warm welcome and wide selection of beers are guaranteed at this fine establishment which has been a public house going all the way back to Victorian times. It has been the scene of many a memorable Cowboys shindig and on any given night of the week you're likely to see at least one or two team members propping up the bar, shooting pool, chewing the fat or gazing at the big screen telly. If they're not there, they're probably out the back in the noisiest beer garden in Bristol (it backs onto a railway track.)

Much of the bond between the Cowboys and the pub was down to long time landlord Cliff Bailey, who together with his wife Mrs B and long serving bar person Wills fostered an inclusive, community atmosphere at the Plough, encouraged the Cowboys on our many endeavours and provided us with both a huge amount of financial and moral support down the years, not to mention huge amounts of chips. He was, and remains, something of a local legend.

Cliff retired at the end of November 2002 but his good work is being continued by new landlords Kaz and his brother Otan. Kaz himself used to turn out for the Cowboys briefly in the mid 90s, although we haven't seen much of his twinkly-toed footwork for some time though...

Top Of The Page

CLUB STRUCTURE

Essentially the club is run by the Cowboys, for the Cowboys. We are a democratic organisation which gives the opportunity for all to have an opinion and a voice, whether they play a sport or not. We elect members to a few positions of responsibility and expect them not to abuse their position. It is a matter of trust and respect. In the very few cases where officers of the club have not been able to carry out their responsibilities they have either stepped down or been removed by a popular vote. In general, we have been very successful in our organisation and democracy.

Important decisions with regard to sporting activities are made in mass meetings of the players either at an Annual General Meeting (AGM), at the three monthly club meetings or at an Emergency General Meeting (EGM), which can be called by the players if necessary. Everybody has a vote and a chance to speak. Simple majorities will enforce a decision, although we try hard to reach a consensus of opinion. We aim to have as much organisation (and bureaucracy) as we need and no more.

The officials do a lot of work for the club, but also rely on the help of every other player to keep things running smoothly. Nobody is forced to do anything, but the Cowboys expect everyone to chip and help where they can.

Top Of The Page

| Contact Us |