TAVERNERS are celebrating a new ground and clubhouse thanks to the legacy of former chairman John Hannis.

John, or Rabbit (Rab) as he was affectionately known, died more than seven years ago, and was one of the founder members of Tavs when it was formed in 1972 by a group of regulars at the George Hotel in Nailsworth.

Tavs commenced in the lower reaches of the Stroud League and when Rab had to hang up his boots in the late 1980s he took on the mantle of chairman.

When Rab passed away, Tavs were notified by his widow Wendy that he had kindly left a legacy in his will for the benefit of Taverners FC.

It was decided to use some of Rab’s legacy to purchase a large trophy and arrange an annual pre-season friendly between Taverners and Shortwood with the John Hannis Memorial Trophy at stake for the winners, which saw a Matt Spring strike defeat Shortwood 1-0 at their new base.

Chairman Mike Stratford said: "We decided in conjunction with the new management team of Colin Taylor and Mark Cooke to explore the possibility of moving down to the Owen Harris Memorial Ground (OHMG) at Eastington.

"Colin and Mark have good connections with the OHMG through their coaching responsibilities with Stroud FC’s youth set-up. Colin and Mark introduced me and our treasurer Len Keating to the OHMG Committee and after a couple of meetings and email correspondence it was agreed that Tavs could use the facilities for match and training purposes.

"It was also agreed that Tavs would fund the refurbishment of the existing detached changing room block and create alongside it a terrapin that would be refurbished to provide a social refreshment base. The cost of this project has been subsidised by the remainder of John’s legacy and it was felt entirely appropriate to name the place after John in his memory – hence Rab’s Bar."