“Set the ball in concrete”
St Peter’s Church, Tadworth, was filled to capacity. The mood was sombre and pensive at Tim Button’s funeral on Friday, 25th July 2025. Emotional eulogies from family members followed by wholehearted renditions of “Abide with me” and “Jerusalem” lifted the ambience and reminded the congregation of the enormous contribution that Tim had made to the lives of children at Chinthurst, prisoners at HMP Highdown and to Minis and Juniors at Old Reigatian RFC.
We were extremely fortunate to have benefited from Tim’s exceptional coaching and infectious enthusiasm in his role as Director of Minis and Junior Rugby for over 12 years at Old Reigatians.
He will be greatly missed, and in memory of Tim, we will be awarding a trophy at the end of each season in the Under 9 age group to the best tackler. This was the age group Tim always coached at the beginning of every season as the players learned how to tackle safely and confidently. We would also like to purchase a 400mm x 400mm tile on the Centenary Walkway around which 12 of the 200 x 200 tiles can be placed by those who coached or were coached by him.
If any former coach, player, or parent would like to order a small tile (200mm x 200mm) to which a small donation of £13.00 to cover the cost of Tim’s one will be added, then please click here
David Forsyth and Phil Smith
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Tim Button was first introduced to Old Reigatians in March 1998 when he visited the club at the suggestion of a Chinthurst School parent to run a couple of introduction to tackling sessions for the Under 8 group ahead of the coming season when, as Under 9s, the players moved from Touch Rugby as it was then, to full contact.
So impressed were coaches Phil Smith, David Forsyth and Simon Ford, the parents and the players themselves that at the suggestion of Helen Conn who agreed to sponsor Tim’s role, Phil approached Tim about becoming Director of Mini Rugby, one of the first ever and a sign of how Junior/Mini rugby was expanding. Tim went on to fulfil this role for over 10 years. At the time, he taught at Chinthurst School and was Head of Rugby, where he coached the Under 9 age group, building a reputation for developing strong tackling skills done with safety in mind at all times.
At the start of every season, Tim would spend most of the two hours on a Sunday working with the Under 9 coaches to introduce tackling to the players. Pre-season training didn’t exist back then, and no matches were allowed until October, so time was available to introduce new aspects like tackling, kicking, scrummaging, and line-outs, depending on the age group.
Tim’s other responsibility was to run coaching sessions for the coaches, which he did throughout the season. These sessions covered areas of the game that the coaches wanted to work on. His greatest asset to coaches was showing them rugby techniques and how to teach/coach a group of children.
Tim was always in the bar after coaching, offering advice and encouragement to those wanting to know more. He and Phil were the first to bring Rugby Summer camps to the club. They ran several in the early Noughties that included a trip to Twickenham one year, which coincided with all the Premiership club captains being there for the pre-season Press Call, and the children had a great time autograph hunting (a certain Jonny Wilkinson was there). He was also responsible for organising trips to watch Saracens and getting a couple of their players to attend one day of a camp, one of them being a young Tom Shanklin, Wales and British Lion.
In the Noughties, with the expansion of the Junior/Mini section, talk started about expanding the playing area. Tim introduced the club to Mr Waller, owner of what is now 12 Acre Field, which led to its eventual purchase and development.
During this time, Tim progressed to becoming Deputy Head at Chinthurst and eventually Headteacher before retiring when Reigate Grammar School bought the school.
It cannot be underestimated how much the Club owes Tim Button for his work in developing players and coaches and his commitment to the Old Reigatian RFC. I’ll leave it to his daughter, Olivia, who wrote to me when I sent the Club’s condolences: “I know Reigatians had a big place in his heart; he loved the club.”
Phil Smith
His funeral will be at 1 pm on Friday, 25th July at St Peter’s Church, Walton-on-the-Hill. Please email his daughter, Liv if planning on attending livbutton55@gmail.com
