How It All Began

The Ramgarhia Sports Club (RSC) was founded around 1974 by community members passionate about sports. Volunteers dedicated their time and expertise to train and develop young talent in hockey and karate.

Coaching sessions quickly filled up, creating the need for additional staff and structured weekly schedules. Participants traveled from Harrow, Greenford, Wembley, Hayes, Uxbridge, Hanwell, Ealing, Brentford, and even Watford.

Growing Pains and New Facilities

As membership grew, finding adequate facilities became a priority. With the addition of cricket, table tennis, badminton, and squash, more space was needed for indoor training.

• Hiring sports halls was expensive
• Block bookings weren’t always possible
• Some sessions were disrupted, leading to the loss of top athletes

Building Success

From 1979, RSC hosted annual sports tournaments, giving members the opportunity to compete in:

• Badminton
• Table Tennis
• Karate
• Hockey
• Squash

Many athletes reached UK national standards, establishing RSC as a hub of sporting excellence.

Community Impact

RSC has always prioritized the wider community. Bringing all activities under one roof helps foster harmony and understanding across Southall’s multi-racial neighborhoods.

• Sports as a tool for social cohesion
• Supportive environment for youth development
• Opportunities for all community members

A Dedicated Facility

To meet this vision, the Ramgarhia Sabha Management established a central facility at the Old Rectory Site, Cranford.

• All sports programs under one roof
• Professional training environment
• Stronger community engagement

Join RSC Today

Baba Deep Singh is one of the most revered martyrs of Sikh history. Paintings show him fighting with his head on his left palm, still wielding his sword with the right. He laid down his life to protect the sanctity of. the Golden Temple.

Not much is known about the early life of Baba Deep Singh. But during the hey-day of Dal Khalsa he was the leader of Nishan Walia Misi which was entrusted with the care of Gurdwaras, including the Golden Temple.

Ahmad Shah Abdali had come to Punjab again in 1762 AD. On the eve of Baisakhi he came to Amritsar with a large force and blew up the Golden Temple and the adjoining bungas. With the rubble he got the sacred tank filled. He wanted to crush the Sikhs and to annihilate their holiest place which had become their rallying point.

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The word Ramgarhia is composed of the terms Ram (God) and Garh (fort). Hence the adjective Ramgarhia means Custodians of the Castle of God, the fort which was the headquarters of the family, the history of which is given hereafter, was named Ramgarh. This name is also given to a Bunga (mansion) and a Katra (a large portion of the city) both of which are situated on the eastern side of the city of Amritsar, the history of the each of them is given in the sequel. As a rule of Sikhs who belong to the same clan as the Ramgarhia frankly call themselves Ramgarhia's and generally they are the most orthodox disciples of the Guru. In respect of martial qualities also they are second to none in the Punjab. In their veins runs the blood of their mighty forefathers and martyrs, Their frames possess the indomitable spirit of Sardar Jassa Singh Ramgarhia, one of the greatest generals that the soil of the Punjab has ever produced. 'The Great Lion of the Punjab, who had more occasions than one to experience the strength of the Ramgarhia blows, acknowledged their superiority and had so much love for this name that he proudly gave the name Ramgarhia Brigade to a brigade of some of his bravest horsemen. The martial spirit of the Ramgarhias was maintained even by the British Government. In the military atmosphere the Ramgarhias have the honour to share up to this day, with their Sikh brothers, the topmost position among the Brotherhood of Lions.

Up till now the Sikhs were without any fort of their own. The Dal Khalsa assembled at Amritsar and mooted out the question of building a fort. Sardar Sukha Singh Kalsi, a great Sikh leader of Mari Kamboki, proposed that the fort should be built at Amritsar near Hari Mandir Sahib. Sardar Sukha Singh also belonged to Ramgarhia clan. His proposal was accepted and this task was entrusted to Sardar Jassa Singh Ramgarhia who built Ram Rauni (Fortress of God) on the eastern side of Amritsar in the vicinity of Harmandir Sahib.

In the mean time, Mir Manu the Governor of Punjab, felt a great danger to his authority and rule, from the rising power of the Sikhs. So he wanted to crush them. He sent his forces to attack Ram Rauni Fortress of the Sikhs at Amritsar in October 1748 AD. Under his instruction, Adina Beg, the Governor of Jallandhar Doab also sent his forces and besieged the Sikh fortress – Ram Rauni along with the imperial forces of Mir Manu. This siege continued for four months up to January 1749 AD. The Sikhs faced great hardship and provisions ran short and the force of Khalsa was also reduced in number. They sent a message to Sardar Jassa Singh Ramgarhia appealing him to come to their help as a true Sikh. There upon Sardar Jassa Singh Ramgarhia entered the fortress during the night along with his army and took the command of the besieged Sikhs and defended the fortress along with the besieged Sikhs against the repeated attacks of Mughal Army. Dewan Kaura Mal, the Finance Minister of the Governor of Lahore secretly helped the Sikhs and advised the Governor of Lahore to lift the siege. Accordingly, the siege was lifted in January 1749 AD and the Sikhs came out victorious. This proved the statesmanship and valour of Sardar Jassa Singh Ramgarhia. As the Ram Rauni Fortress was completely demolished, the fortress was rebuilt as Pucca Fort by Sardar Jassa Singh Ramgarhia and he named it as 'Ramgarhia Fort-Fort of God'. Sardar Jassa Singh Ramgarhia was made the commander of this fort and he remained as such for a long time.

In 1973, the Ramgarhia Sabha, Southall acquired the Salvation Army Hall at 159 The Broadway, renaming it Ramgarhia Hall. This venue has played an essential role in the local community by providing a range of facilities for young people, including martial arts and table tennis training, and by serving as a site for social and cultural gatherings.

Throughout the years, Ramgarhia Hall has been utilised for a variety of purposes. Notably, in the late 1970s, it offered overnight accommodation to a large group of marchers who travelled from Scotland to raise awareness of rising unemployment. Furthermore, the hall hosted the first International Punjabi Conference in 1980, showcasing fine arts and literature. This significant event contributed to the promotion of Punjabi language teaching in schools across Britain.

This information is drawn from the book “Treasures of Sikh Faith.”

D SINGH