TODO: describe logo-shield.svgMidland Rover
Owners Club
Join the club

Founded 25 January 1967 · 84 founding members

Our club

Nearly sixty years of trials, green lanes, caravan rallies and mutual recovery — run entirely by volunteers, and still going strong.

From Rover’s shadow

The Rover Company once ran its owners’ clubs itself, in four regions — Southern, Midland, Northern and Scottish. When the company let go of the reins, the Midlands enthusiasts picked them up: on 25 January 1967, at the Garrick Hotel in Stratford-upon-Avon, eighty-four members founded the Midland Rover Owners Club.

Gordon Collins, Jim Quinton, Fred Archer, A. B. Smith, Felix Scrivens and Dave Frisby set it rolling — after a long correspondence persuading Rover to let the new club wear the green oval. The club became a limited company in 1981, and has been one of the largest in the ALRC since the association began.

Land Rovers along a ridge at Eastnor
On the ridge at Eastnor, 1970s

Trials, treks and floods

The early years belonged to Series Is, IIs and IIAs — caravan rallies, trials and treasure hunts, with tours reaching Italy, Norway and Ireland. In 1998 the club hosted the ALRC’s 50th National Rally.

When Tewkesbury flooded in 2007, members and their vehicles waded in — and MROC 4x4 Response was born, now part of the national 4x4 Response network. The club has raised money for Macmillan and others along the way, with bike trials, gymkhanas and treasure hunts.

An RTV trial in progress in the 1970s, spectators watching
RTV trialling, 1970s

A family concern

The Majors — the two-day interclub trial — remains the fixture of the year, alongside the annual dinner dance and awards. More than a few members met their partners in a muddy field; second and third generations now drive the same hills their grandparents did.

Caravans and Land Rovers camped at Eastnor
The camping field, Eastnor

The committee

All volunteers. For anything general, start with committee@mroc.co.uk.

Liz WelchChairladychair@mroc.co.uk
Phil RockTreasurertreasurer@mroc.co.uk
Stuart VickersSecretarysecretary@mroc.co.uk
Paul MuirMembership secretarymembership@mroc.co.uk
Martin PittawayCompetition secretarycompetition-secretary@mroc.co.uk
Russell CookTrials coordinatortrialscoordinator@mroc.co.uk
John Kesterton4x4 Responseresponse@mroc.co.uk
Matt BoyceRecovery officerrecovery@mroc.co.uk
Sam SharpSocial secretarysocial@mroc.co.uk
Jonathan JonesWeb editor · Press & publicityweb@mroc.co.uk
Ruth SmithJournal Editorjournal@mroc.co.uk

FAQs

What can I actually do with my Land Rover here?

Off-road trials (Tyro, RTV, CCV), green laning on public rights of way, camping and caravan weekends, and spectating at any of it. Members also arrange trips to pay-and-play sites between events.

Why "Rover" and not "Land Rover" in the name?

The club was founded in 1967, eleven years before Land Rover became a company in its own right — and Rover car owners were members too. The name stayed.

How big is the club?

Typically over 250 members a year — one of the largest Land Rover clubs in the UK — with around a hundred regularly active at events.

Do I need a modified vehicle?

No. Tyro trials are designed for completely standard vehicles, and plenty of members never modify anything. The kettle is standard equipment, though.

Is there a green laning calendar?

Green lane runs are arranged through the green lane coordinator and the Facebook group — email greenlaning@mroc.co.uk to get started.

What is MROC 4x4 Response?

Volunteer members who provide four-wheel-drive support to emergency and community services, formed after the club’s work in the 2007 Tewkesbury floods. It has its own site at mroc4x4response.co.uk.

Is there a club magazine?

A quarterly journal goes to all members by email — club news, event reports, results, photos and classifieds.

News

More club news →
A long line of members
The line-up at Eastnor