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John Watson

Tony Craven

The year of 1976 was similar to 2006 in so such the Country had a heat wave and a water shortage. Tony Craven was working as a Contracts Manager for a well known South Yorkshire Construction Company but looking for a change of direction.

Brothers John and Geoff Watson were Directors of Watson Contractors, a company started by their father in 1934.  Watson Contractors operated on land known as Clayfields which had previously been occupied by a brick works - hence our company's name - CLAYFIELD CONSTRUCTION.

Over a few beers one night after a Mexborough Round Table meeting, Tony happened to mention to John Watson he was thinking of starting a construction company and a few beers later a partnership of four shareholders was agreed.

CLAYFIELD CONSTRUCTION was formed on the 14th May 1976 and their only employee Tony Craven commenced work on 26th July 1976. First contract secured by Tony was for works on Lyngarth Garage, Sprotbrough, Doncaster who specialised in vintage cars. Tony remembers the job well because apparently having organised ground workers to dig footings in a heat wave, the hot weather came to an abrupt end, the heavens opened and washed their good work away. Not long after completing the garage a contract was secured with Doncaster MBC to build six bungalows in Stainforth. Since those early days the Company has gone from strength to strength and now employs over 104 people mainly from the Doncaster area. The Company is proud of the fact that many of our employees who joined the firm in the early days are still with us today. Our longest serving employee Tony Craven is still at the helm ensuring the company's high standards are maintained.  Tony is the Company's Chairman and Joint Managing Director.

In May 2006 John Watson relinquished the position of Chairman but remains on the board as a Non Executive Director. His brother Geoff retired from the Board in 1997 at the age of 60 to pursue his love of golf and buying &selling plant equipment. Before joining CLAYFIELDS as a Contracts Manager, Geoff's son Richard BSc (hons) in Civil Engineering,  worked for many years for a well known civil engineering group. .  Richard is now the Company's Joint Managing Director.

Tony's son Matthew Craven BSc (hons) Commercial Management and Quantity Surveying was in May 2006 appointed to the Board with responsibility for Contract Management and IT. Before joining the Company as a Contracts Manager Matthew worked for a well known Yorkshire Construction Group.

Board of Directors

Tony Craven

Richard Watson

John Watson

Matthew Craven