In the 1800's rugby was the game played and one of the oldest clubs was Manchester FC founded in 1866 and whose ground was on Withington Road (now St. Bedes PF).
The club also had a soccer team and in 1877 played Darwen in the first FA Cup Tie to be played in Manchester losing 3-1 and in 1886 were beaten by Newton Heath LYR (The Heathens) in the final of the Manchester & District Challenge Cup Final.
In the 1880's West Manchester were a top team who also played on the Withington Road ground and were founder members of the Lancashire League. On the 23/4/1887 West Manchester beat Newton Heath LYR who later changed their name to Manchester United 2-1 in the Manchester & District Challenge Cup Final.
In the 1890's Chorlton-cum-Hardy & Whalley Range were playing friendly games on Withington Road and were two founder members of the Lancashire Amateur League Manchester Division in 1903 alongside Old Hulmeians (Wm.Hulme Grammar School old boys) who played on St.Werburghs Road and changed in St.Werburghs school. 1904 C_C_H and WR join together to form "The Chorlton"club for a tour of Germany.
In 1909 the LAL dropped the "Manchester Division" from their title and Manchester South East, again playing on Withington Road,joined the league so that 4 of the 9 clubs came from Chorlton.
1920 saw Old Chorltonians (Chorlton Grammar School old boys) joined the LAL and in 1921 Manchester YMCA were another club accepted into the LAL and they played at the bottom of Brantingham Road bordering onto Princess Road. Old Margaretians were an addition to the LAL in 1927 and played on their own ground on Brantingham Road.
The ground actually belong to St.Margaret's Sunday School and today is used by Maine Road FC who play in the North West Counties Premier League. Following St.Bedes College purchasing the ground on Withington Road Whalley Range eventually purchased their ground on Kings Road for £1,000 from Lord Egerton.
Churches, Sunday Schools and Boy's Brigade's formed teams and one such was Christ Church (on Princess Road) who later changed their name to West Didsbury and played across the road from the church on the corner with Barlow Moor Road,this was Christies Playing Field. West Didsbury played in the newly formed Lancashire & Cheshire League alongside two other clubs South Manchester and Rusholme on "Christies".
Further along Princess Road towards Manchester is Hough End Playing Fields the home of two top amateur clubs North Withington and East Chorlton amongst the many teams playing there. Both clubs eventually purchased their own gronds, North Withington on Altrincham Road Wythenshawe and East Chorlton at the bottom Of Brookburn Road Chorlton.
When East Chorlton became defunct West Didsbury obtained the ground and changed their name to West Didsbury & Chorlton. The ground was originally Chorlton-cum-Hardy Tennis and Bowling Club. WD&C also purchased the Hardy Lane UMIST site and the complex is a quality venue providing football for boys, girls and women.
Chorlton Park has a number of football pitches and after the 2nd WW was the place to watch Sunday football which was not recognised by the Football Association and "pub" teams included professional and semi-professional players who supplemented their wages.
These games attracted big crowds as the teams made Millwall and Leeds Utd like Sunday School teams and the regular punch ups were an added bonus to the football.
The Harry Dalton PF on Wilbraham Road is now used by St.Bedes College but previously Wythenshawe Amateurs were amongst the many teams who used the ground. Harry Dalton was the founder of Wythenshawe Amateurs and the ground was originally known as the "Fed" ground as it is owned by the Manchester Federation of Boys Clubs and the home ground of Manchester United Youth team up to the 1960's. Chorlton Town beaten finalist on 4 occasions in the Manchester FA Challenge Trophy played on the ground when Wythenshawe Amateurs moved to Wythenshawe Cricket Club.
On Mauldeth Road West where the Police Club is situated there was a fenced off pitch for the Deaf and Dumb club. Another small ground was at the top of Sandy Lane with the entrance via Caddington Road owned by a motor company and used by various teams.
Footnote: Northern Nomads in the 1980's played on the ground now used by Maine Road FC and were the only club to have won both the FA Amateur Cup and the Welsh FA Amateur Cup and hold the record for attaining the highest score when beating Stockton 7-1 in the FA Amateur Cup Final in 1925.
It should be noted that they only managed to beat Whalley Range 1-0 in the last minute in the 1st Round of the FA Amateur Cup in 1925.
© David Brundrit, 2017
Pictures; courtesy of Anne Love
 |
| Chorlton Albion, 1924-25 |
In the 1880's West Manchester were a top team who also played on the Withington Road ground and were founder members of the Lancashire League. On the 23/4/1887 West Manchester beat Newton Heath LYR who later changed their name to Manchester United 2-1 in the Manchester & District Challenge Cup Final.
 |
| Chorlton Albion, 19124-25 |
In 1909 the LAL dropped the "Manchester Division" from their title and Manchester South East, again playing on Withington Road,joined the league so that 4 of the 9 clubs came from Chorlton.
1920 saw Old Chorltonians (Chorlton Grammar School old boys) joined the LAL and in 1921 Manchester YMCA were another club accepted into the LAL and they played at the bottom of Brantingham Road bordering onto Princess Road. Old Margaretians were an addition to the LAL in 1927 and played on their own ground on Brantingham Road.
 |
| Choelron Albion, 1924-25 |
Churches, Sunday Schools and Boy's Brigade's formed teams and one such was Christ Church (on Princess Road) who later changed their name to West Didsbury and played across the road from the church on the corner with Barlow Moor Road,this was Christies Playing Field. West Didsbury played in the newly formed Lancashire & Cheshire League alongside two other clubs South Manchester and Rusholme on "Christies".
Further along Princess Road towards Manchester is Hough End Playing Fields the home of two top amateur clubs North Withington and East Chorlton amongst the many teams playing there. Both clubs eventually purchased their own gronds, North Withington on Altrincham Road Wythenshawe and East Chorlton at the bottom Of Brookburn Road Chorlton.
When East Chorlton became defunct West Didsbury obtained the ground and changed their name to West Didsbury & Chorlton. The ground was originally Chorlton-cum-Hardy Tennis and Bowling Club. WD&C also purchased the Hardy Lane UMIST site and the complex is a quality venue providing football for boys, girls and women.
 |
| Membership card Chorlton Albion, 1924-25 |
These games attracted big crowds as the teams made Millwall and Leeds Utd like Sunday School teams and the regular punch ups were an added bonus to the football.
The Harry Dalton PF on Wilbraham Road is now used by St.Bedes College but previously Wythenshawe Amateurs were amongst the many teams who used the ground. Harry Dalton was the founder of Wythenshawe Amateurs and the ground was originally known as the "Fed" ground as it is owned by the Manchester Federation of Boys Clubs and the home ground of Manchester United Youth team up to the 1960's. Chorlton Town beaten finalist on 4 occasions in the Manchester FA Challenge Trophy played on the ground when Wythenshawe Amateurs moved to Wythenshawe Cricket Club.
On Mauldeth Road West where the Police Club is situated there was a fenced off pitch for the Deaf and Dumb club. Another small ground was at the top of Sandy Lane with the entrance via Caddington Road owned by a motor company and used by various teams.
Footnote: Northern Nomads in the 1980's played on the ground now used by Maine Road FC and were the only club to have won both the FA Amateur Cup and the Welsh FA Amateur Cup and hold the record for attaining the highest score when beating Stockton 7-1 in the FA Amateur Cup Final in 1925.
It should be noted that they only managed to beat Whalley Range 1-0 in the last minute in the 1st Round of the FA Amateur Cup in 1925.
© David Brundrit, 2017
Pictures; courtesy of Anne Love
As a teenager I often played in unofficial matches on the ground at the end of Sandy Lane. We knew it as "Root's Field" but have never discovered where this name originated from. Was it the name of the motor company?
ReplyDelete