100 YEARS AGO: ECCLES UNITED GROUNDSMAN OVER ZEALOUS IN CHUCKING OUT FANS

Were you aware that Eccles once had a football team, Eccles United that attracted huge numbers of fans and even played against Manchester United  in 1909 losing 3-0 at their Bradburn Street ground, in Patricroft.

The club formed in 1907 and it's initial ground was in Barton, previously known as the Springfield Football Club whose headquarters were in the Barton Inn near Springfield Mill. It was decided to make application to join the Manchester League, the application was successful and 1,500 spectators witnessed the first appearance of Eccles Borough in a match against Hooley Hill which they won 2 - 0.

In 1908 they moved to their new ground on Bradburn Street and the opening match was on Saturday 5th September 1908 and 4,000 spectators were recorded, the club finally folded in March 1929 leaving behind a rich football legacy, this following story isn't one of them.....

In January 1921, James Ramsdale a groundsman employed by the club appeared at Eccles Magistrates Court charged with assaulting a boy, Leslie Kenyon who lived at Egerton Street, Winton.

Young Kenyon told the court that he had climbed over the wall of the Eccles football ground and was trying to watch the match "buckshee" as he called it, or jibbing as we call it, he had made his way to the rails, when Ramsdale spotted him and chased him.

He climbed on top of the wall from which he had climbed up when, he alleged that Ramsdale chucked him over, causing him to loose his front teeth, injure his arm and right leg in the fall.

Mr Hollinrake who was defending Ramsdale asked the boy if it wasn't true that he had defied him and had slipped off the wall in a rush to get away from him? which he denied.

A young girl, Eda Sharp of Ellesmere Street, told the court that she had been watching the match from her bedroom window, which ran alongside the ground and that Ramsdale had pushed the boy off the wall, causing his injuries.

Mr Ramsdale took the stand and told the court that he had been given instructions by the Eccles Football Club Committee to prevent boys climbing over the walls and watching the match for free, and if possible catch them and get their names and addresses, in this case he saw a number of boys on the wall and warned them they could be prosecuted.

He continued that no sooner had he turned his back that a number of boys jumped into the ground including Kenyon, he chased after him but Kenyon jumped up the wall and fell over onto the side before he could catch him and did not know the boy was hurt until he heard him crying.

The Eccles Bench listened to the case and in all their wisdom dismissed the case, leaving the redoubtable Mr Ramsdale able to leave the court and keep the Eccles United ground free of young scallywags like Leslie Kenyon.

Photo: Eccles United.