Turn Right At Mottram Roundabout - Episode 18
Tue 6th December 2016 | General | By Stewart Taylor
The club we were visiting on our last journey documented in Episode 17 was Runcorn Town and, yes, it is the case that Runcorn was once a health resort.
The photo shows that rather impressive structure which is the Pavilions pub close to the entrance of the ground and from which the ground takes its name.
The answer to the quick link was, very simply, ICI. Billingham Synthonia were strongly associated with ICI – Synthonia is synthetic ammonia as made by ICI - as were Runcorn Town who were previously known as Mond Rangers which was formed as an amalgamation of Mond FC and ICI Weston FC.
Our journey this time take us north to a land far away. A land far away - a magical term that gives rise to mental images of exotic lands and exciting adventures. A land far away - the setting of countless fairy-tales and myriad bed-time stories. A land far away - that special place that we all go to when we need to escape the pressures and vicissitudes of life.
As we travel along the sometimes winding roads, beware of coming across Bjorn, an outlaw from the 13th century who is said to haunt the area. If we manage to avoid Bjorn we may be confronted by a ghostly galloping horse carrying a coffin which manifests itself to tired travellers. Be extremely careful of glass cups, as one such given to Sir John Pennington by King Henry VI was said to confer good luck on the family …. for as long as the cup wasn’t broken.
Having, hopefully, avoided all of the legendary figures which are said to surround the area we reach our destination. Nothing more than a hamlet in the 19th century, this place is another of our towns which benefited greatly from transport links.
In this case it was the railway which came to this town in the early Victorian period and absolutely transformed the place. Population records can be notoriously unreliable as they sometimes don’t compare towns and areas in the same ways but the best estimates of population growth here suggests that in 1851 the population was less than 1000 rising to just under 50,000 in the three decades up to 1881. And the cause of this incredible population increase was – steel.
At the end of the 19th century, the local steel works was said to be the world’s largest. This industry is highly energy intensive, so nearby sources of energy to replace coal were needed as the plant reached maturity in the middle years of the 20th century. As such, the area has become something of a pathfinder in the development of energy sources.
As we all know, an industrial strategy which puts “all of one’s eggs in the same basket” is doomed to eventual failure so many other industries were established in the town some of which involved steel fabrication but by no means all.
As can be imagined from the above, the architecture of the town is Victorian and, due to the rapid expansion, this town is a rare example of what is known as a “planned town”. Perhaps the best example of a planned town is Edinburgh New Town which pre-dates this one and, to be fair, is somewhat more glamorous.
The town is home to two National League System football clubs. The senior of these were members of the Football League before failing to get re-elected in 1972 – a rare example of the closed shop in football not working in those days before automatic promotion and relegation.
The club we are visiting today was founded between the two World Wars and began playing matches at under 16 level. The club progressed steadily during the following years entering an Open Age League and finding a new permanent home in the early 1970s.
Following a successful period on the pitch, huge efforts were made to upgrade the ground and the club joined the then Second Division of the NWCFL for the 1991/92 season. After achieving promotion into the top tier of the NWCFL for the 1994/95 season, the side were relegated for the first time in their history.
There have been steady improvements to the ground and the club will hope that that is matched on the field.
England international footballers Emlyn Hughes and Gary Stevens were born in this town.
Quick link - What links the current home of the somewhat aristocratic Hugh Cavendish with this club?
Turn Right At Mottram Roundabout - Episode 18
Tue 6th December 2016 | General
By Stewart Taylor
The club we were visiting on our last journey documented in Episode 17 was Runcorn Town and, yes, it is the case that Runcorn was once a health resort.
The photo shows that rather impressive structure which is the Pavilions pub close to the entrance of the ground and from which the ground takes its name.
The answer to the quick link was, very simply, ICI. Billingham Synthonia were strongly associated with ICI – Synthonia is synthetic ammonia as made by ICI - as were Runcorn Town who were previously known as Mond Rangers which was formed as an amalgamation of Mond FC and ICI Weston FC.
Our journey this time take us north to a land far away. A land far away - a magical term that gives rise to mental images of exotic lands and exciting adventures. A land far away - the setting of countless fairy-tales and myriad bed-time stories. A land far away - that special place that we all go to when we need to escape the pressures and vicissitudes of life.
As we travel along the sometimes winding roads, beware of coming across Bjorn, an outlaw from the 13th century who is said to haunt the area. If we manage to avoid Bjorn we may be confronted by a ghostly galloping horse carrying a coffin which manifests itself to tired travellers. Be extremely careful of glass cups, as one such given to Sir John Pennington by King Henry VI was said to confer good luck on the family …. for as long as the cup wasn’t broken.
Having, hopefully, avoided all of the legendary figures which are said to surround the area we reach our destination. Nothing more than a hamlet in the 19th century, this place is another of our towns which benefited greatly from transport links.
In this case it was the railway which came to this town in the early Victorian period and absolutely transformed the place. Population records can be notoriously unreliable as they sometimes don’t compare towns and areas in the same ways but the best estimates of population growth here suggests that in 1851 the population was less than 1000 rising to just under 50,000 in the three decades up to 1881. And the cause of this incredible population increase was – steel.
At the end of the 19th century, the local steel works was said to be the world’s largest. This industry is highly energy intensive, so nearby sources of energy to replace coal were needed as the plant reached maturity in the middle years of the 20th century. As such, the area has become something of a pathfinder in the development of energy sources.
As we all know, an industrial strategy which puts “all of one’s eggs in the same basket” is doomed to eventual failure so many other industries were established in the town some of which involved steel fabrication but by no means all.
As can be imagined from the above, the architecture of the town is Victorian and, due to the rapid expansion, this town is a rare example of what is known as a “planned town”. Perhaps the best example of a planned town is Edinburgh New Town which pre-dates this one and, to be fair, is somewhat more glamorous.
The town is home to two National League System football clubs. The senior of these were members of the Football League before failing to get re-elected in 1972 – a rare example of the closed shop in football not working in those days before automatic promotion and relegation.
The club we are visiting today was founded between the two World Wars and began playing matches at under 16 level. The club progressed steadily during the following years entering an Open Age League and finding a new permanent home in the early 1970s.
Following a successful period on the pitch, huge efforts were made to upgrade the ground and the club joined the then Second Division of the NWCFL for the 1991/92 season. After achieving promotion into the top tier of the NWCFL for the 1994/95 season, the side were relegated for the first time in their history.
There have been steady improvements to the ground and the club will hope that that is matched on the field.
England international footballers Emlyn Hughes and Gary Stevens were born in this town.
Quick link - What links the current home of the somewhat aristocratic Hugh Cavendish with this club?
