Simon Sandiford

@rugbyleagueontv Typical ... Looks like all the commentaries are cancelled. Radio Manchester has stuck with the Make A Difference show

@SimonUpNorth Added. Thanks.

This Afternoon 1pm Thatto Heath v Widnes youtube.com/live/2Ya9Kol_u… 1.30pm Waterhead v Rochdale youtube.com/watch?v=pQ2zh2… Or radio Options at rugbyleagueontv.com/radio.

Morecambe's first ever association football team was Morecambe Church Institute, founded in 1891, and they played inside Summer Gardens - this is a report from their 4-0 Lancashire Junior Cup defeat to Kirkham on 19 Sept 1891. More info on Summer Gardens: lancastercivicsociety.uk/2024/02/16/wee…

Watching the Canadian Premier League Final.... Ludicrous conditions. The snow is worse than ankle deep and nonstop blizzard, but the match continues!

I've not been to Highbury since... I still have nightmares 😅

@JamesHReeve I can only hear that too... Officially she says "it's so quick 'n' simple" but her accent makes it sound dodgy

I am not dreaming this. Woman in tv ad for dodgy my.ClaimGroup site definitely says, "It's so fuckin' simple."

13 years after Flixton folded while in the @nwcfl, their Valley Road ground is still here with no team. It was put up for auction in Jan this year for £500k but seems to have been sold prior. online.sdlauctions.co.uk/lot/details/13… Hopefully it is put to good footballing use

Always good to see where clubs used to play over 100 years ago... Was nearby so visited Bradburn Street, Barton, Eccles where Eccles Borough, later renamed to @EcclesUnited in 1919, moved to in Jan 1908 while in @THEMCRFL. No evidence of the ground here now that I can spot though

Many years since I've visited the old Rossendale United ground in Rawtenstall... Finally after all these years it has been built on... Nice throwback with the road through the old ground... Stag Drive

I also managed to visit another of Middleton's early 1900s football grounds... This is Boarshaw Road, home of Barrowfields of the Manchester Amateur League amongst others. They folded in 1916 and the map from 1915 shows the ground that is now derelict land behind a row of houses

Thought I would visit the long lost football ground Tonge Hall in Middleton. It was active in the early 1900s, the home of Tonge FC of @THEMCRFL & often used for @Manchester_FA Junior Cup SemiFinals. The actual Tonge Hall is in disrepair & the ground now is housing Tonge Meadow

The story of the 1905/06 Manchester Junior Cup is now available on North West Non League here: nwnl.co.uk/1900-1910/ It was Pendlebury's only Junior Cup, beating @THEMCRFL champions Denton , in another all-Mcr Lge Final. This was the 1st season the modern @Droylsden_FC entered

The story of the 1904/05 Manchester Junior Cup is now available on North West Non League here: nwnl.co.uk/1900-1910/ Berry's Association won it again - 1st club to retain it since Middleton 12 yrs earlier. @THEMCRFL accused the @Manchester_FA of entering clubs without consent

The story of the 1903/04 Manchester Junior Cup is now available on North West Non League here: nwnl.co.uk/1900-1910/ This season saw Berry's Association win it for the 2nd time in a repeat of the previous Final, beating @OfficialOAFC in Oldham's final Junior Cup appearance ⚽️

The story of the 1902/03 Manchester Junior Cup is now available on North West Non League here: nwnl.co.uk/1900-1910/ This season saw Mcr Lge club Oldham Athletic @OfficialOAFC win the cup for the 1st & only time, beating Berry's in the Final 1-0 at Tonge's ground in Middleton

The story of the 1901/02 Manchester Junior Cup is now available at nwnl.co.uk/1900-1910/ - Heywood were the Champions for their one and only win. @OfficialOAFC entered for the 2nd time and were fined £1 1s for an ineligible player, and lost 7-1 to Heywood United in 1st Qual Rnd

The story of the 1900/01 Manchester Junior Cup is now available on North West Non League here: nwnl.co.uk/1900-1910/ This season saw Manchester League club Tonge win the cup for the first time in 11 attempts, beating Heywood. It was also @OfficialOAFC's 1st season entering ⚽️

The full story of the 1898/99 and 1899/00 Manchester Junior Cup is now available on North West Non League here nwnl.co.uk/1890-1900/ to complete the 1890s. Berry's won it for the 1st of 4 times in 1898/99 while Newton Heath Athletic got their only Junior Cup win in 1899/00

@ashtoncc2015 I found this newspaper article from the Ashton Reporter, 27 July 1895 where they talk of moving grounds from Rayner Lane (spelt Raynor then) due to the ground condition. No mention of cricket so must not be the exact cricket ground. Mentions Hop Pole Hotel and Margaret Street

@SimonUpNorth Hi Simon. Never heard of football being played on our ground. It's been a cricket ground since 1874. Doesn't mean it couldn't have had a winter use tho'! The conveyance map we have doesn't show much to the west of us towards the M60 so no idea whether football was played there.

@ashtoncc2015 I hadn't realised Ashton CC played at Rayner Lane. It is a very historic football venue with Ashton North End FC playing there 1886-1895 before they moved & Lordsfield FC 1894-1896. Is there any evidence of the football area or was it on the other side of the M60?