1879: Lowerhouse CC Athletics Festival – the Show must go on?

After a dreadful year in 1878, with club finances at rock bottom, in 1879 the committee had to consider whether to cut their losses and stop the sports days, or risk it again and hope for fine weather. They must have been stout hearted chaps, as they carried on regardless.

From the 1870s onwards, Lowerhouse like many cricket clubs cashed in on the popularity of athletics meetings. From 1873 to 1877, the club were lucky with the weather, a crowd of more than 3,000 was normal, and the events made a handsome profit.  Then came the dreadful events of 1878, with strikes, lock-outs, riots and much hardship in the Lancashire cotton industry. When the situation eased, Lowerhouse held their 1878 Athletics meeting but the weather was poor and they lost money, so they held another, with the same outcome.  So in 1879 the committee had to consider whether to cut their losses and stop, or risk it again and hope for fine weather.  They must have been stout hearted chaps, as they carried on.

By 1879, the Lowerhouse festival was a well established and significant event on the athletics calendar, the games were well organised, and the prize money was attractive, usually in the region of £4 for the winner, second £1.10s and third, 10s.  For amateurs this was a prize “to the value of” whereas the pros got cash.  The programme was fairly standard by now at all meetings and men travelled from meeting to meeting, sometimes competing at more than one meeting on the same day.

Yet again the weather was dreadful, and by noon on the 5th of July, after hours of incessant rain, the festival was called off, at first indefinitely but, later and after no doubt much consideration, the committee promised the event would take place the following Saturday, “whatever the weather”.  Posters were issued to that effect and the entrants who had come from further afield, such as Bury, Manchester, Birkenhead and even Sheffield, were written to.  A week later, although rain again threatened, it stayed fine long enough for the games to take place. A crowd described as moderately large, but probably not less than 1500, paid a total of £40 on the gate.

The 1879 event seems pretty unexciting, with no jumping events, possibly the original entrants had commitments elsewhere, certainly George Barker of Bacup who usually dominated the pole leaping locally, was leaping to yet another victory that day at Bingley.

The 100 yards sprints and the stone gathering race were held in lanes across the centre of the field, the longer events were round the outfield, a course of 274 yards which was roped off, with the crowd standing beyond the rope.  Although many entrants didn’t turn up this second time, some races still needed several heats, particularly the 100 yards for amateurs although only 30 of the 46 entrants started. The organisers were praised for keeping everything moving along briskly, maintaining the crowd’s interest for the 3 ½ hours.  The event was well covered in both the local and regional newspapers. The Sporting Chronicle printed a very detailed report of all the heats, and the reporter, who obviously knew some of the competitors well, added comments such as “J. Smith of Bury seems to have lost his speed”  whereas G.H. Thompson of Haslingden who won the mile, was “a much improved man”.

Although there were several local entrants, very few made the finals, and only a couple won anything whereas some of the well known “foreign” runners as usual took more than one prize home. Local man John Harling had to settle for just a £2 prize for second place in the half mile, an event he had won in past years, and didn’t make the finals of the 100 yards, so had a disappointing day and everything seems a bit low-key.

The Sack race always guaranteed the crowd a laugh. This was a handicapped event, (and not just by the sack), run once round the course.  J. Horrocks of Leigh, described by the Chronicle as “this persevering athlete”, won easily despite running (or hopping) off scratch. W.T. Hoyle of Newchurch was second. Prize money was only £1.10 and 7/6d but Horrocks had come second in the 440 yards, so had picked up £3 10s for his day’s work, a very nice earner. A rough guide is that £1 then had a buying power equal to £100 now.

The 2 mile bicycle race was said to have caused much excitement, despite there only being three starters. It was soon just a two-bike race when T. Bibby of Burnley, outpaced, stopped, leaving “stable companions” J. Butterworth of Rochdale, and W. Cockerill of Heywood to pass and repass each other, until Butterworth, who had apparently been toying with his opponent, and possibly the crowd, put on a spurt and won easily in 9 minutes 32 seconds.  Again these were well known racers.  The crowd excitement was probably in waiting for someone to fall off.

At intervals during the day, Sabden Brass Band played “the sweetest music” and afterwards they played for dancing.

Overall, however, the club made a loss of about £2 on the athletics, and at the end of the 1879 season the club’s debt had risen to a worrying £18.

So after two miserable years, would 1880 put them back on track?

ac /3/23

Sources Burnley Express 12 and 19 July 1879,  Sporting Chronicle 16 July 1879 Cycle race Penny Illus. News Nov 1878, Burnley Advertiser 29 Nov 1879. (British Newspaper Archive);LHCC archive.

 

1879 Results, winners and places only.

100 yards for amateurs, £5 J. Clapham of Darwen, £2 J.H. Price, Rawtenstall.

100 yards professionals, £4 J. Barker of Miles Platting, £1.10s S. Cheetham, Bury.

Stone gathering, £2 E. Lees, Newchurch, 10s. J. Briggs, Burnley

Half mile, £5 J. Hardman, Middleton, £2 J. Harling, Burnley

440 yards flat handicap, £2 J.H. Price of Rawtenstall, J. Horrocks of Leigh

Sack Race £1 10s W.T. Hoyle, Newchurch, 7/6 J. Horrocks of Leigh.

2 mile bicycle race  £4 4s J. Butterworth, Rawtenstall, £1 10s W. Cockerill, Heywood

One mile flat handicap, £4 G.H. Thompson Haslingden, £1 10s J.T. Higginbottom Newchurch

 

 

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