1880: Make or break time at Lowerhouse and a tale of triumph and skulduggery in Sheffield.
Two terrible years had left the club’s finances in a perilous state and the committee had to consider whether to even try again, but they needed money and had no other way of getting it. What a relief then when, on Saturday 4th September, the sun shone, the landlord of the Bird I’th hand set up his refreshment tent, Padiham Brass Band played, and the crowds flocked in. The prizes attracted lots of competitors from all over the district, including some regulars, as well as plenty of Burnley men and the programme ran with the usual Lowerhouse efficiency. There was no pole-leaping so no easy money for George Barker this year. A list of prize-winners is appended, cash values only were given, but amateurs would have been paid in kind in some way.
Crowd interest centred on two events, the 100 yards professional and the 2 mile bicycle race.
The 2 mile bicycle handicap was 13 times round the course plus 60 yards. Two seasoned campaigners, Hall of Manchester and Butterworth of Rochdale, fought out their heat until Hall passed Butterworth and fell, bringing Butterworth down too, both were shaken and retired, but were still allowed to compete in the final where they lost to Roscoe and Wolstenholme, both of Radcliffe.
The crowd will have been especially keen to see the 100 yards for professionals which attracted “noted runners from the district” especially William Holgate of Burnley the scratch favourite, this year’s “winner of the All England Sheffield Handicap“, and “a wonderful little runner.” Holgate was barely 5 foot tall, and in the reports he was called “pocket Hercules”, “lilliputian”, “little giant” etc.
The Annual Sheffield Whitsuntide £100 Handicap for professional runners, over 204 yards and held over two days, 17/18 May 1880, was a huge internationally known event, attended by more than 10,000 people each day, with thousands of boys waiting outside to rush in, once the gates were opened for free entry at 3 pm. As was usual with professional races, as well as a purse, betting played a major role which often led to some very dodgy dealing. Something of an unknown, Holgate started at 7-1. He won his heat, beating one of the favourites, and setting a cracking pace, he finished “like a lion amidst the most intense excitement, and the jubilation of his backers and bookmakers, breasted the tape, which had been lowered especially for him on his side, amidst deafening cheers, the little fellow is a veritable wonder.”
Next day the final was delayed by two hours as the crowd “got too close to the referee”, but once the race started Holgate took full advantage of his 80 yards start and won by a foot, to the crowd’s delight. Due to the delays the race didn’t finish until about 7 pm. Back in Burnley, a large holiday crowd had gathered in Manchester Road waiting for the telegram which arrived between 7 and 8 pm announcing his victory. (The reports don’t explain where the telegram was received).
The Gazette reported that he lived on Trafalgar, and had not only won the £80 first prize but also “Holgate and his backers are reported to have won between £1,000 and £2,000 in bets.” Huge sums. “The result was a surprise to the sporting world.” Holgate had actually been doing well in local events but this was certainly the biggest win of his career so far, but Glenn Piper writing for Playing Pasts highlights the skulduggery surrounding some of the runners:
“A common tactic was to pay an athlete to lose the race. The story of Andrew Lillis illustrates the problems and temptations. He was widely regarded as one of the best sprinters of his generation but he never won a Sheffield Handicap. He was married to the niece of Pat Maher (one of the most famous and influential trainers) and in 1880 he was in serious training for the £100 Hyde Park Handicap. He intended to win this one (for a change) and put his name in the record books but in an unguarded moment he let his wife know his intentions. She went to her uncle who knew he would be ruined if Lillis ran to the best of his ability. Lillis was now ‘twix the devil and the deep blue sea.’ His wife threatened to leave him if he won. If he lost he would ‘be cried down and the poorer for his effort.’ He decided on the only sensible course of action…” and finished third in the final, so between them, Lillis by not winning, and Holgate by winning, they made Maher £2,500, as he had bet on Holgate.
Holgate was knocked out in the second round of the 100 yards at Lowerhouse, unable to make up the start he was giving away. The final was won by J. Hamer, with J. Sutcliffe, second, both of Burnley. Surprisingly, there were actually 14 men from Burnley competing in the professional event, a list is appended. John Harling, one of Burnley’s most successful amateur athletes, competed in the 400 yards and half mile, but was unplaced in both, perhaps coming to the end of his career. Holgate also turns out to be the cheeky chap who ducked under Harling’s arms in 1876 to win the half mile handicap at the tape, and who was disqualified in 1878 for competing as an amateur, when he was a pro.
As usual, “the ground was thrown open for dancing” at the end. The Gazette reported that “the festival proved more successful from a financial point of view than anticipated”. So the dark days were over and all was well again. For another year.
ac June 2023
1880 Results, Winners and places only.
100 yards amateur £5 S. Waddington, Accrington, £1 10s. J. Pickup, Haslingden, 10s. W. Nugent, Rochdale.
Half mile handicap £4 J.T. Collinge, Broadley, £1 10s R. Harrison, Horwich, 10s J. Ferguson, Cheetham.
100 yards professional handicap £4 J. Hamer, Burnley, £1 J. Sutcliffe, Burnley, 10s W.H. Blezard, Nelson
440 yards handicap, £4 and £1 10s dead heat D. Kershaw, Rochdale, W. Nugent Rochdale 10s J.H. Price Rawtenstall
2 mile bicycle handicap £3 H. Roscoe, Radcliffe, £1 R. Wolstenholme, Radcliffe, 7/6 H. Turner, Castleton
Stone gathering (20 stones, one yard apart) 30s J. Sedgwick, Padiham, 15s J. Davies, Burnley, 5s dead heat S. Green Blackburn, W.T. Hoyle, Clough Fold.
1 mile handicap £4 James Heywood, £1 10s Joseph Heywood (brothers), Turton, 10s R. Birtwistle, Clayton le Moors.
Burnley competitors in the 100 yards professional race.
- Holgate, L. Stanworth, E Greenwood, R. Sharp, T. Studdard, J.F. Maloney, W. Taylor, W. Pitt, J. Hamer, J.Sutcliffe, J. Arkwright (Wood Top), L. Booth, D. Hunt, S. Davies
Sources: British Newspaper Archive: Burnley Express and Burnley Gazette 11 September 1880; Sporting Chronicle 6 Sept. 1880;
Sheffield Handicap: Burnley Express, Burnley Advertiser, 22 May 1880; Barnsley Chronicle 22 May, 1880; Sporting Chronicle 21 May 1880; https://www.playingpasts.co.uk/articles/athletics/preparing-for-success-in-the-sheffield-handicaps-1845-1899/ author Glenn Piper.
