We continue our occasional series chronicling the athletics festivals which were a financial lifeline for cricket clubs like Lowerhouse in Victorian times, with the year 1885. 1883 and
1884 were successful but the standard of competition was poor, 1885 saw this rectified with affiliation to the AAA but was over-shadowed by a dreadful local event which showed the festival in a new light.
The 14th annual Lowerhouse CC Athletics Festival and Gala on 13th June 1885 marked a fresh start for the club. 1883 and 1884 had been criticised for the poor standard of competition, and now for the first time the Athletics were advertised as being run under AAA rules. This meant no more professionals competing, but it also meant the return of top amateurs from all over the region, who had stayed away in recent years to avoid being banned by the AAA for sharing a bill with professionals. This, plus the glorious weather, attracted a record crowd of 3,000 plus.
In their mission to clean up amateur athletics, the AAA also wanted to cap winnings at 10 shillings. This would have meant the end of this type of event in the industrial North (which would have suited the AAA nicely). Whilst they may have started competing for fun, many of these physically tough, fit young working men found that they could win a bob or two. They weren’t going to come all the way from Manchester for the love of the sport, they wanted the prize money, which for a win could be £5, (or a voucher to the value of), probably about double the weekly wage of even a skilled tradesman. Likewise the public wanted a right good day out and for many men that meant a bet, which was legal, although some dodgy characters may have been involved. They also wanted a drink, which on the cricket ground normally meant tea or pop, but Mr. Ridehalgh of the local pub got a temporary beer licence and erected a marquee on the field. And afterwards they wanted a dance, and the Burnley Borough Brass Band were happy to oblige until dusk.
All the races were handicaps, with better men giving starts of various lengths to poorer competitors. Accurate handicapping was vital to ensure competitive races and the Athletic News reported that thanks to the handicapper, (the News’ very own Mr Sutton) “the racing proved good all round”.
A. Taylor from Failsworth won the 100 yards, W.J. Hunt of Manchester won the 440 yards, T.H. Dewhurst of Ramsbottom won the half mile and J. Morrall from Manchester won both 1 and 2 mile cycling races, although local favourite Louis Calverley, having won an exciting heat to “much cheering” was second in the 1 mile final until he fell off, even though “the grass course was in the very best of condition” (Ath. News). Spectators liked speed and they probably also liked it when cyclists fell off their high horses.
The entertainment gap left by the absence of professionals was plugged by three novelty races:- a carters’ race, an obstacle race and a pony race, guaranteed crowd pleasers.
The reports had nothing to say about the pony race other than that the winner was John Hitchen’s “Falka”, who presumably had not come not from Manchester, and was probably named after a female character in a comic opera of the same name, which was very popular at that time.
The Carters’ race was described by the Express as “most amusing” creating “great merriment”, and involved men of that occupation, running once round the field, in full working garb and boots and carrying their horse whip. These were the goods vehicle drivers of the time. They were probably sturdy chaps used to dealing with horses and heavy loads but not used to running. There were two heats with the winners collapsing in utter exhaustion at the end of both, and a final contested by four men, two of whom were Burnley brothers George and William Machin who finished first and third, winning £1.10 shillings and nothing, respectively. William Machin met a sad end in January 1905 aged 51 when his hand was crushed between two carts and he died of blood poisoning.
Skulduggery under the blanket?
The highlight of the day proved however to be the obstacle race! Obstacle races were familiar events at sports days and were taken seriously by the competitors as an opportunity to add to their winnings, even good runners like Dewhurst who won the half mile, had a go. So this race too was handicapped, with Dewhurst running off scratch. There were 8 runners and they tackled the course two or three at a time, the winners going through to the final. The Express sniffily called it “a ludicrous affair. The contestants had to jump over two bars at different places on the field, mount and descend a ladder, go through a barrel suspended about three feet from the ground, and go under two cloths at opposite ends of the field, each cloth being held down by four men.”
(as illustrated in The Strand magazine, 1892)
Heat 1 saw Dewhurst up against N. Dixon of Blackburn and O. Whipp, of Todmorden with Dixon winning. However, Orlando Whipp wanted to raise an official objection that Dixon had cut him with his shoes whilst they were under the last sheet. The judges refused his objection, but Whipp persisted in his demands to run in the final, and, evading the clutches of a constable, when the starting pistol was fired, he ran after them and came in second, behind Dixon. When the judges refused to pay him the £1 prize he stormed, or was chased, off, threatening to sue the club for his winnings. A lot of fuss for a pound you might think, but it would have bought him about 100 pints of ale. Orlando had form in evading the Police. In September 1883, when being taken in handcuffs to Todmorden Town Hall to face a charge of robbery from a person, “he suddenly wrenched himself from the policeman and ran through two doorways into the street. The officer followed him, and a number of other persons joined in the pursuit, but Whipp plunged through a mill stream, climbed the hills, and got on to the moors, far outdistancing his pursuers.” (21st Sept 1883 Sevenoaks Chronicle). Whipp was a good runner, and competed over various distances at meetings throughout the region, and always competed in the obstacle race. He was also a violent criminal so Dixon might have thought twice before getting under a cloth with him ever again!
We don’t have annual reports for this period, so don’t know how much profit was made, but 1885 was certainly a good day out, for most people, although a dreadful event later in the night, cast a shadow over the whole of Lowerhouse.
ac August 2026