History
The early 1890’s saw a radical change in the area of Altofts. From being a small hamlet, the village grew with the sinking of the local mine (Pope & Pearson).
This led to a significant influx of workers and large areas of housing were built, including the longest unbroken row of terraced houses in Europe (Silkstone Row).
Sport became a major pastime. Whilst Rugby League was perhaps the main sport in the rest of the West Riding, association football dominated in the Altofts area. This maybe was due to the fact that much of the new workforce had come from Staffordshire, which was very much a footballing county.
The early games were played behind the small colliery school at the top of Silkstone Row. However this ground proved to be too small, as the whole village would turn up to watch the early friendly games. At that time the miners would pay 1d per week of their wages to play football and the colliery owners themselves soon developed an interest and made donations. Most significantly, they helped the team move up the road to Lock Lane, where the village cricket team had already been playing for a number of years.
Altofts joined a new league called the “West Yorkshire League” in 1894, which included Rothwell, Castleford Town, Pontefract, Pontefract Barracks, Oulton, local rivals Normanton and Hunslet (Later to become Leeds City/United!). Gates of 2,000 or 3,000 were not unusual for cup-ties (more than lived in the village!). As the new century broke, Altofts won the County Cup (the FA Cup of West Yorkshire!) for the first time in 1903 and seasons 1904 & 1905 completed a hat-trick of County Cup wins.
As the colliery changed name, so did the team, becoming Altofts West Riding Colliery (Altofts WRC) and they joined the Yorkshire League in 1923, enjoying some worthy top 5 finishes before relegation in 1930. The County Cup was won a further six times before World War 2. The 1919 winning team was special, as all the players lived within one mile of the ground! The last win in 1937 made it nine in total and this still stands as a record for the cup, which is still played for today. The 1936-37 winning team included a young Jack Beddows, who played for the famous Pegasus and also the Combined services in the war. Jack was a loyal servant of Altofts Football Club for most of the century up until his death in 1999 and the stand overlooking the senior pitch still bears his name.
Altofts were regular winners of local leagues and cups, including the Leeds Hospital Cup, Pontefract Hospital Cup, Embleton Cup, and Castleford & Wakefield District Cup. All of them sat behind the Headmaster’s desk at the Colliery school!
In 1926 the Lock Lane ground underwent a major change. The football pitch was turned 180º, a bowling green and ash tennis courts were added, surrounded by rose trees and shrubs. The main attraction however was a brand new pavilion,
with state of the art hot and cold showers and baths (Most miners houses still had tin baths!). It had a tearoom, overlooking the cricket pitch with a small veranda at each side facing the football and tennis. Freshly painted in green and cream, the grand building glistened as the famous Yorkshire and England cricketer, Herbert Sutcliffe had the honour of declaring it
open. A cycle and running track (ash) was built around the cricket pitch and most of the village events took place at the i
dyllic Welfare Ground. Meanwhile, just under a mile away, millions of tons of coal continued to be dug out of the ground.
At that time, a groundsman by the name of Billy Kirk was employed full time and woe betide anyone going onto the field unless they were actually playing!
On the football side, success in the cups continued but a return into the Yorkshire League in 1934 proved a step too far against ‘A’ teams of Leeds United, Huddersfield Town, Halifax Town and the two Bradford teams, Park Avenue and City.
The away game against Scarborough must have been some journey after a Saturday morning down the mine but if the league proved difficult the cups still rolled in, especially the County Cup up until World War II.
After the war Altofts rejoined the West Yorkshire league, winning it at the first time
of asking in 1946/47. A League Cup victory in 1951/52 was soon followed by another league title in 1957/58.
In 1961, the colliery was shut down and funding was then withdrawn in 1964 and the ground handed over to the Normanton Urban District Council (later the Wakefield district Council). If the future looked uncertain, reminders of past glories could be found in the number of Altofts players who went on to play professional football: George Reed with Leeds United, Jackie Deakin with Bradford City, Jimmy Glazard with Huddersfield Town, Eddie Dunn with Sunderland, Bobby Webb with Leeds United, Alf Whittingham with Huddersfield Town, Alan Parkinson with Bradford Park Avenue, Dennis Miles with Bradford Park Avenue, Geoff Hartley with Rotherham United and Keith Ripley with Leeds United. Keith was also selected for the football league side against the Scottish league at Ibrox. Other players subsequently went on from Altofts to make the grade at a higher level, including Dave Fretwell at Bradford City, Terry Caldwell at Huddersfield Town, Dave Penny at Darlington and Ron Measham at Bolton Wanderers
The 60’s proved difficult in the league but there was success in the Wakefield Cup and Embleton Cup, whilst in the background Jack Beddows and the Phelps brothers, Len & Kenny worked hard to keep the club afloat.
By the early 70’s, the once proud pavilion was looking tired and old but the football team won their first major trophy for years with a 1971/72 victory in the West Yorkshire Premier League Cup Final. The league title still hasn’t been regained to date but runners-up spots have shown that the club has always been able to push other teams to the limit. After the runners-up position in 1988, the first team rejoined the West Riding County Amateur League for the 88/89 season, gaining immediate success by winning promotion from Division 1 as champions. Altofts reserves also had a memorable season winning a treble of league, league cup and supplementary cups. A period of yo-yoing followed as the club went up and down between the Premier League and Division 1.
The welfare ground in the late seventies saw the tennis courts fall into disrepair. A sports committee was formed and fund raising saw the building of the Jack Beddows stand in 1979. A major revamp of the pavilion was undertaken and the old tennis courts were floodlit to provide a training area. The 1970’s also saw the introduction of a third team for the seniors and
a new Junior Section, led by Mr Harry Parkinson, which joined the Charles Rice Junior League (Selby).
In 1994, to celebrate 100 years of football in Altofts, a gala was held. This proved so successful that it is now an annual event, although it has had to move from Lock Lane due to its size and popularity. 2010 will see the return of a parents challenge event to Lock Lane and other events are also planned.
With the loss of pitches at Silkstone Row in 1999, new pitches were provided on Church Road and the expansion of teams
at the club has led to the development of good relationships with local schools, Altofts Juniors and Martin Frobisher Infants,
to use their facilities. Due to the continued growth of the club, Season 2009-10 will see another pitch used at Kirkthorpe.
The clubhouse has recently been expanded and refurnished to a high standard, with a new bar and kitchen facilities.
The Junior Section has now grown to provide football for over 300 youngsters with boy’s teams ranging from the Under 6
age group to Under 16’s. Many age groups are represented by different squads in two different leagues, demonstrating our commitment to providing continuing enjoyment and challenges for as many local youngsters as we can.
Whilst the club has always welcomed girls to play alongside the boys in the younger age groups, the
first all girls team was welcomed in 2004-05 as Under 12’s and in 2009-10 there were four separate girl teams representing the club. The girls have already been successful in league and cup competitions
in the West Riding Girls League, adding to a long list of successes by the junior boys teams in Charles Rice league and cup competitions.
This ever-increasing numbers of junior teams meant that the step was taken to allow the junior section
to take control of its own affairs. Whilst stilly fully affiliated to both the senior section and Altofts Sports Community, this has allowed the junior section to become one of the best organised outfits in the region with an increasing reputation for playing excellent football and, just as importantly, being recognised as
a friendly community club.
The senior section has also benefited from the new structure with the ability to concentrate on improving the coaching set-up and playing strength within the senior section aided by a steady influx of players from the junior section. As a result, the 2008-09 season was one of the most successful seasons in modern times for the seniors. The first team, under manager Andy Sibson, were champions of the West Yorkshire Alliance First Division, gaining promotion into the Premier Division. It will be a challenging season ahead as they seek to establish themselves against some high quality sides with a lot of experience and bigger budgets! The first team also won the Wakefield & District Cyril Craven Challenge Cup. The reserves meanwhile, also had a successful season, narrowly missing out on promotion as they finished fourth in the West Yorkshire Alliance Division 2.
A special mention should also go to the U19 academy side, which was only established at the start of 2007/08 season, thanks to the vision of Terry Gill, Keith Bishop and Steve Jarvis. Competing against some long established academy sides at “big name” clubs, Altofts finished an excellent 3rd in the Northern Alliance U19 Alliance League in 2008/09 after a difficult first season. Altofts are one of the few local clubs to run an academy side in the local area and it provides a superb centre of excellence for youngsters aged 16-17. Whilst increasingly attracting interest from quality players outside Altofts, priority is given to
ex-Altofts Under 16 players, whose only other progression route after Junior football would otherwise be
to play open age football.
With professional clubs now taking players at a young age, it is now the Junior Section that attracts the scouts and the club provided the launch pad for the successful careers of Lee Crooks at Manchester City, Chris Greenacre at Manchester City and Lee Brisco at Sheffield Wednesday and England under 21’s. In more recent times Jamie Price has played professionally for Doncaster, Halifax, York City and Harrogate Town. We are delighted that, although still playing for Bradford Park Avenue, Jamie has become a major part of the coaching set up at Altofts and will take on the management of the Academy side in 2009-10
Thanks to Craig Teasdale for providing most of the above information. Please feel free to add to or
correct any information above by e-mailing davecarol@thehillhome.fsnet.co.uk
This led to a significant influx of workers and large areas of housing were built, including the longest unbroken row of terraced houses in Europe (Silkstone Row).
Sport became a major pastime. Whilst Rugby League was perhaps the main sport in the rest of the West Riding, association football dominated in the Altofts area. This maybe was due to the fact that much of the new workforce had come from Staffordshire, which was very much a footballing county.
The early games were played behind the small colliery school at the top of Silkstone Row. However this ground proved to be too small, as the whole village would turn up to watch the early friendly games. At that time the miners would pay 1d per week of their wages to play football and the colliery owners themselves soon developed an interest and made donations. Most significantly, they helped the team move up the road to Lock Lane, where the village cricket team had already been playing for a number of years.
Altofts joined a new league called the “West Yorkshire League” in 1894, which included Rothwell, Castleford Town, Pontefract, Pontefract Barracks, Oulton, local rivals Normanton and Hunslet (Later to become Leeds City/United!). Gates of 2,000 or 3,000 were not unusual for cup-ties (more than lived in the village!). As the new century broke, Altofts won the County Cup (the FA Cup of West Yorkshire!) for the first time in 1903 and seasons 1904 & 1905 completed a hat-trick of County Cup wins.
As the colliery changed name, so did the team, becoming Altofts West Riding Colliery (Altofts WRC) and they joined the Yorkshire League in 1923, enjoying some worthy top 5 finishes before relegation in 1930. The County Cup was won a further six times before World War 2. The 1919 winning team was special, as all the players lived within one mile of the ground! The last win in 1937 made it nine in total and this still stands as a record for the cup, which is still played for today. The 1936-37 winning team included a young Jack Beddows, who played for the famous Pegasus and also the Combined services in the war. Jack was a loyal servant of Altofts Football Club for most of the century up until his death in 1999 and the stand overlooking the senior pitch still bears his name.
Altofts were regular winners of local leagues and cups, including the Leeds Hospital Cup, Pontefract Hospital Cup, Embleton Cup, and Castleford & Wakefield District Cup. All of them sat behind the Headmaster’s desk at the Colliery school!
In 1926 the Lock Lane ground underwent a major change. The football pitch was turned 180º, a bowling green and ash tennis courts were added, surrounded by rose trees and shrubs. The main attraction however was a brand new pavilion,
with state of the art hot and cold showers and baths (Most miners houses still had tin baths!). It had a tearoom, overlooking the cricket pitch with a small veranda at each side facing the football and tennis. Freshly painted in green and cream, the grand building glistened as the famous Yorkshire and England cricketer, Herbert Sutcliffe had the honour of declaring it
open. A cycle and running track (ash) was built around the cricket pitch and most of the village events took place at the i
dyllic Welfare Ground. Meanwhile, just under a mile away, millions of tons of coal continued to be dug out of the ground.
At that time, a groundsman by the name of Billy Kirk was employed full time and woe betide anyone going onto the field unless they were actually playing!
On the football side, success in the cups continued but a return into the Yorkshire League in 1934 proved a step too far against ‘A’ teams of Leeds United, Huddersfield Town, Halifax Town and the two Bradford teams, Park Avenue and City.
The away game against Scarborough must have been some journey after a Saturday morning down the mine but if the league proved difficult the cups still rolled in, especially the County Cup up until World War II.
After the war Altofts rejoined the West Yorkshire league, winning it at the first time
of asking in 1946/47. A League Cup victory in 1951/52 was soon followed by another league title in 1957/58.
In 1961, the colliery was shut down and funding was then withdrawn in 1964 and the ground handed over to the Normanton Urban District Council (later the Wakefield district Council). If the future looked uncertain, reminders of past glories could be found in the number of Altofts players who went on to play professional football: George Reed with Leeds United, Jackie Deakin with Bradford City, Jimmy Glazard with Huddersfield Town, Eddie Dunn with Sunderland, Bobby Webb with Leeds United, Alf Whittingham with Huddersfield Town, Alan Parkinson with Bradford Park Avenue, Dennis Miles with Bradford Park Avenue, Geoff Hartley with Rotherham United and Keith Ripley with Leeds United. Keith was also selected for the football league side against the Scottish league at Ibrox. Other players subsequently went on from Altofts to make the grade at a higher level, including Dave Fretwell at Bradford City, Terry Caldwell at Huddersfield Town, Dave Penny at Darlington and Ron Measham at Bolton Wanderers
The 60’s proved difficult in the league but there was success in the Wakefield Cup and Embleton Cup, whilst in the background Jack Beddows and the Phelps brothers, Len & Kenny worked hard to keep the club afloat.
By the early 70’s, the once proud pavilion was looking tired and old but the football team won their first major trophy for years with a 1971/72 victory in the West Yorkshire Premier League Cup Final. The league title still hasn’t been regained to date but runners-up spots have shown that the club has always been able to push other teams to the limit. After the runners-up position in 1988, the first team rejoined the West Riding County Amateur League for the 88/89 season, gaining immediate success by winning promotion from Division 1 as champions. Altofts reserves also had a memorable season winning a treble of league, league cup and supplementary cups. A period of yo-yoing followed as the club went up and down between the Premier League and Division 1.
The welfare ground in the late seventies saw the tennis courts fall into disrepair. A sports committee was formed and fund raising saw the building of the Jack Beddows stand in 1979. A major revamp of the pavilion was undertaken and the old tennis courts were floodlit to provide a training area. The 1970’s also saw the introduction of a third team for the seniors and
a new Junior Section, led by Mr Harry Parkinson, which joined the Charles Rice Junior League (Selby).
In 1994, to celebrate 100 years of football in Altofts, a gala was held. This proved so successful that it is now an annual event, although it has had to move from Lock Lane due to its size and popularity. 2010 will see the return of a parents challenge event to Lock Lane and other events are also planned.
With the loss of pitches at Silkstone Row in 1999, new pitches were provided on Church Road and the expansion of teams
at the club has led to the development of good relationships with local schools, Altofts Juniors and Martin Frobisher Infants,
to use their facilities. Due to the continued growth of the club, Season 2009-10 will see another pitch used at Kirkthorpe.
The clubhouse has recently been expanded and refurnished to a high standard, with a new bar and kitchen facilities.
The Junior Section has now grown to provide football for over 300 youngsters with boy’s teams ranging from the Under 6
age group to Under 16’s. Many age groups are represented by different squads in two different leagues, demonstrating our commitment to providing continuing enjoyment and challenges for as many local youngsters as we can.
Whilst the club has always welcomed girls to play alongside the boys in the younger age groups, the
first all girls team was welcomed in 2004-05 as Under 12’s and in 2009-10 there were four separate girl teams representing the club. The girls have already been successful in league and cup competitions
in the West Riding Girls League, adding to a long list of successes by the junior boys teams in Charles Rice league and cup competitions.
This ever-increasing numbers of junior teams meant that the step was taken to allow the junior section
to take control of its own affairs. Whilst stilly fully affiliated to both the senior section and Altofts Sports Community, this has allowed the junior section to become one of the best organised outfits in the region with an increasing reputation for playing excellent football and, just as importantly, being recognised as
a friendly community club.
The senior section has also benefited from the new structure with the ability to concentrate on improving the coaching set-up and playing strength within the senior section aided by a steady influx of players from the junior section. As a result, the 2008-09 season was one of the most successful seasons in modern times for the seniors. The first team, under manager Andy Sibson, were champions of the West Yorkshire Alliance First Division, gaining promotion into the Premier Division. It will be a challenging season ahead as they seek to establish themselves against some high quality sides with a lot of experience and bigger budgets! The first team also won the Wakefield & District Cyril Craven Challenge Cup. The reserves meanwhile, also had a successful season, narrowly missing out on promotion as they finished fourth in the West Yorkshire Alliance Division 2.
A special mention should also go to the U19 academy side, which was only established at the start of 2007/08 season, thanks to the vision of Terry Gill, Keith Bishop and Steve Jarvis. Competing against some long established academy sides at “big name” clubs, Altofts finished an excellent 3rd in the Northern Alliance U19 Alliance League in 2008/09 after a difficult first season. Altofts are one of the few local clubs to run an academy side in the local area and it provides a superb centre of excellence for youngsters aged 16-17. Whilst increasingly attracting interest from quality players outside Altofts, priority is given to
ex-Altofts Under 16 players, whose only other progression route after Junior football would otherwise be
to play open age football.
With professional clubs now taking players at a young age, it is now the Junior Section that attracts the scouts and the club provided the launch pad for the successful careers of Lee Crooks at Manchester City, Chris Greenacre at Manchester City and Lee Brisco at Sheffield Wednesday and England under 21’s. In more recent times Jamie Price has played professionally for Doncaster, Halifax, York City and Harrogate Town. We are delighted that, although still playing for Bradford Park Avenue, Jamie has become a major part of the coaching set up at Altofts and will take on the management of the Academy side in 2009-10
Thanks to Craig Teasdale for providing most of the above information. Please feel free to add to or
correct any information above by e-mailing davecarol@thehillhome.fsnet.co.uk
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