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| 50th ANNIVERSARY |
FROM THOSE PEOPLE WHO SET THE LEAGUE UP IN THE BEGINNING
Formation and early years of the Accrington & District Junior Football League
Tom Lee - Secretary 1958 - 1977
Horace Freear - Treasurer 1958 - 1978
Harry Calvert - Chairman 1958 - 1963
In 1958 Tom Lee, a local football enthusiast recognised that the only organised for boys in the Accrington area was provided by the local schools. He realised that, as a result, there were many hundreds of football mad youngsters being denied the opportunity of playing regular organised football.
Tom visited the many playing fields and spare land across the area where impromptu games were taking place every weekend and identified that there was a definite need for a League to cater for those boys who were not selected for their school teams.
Tom called on the services of Horace Freear, who had a great deal of knowledge of the local football scene, and the pair set about forming the Accrington & District Boys' Football League.
After many hectic months of recruitment and intense preparation the inaugural season kicked off with 12 teams playing at Under 14 level.
Tom was appointed League Secretary, Horace was appointed Treasurer and Harry Calvert, a former Football League Referee was appointed as Chairman.
They decided that the aims of the League should be to (a) provide a game of football for those boys not catered for by schools football and (b) to foster the traditional values of football played for fun in a safe environment
In addition to their many League duties Tom and Horace were team managers for St Augustine’s FC and Ormerod Street United FC respectively.
Tom and Horace were also involved in the formation of an Inter League team and organised a visit to Belfast where they played Cregagh Boys Club which included a certain young player by the name of George Best.
The League went from strength to strength with more age groups being added over the years.
After 5 years of dedicated service Harry Calvert stepped down in 1963. Sadly Tom passed away in 1977. The loss of his close friend and founder member hit Horace hard but he carried on for one more year in order to oversee the changes that had to be made.
Since retiring from his position in 1978 Horace has continued his interest in the League and is often seen on the touchline watching games and attends every Presentation Evening.
What Tom, Horace and Harry have done for the League and Junior Football can never be forgotten.
They worked tirelessly to get Junior Football up and running in the Accrington area and it is thanks to them that many, many thousands of young people have benefited from participating in the great game of football.
Teams - 1958/59 season
All Whites
League Runners up and Cup Finalists
Annie Street
withdrew during the season
Church United
Ormerod Street United (team manager - Horace Freear)
League Champions and Cup Winners
Richmond United
St Albans
St Augustine’s (team manager - Tom Lee)
Sportsmanship Shield Winners
St Mary Magdalene
Spencer Street
Springhill Dynamoes
Springhill Rangers
Woodnook Rangers
| | A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE LEAGUE |
In the 1950s, the only organised football for boys was that provided by the schools and as a result, only the best players were being catered for.
It became apparent to Tom Lee, a local football enthusiast that there were many hundreds of players, not school team standards, who were being denied a regular game of football. These youngsters had to organise their own impromptu games in local parks with coats as goalposts, but with no adequate supervision or structure It was with this in mind that Tom approached two acquaintances Horace Freear and Harry Calvert, with the idea of making some provision for these youngsters.
After much deliberation and many meetings the Accrington & District Boys Football League was formed with 11 teams competing at under 14's level.
Season 2007/08 40 Clubs and 129 Teams, no small achievement as the League continues to play football in a traditional manner on a Saturday morning.
| | THE FIRST SEASONS |
The Boys football league kicked off in November 1958, and that season saw Ormerod Street United emerging as League Champions and All Whites as runners up. The first finals night was held at Back Lane, Baxenden and the presentation evening at Christchurch Hall.
For the next seven years the final nights were held at Peel Park, the home of Accrington Stanley FC, then members of the Football League.
In order to ensure that as many boys as possible were provided with a regular game of football the schools list was devised and introduced. This entailed each school selecting a squad of players who would represent their schools throughout the season; these players were then ineligible to play in the Boys league. This gave the clubs the opportunity of providing a regular game of football for non-school team players.
One of the Boys league's main aims was to foster and encourage good sportsmanship amongst it's members. In order to achieve this the Sportsmanship and consolation cups were introduced.
The league thrived and many representative squads were selected to play against other leagues, these games included visits to Preston, Doncaster and Belfast, the visit to Belfast took place in 1961 to play against Crecagh Boys who included in their team a young player named George Best.
In 1971, the League made the then courageous step, at the time of then introducing an under 13's section which included such names as Oswaldtwistle nippers and Tinker Juniors, a team called Rishton United entered this new section and as such are the leagues longest serving club.
The next extension to the league took place in 1989 with the introduction of an under 11's section.
Although predominantly set up for the players of Accrington, the stature of the league as grown in as much as it now draws teams from the surrounding areas of Blackburn, Darwen, Rossendale, Burnley and Colne and the Ribble Valley.
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| | Horace still going strong |
Horace Freear one the founder members of the League attendethhis presention night on the 21st May 2009
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