Chapter 11. War Again

The outbreak of War once more in 1939 inevitably brought tremendous problems. In the weeks before it began there had been talk of Halifax and Keighley amalgamating to form a joint open age league, with interest from Tank Company, The 278th Field Battery and Auxiliary Fire Service, but the decision was taken in September that the local league would keep going with its age-restricted set-up, focusing on the Under-21s and comprising Albion Rams, Elland, Northowram, Greetland, Highroad Well and Ovenden. In December however, Greetland announced that practically all their players had been called up and they would have to resign; their five remaining players were hoping to register with Highroad Well (though they too were soon unable to continue), while their fixtures were taken over by Halifax Supporters. The Supporters Club team had in recent times been playing against other similar teams in a League organised by the Yorkshire Federation of Supporters’ Clubs.

Ovenden were new to the local league in 1939, unconnected with all previous clubs of that name. It was the first appearance of a club which was to have a very successful 80-year association lasting almost to the present day. Formed at The Railway Inn, Nursery Lane, they had played earlier friendly matches, the first one against Highroad Well on a field soon to be built on as part of Deanfield Primary School, before moving to Myrtle Grove at Mason Green. After the War they were to play on various grounds, including one behind St Mary’s Church at Illingworth, and another at Natty Lane. They were finally to settle at Four Fields in 1949, by which time they had won the first of many local league championships and produced their first of many players for the professional ranks in forward Harry Greenwood.

With them in 1940 were Albion Rams, Northowram, Luddenden Foot, Pellon and Halifax Supporters, all still Under-21s. Halifax Supporters beat Albion Rams in the championship final at Thrum Hall, the Rams having previously been almost unbeatable for three years. Rastrick also had a team, but in the Huddersfield League. Despite the reduced number of male teachers, a Schools league operated, involving Haugh Shaw, Sunnyside, Battinson Road, Holy Trinity, St Joseph’s and St Mary’s. Rugby Union, meanwhile, was down to three clubs temporarily – Halifax, Brighouse Rangers and Halifax Vandals (on a new ground at Exley Park), though Vandals soon decided to suspend operations; their remaining players joined Halifax, as had some of those from Heath Old Boys and Old Rishworthians.

To provide extra fixtures, and incentives, inter-town matches were arranged at Thrum Hall from time to time. Albion Rams players dominated the Halifax team, but there were others from Pellon, Northowram, Ovenden and Halifax Supporters. Johnny Manley from Albion Rams and Jack Parker from Northowram were two of them, both later making first team appearances for Halifax that season.

Whilst 1942 has little rugby action initially, a new league with new organisers was operating by February for players aged 14-16, with up to four older boys allowed. Halifax Supporters played alongside Sowerby Bridge Youth Centre, the YMCA Boys Club, Ripponden and Air Training Corps. Season 1943-4 saw a junior leagueprogramme begin in October, as army-based teams took a central role. The Under-21s had YMCA, Kitchen & Wade’s (playing at Copley) and Halifax Supporters, but also cadet teams known as Halifax A.T.C. and Elland A.T.C. The latter certainly didn’t restrict themselves to cadets, advertising in the press for others to join them at a practice session on their ground at Elland Grammar School (now Brooksbank). An Under-17 section had Halifax Supporters, North Mount Scouts, St Mary’s and A.C.C. (a cadets group operating from Broomfield). By 1944 Sea Cadets (at Illingworth) and Ovenden Cadets had joined, while there were teams representing Boothtown (at High Sunderland), and Queensbury. A cup competition in 1945 resulted in St Mary’s beating Boothtown in the Thrum Hall final. Others – Kitchen & Wade’s, Rastrick, Elland and Hebden Bridge – featured in the Huddersfield Junior League.

The St Mary’s Under-17 side of 1943 was the first appearance of the team to later become Park Amateurs and subsequently King Cross Park. It began at the boys’ club in Bedford Street, connected with St Mary’s Catholic Church, though it would have been no coincidence that the St Mary’s school team had been taking part in the schools league earlier. They were league champions in 1944-5 and although their history has not been continuous ever since – they closed down in the 1950s before revival in 1964 – the club is regarded as the same one.

Kitchen & Wade’s, an engineering company based on Arundel Street and also Turney Street off Ovenden Road, had earlier fielded teams in workshops competitions. They were Huddersfield League Champions in 1944-5, now playing home fixtures at Warley, and met All Souls’ (Leeds) in a revived Charity Cup Final at Thrum Hall on Whit Tuesday, 22nd May. It was the first time the Final had been staged for over a decade, and was said to be thanks to the efforts of Mr Eric Lingard. A crowd of 1,500 was reported for this and a curtain-raiser between Halifax Junior League champions St Mary’s and a Rest of the League selection. The Final was won 13-3 by All Souls’. Kitchen & Wade’s stand-off Ken Sacker was soon afterwards signed by Dewsbury.

The War in Europe had ended a few days earlier. Some players had been killed, others had seen their careers badly disrupted, and some teams had been lost forever, so the revived Final would have helped end the era on the a more positive note and given hope for the years to come.