Clubs > Todmorden > Todmorden ARLFC – the early years

Todmorden ARLFC – the early years

Although there was a brief and unsuccessful reappearance by a Todmorden team who lost all their 18 games in the1957-58, it is the new reincarnation of Todmorden, formed in 1973 which remains the longest surviving and most remembered Todmorden team.
The team was brought together by Ray Demsey who had earlier played for the Todmorden Juniors and gone to Barrow, and another former Todmorden Junior, Trevor MacKriel. Trevor recalled:

“we met while travelling by bus from Todmorden to Cote Hill to watch Halifax play. By the time we had got back to Tod we had decided to form a Rugby League team”.

The team was 90% local lads gathered together by word of mouth and by adverts in the Todmorden News & Advertiser. At the first training session there were a dozen lads including Trevor’s cousin, Rodney Parkinson and Phil Halstead, a Rugby League referee. Also, in that first season a young 17-year-old made an appearance: Billy Collier was to play his first game and continue to do so for the next 30 years. Sadly, Ray Dempsey never played a game for the club as he seriously damaged a knee in a training session.

Their first kit was acquired from Whitehaven and they played a season of friendlies. This included a very fierce and tough game against De la Salle College.

Todmorden joined Pennine League Division 3 for 1974-5 and continued to play games up in the hills at the Highfield ground at Cross Stone.
This was in reality a farmer’s field which was still in use and covered in cow pats. In the early days it was exactly that. No real changing facilities and as Billy Collier recalled:
“just a horse trough fed by a well to get washed in!”

Referee Dougie Booth explained the system,
“changing rooms were a building in a field with no showers just a boiler and a bucket of warm water poured over each player – referee went first!”

Things did improve when the players and backroom staff built a cabin for changing rooms first with tin baths and then with the luxury of a shower.

When the teams went back into the Bay Horse public house next door the aroma must have been interesting!

The first season was a real struggle not only to recruit players but also on the pitch. The first ever competitive game was against Greetland All Rounders. It was real baptism of fire as the new Todmorden side lost 72-0. Welshman and dual international, Malcolm Price, came in to coach the team and the team made significant progress through the season and the final game of that season was also against Greetland and Todmorden ran out winners 13-9.

Todmorden finished in 16th place in Division 3 winning only two of their 26 games. They were relegated to the newly formed Pennine League Division 4.

Johny Hammond, ex-Rochdale and Oldham, became player/coach in the side and their presence stabilised the side. They finished in 9th position the following year and won nine games.

Todmorden started an Under 16 team for the 1976-77 season and they finished 9th in their division.

The open age side had one of their best seasons ever as they won 21 of their 24 Division 4 games, including against the “A” teams of the big Halifax teams, Ovenden, Greetland and Mixenden, to finish as champions. They also defeated Saddleworth Rangers at Rochdale Hornet’s ground, to win the Rochdale Charity Cup.

Off the field the club used the Bay Horse public house at Cross Stones and had moved to changing rooms upstairs at the pub. It became very popular at the time for its Sunday afternoon striptease in the upper room. Away teams soon got to know this and there were requests to move games to late Sunday morning from Saturday afternoon. One team rolled up and found that the pub’s upstairs room was used as a changing room for the striptease lady. Therefore, they had to use the post-match tin baths that were set behind rudimentary screens in the pub car park. It is reported that the stripper was good.

The team continued to play in the Pennine League finishing 8th, 11th and 6th over the next three seasons.