The website of Marsden FC
'The Cuckoos'
Club History 1900 - 2009
- Colours – Black
- Ground – Forrest
- Headquarters – Old New Inn
With the Huddersfield & District Association Football League having been established in 1898, NRU was clearly some other league, possibly related to Rugby Union!!
Fixtures against Slaithwaite Juniors and Brighouse Juniors add further confusion – was it a Junior RU league?
A photograph dated 1902 shows a team called Marsden Clarence
Association F.C. but these are all young boys, probably a school or
church team.
The first mention of any Marsden team playing in the H & D AFL was season 1904-05, Marsden Parish Church, then Marsden United, appeared in 1907-08. Tying in with this is a membership card for Marsden United. On the fixture list is Marsden Parish Church whom United beat 4-0 at home then 6-0 away. Over the season they played 26, won 24, drew 0 and lost 2 – not bad!
- Colours - Black & White
- Ground – Forrest
- Headquarters – Old New Inn
Several Vice Presidents' names appear who are also mentioned on the 1900-01 membership card (Dr Aspinall, G.Taylor & R.Varley)
Letterheads from the 1950s for Marsden Amateur Football Club say "established 1907" and so it would appear that this was probably the start of the club that exists today.
What is clear from the records is that Marsden United AFC, who changed to Marsden Amateur Football Club in 1930, were to become the dominant team in the village:
- 1909-10 saw them winners of the H & D Challenge Cup and the League Championship Shield.
- They won the Challenge Cup again in 1912, 1914, 1922, 1929 & 1933.
- They were league winners 4 years in succession: 1928, 1929, 1930 & again 1936 (following suspension of the league).
Meanwhile season 1911-12 saw Marsden Amateurs appear, followed in 1912-13 by Marsden Athletic whilst a junior team Marsden Villa was introduced in 1913-14. However, these were obviously short-lived.
Where did the team(s) play their football in these early years?
Forrest is the only one mentioned in writing, an area of land up Mount
Road, probably on or close to the Hemplow complex. It was not until the
mid-1920s that the club finally settled at Fall Lane, previously the
home of the cricket club prior to it moving up to the Hemplow.Late 30s and 40s
1937-38 saw the club enter the South East
Lancashire Amateur League where it made an immediate impact, winning the
Challenge Cup that season, then both the Challenge Cup and Challenge
Shield the following year. After the third year the war intervened,
following which in 1946 the club had moved into the West Riding County
Amateur League, only to return to the SELAL 3 years later, immediately
winning the Challenge Cup in 1949-50.
The earliest Minute book available covers the period 8th July 1938 to 28th June 1948, recording details of everything to do with the club:-
Membership cost 3/6. Youths 14-18 years 2/6. Ladies 2/-.
Admission charges 5d. Ladies & Boys 2d. 2d for Reserve games.
The Committee appointed a Linesman (each team had to provide
one) and four Gatemen, two for each one ,situated at the Carrs Road and
Manchester Road ends of the ground.
Registration of players in the SELAL are detailed at the back of the book both for 1938/39 & 1939/40.
Included are their full names, address and position played. It is not
surprising that given the league they were in, many came from “over the
top” to play.
1938/39 shows out of a total of 31 registered (5 Inside Rights) only 6
were from Marsden, whilst 11 came from the Saddleworth/Oldham area, one
lived in Leeds whilst the rest,13, came from local villages. That year
they had a Reserve team playing in the H&DAFL
1939/40 and back to one team shows 21 registered with only Arthur
Matthews and Jack Hawley from Marsden, 9 from Saddleworth/Oldham and 10
from local villages.
Team Selection was by a sub-committee of 7 members.
Teams and Results were all recorded.
Coach transport to away matches was provided with supporters paying 2/3d each to visit Carlton Utd in Nov. 1938 for a West Riding Cup match.
Each year this was put out to tender, with W.H. & F. Schofield
being accepted that year at £3-2-6 per game. They retained it the
following year at £3-5-0.
Kit was supplied by the club including boots, a set of which cost 18/9d whilst a set of shirts cost £5-3-6.
Fundraising efforts included regular dances at The Mechanics, clubs in the village and Huddersfield Town Hall.
At the AGM 6th September 1940 it was decided “that playing
activities be suspended for the duration of the war but that Committee
Meetings should continue”.
Meetings were then held:-
4th November – Agreed to hire Marsden Conservative Club dance room to raise funds.
16th December – Agreed to send Postal Orders to the value of 5/- as a
Xmas present to all players and officials serving with H. M. Forces
(Signals).
That they accept Mallinson FC application to play them in a Charity
Match on 4th January 1941 and that 1500 tickets be printed (the club’s
share was £2-19-3).
HM Forces based in Marsden allowed use of the field on Wednesday 18th December.
30th December – Agreed to allow HM Forces use of the ground on
condition the club had sole rights to raise money by gate charges or
any other means in aid of either Club funds or the Central Comforts
Fund.
1941 24th February – Agreed to organise a dance at the Mechanics Hall
in about six weeks and that the Xmas gift of 5/- be repeated as an
Easter gift.
27th March – Agreed the dance be held Saturday 19th April with admission1/- and 6d for HM Forces.
Councillor W. D. Crossley (President & Chairman) offered to provide a “Spot Prize” of 10/-
The next meeting recorded then moves to the end of the war 5 years later on 20th May 1946, reporting “the healthy position of the club's finances”, & that the AGM be held at the Old New Inn 19th June 8pm.
Here they went on to approve the Minutes of the last AGM 6th September 1940, 6 years previously.
Apart from the normal AGM Agenda, it was agreed to purchase a hut for the sum of £2/15/-.
1946 24th June – Agreed to accept Marsden Senior School bands offer to play at home matches that coming season.
5th August – Agreed to hold “trial” matches Weds/Fri 21st/23rd August
KO 6-30 with a collection to be taken and that 250 Membership cards be
ordered from A. Farrand Printer. Membership to be six shillings and
sixpence.
Meetings were then held weekly.
19th August – “the Secretary shall approach some likely person who
would accept the washing of football equipment at a fee of 7/6d with
power to offer a maximum of 10/-“.
Mr Wood was accepted as “Skipman” with Mr Hudson his assistant.
26th August – Schofields were awarded the coach contract at an average of £5-14-10 per bus or 3/7 per person per journey.
2nd September – Arthur Matthews selected as team Captain and that after
the first match the players elect their own Captain. The team went on
to loose their first game 0-2 at Rawdon Old Boys. The following week
they drew 3-3 at Fall lane against Thackley and then again 3-3 against
Guiseley 21st September.
Depressing results of 1-5, 2-2, 1-2, 1-5, 2-4, 4-7, 1-2 followed then
on 16th November they finally won 4-3 at home to Heckmondwike Spen,
their eleventh game.
1947 4th August – Agreed that 30,000 draw tickets be purchased from Williamsons of Ashton u Lyne – yes 30,000!!
