A HISTORY OF FEATHERSTONE
1995
THE ROVERS
The Rugby League had decided that to join the new Premier League clubs had to be a limited company. This caused a problem for the Rovers which was a members club. Chairman Steve Wagner said a special meeting would be arraigned to discuss the matter. Cr Steve Vickers, a supporters club member, said the main concern of supporters was one person could get a controlling interest and do what they wanted with the club.
The meeting was held in the Sports Centre in March and was attended by Ronnie Teeman from the Rugby League. But a section of the audience booed and jeered him and he was forced to leave. The club later apologised to him. The members voted unanimously against the proposal. Mr Wagner said the committee would now have to come up with alternative proposals.
The club had plans for a new 2,500 seats stand to replace the Bullock Stand, and a covered terrace at the railway end for 2,000. It was hoped there would be money from the National Lottery Fund. Trevor Morris said if we don't become a limited company we can't be in the Premier League and we don't get the lottery money. So at the end of the day, staying a members club would put us in a situation we don't want.
In April the Rugby League were offered a £75m deal by Sky TV to change to summer football with a new European Super League of 14 clubs. One of the proposals was for Castleford, Featherstone Rovers and Wakefield Trinity to merge into one club called Calder. The fans of all three clubs were furious at the possibility of losing their identity.
Rovers chairman, Steve Wagner, said every club chairman voted in favour of the deal to save the future of the game. The club's members would be given the opportunity to vote on the Super League. They voted unanimously against a merger.
Castleford and Rovers fans invaded the pitch at Post Office Road during the interval at the Good Friday game to make their feelings known. The Express photo shows Christopher Midgley (Rovers) and Tom Burns (Castleford) united in their opposition to Calder. Photo - The Express.
Hundreds of Rovers fans walked in a demonstration against the merger from Pontefract to the Post Office Road ground. Before they set off there were rallying calls from Geoff Lofthouse MP and Ian Clayton. Photo - The Express.
In May the merger was abandoned and Wakefield Trinity and Castleford were put in the new Super League, but not Featherstone Rovers. Steve Wagner said "I am bitterly disappointed over the decision not to include Featherstone Rovers in the Super League, but it is pleasing we will not be merging and can retain our identity".
July brought two new sponsors, RJB Mining who would sponsor the shirts (reverting back to the traditional blue and white hoops), and Miller Mining who would sponsor the shorts. The Express photos show Richard Budge of RJB Mining and Bob McCulloch of Miller Mining (Left) with Rovers chairman Steve Wagner.
The committee were advertising for a chief executive, a requirement for Super League status, and another meeting would be made about making the club a limited company which was another Super League condition.
At the annual meeting in July, Robin Hays, the new secretary, read the report of Terry Jones who had retired. It included "Promotion issues were clouded by plans to create a Super League which proposed a merger of Castleford, Featherstone and Wakefield. Pressure from the fans of all three clubs resulted in a reworking of the proposals to produce a stand alone team in the First Division for Featherstone. Thanks to all the club's loyal fans for their support.
"The Framing the Future document issued by the Rugby League sets in place not only a professional club management, but it also covers the need for our stadium to meet minimum criteria in terms of seating accommodation, covered terraces and adequate facilities.
"We cannot assume the News Incorporated money will cover all our requirements. What we need in addition to this is our own club's means of raising adequate finance to allow us to compete once again with our Super League rivals".
Mr Hays thanked both Terry Jones and his wife Pat for their work on behalf of Featherstone over the past 18 years, and for all the support they had given him over the past four months.
A second members meeting about a limited company was held to discuss two proposals, one by a members working group and one by Geoff Lofthouse MP and Cr Graham Isherwood. Those at the meeting voted in favour of the second scheme, but the committee said it would have to go to a postal ballot of all members.
Of the 839 ballot papers sent out 371 voted in favour of the working party's scheme, 210 voted for the counter proposal, and 258 papers were not returned. The necessary steps would now be taken to change the Rovers from a members' club into a limited company.
The weather was frosty coming up to the Boxing Day home game against Wakefield Trinity, so the Rovers borrowed Trinity's ground sheets to save the game. But a severe overnight frost defeated the effort. Steve Wagner said the sheets would only protect down to minus six, and the temperature fell below that.
THE COUNCILS
MAY The result of the Wakefield District Council election was:
G Isherwood (Labour) 3,215
T Steele (Conservative) 145
SEPTEMBER Mothers in Verner Street which was open plan said it was dangerous for children to play out because it was a bus route. Ruth Ratcliffe said "I have to keep my front door bolted to keep my young son Luke under control. My children should be allowed to play in safety and not be cooped up". Claire Milner said "Only last week my three-year-old daughter Leanne was out on her bicycle and a bus was right behind her as she cycled along the length of the street. I think this is highly dangerous".
Martin Driver, for the council, said "We are keen to maintain the visual appearance of the estate and we do not want people erecting their own fences. We have to speak to the residents. For example, the erection of fences would mean that all individuals would have to cut their own grass". The Express photo shows Ruth and Luke Ratcliffe.
THE GALA
The July Gala in Purston Park began with a parade led by the Queen, Stacey Louise Evans age 16 of Granville Street. The events in the park stretched across the entire day with prizes presented by Town Mayor Robin Tuffs. They included Featherstone Gymnastics Club, a fancy dress competition, children's races, rugby league and football tournaments.
Organiser David Bond said "The day got off to a great start with the float parade and got better and better from there. The crowds turned out in their hundreds to support us and everything came together really well". The Express photos show the Gala Queen on the left with last year's Queen Catherine Waddle; and Terry Horsfall, Derrick Taylor and Peter Taylor from Purston Infants School.
ACKTON ANGLING CLUB
Part of the deal for Miller Mining opencasting much of the land between Ackton and the Green Lane area was to leave a large hole to be filled by Sewerbridge Beck. Terry Stead and Paul Griffiths saw the potential of this and so Ackton Angling Club was born. The club now had 42 young members age five to 15. Terry said in August they can walk down here from their homes. It hardly costs them anything and they will be perfectly safe because there are always adults to watch out for them. They paid just a token £2 a year membership fee. The photos by Dr J Gatecliff show the pond, and the pond with fishing platforms added (on the right).
A ROLL OF HONOUR
When the original War Memorial was erected in St Thomas Road in 1924 it was intended that the names of those who died would be put in the panels round the base, but lack of funds prevented it happening.
Dr Finch closed the unveiling ceremony by saying to Peter Darlington, chairman of the Council, "Mr Darlington, on behalf of the war memorial committee I hand over the memorial to the urban district council for safe keeping, and express the hope it will be kept as a sacred spot and maintained in a manner befitting the memories of the brave men whose names will be inscribed in the book of remembrance which I now hand over to you".
Cr Darlington said "On behalf of Featherstone Urban District Council I accept this war memorial from the war memorial committee, in trust to preserve and maintain. Also this book of remembrance to keep in safe custody for future reference at any time. You will notice the memorial is not completed, and requires tablets with the names of the 352 men and boys. Places in the recesses are left for that purpose, and I feel sure we people of Featherstone will gladly make an effort to have this memorial thus completed".
Cr Darlington said "On behalf of Featherstone Urban District Council I accept this war memorial from the war memorial committee, in trust to preserve and maintain. Also this book of remembrance to keep in safe custody for future reference at any time. You will notice the memorial is not completed, and requires tablets with the names of the 352 men and boys. Places in the recesses are left for that purpose, and I feel sure we people of Featherstone will gladly make an effort to have this memorial thus completed".
The names were never inscribed on the memorial and a present day search in all possible places by Cr David Bond has failed to reveal any trace of the book. So Tony Lumb set about retrieving all the names with the hope of a new book being made to rectify this omission. He told the Express in August, we need people in the community who have relatives who died in either World War I or II to contact us with brief details about them.
The postcard shows the original War Memorial.
1995 NEWS ITEMS
JANUARY Shoppers at the Victoria Garden Centre contributed £1,400 to the Guide Dogs for the Blind Association. The Collection was organised by the Barnsley branch of the association. The Express photo shows centre owner Graham Hirst, Eric Wake with his guide dog Morris, Nigel Garry with Elvis, and Lillian Hirst.
Director and founder of Off The Shelf community theatre group, Paul Davies, was leaving to take up another post. His last production would be The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. he was hoping the right person would come along to succeed him. The Express photo shows characters from the new production.
An exhibition of mining memorabilia was being organised at Featherstone High School to run from February to July. The organisers were looking for contributions. Cr Graham Isherwood said he was looking for more memorabilia regardless of its size. Large items would be collected. Photo - The Express.
FEBRUARY Two items which had turned up from the 1893 troubles in Featherstone were put on view in Pontefract Museum. They were a poster and a gun fired by a Featherstone shopkeeper (not named) to deter looters two days before the riot. It was handed in to the police by his son who passed it to the museum. The Express photo shows curator Richard Van Reil with both items.
MARCH Martin Hall Marketing Services wanted to open a mini-market in Station Lane but Wakefield Council refused planning permission citing an ancient law preventing the opening of a rival market within six and two-thirds miles of another.
The crossing patrol officer on Willow Lane for All Saints Junior and Infants School had left, and police and traffic wardens had covered the gap but this would now cease. The vicar, Fr Nicholas Clews, said he feared for the safety of the children and wants anyone prepared to take the job to contact Wakefield Council.
The mining exhibition at Featherstone High School was opened by Geoff Lofthouse MP. A dance drama to mark the opening was performed by Kerry Sweetman, Leanne Moffat, Stephen Hunt and Michelle Clewarth. Photo - The Express.
MAY Chesneys Youth and Community Centre was in a run down state due to lack of money and closed down earlier this year. A new all-girl committee was formed from Featherstone High School and was under the leadership of Mohammed Isman Egal. A competition for a new name resulted in "Off The Streets" being chosen. Photo - The Express.
Juiie Johnson of The Green, Purston, won Asda's Pontefract and Castleford Mun of the Year competition after her daughter Joanne wrote in to nominate her. She won £50 of shopping vouchers from the Glass Houghton store. The Express photo shows Julie with children Matthew and Joanne.
JUNE Three pupils from Featherstone High School were chosen to represent a Yorkshire and Humberside team in the National Junior Athletics Championship at Blackpool. They were David Roper, Jon Martin and Daniel Jackson. The Express photo shows from the left: Daniel, David and Jon.
There were national celebration for the 50th anniversary of the end of the war. Off The Shelf produced a light hearted look at the war years with the simply titled production V. It was the first effort of new producer Simon Bond who said "All the scenes have been written by the 20 strong company with everyone having an input. One of our influences was the BBC's Dad's Army". The Express photo shows from the left: Vicky Hughes, Ruth Collier and Gemma Sampson.
The new Royal Armouries Museum in Leeds was opened. Featherstone High School won an exceptional merit award in the Royal Armouries Challenge 94 competition and went to Yorkshire Tyne Tees television studios to accept it. The Express photo shows Claire Bushfield on the left and Kizzy Dyas, and lurking in the background are Christopher Musther, Michelle Crabtree and Gary Wilson.
JULY Tony Lumb was writing his third book about the adventures of Sherlock Holmes in Featherstone. He told the Express reporter he received orders for his first books from all over Great Britain (including the Sherlock Homes Appreciation Society) and the USA. Photo - The Express.
North Featherstone Junior and Infants School in Gordon Street had only 28 pupils to pick from for the Featherstone Swimming Gala, but they won five out of the six trophies on offer. They owed a great deal to Amy Wilks age 11 of Bedford Close who was a swimmer for Yorkshire. Photo - The Express (no names).
As part of the VJ Day celebrations, St Thomas C of E Junior School filled the classrooms with wartime memorabilia. The school's annual show portrayed different aspects of war and attracted large audiences. The Express photo shows from the left Richard Matthewman, David Morgan, Scott Slater and Jonathan Davis.
Featherstone High School won the Pontefract, Castleford and District Rounders Tournament beating high schools at Kings, Airedale, Carleton, Knottingley and Castleford. Photo - The Express.
AUGUST Viv Williams of Wakefield Road used to change the time on the council clock twice a year, but now the council had contracted a Leeds firm to do all their clocks. So he was annoyed when the clock stopped and nobody came for four weeks. He said he would be able to restart it in less than five minutes but was prevented from doing so because of insurance problems. The council said the clock needed a new part which was on order, and Mr Williams was not an employee of the council and was not covered by indemnity insurance. Photo - The Express.
SEPTEMBER Freak Show, a one hour extravaganza devised by local producer and director Paul Davies, was put on at the Community Centre. It included indoor fireworks, people dancing in dustbins and a master of ceremonies. There were many children in the cast. Photo - The Express.
Featherstone Arts Festival included pupils from Featherstone High School performing their dance production based on the suffragette movement, Featherstone male voice choir and Sharlston Colliery Band, and a play called Bacon on a Sunday which had an all women cast and was based on the pit strike of 1984/85.
OCTOBER Pupils from Purston Infants School visited the archaeological dig at Womersley Old Hall. Headteacher Mrs Janet Young said "The pupils were enthralled by the finds, and the trip to Wood Hall is something they will never forget". Photo - The Express.
NOVEMBER David Oxley of Katrina Grove had an exhibition of paintings at the Community Centre. He said "I began to paint when I was in my 30s. I am self-taught and use sepia sometimes to give an old fashioned look to some of my paintings". He said he painted for the love of it and sold his paintings for a small fee to cover the cost of materials. Photo - The Express.
A squad of 25 girls from Featherstone Gym Club took part in the British Minstrada Festival in Liverpool and were awarded a shield for the best interpretation of music. The Express photo shows them with Mervin Campbell, British and Commonwealth men's champion.
DECEMBER Colleagues from school and Westminster joined family and friends of the late MP for Hemsworth constituency (which included Featherstone) Derek Enright, who died 31 October, for a celebration of his life at St Wilfrid's Catholic High School. Mr Enright used to be a teacher at the school, and headteacher Chis Cotton said a room in the newly opened Post 16 Centre for Catholic Education would be named after him. Photo - Amazon.
Following the success of the book on Rugby League football, When Push Comes to Shove, Ian Clayton wrote a follow up called When Push Comes to Shove Volume Two. Ian said the first book sold well nationally and internationally, and he hoped this one did the same.
A pilot scheme for teaching children life saving techniques was tried out at Featherstone Swimming Pool under the guidance of pool manager John Howard and pool instructor Sarah Bath. All the children passed, and the scheme could be extended to other pools in the district. Photo - The Express.
