Parents didn't seem to have worries about our safety
Part two of John Morgan's memories
As we grew older we started to explore the wider district; we'd walk to the rear of Brookdale Park, past the golf links, through a farmyard and on to Woodhouses, Crime Lake and Daisy Nook. For a really long walk we would go from Crime Lake and head for Hartshead Pike and home via Ashton New Road on a tram-car. Another excursion would be a walk to Newton Heath Town Hall, then a tramcar to the Ben Brierley Hotel (Moston) and then to Boggart Hole Clough. In those days our parents didn't seem to have worries about our safety, we 'd tell them where we were going and off we went.
As we grew into teenagers, lads from the colony wanted to form a football team, and asked me to organise one. We played a few friendlies with scout groups and being quite successful we joined the Manchester and Salford Boys Federation, again did quite well for a couple of years. Then with the help of one or two adults, Mr. Abe Lea and Mr. Herbert Goddard who played for Newton Heath L.M.S. Railway in the Manchester Amateur League. We applied to join the Manchester Amateur League and were accepted in Division Three. This was 1938, as the pitch in Cemetery Road had been 'abandoned' by Bradford Parish F.C.; we 'acquired' it and played our home matches there. We used the boiler room in the Joynson Memorial Church Hall on Bradford Road as our changing room thanks to Mr. Robinson the caretaker. We called out team Platting F. C. - not to be confused with Miles Platting F. C.
The nucleus of our team were; Eric Lee and Bert Grimshaw -full backs, Billy Lee and Eric Riley -inside forwards, Eddie Mortimer and Bill Turner -half backs, Ernie Morgan-goal keeper, Stan Goode-right wing, Tocker Dale-left wing, I can't remember the names of the others as my photograph of the team has gone AWOL. At the end of the season we entered a Medal competition organised by Newton Heath Parish Church. This proved to be a very exciting competition. We won through to the semi-final which was played one Friday evening, the final was to be played on the Saturday. Our great rivals-a team from Bradford Road Gas Works, had won their semi-final game on the Thursday. Our semi-final ended in a draw so we were told we would have to re-play on the Saturday afternoon, this we did and won! This meant a quick dash home on the number 25 bus (no cars in those days) and return for the final kick off at 7pm. The odds against our winning were huge, but we WON by three clear goals! A tremendous result!
Then next time we saw our ground on Cemetery Road, it was occupied by a Barrage Balloon, put there to 'guard' Bradford Road Gas Works.