Are there no more RED rec’s’
I enjoyed reading about Arthur Sadler (issue 29) whom I knew as we attended the same school, St. Augustine's Boys, Monsall. He was older than me and I lived nearby at 182 Lodge Street, Miles Platting. The school had a good football team and about 1950 won a schools' cup competition by defeating Armitage Street School, Gorton. A corporation double decker bus was hired for the team and spectators. Our school had some other good footballers and I recall Cohn Nield and Jack McGrath, who later played for Newcastle United and Southampton and became a football manager. I remember one of the teachers, Mr. Cooke, was very much involved in football. He came from Abbott Street School and took Standard 3 class. Has anyone any memories of the game and the players?
Still on the theme of local football, does anyone remember Miles Platting Swifts? I recall helping to prepare their ground behind St. Edmund's primary school on Monsall Street. The ground was enclosed and I joined others in raking the ash and clinker pitch. They played in the Manchester League about 1950. I recall a game against the Manchester United A team, who won 15-0 with the centre forward, Lawrence Cassidy scoring five goals! A few years later I met him at St. Patrick's school, Collyhurst. where he was Headmaster. In the school hall were portraits of two well known Manchester footballers, Norbert (Nobby) Stiles and Cohn Barlow. As a City fan from 1957 I saw Cohn play many games.
Finally on Sunday afternoons there were competitive games on the Monsall Recreation Ground (known locally as the red rec') with all the touchlines being lined with spectators. Following one incident which the referee was unable to resolve the local priest was asked to intervene and help to get play restarted!
The red rec' was the local playground for my brothers and me, but when I revisited recently it was green! Happy day's.