History Part 2 (1877-1902)

LINKS: FOREWORD, PART 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12, NEWS

THE FIRST ANNUAL GALA

On Saturday the 15^th September 1877, there was a capacity crowd at the baths for the first annual swimming gala of the Tyldesley Swimming Club.

The president Dr. Duncan occupied the chair, and Mr. R. M. Whitehead was judge and starter.

Some capable swimmers had been developed since the formation of the club, which had continued to increase in numbers.

The members class races were first on the programme.

H. Tyldesley beat J. Taylor in a one-length race for members of the fifth class and A. Smith was successful in a race with D. Cleworth.

The competition for members of class four, two lengths of the baths, was between Thomas Tyldesley, Thomas Smith and Peter Marsh, Smith, who had only learned to swim since the middle of May, made surprising progress, and proved victorious.

The third class members’ race, four lengths, was decided in one heat, Joe Whittle was an easy winner. John Tyldesley with four seconds start was second and James Howarth third.

Ralph Tyldesley, and Samuel Oldham, each enjoyed a walkover in the first and second heats of the six-length race for second class members. Adam Pendlebury, who gave Robert Bentham two seconds start, won the third heat by a few inches. In the final, Oldham, the scratch man, beat Pendlebury and Tyldesley, each of whom had four seconds start, Pendlebury was a close second.
The race for first class members, eight lengths, was contested by three swimmers, R. M. Whitehead walked over in the first heat, Joseph Dixon outdistanced John Plunkett, and just as easily disposed of Whitehead in the final.

The all-comers race, four lengths of the bath, was won by T. Potter, of Bolton, who had five seconds start from E. Morley of Blackburn, and eight seconds from J. Slater, of Ashton.

Tyldesley member Joseph Dixon, with two seconds start, won the twelve-length all-comers race from T. Reynolds of Bolton.

The Old Victorian Changing Rooms 1880

Reproduced with permission of Wigan Heritage Service (Williams Family Collection)

THE CAPTAINCY OF TYLDESLEY SWIMMING CLUB

The race for the captaincy of the club was between Thomas Smith of Astley, and John Plunkett of Bedford. Dixon was prevented from competing by the rule that required a three year residence within a certain radius of the baths.

Plunkett won the gold medal, and was captain of the club, but before the medal became his own property he had to hold it against all-comers, and if need be race once a month for a full year.

The gala was a huge success.

GRAND SWIMMING ENTERTAINMENT

A second gala was held in 1877 and admittance was sixpence to Ladies and Gentlemen with the programme costing one penny.

The programme stated it to be “A Grand Swimming Entertainment” also stating “All swimmers will appear in strict University Costume from shoulder to knee”.

In the all comers handicap race, one competitor was listed as coming from the Gold Coast (now Ghana) Africa and the Starter came from Halifax.

Prizes at the Gala varied from “Splendid Silver Medals” for the winners and for the runners up a couple of cock chickens, a couple of ducks and a handsome walking stick amongst others.

In the “Great Race” swimming with complete suit of clothes the prize was “A beautiful Silk Hat”.

The gala finished with Professor Birk’s “Wonderful Feats of Notation” and concluded with “God save the Queen” (This being Queen Victoria).

It was decided at a meeting on the 6th March 1878 that the Tyldesley Swimming Club should become a member of the Amateur Swimming Association (founded in 1869). The Balance sheet shows the subscription being 10s 6d (52 1/2p). Also items under expenditure included: one bottle of gum - 1s 0d (5p); one pair of swimming drawers-13s 3d (66p) and seven teas for the Johnson family - 7s 0d (35p).

On the 7^th September 1878, the second of what was to become annual swimming galas was held at the baths, and on the 12^th October 1881, the first ladies gala was held, but this was later included in the main gala.

For the first six years, the club was only open to seniors, however, on the 16^th June 1882, it was agreed that boys under sixteen could become members, and that subscriptions would be 3s.0d. per annum. This was changed two years later, the new fees being 5s.0d. for seniors, 2s.0d. for boys under fifteen.

The 1884 Gala programme listed a number of interesting items including the names of the Patrons of the Club:

Marquis of Hartington MP Lord Derby

Lord Lilford Rev. The Earl of Mulgrave

Right Hon. R.A.Cross MP W.W.B.Hutton JP DL

One event was listed as:

Mrs R.M.Whitehead - “The most accomplished Lady Swimmer in the World” will give an Exhibition in “Ornamental and Scientific Swimming” also Mr Samuel Oldham of Leigh will perform “Wonderful Feats of Scientific Swimming”. (See Part One for details of Ornamental and Scientific swimming).

Addin Tyldesley with a selction of his prizes which are typical for the period.

Reproduced with permission of Wigan Heritage Service (Williams Family Collection)

The prizes in the open Handicap race were 1st a felt hat, 2nd a walking stick and 3rd a cigar case.

The Gala finished with a “Grand Game of Polo or Water Football”. The Gala in 1886 produced a greater variety of prizes, these included a box of compasses and book, a marble timepiece, an umbrella, a muffler, a copper kettle, a leg of mutton, a felt hat, a pair of trousers, a box of cigars and a silk handkerchief.

The main event was the “Great Race” 10 lengths (165yards) Joe Nuttall, The Amateur Champion of Great Britain, versus W. Rothwell with Rothwell receiving 12 seconds start.

The final event was the “Duck Race” (with live duck) and if time permitted a “Hobby Horse Race” would take place. A press cutting years later referred to this Duck Race and stated that “Swimmers chased a live duck and the one who caught it was declared the winner and received the duck as the prize”.

A deputation went to the baths on May 19th 1885, to discuss amalgamations, but there were no developments.

WATER POLO

1st publ. illustration of a US water polo game

T. de Thelstrup, Harpers Weekly Magazine, February 28, 1891

A game of water polo was played at the opening gala in 1876 and at the gala in 1884. The game was played in very crude fashion in those days, no proper rules having been formulated. Somewhat similar lines were followed as those that apply in rugby.

There were no goalposts, and to score, players had to place the ball down with both hands outside the water at the opponent’s end of the bath, similar to scoring a try on a rugby field. A favourite trick was to place the soft India rubber ball inside the swimming suit and dive under the water, then appear again as near the end of the pool as possible. If the player came up to close, he was promptly jumped on by the goalkeeper who was permitted to stand on poolside.

There were no hard and fast rules as to the procedure to be adopted to reach the opponent’s end of the bath. If a man had possession of the ball, another could hold him under the water until he released it, but for two players to tackle him was disallowed.

Naturally the tactics employed were not gentle, and on the whole, play was of a rough and tumble description, generally it was a case of “survival of the fittest”. The idea was to get the ball to the opposite end, either by fair means or foul.

During the 1880s the modern version of the sport began to evolve. Rule changes included the introduction of goals and using a leather ball similar to the size of a soccer ball. Players could only be tackled when holding the ball and could only touch the ball with one hand – rules that still apply today.

Tyldesley Swimming took up water polo in 1891. It is said that at the time the nearest club with whom Tyldesley took part in competitive water polo was Kendal.

During the next few years, opposition was also provided by: Manchester Leaf Street, Mayfield, Osborne, St. Helens and Leigh.

SWIMMING TIMES

Swimming times also, were nothing compared to today. A man was considered fast if he could do four lengths in the minute and Tyldesley plunge was only sixteen yards two feet (15.24 metres) long at the time. The present Club record for 50 metres in the under 11 years old boys is 33.60 seconds, which equates to 41 seconds for four lengths at the old pool.

There is a story of Adam Pendlebury and Jim Howarth once being matched to swim 500 yards and how an official of the club saw them start, and, after, walking to Atherton and back to transact a little business was in time to see them finish the race.

EARLY SUCCESSES

The Committee was very progressive, and the club quickly grew in stature. By 1900 Tyldesley Swimming Club had joined:

The Northern Counties ASA, the Lancashire Counties WP and SA and the Manchester and District Swimming and Water Polo Association.

The club soon began to enjoy success, in 1889, Alf Smith won the famous Mersey Championship. He was successful again the following year and by winning once again in 1892, he made the trophy his own property.

Nathan Potter was the only other member of Tyldesley Swimming Club to win this event. He did so in 1898.

Jackie Houghton won the race twice, in 1934 and 1935, but he was with Atherton Swimming Club at the time. Jackie holds a unique record, his winning time of one hour sixteen minutes twenty seconds and ten minutes thirty two seconds respectively are the slowest and fastest winning times ever recorded.

The facts are that on the first occasion the race was swum against a strong ebb, and only the strongest swimmers could make any progress. Some of the competitors withdrew before the race had even started, and so only six finished the race. One swimmer who gave up after twenty minutes was actually fifty yards behind the starting point, whilst another was lost for two hours, having been taken behind the wash of a liner.

In the following year, conditions proved favourable hence the fast time.

The first water polo success was in 1900, when Tyldesley won the Manchester and District Second Division Championship.

Tyldesley Swimming Club won the Northern Counties Flying Squadron Championship in 1901 and 1903. These were very notable achievements, and after the victory in 1901 a deputation from the club presented the championship certificate to the District Council.

Flying Squadron Team Champions 1901

Back row: Addin Tyldesley, Alf Tyldesley, Frank Isherwood, Harold Omerod, Frank Tyldesley
Front row: Jack Dale, William Platt, Nathan Potter, Ralph Tyldesley

An enlarged framed photograph of the squadron team was presented to R. J. Clegg Esq., the club President in 1901, and following the win in 1903, photographs of the team were sent out as Christmas cards.

The team consisted of eight swimmers, and the squad from which the team were selected over this three year period was Addin Tyldesley, Nathan Potter, H. Omerod, Alf Tyldesley, Frank Isherwood, Jack Dale, Frank Tyldesley, William Platt, T. Matthews, M Berry.

At the 1903 Gala the programme stated that “Chair to be taken at 7.30 prompt by Wm Eckersley” and an event included the “Comic Race”. Competitors in the race will be required to swim one length of the bath in ordinary costume, leave the water and dress in coat, vest, trousers and stockings and re-enter the water and swim one length of the Bath.

Prizes awarded at the Gala included a load of coal, a jam dish, a glove and handkerchief box, an electro-plated tea urn, a Boys Own Annual and Country Life.