GORTON STREET GAZETTE Enlistment: Part 3 of the WW2 story of Eccles RFC... In October 1939, as the situation escalated in Europe and the BEF assembled along the French-Belgian border, the Eccles RFC committee focused their minds on matters closer to home. Fixtures for the new season had been abandoned and the 356 Searchlight Battery company (39th Lancs Fusiliers AA Bn) had taken over the club pavilion and ground at Redclyffe Road in order to guard Barton Power Station, sited on the Bridgewater and Ship Canals near the swing bridge and All Saints RC Church, where B&Q now stands today. Although Eccles’ facilities were officially off limits, the enterprising committee members wasted no time in arranging friendly away fixtures against local opposition and promptly recruited the Searchlight Battery to form a rugby team! The committee minute book records a result for Saturday 21st October "Eccles vs Army XV, WON 20 - 6". Many such matches were to take place with a good fraternity existing between the teams. It would appear Eccles were ahead of the game. On 11th November 1939, the RFU issued a statement recommending that county committees should encourage clubs to arrange fixtures with service XVs. Of particular interest to Northern Clubs were resolutions that approved the Rugby Union selection of Rugby League players belonging to HM forces and playing against Service teams containing Rugby League Players. The Eccles Journal on 8th December 1939, reported a future fixture between Eccles and an Army XV to be played “Somewhere in Barton”! No giving away the position to the enemy here! As the unofficial 1939/20 season progressed more players were called up and the club endeavoured to carry on as best it could. Following the outbreak of war Eccles played 15 away matches, the last recorded being a 23-6 loss at Warrington, on 27th April 1940. Eccles RFC did not play again until 1946. The war would cut short many promising playing careers. A story in instalments, by Sheila Thomas and Chris Gaffey
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