GORTON STREET GAZETTE Eccles RFC 1950 Eccles Rugby Football Club was reestablished 124 years ago in 1897 and has now worn its iconic Blue and White hooped shirt for 100 years. The hoops were first adopted in the aftermath of WWI, when the club had to rebuild with many of its new recruits running out to play at Stott Lane with injuries suffered in the trenches. In its early days before the war, Eccles RFC had played in green shirts and we believe this switch in colours was a tribute to fallen comrades in the Salford Pals Battalions. Overcoming adversity, recovering from set backs and enforced breaks in activity have been a feature of our club’s history. The commencement of WW2 in September 1939, meant that the 1939-1940 season as scheduled never got under way. Eccles played a few away games against local teams as our home ground and pavilion at Redclyffe Road, Barton, were taken over by 356 AA Company (later known as 356 Searchlight Battery R.A.) for defence against Luftwaffe bombing. As players were called up to the services it became obvious that rugby would have to be abandoned. The war in Europe came to an end on 8th May, 1945 and, eight months later, on 25th January, 1946, an article appeared in the Eccles Journal stating, "Eccles R.F.C., whose activities discontinued at the outbreak of war with Germany, is to be revived. Players who were in any way associated with the club before the war, or who wish to play, are asked to attend a meeting on Friday, 8th February at rhe Cross Keys Hotel, Eccles,” A trial game took place on Saturday, 31st August where "several
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