GORTON STREET GAZETTE Eccles RFC 1950 Eccles Rugby Football Club was re-established 124 years ago in 1897 (following the great Northern Union schism of 1895) 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 playing with injuries suffered in the trenches. In its early days before the First World War, Eccles RFC played in green shirts and we believe this switch in colours was a tribute to fallen comrades in the Salford Pals Battalions. Overcoming adversity and recovering from enforced breaks in activity have been a feature of our club’s history. Between the wars the club lead a nomadic existence, playing at numerous grounds in the district before moving to our home here at at Gorton Street in 1948 when our changing facilities and clubhouse were a pair of second-hand Army Huts. According to our club records, it would appear that Eccles' first encounter with Wrexham did not go according to plan, as the match scheduled for 25th February, 1956 was cancelled, as as were all fixtures for that month. February 1956 was outstandingly cold in England and Wales, one of the coldest ever on record, with the mean temperature for the month below freezing, apparently falling to below -15 deg. C. in several places, persistent easterly winds, heavy snowfall, the sea freezing and cakes of ice piling up on the beach! 1957/57 Season - 29th Sept. 1XV lost 6-14 Away at Wrexham, 2XV Home won 22-6, 3XV Away lost 12-4. 23rd Feb 1957 1XV Home won 8-0, 3XV Home won 12-3. 1957/58 Season - 28th Sept. 1XV won Away at Wrexham. 1958/59 Season - 27th Sept. 1XV lost Away lost 8-26, 2XV Home won 12-9. 21st March 1XV Home won 12- 3. 1960/61 Season - 4th March 1XV Away lost 0-28, 2XV Home won. The fixtures between Eccles and Wrexham seem to end here, although there may have been matches that were arranged that were not recorded. From what we can see the two sides seem to be pretty evenly matched back then. Sheila Thomas // Eccles RFC historian
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