The move to Flixton in 1926 to a ground rented from the Flixton Golf Club was apparently popular within the Club. Changing accommodation was found at the Greyhound Hotel where the landlord was pleased to welcome a new, and extensive, clientele. On the playing side, however, the move did not improve performance at first team level. Initially, the first team was little changed from Stretford and the results were even more disappointing than their previous season at Stretford.

The first game at Flixton, as at Stretford four years earlier, was against St Helens OB. Kersal won narrowly 6-5 in a poor game. It was the only Saturday game, which the Club won during the season. Fitness and stamina seemed to be major problems at Kersal and as a result a training night was established - something often proposed at Stretford but which was never actual implemented.

The same pattern followed for the next four or five seasons at Flixton. In 1927/8, the first team won 5 games from 27 with I drawn. In 1928/9 they won 3 from 26 and in 1929/30 - it was 4 from 31 with 5 drawn and much the same in 1930/31, 4 wins from 26 with 5 drawn.

With such results it would be easy to assume that Kersal would be in the doldrums, generally, as a Club. That, however, was not the case. The Club was able to put out four sides each week and all the usual activities of a vibrant, active club were carried out. There were Hot-Pot Suppers, Dances, and money-raising evenings of various kinds.

The sporting press were still reporting the Kersal Club sympathetically and supporting players for representative honours. By 1931/32, it was clear, from the Press reports, that a breakthrough was in the offing and that Kersal were building a side which might very well be on the way to becoming a force in Manchester District rugby once again. There were four or five of the side featured in the Guardian's 1928 picture still playing at the start of the 1931/2 season - W F Howorth, H.D.Ferneley, H.Butterfield, A.Cookson - but a new generation of players for the '30's was beginning to emerge. W.A.Tooke joined the first team as full-back and goal kicker; he was soon receiving praise for his play in the press week after week. He was, undoubtedly, a stabilising force in defence, which was probably something which had been lacking and which would settle the side down.

Kersal were, in fact, to win twelve games in 193 1/32 and were to go on to have four or five more highly successful years before the Second World War in 1939. With the move to Flixton playing numbers dropped - not alarmingly - from over one hundred in 1926 to about seventy five in 1928/9 and staying around that level for about the next decade.

SOCIAL SKILLS

Off the field, the Club had a reputation for "good" social evenings especially the often riotous Hot-Pot Supper nights. They were very popular if often not financially profitable, as the Treasurer would often complain that far more suppers had been consumed than tickets sold. The complaint of treasurers down the ages! One Hot-Pot Supper must have been out of control about 1928/9 as there was a very serious complaint about rowdy behaviour from the landlord of the Greyhound Hotel. The General Committee investigated the matter and was forced to admit that the landlord had a case. Four members were identified as the major trouble-makers and were duly called before a Disciplinary Committee under the chairmanship of the President.

Before the meeting had taken place a letter purporting to have come from the "Four Innocents" was sent to the President stating that they were not to blame but that the fault lay with the Secretary for purchasing "pickle onions which were too bouncy" as they would not stop bouncing off the Secretary's legal forehead (he was a solicitor). Two of the "accused" knew nothing about the letter and stated they had not signed it; they were suitably contrite about the whole incident so that they were merely warned about their future conduct. The other two, responsible for the letter with its forged signatures, were asked to resign from the Club; a letter of apology was sent to the landlord. Rumour had it that the landlord would not have been quite so upset if there hadn't been an incident the previous week when the Kersal Ladies' Committee had hired his best room for the evening.

In the room there was a statue of a greyhound, which was the landlord's pride and joy; the animal was considered to be curiously sexless until a suitably placed lipstick case turned the statue into a very "Macho" animal indeed. What further infuriated the landlord was that due to the "delicacy" of the subject (remember it was 1928) he did not feel able to take up the matter with the Ladies' Committee - so the men copped it!

THE GLORY YEARS 1932/37

It was very likely that many of the Kersal players and officers would have had their fingers crossed in September 1932 at the start of the 1932/33 Season in the hope that the results of the previous season had not been another false promise. The pack led by the captain and front-row forward, S.G.Barratt, was in good shape whilst a new back-row forward from Newport, G.B.Jones, was combining well with R.Ashbrook and R.R.Glover to give a new impetus to the forwards generally. The backs were also combining well, ably supported by W.A.Tooke at full-back, to such an extent that R.Broadrich on the wing was able to record three hat-tricks of tries before the end of November.

There was a further indication of growing Kersal strength when they won through to the final day of the Manchester Sevens Tournament - an important event in the rugby calendar at that time. On Finals Day they initially beat Birkenhead Park only to lose to Kendal by a penalty goal in the last seconds of the game. Both Park and Kendal were at their peak and both sides consisted entirely of internationals and county players. And, on to 1933/34 with less trepidation, perhaps, than before. Expectations were fulfilled! The Club again started well and seemed set for another good season with even better results than the previous year. There were 21 wins and 2 draws from 32 matches. Incredibly, each of the other three Club sides once more recorded successful seasons with the majority of games won.

During the season Kersal beat Broughton Park, a team in form with H.B.Toft, the England hooker, in the side; they beat Tyldesley heavily with similar results against Hoylake and Manchester University. With captain S.G.Barratt, playing and leading the team outstandingly, the Club were also fortunate in having a good pair of half-backs in B.N.Whittle and P.N.Hayley whilst G.B.Jones, H.C.Butterfield, the Glovers, the Cooksons, P.Clark and R.Ashbrook were all playing well and formed the core of the side with others, like J.H.Waters, ready to step in if anyone faltered. Kersal scored over 300 points with only 200 against. It was truly a fine season all round.

On the administration side, a special Club bar licence at the Greyhound changing rooms was obtained, an Easter Tour was arranged in North Wales against Colwyn Bay, Bangor and Rhyl and the Club applied for an extension of its lease from the Golf Club which was granted. The indomitable A.S.Robinson was both President and Chairman of the Club with W E Howorth still playing and Captain of the "A" Team.

The next season, 1934/35, saw major changes in the Kersal First Team. R.Ashbrook, a back-row forward, had taken over as Captain and there were changes at full back and half-back; H.C.Butterfield, the Cloven, the Cooksons and P.Clark were still there and playing well. It was soon clear that another good season was under way. Sefton, Wigan and Oldham were all beaten on their home grounds; Broughton Park were beaten at home and held to a draw in the return match at Park, Manchester University were beaten whilst Blackburn and Bowdon were simply swept aside. Altogether 22 games were won and 5 drawn from 38 matches with over 400 points scored against 268 by their opponents. Again, all the other sides were equally successful. All in all it was a tremendous year for the Kersal Club, the best, from a results point of view, since the early days of the century.

The Club President, Mr J.L. Beech, who was first registered as a Club member in 1911, died in office at the end of January, 1935. W.F.Howarth was nominated for the post of President and R.Ashbrook for Captain for the 1935/36 Season. Whilst not as successful as the previous year the season, on the whole, was satisfactory with 15 wins and 1 draw from 28 matches. The year had been eventful one in the country at large as it was the Jubilee Year for the King and Queen, George V and Queen Mary. A good deal of sport was cancelled when the King died in 1936; the season was also curtailed because of severe weather.

Next page - War approaches

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