Embedded Files
Cross-country
Former pupil John Anthony Hewitt wrote: “I ran as 9th man in the 8-man cross-country team in the late ’50s and early ’60s, and remember that St Greg’s won the championship. St Greg’s home course was twice round Boggart Hole Clough starting up the hill from the café. Among the other venues we raced at were Heaton Park and St Clare’s, Blackley.” Another athlete, Peter Donovan, recalled that from 1958, when he arrived at the school, until about 1960, training sessions were taken by Mr Keith Wall, a mathematics teacher, who was often referred to as “Flash Wall”, presumably with reference to his running speed. A tall and thin man, Mr Wall supervised training after school on the streets of Ardwick, Ancoats and Longsight. Mr Peter Purdy was also involved with cross-country and did much good work. “You can tell your parents and friends that you’ve run on every street in Manchester,” quipped Mr Purdy to the boys, a reference to the training that included running along Every Street, off Great Ancoats Street. Another interesting little point about Every Street is that it was named after Sir Oswald Mosley’s mother, Sophia Ann, daughter of Sir Henry Every of Eggington, Derbyshire.
Mr P. Purdy pictured with his successful cross-country squad, winners of the Manchester Schools’ championship in 1960-61.
Among the boys shown are Anthony Boone, Peter Donovan, Michael Doherty, Dave Mackay, Michael Connolly, Hugh Delargy, and Tony Hewitt, seated far right, the donor of the photograph. Although the boys are wearing an assortment of outfits, the main colour of the team vest was a yellowy gold, the dark bands were maroon and the narrow bands were white. The photograph was taken in the courtyard/quadrangle of the extended building.
Collection of athletics medals won by Tom Clarke (1957-62)
They were won at the school’s annual sports day at the Harris Stadium, Fallowfield, and White City, Old Trafford.
Manchester Schools Athletic Association blazer badges won by Tom Clarke
Tom Clarke’s basketball team won most of the inter-schools’ competitions. He also played for Manchester Schools and had trials for North of England Schoolboys. He recalled that two of his most memorable games were against the England National Ladies’ team, and Strangeways Prison. The game against the Strangeways team had to be played in the prison for obvious reasons and the boys faced opponents who were much older and more powerful. The results of both matches have been lost in the mist of time.
The school squad practised every lunchtime in the gym. With the basketball court leaving only a few inches of space round the sides, spectators could only view matches by poking their heads through the door!
Miniature basketball trophies won by Tom Clarke
Manchester Boys, 1960-61
Standing, from left: Harrop (Central Grammar), Miller (Burnage Grammar), Walker (Ardwick T.), Castle (Newton Heath T.), Jones (Ducie T.), Goddard (Blackley T.), Vincent Hunt (St Gregory’s Tech.).
Seated, from left: Connor (Oldwood), Unidentified, Wood (Capt., Chorlton Grammar), Wilson (Baguley Hall), Phillips (Openshaw T,), Farrar (Nicholls).
Joynson (Ducie T.), Perfect (Ducie T.), Roberts (New Moston) and Brown (St Columba’s) also played for this team.
Football team, 1961
Standing, from left: Mr F. Andrew (Deputy Head), Vincent Hunt, Anthony Devine, Michael Ford, Terence Mulligan, Denis Wall, Thomas Clarke, Mr A.L. Smith.
Seated, from left: Vincent Jepson, Christopher Schofield, Robert Lund, Barry Mannock, Philip Henry.
Football players, 1959 intake
Although the September 1959 intake comprised 172 boys who were placed in five forms and each affiliated to one of the houses, there was surprisingly no first-year school football team for season 1959-60. Some of the outstanding players, notably Paul Fearon and Billy Mansell, did however play regularly for the second-year team, which was managed by Mr Kevin Horrocks. In addition to the above, Brian Johnson was called up on one occasion to play in goal when the regular ’keeper was injured and Brian Meehan also played.
Mr Eamon Burke took control of the second-year team for season 1960-61. Among the 1959 intake understood to have had the distinction of representing the school at football in the ensuing years were Norbert Berrell, Peter Crawley, Al Crompton, David Cullen, Kieran Farrell, Paul Fearon, Paul Hazlewood, Brian Johnson, Billy Mansell, Tony McKay, Brian Meehan, Brian Moulton, Bob O’Donnell, Alan Poole and Michael Staunton.
Over the years the management of the team was shared at various times between Mr Burke and Mr Tony Day. Regrettably, there is no photograph of the team.
The arrival of Mr Gerry Quinn in September 1960 as head of PE led to some boys switching to rugby.
Senior League Trophy winners, 1961-62
Back row, from left: Kevin Peavoy, Vincent Hunt, Mike O’Hare, Dalton, Michael Holt, Michael Ford, Mr A.L. Smith.
Seated, from left: Michael Barry, Michael Mannion, Peter Jackson (Captain), Peter Brennan, Robert Lund.
Front row, from left: Philip Henry, Bernard Gilmartin.
This photograph was featured in the Manchester Schools’ Football Association’s handbook for the 1962-63 season.
Peter Glazier, left, and Robert Pattinson training in the gym
This photograph was published in the Manchester Evening News and featured two of the school's leading athletes, Peter Glazier, Manchester junior cross-country champion and Lancashire junior one-mile champion, and Robert Pattinson, Manchester and Lancashire junior 220-yard champion. They were pictured in the gymnasium working on their fitness for the coming track season.
Rugby
Prior to the appointment of 24-year-old Mr Gerry Quinn in September 1960 as head of PE, rugby had hardly ever been played at the school. It is known that in the academic year 1958-59 Mr J. Deegan, a new teacher, had taken a rugby team to play against Briscoe Lane on their playing fields. Of course, Greg’s was renowned throughout the city as ‘the football school’ and there was no shortage of boys wanting to be selected to play on the school football teams. Under Mr Quinn’s leadership rugby gradually established itself and was played by a growing but relatively small number of boys at winter games sessions held on alternate weeks at Cringle playing fields in the shadow of the Fairey Engineering works – a venue by the way which did not have any rugby pitches. The game especially attracted some of the bigger and more physical boys, whilst other boys may have been persuaded to play by the new head of PE. Among these were boys who may have previously represented the school at football. The HMI report of November 1961 noted that “the school has fixtures for four rugby union teams yet no practice pitch”. It also noted that the head of PE “is a forceful and very earnest young teacher”. An old Gregorian himself (1947-52), Mr Quinn brought a new vigour and dimension to the school.
The code of rugby played was union, meaning there were 15 players to a team whereas league had 13. Training and coaching sessions were supervised by Mr Quinn, who also appears to have taken all the teams. Home fixtures were played at Stenner Lane Playing Fields, part of Fletcher Moss Park in Didsbury, and players changed in a building at the rear of the Didsbury Hotel, which was also used by Toc H Rugby Union Football Club. This building, by the way, was believed to be the historic Milkhouse, so named presumably because it was used for milking cows in the 19th century. Boys made their own way to and from matches using public transport. One former pupil recalls the following: “Home matches were at Toc H where we changed upstairs. There was a large bath and the showers were a 15mm copper pipe with nail holes suitably punched to give cold water only. When playing away, we met outside the Queen’s Hotel near Piccadilly Gardens and then travelled together, usually by public bus. Gerry Quinn had his grey bubble car and sometimes one or two of us squeezed in.”
Matches tended to be friendlies against schools such as Cardinal Langley, De La Salle, Spurley Hey, Marple Hall, Baguley Hall, Central Grammar, Birley High, Burnage Grammar, Ducie Tech, Audenshaw Grammar, Plant Hill, St Bede’s College and Xaverian College. Against ‘rugby-playing schools’ the Greg’s lads were up against it but fared better against other schools.
Among the earliest pupils to play rugby were Brian Meehan, the Phelan brothers – Kevin, Joe and George – Paddy Gallagher, Eamon Giblin, John Richards, Jimmy Kelly, Tony McEwen, Frank O’Rourke and John Whatmough. Some of the rugby players also played basketball.
Another wave of players, mainly from the 1960 intake, included John Maher, Bernard and David McGrath, Peter Cannon, Sean Ostrowski, David Tickle, Nicholas Lee, Terry Gilbert, David Watkins, T. Ellis, Trevor Casson, Tom Mahoney and Dennis Flanagan.
Although the school played union, 15-a-side, there were occasions when Mr Quinn arranged 13-a-side games against a school from Swinton, the pace of the game being much quicker.
At times the teams took part in sevens tournaments where they came up against superior opposition.
Another recollection is the playing of a one-off game against Broughton Park Colts on a freezing, sleety Sunday morning in February at their home ground in Chorlton. The match was played in dreadful conditions and Greg’s did well in a very tight match to keep the scoreline down to 9 points to our 3, all penalties. Playing for the opposition was De La Salle’s Tony Neary who went on to captain England.
On one occasion Marple Hall players were invited back to Ardwick Green for hospitality following a home match. Who prepared the refreshments at St Gregory’s is not known – perhaps Mr Quinn used his charms to persuade Mrs Dawson? That said, Marple Hall always gave hospitality to Greg’s.
Trials for the Manchester Boys squad were held at various venues – one year at Burnage Grammar, another year at Manchester Grammar to name but two. Although information about selection is scarce, it is believed that among the boys selected to represent the city team were Brian Meehan, John Whatmough, Eamon Giblin and Jimmy Kelly.
In 1965 Mr Quinn moved to Christ’s College of Education, Liverpool. Between 1968 and 1974 rugby was coached by Mr George Phelan at Greg’s, after which it appeared to have petered out.
Throughout these years football remained the pre-eminent sport.
Staff rugby team, about 1962
Back row, from left: Mr Joe Deegan, Mr Eamon Burke, Unidentified, Unidentified, Mr Tom Duddy, Mr Ray Sumner, Mr Bernard Valleley, Mr Gerry Quinn and Fr William Hunt (School Chaplain), who refereed the game against the sixth form.
Front row, from left: Mr Mark Lloyd, Unidentified, Mr Quinn (brother of Gerry?), Fr John Williams, Mr Peter Purdy, Unidentified, Mr Tony Smith.
The picture was taken on the playing fields of Fletcher Moss Park, Didsbury – also known as Stenner Lane Playing Fields. The players changed in the (then) home of Toc H Rugby Union Club, which was a building at the rear of the Didsbury Hotel. A few of the players pictured made guest appearances.
Toc H rugby changing facility at the rear of the Didsbury Hotel, Didsbury
This was where the boys changed and showered.
Basketball Champions, about 1962
Standing, from left: Mr G. Quinn, G. Phelan and J. Richards.
Seated, from left: B. Meehan, J. Phelan, P. Gallagher and T. Ellis.
In one year, the team won all the Manchester Schools’ cups. Sometimes younger players were included in the older age teams.
Birchfields Park, 1962
This is a view of the main entrance to the park at the junction of Dickenson Road and Anson Road, Rusholme. The park was the venue of St Gregory’s games sessions in the summer term when athletics, cricket and tennis were played. All the equipment needed for play had to be transported from the school by bus.
Birchfields Park
The buses carrying the boys to Birchfields Park turned off Birchfields Road and into Birch Hall Lane, not far from Manchester Grammar School. From there the boys crossed a quiet road and entered the park.
Manchester Boys, 1962-63
Standing, from left: Smeaton (Oldwood), Beaumont (Wythenshawe Tech.), Brotherton (Sharston), J. Curran (Clough Top), Royle (Ardwick Tech.), Wayne Emmerson (Moseley Road), J. Howard (Poundswick Grammar), Carr (All Hallows), Gill (Openshaw Tech.).
Front row, from left: Slack (Central Grammar), Tonge (Baguley Hall), Rand (Nicholls), Carlo Sartori (St Malachy’s), P. Burns (St Patrick’s), Paul Fearon (St Gregory’s Tech.), Wrigley (Wythenshawe Tech.).
Manchester Catholic Schools’ Football Association, 1963
This surviving copy of a four-page programme for the annual two-legged match with Liverpool reveals some interesting information. Priced 2d, it shows that Paul Fearon (St Gregory’s) played at No. 4 (right half in those days) and Brian Johnson was also in the squad as a reserve goalkeeper. The duration of play was 35 minutes each way and substitution was also allowed as follows:
“Substitution of injured players up to two in number is allowed up to half time. An injured goalkeeper may be substituted at any time.”
The Association was ahead of its time here in the sense that substitutions in the English Football League matches were not permitted until a few years later, in the 1965-66 season. During the first two seasons after the law was introduced in the professional game, each side was permitted only one substitution during a game. Moreover, the substitute could only replace an injured player. From the 1967-68 season, this rule was relaxed to allow substitutions for tactical reasons.
Gillighan Trophy winners, 1963
Back row, from left: John Barrett, Tommy Burns, Terry Hibbert, Unidentified, John Doyle, Mr A. Day.
Seated, from left: Dave Berry, Steve Moreton, Michael Clynch, Brian Flynn
Front: Unidentified, John Pegg
The final was played at Barlow Hall Playing Fields, Nell Lane, against St Patrick’s who had a certain ‘Brian Kidd’ on their team. Greg’s won 2-0.
Post-war school sports days
YEAR VENUE
1951 Manchester Athletics Club Sports Ground, Fallowfield
1952 M.A.C. Sports Ground
1953 M.A.C. Sports Ground
1954 White City Stadium, Old Trafford
1955 M.A.C. Sports Ground (renamed the Reg Harris Stadium)
1956 White City
1957 White City
1958 Reg Harris Stadium, Fallowfield
1959 Reg Harris Stadium
1961 White City
Sports day was usually held towards the end of the summer term when school was closed for the afternoon and boys were taken by special double-decker buses to the venue.
There is no record of the event having being held either in 1960 or after 1961.
Reg Harris
Born in Bury in 1920, Reg Harris started cycling for Manchester Wheelers in 1938. In 1954, at the age of 34, he became the World Professional Sprint Cycling Champion on the first of four occasions. During his career he held a number of national and world speed records including the indoor and outdoor kilometre records. Much of his racing took place at Fallowfield. But with the venue falling into disrepair Reg Harris bought the stadium for himself in 1955 and it was for a period renamed the Reg Harris Stadium. At the age of 54 he won the British Professional Sprint Championship. On two occasions he was voted the BBC’s Sports Personality of the Year.
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