Image of soccer stars who went off to war
APOIGNANT photograph has emerged showing a team of amateur footballers before many of them went off to fight in the First World War.
The image was printed in the Macclesfield Courier, the precursor to the Express, in May 1912 and features a team from Macclesfield firm A W Hewetson’s, winners of the Workshop Knockout Competition.
Three years later most of the young men would be sent off to war, and many of them never came back. They include Harry Brocklehurst, who was a private in the 8th Battalion Cheshire Regiment and died in August 1916, aged 23.
The photo belongs to Janet Chase, a relative of James ‘Jim’ Cleaver, who was on the winning team. He later fought in the war and survived. Sadly his brothers Harry and John were killed.
It has now been shared on Macclesfieldreflects. org.uk – a website created by researchers sharing the stories of local people during the Great War – in a bid to track down relatives of the team members.
Rosie Rowley from Macclesfield Reflects said: “The newspaper article gives only the surname for most of the team. Like Jim Cleaver, they probably all served in the Great War but the only other player I can identify with confidence is Harry Brocklehurst. If anyone recognises their grandfather or great-uncle in the photo of Hewetson’s 1912 cupwinning football team, please contact me on macclesfieldreflects@ gmail.com.”
The Workshop Cup final featured teams representing Mr A W Hewetson’s and Messrs Josiah Smale and Son’s and was played at the Moss Rose ground.
In the Courier’s report it described a ‘huge’ crowd attending, many of them straight from work. The first half was played “at a terrific pace, and some clever attack and defensive work was accomplished by both teams” but was scoreless. The second half was a thriller with F Brocklehurst, for Hewetson’s, “cleverly evading several players” and striking from 25 yards, giving the keeper Bradbury “absolutely no chance”. Worth then scored a second for Hewetson’s, before Hattersley pulled one back for Smale’s. The game ended 2-1 to Hewetson’s and “amid enthusiastic scenes” medals and cup were presented by Councillor J G Frost, then president of Macclesfield Wednesday Football Club.