Benny Rothman and Kinder Scout trespass 80th anniversary

2009 marked the Diamond Anniversary of the National Parks and Access to the Countryside Act that was introduced by a radical post-war Labour Government.  This groundbreaking piece of legislation, aimed at giving every person the right to enjoy the countryside, was the result of vigorous rambler campaigns in which trade unionists such as Bernard [Benny] Rothman were highly prominent.

Born on June 1^st 1911 it wasn’t until Benny acquired a bike in his teens that he discovered life outside the crowded, squalid environment of working class Cheetham in north Manchester. He soon became a keen rambler and spent his 16^th birthday climbing to the summit of Snowdon.

At the end of World War I in 1918 returning British soldiers had been promised by Lloyd George the Prime Minster a “Land Fit for Heroes.” Landowners, represented in Parliament and the House of Lords by the Tories, were intent on ensuring that didn’t include the right for those soldiers and others to roam Britain’s mountains and moorlands.

So it was that on a sunny Sunday April 24^th 1932 Benny Rothman, a lifelong activist within the Amalgamated Engineering Union found himself as the leader of more than 400 Kinder Scout Mass Trespassers.

Together in opposition to a line of gamekeepers, they successfully crossed the Derbyshire Peak District’s ‘forbidden mountain.’ Stung by this deliberate defiance of the law the police arrested five of the trespassers. If however the authorities felt this would be the end of the matter they miscalculated by sending four to prison for up to six months, and the public outrage that followed helped bring the issue of countryside access to the fore.

Benny Rothman, who in 1990 he was given the AEU’s highest award, the Special Award of Merit, died aged 90 in 2002. This was fifty one years after appropriately enough the Peak District became the first designated National Park under an Act that Lewis Silkin, the Labour Party Minister of Town and Country Planning said was  “a people’s charter for the open air, for the hikers and the ramblers, for everyone who loves to get out into the open air and enjoy the countryside. Without it they are fettered, deprived of their powers of access and facilities needed to make holidays enjoyable. With it the countryside is theirs to preserve, to cherish, to enjoy and to make their own.”

Today there are fifteen National Parks, with South Downs National Park the latest to be established in 2011. These protected beauties are the jewels in the crown of the countryside

According to Roly Smith, author and President of the Outdoor Writers’ and Photographers’ Guild; “you can see and do so many wonderful things in our National Parks. You can take a gentle stroll away from other people and crowds, climb a mountain, enjoy the scenery, have a pint and a bite to eat, meet local people, camp in the great outdoors, go bird watching, look out for animals or simply relax and do very little at all in pleasant surroundings.

Even if you can’t get to the Peak District or the North York Moors it’s important to know they are there and are being looked after. They are very special places. Without the original legislation the pressures for industrial and residential development with its ever-expanding road and motorway network would have been too great. There would also have been greater demands by quarrying companies as where you find National Parks you find rocks. Many areas especially in the Yorkshire Dales would have become giant quarries.”  

MPs asked to act to stop firms who kill avoiding fines

MPs are being asked to back a bill that would freeze the assets of companies that go into administration following the death of an employee.

Freezing orders, which already operate in fraud and drugs cases, would prevent phoenix firms with slightly different names, but the same directors, equipment and premises from restarting trading and evading fines imposed under the Health and Safety at Work Act. (HASAWA)

Last year 171 workers were fatally injured at work, with 68 members of the public also killed in accidents connected to work. A further 8,000 people die annually as a result of occupational cancer, of which half is due to past exposure to asbestos.

Firms found guilty of breaching the HASAWA can be prosecuted by the Health and Safety Executive and last year 774 were convicted with an average fine of £24,005 per breach. They included Bryn Thomas Crane Hire Ltd who were fined just £4,500 following the death of supervisor Mark Thornton, killed when a six-tonne steel column hit him in 2007 on a building site located in the Liverpool Wavertree constituency of Luciana Berger, MP.

In court Judge Nigel Gilmour, QC, said the father of two’s death was “wholly avoidable” and expressed frustration at being unable to impose an appropriate fine of £300,000 because the company had gone into administration with large debts after bosses Dylan, Janus and father Bryn Thomas had paid themselves £994,000 in salary and dividends in the three years that followed Thornton’s death.

This was around 40% of the total that they subsequently paid to buy up the assets of the old firm and establish Bryn Thomas Cranes Ltd, who have issued a statement saying ‘the administration was legitimate and unavoidable and that it was not used as a means of avoiding punishment.’ The company said that they wanted to correct any ‘inaccuracies as they could endanger more than 40 jobs at the business which generates more than £2.5 million for the local economy each year.’

Berger has cited Thornton’s death - and that of satellite installer Noel Corbin in which his employer Brentwood firm Foxtel Ltd, after going into administration, were fined just £1 before later re-emerging as foxtel.ltd.uk – as the reason why she would like to see MPs adopt a bill that would amend the HASAWA.

Speaking to her bill at the first reading she said: “A worrying number of companies are not only ignoring the laws designed to protect their employees, but they are then exploiting legal loopholes to avoid proper punishment following deaths at work, resulting from their malpractice.”

The Bill, which is backed by construction union, UCATT, is due to receive its Second Reading on 27^th April 2012, but will need Government support if it is to become law.

Asked if Berger was likely to get it, and whether it would demonstrate a callous disregard for the lives of workers if she didn’t, a HSE spokesperson for employment minister Chris Grayling said: “We are in the process of considering this and have no further comment to make at this time.”

Yet with the prime minister David Cameron telling UK businesses his government was “waging war against the excessive health and safety culture that has become an albatross around the neck of British businesses” then pressure group Families Against Corporate Killers spokesperson Hilda Palmer “is fairly sure this coalition won’t back a Bill that holds business accountable for its lawlessness, as this is going against the flood of its legislative programme. Sadly we know that the majority of MPs know almost nothing about the real world of work, and care little or nothing for workers' safety and health.”

When Bury won the FA Cup in 1900

1900 FA Cup Final

Saturday April 21^st

Bury 4

Scorers - McLuckie - 9 minutes, Wood - 16 minutes, McLuckie - 30 mins, Plant - 80 minutes

Southampton 0

Referee A Kingscott of Derby 

Linesmen - A Green of West Bromwich and E Carpenter of Leicester

Half-time 3-0

Attendance - 68,945

With neither club having previously reached the FA Cup Final new winners were assured. Having experienced a much more difficult route, with away ties in each round, Bury were favourites to lift the cup. They took with them to the Crystal Palace the best wishes of football followers from across the north, and in particular those from Lancashire, keen to see the return of the famous trophy to the county for the first time since 1891 when Blackburn Rovers had beaten Notts County in the final.

Southampton had first entered the FA cup competition in 1891-92 and had almost made it to the final in 1898, losing out in a semi-final replay against eventual winners Nottingham Forest 2-0. Having now beaten Millwall Athletic in the 1900 replayed semi-final the south coast town, like Bury, was in a state of feverish excitement.

Bury in the week leading up to the final had chosen not to make any special preparations. Sixteen players were involved in the training at the ground, but with everyone fit it was no surprise when the ‘Team Managing Committee” of Albert Duckworth, Alfred Wardle and Fred Bradley, who selected the side, kept faith with the eleven that had played in all seven previous cup encounters.  Travelling south on the Thursday the squad were conveyed to the Royal Crystal Palace Hotel that overlooked the stadium in south London.

Southampton had also chosen to train at home and the only uncertainty was whether Joe Farrell or Roddy McLeod would play at centre-forward. In the event, having scored three times in the earlier rounds McLeod was overlooked and it was to be later reported that this split the dressing room and led to a poor performance by the south coast side.

Football enthusiasts from all over the country packed on to football specials to make the trip to London to see the cup final, with 18 running into St Pancras, 17 dropping off 8,000 fans at Euston and 11 dropping off 5,000 at Kings Cross. Then there were an estimated 10,000 by train from Southampton and from about 4.30 in the morning a continuous stream of visitors poured into the capital. Many had never previously taken such a trip, and amongst those who travelled from Bury a good number had no overcoat or rug to keep them warm on the train. As it transpired neither was to be needed as the night was stifling hot, but with orders having gone out to station buffets not to serve football passengers then any search for refreshments at the stations en route were unsuccessful. Policemen stood guard at each stop, it being evident that the people in charge looked upon the trippers as marauders who could only be trusted as far as they could be seen.

On the trains to Sydenham locals looked on the accents of the Bury followers with amazement, and attempts at conversation often solicited blank stares by both. Although the crowd was slightly down on the previous season’s final between Sheffield United and Derby County, which attracted 73,833, it was still a more than healthy 68,945.

Farrell started the match promptly at 3.30pm. The weather was more akin to cricket with hardly a cloud in the sky or an ounce of wind to disturb proceedings. Bury were first to show, but McLuckie failed to control Sagar’s through ball when well placed. Arthur Turner replied for ‘the Saints’ with a powerful run but Darroch covering behind Davidson kicked clear. With the pace frenetic Ross forced Jack Robinson to get down smartly to grab his shot, before Arthur Chadwick drove just over the bar as the south coast side pushed forward.

However, when the Southampton centre-half then headed behind for a Bury corner the Lancastrians took the lead when Robinson failed to prevent McLuckie’s effort entering the net with just nine minutes on the clock. The goal seemed to knock the stuffing out of Southampton, Leeming fired just wide and then when the ball landed in the goalmouth Sagar, McLuckie and Wood all had shots blocked by Robinson as Bury turned the screw.

With Lord Roseberry watching intently Bury doubled their lead on sixteen minutes when Robinson’s brilliant save from a Plant effort left the ball at Wood’s feet and the inside forward made no mistake. Desperate to get back into the game Southampton directed long rang efforts at Thompson through Peter Meechan, Jimmy Yates and Turner but to no avail.

Then on 30 minutes the game was virtually over as a contest when Bury struck a third time. McLuckie, picking up a loose ball, advanced to attack the Southampton defence and in creating space he hit a low shot from 15 yards that brought no response from a clearly blinded Robinson staring in to a strong sun. Sagar almost made it four but his shot hit the side netting as Bury ran riot.

Southampton almost pulled a goal back, but Alf Millward’s shot crashed back into play off the crossbar with Thompson beaten. This was though only a temporary respite. The Southampton forwards had shown a distinct lack of combination and with no further goals Bury led three goals to nil at half-time.

With the sun now in their eyes Bury took time to acclimatise following the restart. They were therefore grateful to Thompson for a fine save from a Turner free-kick. Peter Durber should have done better shortly after, but he fired his shot wide from little more than a dozen yards. 3-0 up, Bury seemed content to sit back and allow the game to drift to its conclusion. It was up to Southampton to show what they were capable of and the answer was very little. Wood headed over and Millward shot well wide, and with the sun baking down the match toiled in the middle of the field.

Sagar shot wide, and then on 80 minutes Bury added to their advantage when Plant hit Pray’s corner powerfully past Robinson. Two minutes later, with the referee sounding a long whistle for a free-kick many of the remaining spectators, who felt this was the final proceedings, poured on to the pitch and it took a few minutes for the ground to be cleared before the match was completed. At the end Bury had won the FA Cup for the first time and when the trophy was presented to captain Pray by Lord James of Hereford, the one time Bury MP, the cheering was enormous.

Interviewed afterwards Alf Millward praised “the deserved winners” whilst Harry Wood said he felt “Bury would have beaten any club.” The ecstatic Bury captain George Ross said he “never had wanted to see anything better”, and attributed the victory to the resolute tackling of the Bury half-backs and the deadly shooting of the front ranks. 

The following Bury player profiles are from the Cricket and Football Field in the week leading up to the final.

Goalkeepers

As regards the Bury team the excellent results attained this season have been due to the small number of changes in the team in recent seasons. In Montgomery and Thompson, two better custodians in the one club could not be found. Opinion is greatly divided as to their respective merits. Thompson, who came from Sunderland, was for a long time the reserve man, but “Monty” as he is familiarly called, having fallen away, Thompson has been the first choice recently and played in the North v South trial match.

Fred Thompson made 65 league and 10 FA Cup appearances in his five years at Gigg Lane, before joining Bolton Wanderers in 1901.

Full-backs

The backs, Darroch and Davidson, are both Scotchmen. The first-named came from Dundee, occupies the right position, and though not as big as his partner, is more speedy, kicks cleanly and tackles fearlessly. At Dundee his partner was Burgess, now of Millwall. Davidson, left full back, hails from West Calder, and has been at Bury since 1894. Tall and powerful, he kicks at great length, and tackles well, though erratic at times.

Joe Darroch made 142 league and 14 FA Cup appearances for Bury, leaving to join Blackburn Rovers in December 1901 for a fee of £140. Tom Davidson made 116 league and 14 FA Cup appearances, joining Millwall Athletic at the end of the 1899-1900 season.

Half-backs

Pray, the right half-back, and captain of the team, came from Glasgow Rangers, and has been at Bury since 1894. He has rendered yeomen service. A steady, ruddy haired Scot, he is not very brilliant, but gets through a deal of judicious work, and is a deadly shot near goal.

Jack Pray made a total of 202 first team appearances for Bury in which he notched ten goals before retiring from football in 1901.

Joseph Leeming, the centre-half, hails from that old Association stronghold, Turton, and is the all-round man of the team, having fulfilled every position bar goal. A natural footballer of the Crabtree stamp, he plays well in any position, and still young, has plenty of time to develop. He is a likely candidate for future international honours, and has already gained an inter-league cap.

During a ten-year career with Bury made 280 first team appearances, scoring 20 goals. Joined Brighton and Hove Albion in 1907 where he carried on playing to the age of 37 and appeared in over 200 games.

George Ross, the left half-back, the oldest and most popular man in the team, learned his football in Bury, and has played with the club almost from its formation. Although a veteran, he is still a player of the first water, and it is probable that his Scottish birth has alone prevented his gaining an international cap. He has had many offers from other clubs, but always remained loyal to Bury.

Following Bury’s elevation, in the summer of 1894, to league status George Ross went on to make 366 league and 35 FA Cup appearances with ‘the Shakers’. When he signed for Rochdale in 1906 he brought to an end a twenty-year association with the Bury during which he won one Division Two championship medal, two Lancashire League championship medals, three Lancashire Senior Cup winners medals, seven Manchester Senior Cup medals, one Lancashire Junior Cup winners medals, one Palatine League Championship medal and two FA Cup winners medals. One of the greatest Bury players ever, Ross made his debut on February 26^th 1887, when aged 17 he scored in the friendly match played at Anfield against Everton that Bury won 4-1.

Forwards

Richards, outside right, comes from Middleton, a few miles from Manchester. A young player with any amount of dash and speed. A good shot, and always working. Played a wonderful game in the replayed cup-tie with Sheffield United.

Billy Richards - Made 257 first team appearances, in which he notched twenty seven goals, for Bury. Left the club to join Heywood United in 1907.

Wood, inside right - another local player, who, like Richards comes from Middleton and is also a youngster. Was brought in the team as a successor to Settle, whom he much resembles in build and style. Bury people consider him as good as Settle. He can play on either wing, and is a difficult man to dispossess, besides shooting well.

Billy hit 70 goals, including 7 in the FA Cup, for Bury in 210 first team appearances before joining Fulham in 1905.

McLuckie, the centre-forward, is a tall, lanky young Scotchman, and is one of the best finds ever made by the club. Was not a great success at first, but has developed wonderfully, and is esteemed as one of the best centre forwards in the league. He keeps his wings well together and is no mean dribbler and shot.

In a three-year association with Bury played 106 times for the first team and hit home 36 goals. Hard pressed Bury sold him were forced to accept £400 from Aston Villa for his services in October 1901.

Sagar, inside left, like Leeming, comes from Turton. He is a striking example of perseverance, for his initial experiences with the club did not give great satisfaction. He has come on wonderfully this season, and with Plant makes one of the best left wings in the country. Tall and strong, he sticks in very tenaciously, and shoots well, qualities, which gained him his International cap, in practically his first season in class football.

Made 209 first team appearances and scored 89 goals for Bury before joining Manchester United in 1904. Injury forced an early retirement from the game.

John Plant, outside left, the second oldest member of the team, comes from Bollington, Cheshire and joined the club in 1890. Last year he went to Reading, but was glad to return. He is one of the best forwards the club has ever had. Fast and tricky, he centres wonderfully well, and has a cross-angle shot which, though not always straight, travels with terrific force, and obtains many goals.

After signing from Kilmarnock Jack made his debut for Bury when the club were pressing to overcome Higher Walton at the end of their first season in the Lancashire league in 1889-90 and became a regular in the side the following season. After Bury joined the Football League in 1894-95 he went on to make 350 first team appearances, including 31 in the FA Cup, scoring 66 goals of which nine were in the cup. Joined Heywood United in 1906. 

Anders Behring Breivik and those who think like him spotlighted

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BRIGHT RED - Liverpool: Manchester United 1892-2012

Book out in August 2012 

1912 FA Cup Final on April 20th 1912

Taken from Lifting the Cup - the story of Battling Barnsley 1910-1912 by David Wood and Mark Metcalf 

1912 Final

Saturday April 20^th

Barnsley 0

 WBA 0

 At the Crystal Palace

How two well matched teams failed to score

GREAT DEFENCE

By centre-forward

Although very disappointing in the respect that it was attended by no definite result the game between Barnsley and West Bromwich Albion was a better final tie than most of those which we have seen of recent years. The one thing needful to make it an interesting contest was some scoring. In the absence of even one goal the spectators who watched a strenuous winter game played in the genial warmth of summer were somewhat languid. They waited for thrills, and experienced none. I am convinced that the scoring of a goal by either side would have awakened the onlookers to enthusiasm. It was remarkably impartial crowd that gathered in somewhat smaller numbers than usual on the classic slopes of Sydenham. Barnsley followers, of course, were present and the Albion admirers with a shorter train journey to make were there in greater force but the bulk of the crowd was a metropolitan assemblage. Goals are the essence of football and the crowd would not have minded a drawn game if both sides had each scored twice or even three times. As it was they went away disappointed. Rarely if ever have I seen a football crowd at so important an event less excited. As for enthusiasm there was none.

Forwards Failure

Yet small was the fault of the players. Both teams tried hard enough to score, and the game was greater in pace and power, more prolific of swift exchanges then many English Cup Finals I have seen. As a matter of fact each side had a defence so skilful and resolute that it dominated the opposing attack. Moreover on the rare occasions when the backs were beaten the forwards of either side, possibly from over excitement failed to seize their chances, though each goal had more than one remarkably narrow escape. It was not a game wherein the goalkeepers were greatly troubled with; the advancing forwards were so often rendered powerless before they got to shooting range. When this was not the case their shots had little sting or accuracy about them, and neither custodian throughout the entire contest was called upon to stop a shot which he could have been pardoned for missing.

Albion’s early attack

For the first twenty minutes or so the West Bromwich men were decidedly the smarter team, but their forwards, among whom Shearman was a conspicuous figure on the extreme left wing, failed to take advantage of an unsteady start by the Barnsley defence, who in the early stages were not in their true form, Downs being the shadow of his real self, and Taylor early on making a miss kick which might easily have let the Albion forwards through. Barnsley had their share of ill luck later in the game, but during this opening period they enjoyed some good luck, notably, when a furious drive by Pailor, which was going straight for the mark struck Downs in the chest, and again when in dealing with another fierce straight drive by Baddeley from half back, Cooper, who darted forward to take the ball allowed it to slip from his hands, happily however for the Yorkshireman the keeper was able to recover before an Albion forward could reach him. Cooper’s nerve, however, was not broken by this early interchange and a little later he was quite himself in smartly saving a dangerous header from Baddeley following a corner kick and then a pretty oblique shot from Jephcott.

Fortunate and successful opposition to the pressure of their foes made an occasional Barnsley attack flash past the Albion halves but they usually met their masters in Pennington and Cook.  Then the Yorkshire attack improved and we saw some of the dash and speed that usually characterise the movements of the front rank. Bartrop was a conspicuous figure on the extreme right, and following the centre from him, Lillycrop from close quarters headed in, only to find Pearson quite safe as indeed the Albion custodian was throughout the struggle.

Nevertheless, the attacks of the Oakwell brigade were not equal to great defence of Pennington and Cook, who were admirable in their judgement and tackled skillfully and though Bartrop fired in a good long shot it was not good enough to beat Pearson.

To Barnsley’s increased dash the ‘Throstles’ responded gamely, and during the last few minutes of the first half, thanks in great measure to the sprightliness of their left winger, Shearman, they gave the Yorkshire defence a lively time. But Downs and Taylor had recovered from their early unsteadiness and, well assisted by the halves, gallantly held their own to the arrival of the interval.

 Smart exchanges

After a change of ends we saw more of Barnsley as we had seen them against Bradford City at Bramall Lane. The vigour and speed of their forwards was wonderfully improved, and for the remainder of the match they were quite the equals of West Bromwich at all points. But the Albion continued to play smart football all round and the result was that we saw well-matched teams fighting for all they were worth in order to score, but fighting in vain. Swift and even were the exchanges, but Taylor at one end and Pennington at the other were like lions in the path of the eager forwards. Once, after a splendid sprint by Jephcott, the ball was sent to Shearman, who was given a good opening, only to shoot the ball against the side net. It was a really a fine chance of scoring which thus came to the Albion left-winger, but he was rather slow in working for a good position, and by the time he shot Cooper had rushed across to reduce his room for shooting, and might possibly have saved even had the shot been on the mark.

An Exciting Episode

Barnsley were now more dangerous near goal than they had been, but still Pearson was equal to the work given him to do by Moore and Lillycrop. The Yorkshiremen following a centre by Moore made one desperate attack in the best dashing style and were certainly very unlucky not to score. In rapid succession four shots were driven in fiercely, to be intercepted in their flight, and it was certainly ‘hard lines’ for the Yorkshiremen to see one by Glendenning rebound from Pennington right in front and another by Tufnell strike the upright. This was the most exciting episode of the match, and the excitement rose as suddenly Shearman came sweeping away on the Albion left threatening danger to the Barnsley goal. He finished with a fine centre, but the inside men were not well up to seize it, and Cooper dashing out cleared before they came upon the scene. That one daring dash and fierce fusillade, wherein the Albion citadel escaped by sheer good fortune stands out as a prominent incident in the many fierce exchanges of a hotly contested second half.

Narrow escape

As the game went on the rivals continued to struggle gamely for a goal whereby to carry home the cup. Such was the character of the play that onlookers felt that one goal would be quite sufficient to settle the issue. Although tiring somewhat as the end drew near neither of the players ceased to strive and hope. Barnsley remembered their sensational finish at Bramall Lane and Albion that at Owlerton. In the last minutes each goal had more than one narrow escape, and each side had a corner, for the play continued to surge from end to end in a way that kept spectators hopeful that even yet one side or the other might score. Once Pearson kicked away a shot from Lillycrop and then right on time when Shearman sprinted away and centred Pailor came sailing in as he had done when he got the goal which beat the Rovers in the semi-final, but this time the Albion centre flashed the ball just outside instead of inside the post, and the Barnsley goal escaped. Then came the sound of the final whistle.

 Barnsley won the toss to select the choice of ground for the replay and picked Bramall Lane

Barnsley: Cooper, Taylor, Downs, Glendenning, Bratley, Utley, Bartrop, Tufnell, Lillycrop, Travers, Moore

WBA: Pearson, Cook, Pennington, Baddeley, Buck, McNeal, Jephcott, Wright, Pailor, Bowser, Shearman

Review of Golden Boot book Taken from Chester ChronicleT

Taken from Chester Chronicle