Ernest Ainley Football

As football stories go this is not one that will reverberate round the hallowed soccer palaces of Old Trafford or Stamford Bridge.

No, this is far more important. This is about two teenage lads and their football team which played at a local rec and changed in a nearby washhouse.

Two lads who then went their own ways and were reunited – 65 years later.

The players in this soccer drama are Harold Fletcher, star left back, and Ernest Ainley, "trainer, manager and ball boy, all rolled into one".

Their team was founded by a group of local lads way back in 1936. They called themselves St Martin's because at first they were allowed to change in the school of that name in Church Lane, Brighouse, now the town's further education centre.

But after a year they were kicked out of St Martin's and changed the team's name to Brighouse Sports Club, playing at Lane Head recreation ground.

At first the players changed in an old, tumble-down shed but then they found an old lady with a washhouse and hot water boiler a quarter of an hour's walk away on Elland Road. "I think we gave her two shillings (10p) a week," remembers Ernest.

Ernest, who played at half back, admits he wasn't much of a player and only played when the team was short. In any case, he was older than the others and eventually, at age 19, too old to play for Brighouse Sports' under-18 team.

But he was the club's organiser, running both under-18 and under-16 teams, singlehandedly, according to Harold.

"He was always most enthusiastic, energetic and assiduous in all his efforts, arranging the football field – which was in those days known as the top of John King – arranging the dressing room accommoda-tion, the kit and, indeed, everything necessary to organise a football team."

Ernest did absolutely everything. He would even take the ball to a local shop to get it properly inflated.

Brighouse Sports, playing in the Halifax Red Triangle League, had good seasons and not-so-good seasons.

But the club's glory year was 1940-41, when the under-18s won their age group's cup, while just miss-ing out on the champion-ship by a couple of points.

The real stars were the under-16s, who romped through the season unbeaten, taking the championship and also winning the league cup.

"Ernest told me that he was as proud that year as if we had won the World Cup," said Harold.

But that was the high point. Later that same year, as the players went to serve their country in war, the team broke up and was never refounded after the war ended.

Harold, then an art stu-dent, joined the Navy and Ernest, who had worked in the office of Brighouse dyers and finishers Thornton, Hammond and Marshall, spent five years in the RAF.

And that was that, except that, as time went on, Harold wondered what had happened to his old friend and began to realise how much he had done for Brighouse Sports and its players all those years before.

And he set out to track him down.

“At the time, being little more than a boy, I took everything for granted, as I suppose all the lads did,” said Harold. “After all those years I wondered what had happened to the man who had had done all that work without any real appreciation.”

Eventually, after years of trying, Harold manged to find Ernest through the simple expedient of ringing the right number in the right phone book.

Soon afterwards Harold, now 82, and his wife, Doreen, who live in Lower Hall Lane, Hightown, Liversedge, travelled the short distance to Ernest, now 85, and his wife, Jean’s home in Marian Street, Brighouse – the first time the two chums had met since their footballing days at Lane Head Rec.

Says Harold: It was wonderful to meet up again with Ernest after all these years and to reminisce about old times and to take the opportunity of profusely and profoundly thanking him for all that he did for all the lads in those days.”


		Published in Halifax Courier 1st February 2007 As football stories go this is not one that will reverberate round the hallowed soccer palaces of Old Trafford or Stamford Bridge. No, this is far more important. This is about two teenage lads and their football team which played at a local rec and changed in a nearby washhouse. Two lads who then went their own ways and were reunited – 65 years later. The players in this soccer drama are Harold Fletcher, star left back, and Ernest Ainley, "trainer, manager and ball boy, all rolled into one". Their team was founded by a group of local lads way back in 1936. They called themselves St Martin's because at first they were allowed to change in the school of that name in Church Lane, Brighouse, now the town's further education centre. But after a year they were kicked out of St Martin's and changed the team's name to Brighouse Sports Club, playing at Lane Head recreation ground. At first the players changed in an old, tumble-down shed but then they found an old lady with a washhouse and hot water boiler a quarter of an hour's walk away on Elland Road. "I think we gave her two shillings (10p) a week," remembers Ernest. Ernest, who played at half back, admits he wasn't much of a player and only played when the team was short. In any case, he was older than the others and eventually, at age 19, too old to play for Brighouse Sports' under-18 team. But he was the club's organiser, running both under-18 and under-16 teams, singlehandedly, according to Harold. "He was always most enthusiastic, energetic and assiduous in all his efforts, arranging the football field – which was in those days known as the top of John King – arranging the dressing room accommoda-tion, the kit and, indeed, everything necessary to organise a football team." Ernest did absolutely everything. He would even take the ball to a local shop to get it properly inflated. Brighouse Sports, playing in the Halifax Red Triangle League, had good seasons and not-so-good seasons. But the club's glory year was 1940-41, when the under-18s won their age group's cup, while just miss-ing out on the champion-ship by a couple of points. The real stars were the under-16s, who romped through the season unbeaten, taking the championship and also winning the league cup. "Ernest told me that he was as proud that year as if we had won the World Cup," said Harold. But that was the high point. Later that same year, as the players went to serve their country in war, the team broke up and was never refounded after the war ended. Harold, then an art stu-dent, joined the Navy and Ernest, who had worked in the office of Brighouse dyers and finishers Thornton, Hammond and Marshall, spent five years in the RAF. And that was that, except that, as time went on, Harold wondered what had happened to his old friend and began to realise how much he had done for Brighouse Sports and its players all those years before. And he set out to track him down. “At the time, being little more than a boy, I took everything for granted, as I suppose all the lads did,” said Harold. “After all those years I wondered what had happened to the man who had had done all that work without any real appreciation.” Eventually, after years of trying, Harold manged to find Ernest through the simple expedient of ringing the right number in the right phone book. Soon afterwards Harold, now 82, and his wife, Doreen, who live in Lower Hall Lane, Hightown, Liversedge, travelled the short distance to Ernest, now 85, and his wife, Jean’s home in Marian Street, Brighouse – the first time the two chums had met since their footballing days at Lane Head Rec. Says Harold: It was wonderful to meet up again with Ernest after all these years and to reminisce about old times and to take the opportunity of profusely and profoundly thanking him for all that he did for all the lads in those days.” Champions: Brighouse Sports Club’s victorious under-16 team of 1940-41. Standing, from left: Geoffrey Stott, Bobby Hartley, Ken Richmond, manager Ernest Ainley, goalkeeper Jack Fox, Harold Fletcher, high-scoring centre forward Percy Goddard and Cyril Hartley, brother of Bobby. Seated, with the Halifax Red Triangle League championship and cup trophies, from left: John Norman, Donald Stott, twin of Geoffrey, Jack Priestley, George Lomas and Jackie Brown