Welcome to the Swinton Supporters’ Trust Website

Celebration Dinner 2009

There was a full Swinton Park Golf Club on 6th November to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the Lions’ 1969 Lancashire Cup victory together with the 2009 awards ceremony.

There were three generations of players in attendance that evening as Paul Mellor, Swinton’s star full-back of the eighties was there to present the 2009 awards. Winner of the player and players’ player of the year was Richie Hawkward where as the John Stopford man of steel award went to Gary Hulse.

Another eighties hero, hard-tackling centre Jeff Brown was present as a special guest to award ‘super-fan’ John Spellman with a token of appreciation for his 30 years and over 1000 games without missing a first-team game, an achievement un-surpassed in rugby league. John for the first time in all those years was speechless.

Guests were treated to memories of old when 91 year-old Jack Smith entertained everyone with his recollections of the old Chorley Road ground and players of the great teams of the 1920’s and 30’s. The sprightly Jack would have still been talking now if time hadn’t permitted.

Ten of the surviving team from 1969 were presented with inscribed tankards on the night by Dr. Kearns, who was Chairman of the club at the time, and the Lancashire Cup decked in blue and white ribbons, was presented to the captain Bob Fleet by current player Richie Hawkyard.

The evening ended with an enjoyable question and answer session with Bob Fleet and two of his team-mates Peter Kenny and John Gomersall. Peter had flown in from his home in Chicago and John had only landed the previous evening from his base in Kenya.

Bob told the audience how Alex Murphy, when the scores were level at half-time, bet him a fiver that his Leigh team would win the day and Bob took him up on his offer. Alex did pay-up and the captain went home with £45 though his team-mates had to settle for the forty pounds winning pay.

Not one person went away disappointed and Peter Kenny reflecting on the evening from America, said via email ‘There was a special vibe there for lots of people’ which movingly summed up a special evening.

In all £1,700 was made on the night which has been donated to the Agecroft Community Stadium Fund.

click on the Dinner 09 link to view the pictures.

40th Anniversary Dinner

Swinton Supporters’ Trust in association with the club’s management committee have arranged a dinner to celebrate the 40th Anniversary of Swinton’s Lancashire Cup Final victory over Leigh.

Peter Kenny, Scrum-Half and Drop-Goal expert on the day, had the idea three years ago and is coming over from his home in Chicago especially for the event. Come and celebrate with the players of that day, who will be there along with the Lancashire Cup itself.

The dinner will take place on 6th November at Swinton Park Golf Club and the Lancashire Cup will be on show on the night. Tickets are £27.50 and available by ringing 07536 050436, all proceeds to the community stadium fund.

Please click here to download a poster if you able to pin one up in a prominent place.

The Trust invited back to Local History Day

Salford Heritage Service have invited the Trust back to their annual Local History Day. We hope to build on last years interest as part of the Trust’s heritage project "Lions’ Tales".

We hope to see lots of our fans and if you have any tales to tell or indeed memorabilia please bring it along to our stall.

The event will be held at: Salford Museum & Art Gallery, Peel Park, Crescent, Salford M5 4WU on Sunday 20th September 2009, 11am to 4pm. There is a free car-park opposite the gallery which is used on weekdays by the council office employees.

Caps of Dai Davies brought to light

Continuing the Trust's heritage project, the great, great grandson of Dai Davies, the welsh half-back signed in 1899 has provided the trust with pictures of Dai's caps, click on the Lions' Tales link to view the pictures.

Recent Investments

The Trust invested £2,500 into the club in April and has also donated £1,000 into the stadium fund. In its further support of the club the trust is sponsoring the Hunslet match at the end of June.

The Trust has invited along the mayor and special guests Ken Gowers and Bob Fleet. Ken will be bringing along his grandson to his first Swinton match who has recently expressed his interest after the club had been into his school teaching tag-rugby.

Among those also invited include local businesses Wilkinsons, Chappels, The White Lion, Puccini's and McLellans. We hope everyone has an enjoyable day.

Successful results from Local History Fair

The Trust had a hugely succesful series of results from the Local History Fair at the Salford Museum at the Crescent on 16 November 2008.

The highlights include:

* Links with the Swinton and Pendlebury History Society and exploring the possibility of future collaborative work
* Pictures of the Swinton caps and medals of Lawrence Critch who played scrum half for the Lions between 1901 and 1906
* Getting in touch with a surviving relative of Pendlebury-born Walter Bumby who played for the Lions in 1880s and toured with England in 1888
* Noting the memories of Trust members and other people who visited the stall who recall Swinton fan Mad Eric and other memorable events at Station Road

Click on the Lions' Tales link for the cap and medal of Lawrence Critch.

The Trust to take part in Local History Day

Salford Heritage Service have invited the Trust to their annual Local History Day in November. We hope, by attending this event to raise the profile of the Trust's heritage project "Lions’ Tales" and also promote interest from fans both past and present.

We hope to see lots of fans pop-in and if you have any tales to tell or indeed memorabilia please bring it along to our stall.

The event will be held at: Salford Museum & Art Gallery, Peel Park, Crescent, Salford M5 4WU on Sunday 16th November 2008, 11am to 4pm.

Press Release Regarding our new Honorary President

The Swinton Lions Supporters' Trust have announced their new Honorary President as Les Holliday. Les will take over the role from Alan Buckley whose death earlier this year left the Trust without its figurehead.

Les, who started his professional career at Swinton in the eighties and went on to tour Australia with Great Britain while at Widnes, said he would "be honoured to fill Alan's boots" when agreeing to take on the position.

As a former pupil of Cromwell Road (now Swinton High) Les began playing rugby at local amateurs Folly Lane along with his brother Mike, who also went on to play for Swinton. He joined the Lions in 1982 and later captained the winning premiership side of 1987 at Old Trafford.

After leaving in 1988, Les returned as a player seven years later and went on to further roles as head coach and director of rugby at the club.

Speaking to the Trust members, Les said "The Swinton supporters and I have always had a healthy respect for each other and although now is not the best of times for the speccies they are some of the most dedicated in any sport and I admire them for their passion."

Chairman of the Trust, Martin McDonough said "It's difficult to find a replacement of the same calibre of Alan Buckley who is a legend to all Swinton supporters. Alan was a hugely respected man both in the rugby world and on a personal level and was a well-known local figure. Out of respect we left the position open for some time but when the Trust committee met to discuss whom to ask, Les Holliday was the automatic choice and we are delighted he agreed. Like the rest of us he has Blue blood in his veins and at these difficult times I hope the supporters will be enthused by having Les at the head of the family."

Lions’ Tales

Documenting the Voices of Swinton RLFC

Swinton Rugby League Football Club has a rich sporting history dating back to its formation in 1866. The club has also played a central part in the social and cultural environment of the local community. Lions’ Tales is a project co-ordinated by the Swinton Lions Supporters’ Trust which aims to bring together the sporting and cultural heritage of Swinton, Pendlebury and Clifton as well as further afield by documenting the voices of the players, officials and supporters from Swinton RLFC.

So, if you are willing to be interviewed or write about your Swinton memories; or if you have Swinton RLFC memorabilia that can be made available, then contact the numbers presented below. In particular, any of the following items would be useful for the project and please note all items will be copied and recorded before being returned safely.

This project is supported by Supporters’ Direct and the Federation of Stadium Communities (FSC) with the view to establish how an area can connect with a local sporting club. So far, permission has been granted by the British Film Institute (BFI) to use images of Swinton RLFC from the Mitchell and Kenyon Archive from 1901. Also, research is underway to identify the numerous rugby-related drawings and paintings of LS Lowry who lived close-by to the former Station Road ground in Pendlebury. It is hoped to display all the material and memories in local schools and libraries for educational purposes and publish the results in a book.

For further details please email Ian Jackson.