[Report 1954] / School Medical Officer of Health, Blackpool County Borough.

  • Blackpool (England). County Borough Council.
Date:
1954
Catalogue details

Licence: Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)

Credit: [Report 1954] / School Medical Officer of Health, Blackpool County Borough. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    38/44 (page 38)
    The Town Team again entered the Lancashire Schools’ Competition. In divisional matches we defeated Preston, Leyland and West Lancashire, and drew with Lancaster. Entering the knock-out competition for divisional champions, Blackpool reached the Lancashire semi-finals for the second successive year, losing this time to Liverpool at Liverpool. Thanks are due to the Blackpool Cricket Club for the use of their ground for one of the home town team games. The Association again suffered from a lack of good playing fields^— the shortage of which for inter-school games is becoming more acute. FOOTBALL—SECONDARY SCHOOLS Ten schools (6 Blackpool and 4 County) are members of the Asso- ciation. These schools field 45 teams in five competitions. Over 500 boys are able to represent their schools at football during the year. An additional competition was introduced this year for which a trophy has been received from Mr. R. H. Greaves of Knott End-on-Sea. Some schools are able to turn out four teams on a Saturday morning. Unfortunately, though the boys are keen to play and the schoolmasters are willing to look after them, facilities in Blackpool are so inadequate that this season it has been impossible to find pitches on which to play even the two teams for which regular league fixtures are arranged. The Committee, have, therefore, been compelled to temporarily abandon the leagues. Unusually bad weather conditions have made the position more acute but there is undoubtedly an urgent need for the provision of school playing fields. Recent plans to provide them are welcomed. Highfield School represented the Association in the 1954 competition between the champion schools of Lancashire for the “Daily Dispatch” Trophy. The team easily won the Divisional Shield and went on to reach the Lancashire Semi-final. Palatine will be Blackpool’s repre- sentatives in 1955. The Blackpool Schoolboys town team had its most successful season for 30 years, playing no fewer than 13 games to reach the last eight of the Lancashire and the last 16 of the English Schools F.A. competitions. JANUARY-APRIL 1954: ENGLISH SCHOOLS’ TROPHY For the first time in the history of the Association, we reached the sixth round proper, i.e., last 16 teams in England; which was a great feat by such a small Association as ours. In the sixth round we travelled to Hull and although lost to one of the strongest teams in the competition, we gained invaluable experience. LANCASHIRE SCHOOLS’ CUP Having won our way through to the quarter-finals we visited the largest Association in the English Schools’ Football Association, namely Liverpool, and were beaten by a much more experienced side. FRIENDLY MATCHES Early in January we entertained Bolton schoolboys and drew. During Easter, a future Blackpool Schoolboys’ eleven played Crosby and Litherland and won. It is hoped that these two fixtures will be annual events.