SecretLeeds - History, culture and architecture in Leeds

As mentioned in another thread http://www.secretleeds.com/forum/Messag ... D=1300this ground on Oldfield Lane in Wortley is now delerict but does anyone know who owns the ground and who was TV Harrison (Jim mentioned that it may be a school teacher though I can't find anything on Google). It was the home ground of Leeds City Boys (affiliated with Leeds United I think) for a long time (Not sure why they were not called United Boys unless the name goes all the way back to Leeds City FC in the early 1900's.As mentiond in the other thread I believed the ground was held in trust and could only be used for sport (it was originally a cricket ground in the 1800's). I though that TV Harrison may have been the owner of the land or a local sponsor.The ground also include Netball courts - not sure if we had a Leeds City Girls netball team.A reference from the EPhttp://www.yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk/news/Glo ... .218796.jp    

Leeds City Boys was nothing to do with Leeds United.I t was a team made up of the best players from Leeds schools.They played matches against other towns and city's

uncle mick wrote: Leeds City Boys was nothing to do with Leeds United.I t was a team made up of the best players from Leeds schools.They played matches against other towns and city's Thanks uncle mick - didn't realise that - I always assumed as a kid that they were connected to Elland Road

uncle mick wrote: Leeds City Boys was nothing to do with Leeds United.I t was a team made up of the best players from Leeds schools.They played matches against other towns and city's Quite right uncle mick - when I was at middle school a couple of lads in my class were regulars for Leeds City Boys.

I used to go to the nearby Upper Wortley School in the late 1950s and had school sports days there.

Bedford Fields beaten by Beckett's Park on penalties in 1980 schools cup (not sure what it was called), only game we lost all season. How we cried. I remember the pitch as being very claggy muddy.

Just been reading a book about Wortley written in the 1920's and it mentions that the Cricket club was called the "Wortley Oldfield Lane Cricket Club" formed in 1857 and were nick named "The Squirts" (since they were mainly weavers and used to squirt the weft to wet it!)It also mentions that the club was disbanded in the early 1900's because the owners of the land threatened to kick them off it with only a weeks notice.So I'm not so certain the land is held in trust unless the subsequent owners left the land to the football team.

Hi after reading lots of threads i feel i can add my thoughts on a subject. In the early 70s i attended Upper Wortley and Thornhill schools who both used the Tv Harrison ground. We used to get changed at Thornhill and walk the short distance to Oldfield Lane stopping to take in the smell of beer and smoke as we passed the Queens pub.Thornhill school didnt have a proper grass pitch only the all weather pitch, which collected water when it rained and being gravel based was lethal when you fell over on it,this was why we used the Tv Haririson pich. The pitch had a small pavillion which we never used and a changing room was between the football and netball pitches.The playing surface along with the rest of the ground was kept in imaculate condition as it was used for schools cup finals and also Leeds City Boys matches.     I attended quite a few matches there because Stuart Macall was a class mate of mine, he was head and shoulders above any other player of his age although a bit on the small side. This prevented him from signing for Leeds Utd and he went to Bradford instead,the last i saw of him he was waiting for the 88 bus on Whitehall Road on his way to training just after we left school in 1980.    

Leeds Hippo wrote: Just been reading a book about Wortley written in the 1920's and it mentions that the Cricket club was called the "Wortley Oldfield Lane Cricket Club" formed in 1857 and were nick named "The Squirts" (since they were mainly weavers and used to squirt the weft to wet it!) The Suirts"!! This week our club up at Adel are playing the Horsforth "Twisters"........The advent of Rugby in Leeds saw all the small villages and districts form a Rugby Club.Whilst Hunslet and Bramley survive today many did not and for some years Wortley RFC played out of Oldfield Lane.Armley RFC played on Armley Park and actually had a "proper" ground with a stand on it.Today there's a Wortley club again.

This is my great grandad Fred on Oldfield Lane. As well as playing cricket, he also played rugby union for Morley and Yorkshire. The bloke on the left shows that Simon Cowell's tailor was active as far back as the 30's!