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Season 1913-14. Ashton & District League Lady Aitken Cup After losing their opening match of the season 0-2 at home, Droylsden set off on a run of victories which by February, saw the club 3 points clear at the top of the table. On the last day of the season, Droylsden were required to play two matches to complete their programme. On the afternoon of Saturday April 18th, 1914, the Butchers' Arms outfit travelled to Tintwistle where they gained a point with a 1-1 draw. It was then back to Market street where, at 6-15pm, Droylsden kicked-off their last match of the season against Otto Monsted's. The championship of the league was in the bag by this time and the Droylsden men celebrated by thrashing their visitors by 5 goals to 0. |
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Ashton & District League 1913-14
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In
the cup competitions Droylsden progressed to the semi-finals of the Manchester Amateur Cup where they were defeated 0-1 by
Berry's. In the Lady Aitken Cup, Droylsden reached the final and on Saturday April 25th, Droylsden met Mossley at Hurst
Cross for what was to be the first of three excellent matches to decide the destination of the trophy. "In
searching through the long records of local football, it would be difficult to discover a cup final which has aroused so
much local interest as this one between Droylsden and Mossley,"
wrote the correspondent of the Ashton Reporter. The
first encounter had ended, after extra time, in a 0-0 draw. The teams met again the following Wednesday evening and again
the result, after extra time, was a draw - this time 1-1. The two teams lined up for a third time the next evening and
Mossley finally took the trophy with a 3-1 victory. The same correspondent conveyed the build up to the two replays thus:- "The
arrival of a crowd of 5,000 spectators on Wednesday and Thursday evenings, after a hard days toil is always interesting, and
from Ashton Market to Hurst Cross the cars were packed with eager men. Yea! and even ladies to 'see the cup won.' Hundreds
came without tea, or even a wash, demonstrating what a real hold football has on the public, and what a game will lead men
to do. There was a continual stream of tram-cars along Union Road and Whiteacre Road, also the pavements rattled and
resounded like clog-iron music on stone dulcimers. Other spectators arrived in taxis, cabs, butchers' traps, wagonettes; in
fact, there was a motley group of vehicles outside the ground, that for colour, size, and shape it would be hard to beat.
The pie men and others did a roaring trade, and it was most interesting to see a youth demolish a pie, while others
despatched sandwiches. The Droylsden supporters came by way of Ashton, and by the start of the game, the crowd was one of
the largest seen on the ground. "Saturday's
game was a ding-dong struggle, not a dull moment, and had a goal been scored any minute no one would have been surprised. On
Wednesday, Mossley took the lead in the 23rd minute. Reid saved brilliantly from Darley, he beat the ball down, but in a
crowd of players Marcroft got his boot to the object, and pushed it over the line. Mossley were on top to the interval.
Mossley set out to defend in the second half but a penalty was awarded against them, and McMenemy never allowed Brooks to
see the shot that scored. On Thursday, Droylsden took the lead after 18 minutes, but Mossley drew level before the interval.
Two goals from Mossley in the second half concluded this marathon cup-tie, and at the final whistle, the Mossley men had won
the first cup in the club's history." Droylsden:
Reid, Rowson, Lloyd, Davies, Whitehead, Musgrove, Peach, John McMenemy, Stafford, Joe McMenemy, E Hughes. Mossley:
Brooks, Sugden, Beaumont, Armitage, Sweeton, Hall, Darby, Ousey, Hilton, Liversedge, Fletcher. |