19 hours ago, erskblue said:

Baseball at The Bridge. 4th July 1918.

 

 

Blimey Ersk, what great pictures mate, especially the airship one. 👍

4 hours ago, The Rising Sun said:

Blimey Ersk, what great pictures mate, especially the airship one. 👍

The Rising Sun. I had never seen the airship picture before yesterday.
There are some really good pictures of our great club ‘in hiding’’. If I find them  I just post them. Cheers 🍺

From 1907.

Edited January 24, 20251 yr by erskblue

http://www.victorianlondon.org/entertainment2/ath1.gif
. Picture of athletics at The Bridge before we existed.

https://www.victorianlondon.org/entertainment/athletics.htm

Taken from an article by George R. Sims (ed.), Living London, 1902

Edited February 1, 20251 yr by erskblue

THE SCOTTISH GATHERING AT STAMFORD BRIDGE (1895)

Stamford Bridge, on the Fulham Road, is the best known athletic ground in the Metropolis, being the headquarters of the London Athletic Club and the scene of the amateur championship competitions whenever they take place in London.

The annual Scottish Gathering is one of the most popular fixtures held here. Only those of Scottish birth are allowed to take part in the Highland games, many of which, such as tossing the caber, are utterly foreign to Southrons, while dancing and bagpipe playing are also included in the long day's proceedings.

Such Scots as possess them wear the kilts of their clans, and the London Scottish Volunteers are generally well to the fore, as shown in our picture. There is always a large attendance of spectators, and the profits are given to Scottish charities.

 

Athletics in London. 

Of a somewhat different nature, but none the less interesting, are the contests that take place at Stamford Bridge at the various meetings of the London Athletic Club.

Numbering, as it does, a large proportion of past and present Varsity athletes among its members, as well as many of the leading Londoners, the contests for its challenge cups are frequently invested with an interest almost as great as those for the athletic championships themselves.

Especially is this the case when, as sometimes happens, the competitors include well-known provincial athletes as well as champions whose titles are derived from countries outside the United Kingdom.
 

Sometimes, when a London Athletic Club meeting takes place a week or two before the championships, one or other of the events then decided will give a fairly accurate forecast of what may be expected to happen at the more important meeting.

Edited February 1, 20251 yr by erskblue

The Scottish Gathering At Stamford Bridge: Tossing The Caber, 1881.

The Scottish Gathering at The Bridge in 1892.

 

From 1894

10 hours ago, erskblue said:

From 1894

I'm pretty sure it's Lillie Bridge grounds in the pictures. It was situated north of us, and was destroyed in a riot. If you look on old maps the grounds were situated just near the top of West Brompton cemetery.

Article below ...

 

One report stated that some 10,000 people were involved, many were bruised or crushed, and several police officers were severely injured. However, the riot was quelled once reinforcements arrived. The fire brigade extinguished the flames by 10.30 pm and handed the ground over to the police.

The Lillie Bridge Ground with grandstand, refreshment room, dressing­ rooms, and the gymnasium was destroyed and never recovered. The demise of the venue paved the way for the growth of Stamford Bridge in 1905. Without the riot, there might have been a completely different story

 

One report stated that some 10,000 people were involved, many were bruised or crushed, and several police officers were severely injured. However, the riot was quelled once reinforcements arrived. The fire brigade extinguished the flames by 10.30 pm and handed the ground over to the police.

The Lillie Bridge Ground with grandstand, refreshment room, dressing­ rooms, and the gymnasium was destroyed and never recovered. The demise of the venue paved the way for the growth of Stamford Bridge in 1905. Without the riot, there might have been a completely different story

Edited February 1, 20251 yr by The Rising Sun
Info

On 16/01/2025 at 05:33, erskblue said:

Baseball at The Bridge. 4th July 1918.

 

 

Given the number of stripes on his cuffs the US Navy Officer must be of a senior rank. Not sure who. Will try and find out.

11 hours ago, The Rising Sun said:

I'm pretty sure it's Lillie Bridge grounds in the pictures. It was situated north of us, and was destroyed in a riot. If you look on old maps the grounds were situated just near the top of West Brompton cemetery.

Article below ...

 

One report stated that some 10,000 people were involved, many were bruised or crushed, and several police officers were severely injured. However, the riot was quelled once reinforcements arrived. The fire brigade extinguished the flames by 10.30 pm and handed the ground over to the police.

The Lillie Bridge Ground with grandstand, refreshment room, dressing­ rooms, and the gymnasium was destroyed and never recovered. The demise of the venue paved the way for the growth of Stamford Bridge in 1905. Without the riot, there might have been a completely different story

 

One report stated that some 10,000 people were involved, many were bruised or crushed, and several police officers were severely injured. However, the riot was quelled once reinforcements arrived. The fire brigade extinguished the flames by 10.30 pm and handed the ground over to the police.

The Lillie Bridge Ground with grandstand, refreshment room, dressing­ rooms, and the gymnasium was destroyed and never recovered. The demise of the venue paved the way for the growth of Stamford Bridge in 1905. Without the riot, there might have been a completely different story

The Rising Sun. Cheers for that info and pictures.You are correct about the picture.🍻

I was looking at a few articles from ‘Piping In London’ from www.bagpipenews.com

Below is the opening picture and paragraph from ‘Part 12’
 

Piping in London – part 12

By

 John Slavin

 - 

Published June 2022

1892 – 1894

by JEANNIE CAMPBELL MBE

‘In May 1892 papers mentioned that the Scottish Gathering at Stamford Bridge would be on June 18, but when June came the papers reported that it would be held on July 16. As usual, there would be only two open events, piping and dancing, with all the other two dozen or so events confined to amateurs. Entries closed on July 4 and were to be sent to the Hon. Secretaries of the Scottish Corporation, at Crane Court, Fleet Street. Competitors would be advised by post of the starting time of each event. ‘

Edited February 2, 20251 yr by erskblue

Location of the Lillie Bridge Athletic Ground, adjacent to the railway line close to West Brommton station. 
The then newly opened Stamford Bridge can be seen a little to the south (“London Athletics Club”). Detail from Charles Booth’s 1889 descriptive map of London.

The London Athletic Club, founded in 1866, moved to the Lille Bridge Grounds in 1869 where it stayed until 1876, prior to its transfer to Stamford Bridge. The Lille Bridge venue began hosting other sports including:bicycle racing, football (The 1873 FA Cup Final), cricket and wrestling.There were also hot air balloon festivals and county fairs.

It fell into disuse after a riot on 18 September 1888 following the cancellation of an athletics meeting at which 6,000 to 7,000 people had paid to watch and placed their bets. The ensuing riot destroyed the track and grandstand. This led to its closure the following year. 

Edited February 2, 20251 yr by erskblue

London - Lille Bridge - West Brompton
Lille Road : SW6 1UE

Lillie Bridge sports ground opened in 1866 and the London Athletic Club moved there in 1869.

The cinder track was 3 laps to the mile and square shaped and unbanked. One of the corners was particularly dangerous and responsible for many spills, it was known as ‘Hospital corner'.

The first meeting on the new cinder track was an Oxford vs Cambridge athletics meeting in 1869. The first bicycle race at Lillie Bridge was announced in Sporting Life on November 26th 1870, "Boxing Day - Some gentlemen of the AAC will offer the following prizes on their grounds, West Brompton - Bicycle Two-mile handicap - ten to accept or no race." Charles Liles, the one mile champion, rode for the Templar BC and trained at Lillie Bridge from the time that it opened.

Lillie Bridge and the Amateur Athletic Club (AAC) were staunchly gentleman amateurs and the governing body introduced a rule declaring mechanics, artisans and labourers to be professionals and hence unable to compete in amateur events. The status of artisans was sharply demonstrated in the first AAC 4 miles bicycle championships held in 1871 at Lille Bridge. Andrew Ritchie in The Boneshaker quotes HH Griffin "Out of about twenty entries, seventeen were ruled out, and protests were lodged against two of the three starters, and it was almost a walk-over for HP Whiting, a public-school man."

From 1873 the St George's BC organised bicycle racing at Lillie Bridge and there was another controversial meeting where riders were objected to as ‘not amateurs'. There were not many other races at Lillie Bridge in 1873.

The following year, 1874 saw the venue increase in popularity and the top professional riders began appearing at Lille Bridge. There was a match race between David Stanton and John Keen over 100 miles on October 19th 1874, Keen retired after 90 miles but Stanton carried on to take the record in 7 hrs 35 min 43 sec.

On 26th December 1874, St George's BC organised the ‘biggest bicycle meeting ever held in London." Its success may have been due to including separate amateur and professional events. A crowd of 2,000 saw star riders in the one mile professional event including Bill Cann (Sheffield) John Keen (Surbiton) and Arthur Markham (London) with Cann winning in 3 min 7.6 sec.

On 24 Jan 1875 there was a 24 miles match race between Keith-Falconer on a 60 inch Humber and Whiting on a 54 inch Keen weighing 30lbs, Whiting won in 1 hr 41 min 28 sec with Keith-Falconer second. In 1876 a 25 miles professional handicap race was held with riders including D Stanton (scr), W Cann(1m 45s start), C Thuillet (1m 3s), S Rawson (2m 15s) and B Keen (2m 15s). The large field led to a chaotic race which finished with victory for Cann from Stanton and Thuillet in 1 hr 30 min 2 sec.
 

The London Athletic Club moved from Lillie Bridge to Stamford Bridge in 1876.
 

Racing continued to be very popular at Lillie Bridge in the 1870's with a gate of 12,000 being reported for an 1877 meeting.

The Lillie Bridge track was not particularly popular to ride on, The Wheel World reported in 1882 "Lillie Bridge, widely hated because of its corners."

Lillie Bridge suffered when the Stamford Bridge track opened in 1877 and the track became neglected with the gravel sub-base becoming exposed through the cinders. A 440 yard cinder oval track was laid down in 1884 made of cinder with a red brick-dust dressing. The track was laid inside the existing 3 laps to the mile track.

The 1880's was also a busy time, Lillie Bridge hosted the Sporting Life 50 miles £50 challenge, the Lillie Bridge cup, in 1882. The Stanley CC held a great amateur and professional meeting with Howell, Wood, James, Lees and Keen. Many clubs held open and club meetings, including the Kildare B&TC, Jubilee sports, Surrey BC, London BC, Brixton BC, Chelsea B&TC and Oxford vs Cambridge. There were some NCU championship races at Lillie Bridge; the 1 mile bicycle and 25 miles tricycle races in 1884 and the 50m bicycle race in 1886.

Lillie Bridge closed following a riot on 18th September 1887. An athletics meeting was held for the 120 yards running championship of England with a purse of £200. A crowd of 2,000 spectators were there when one of the runners refused to start, the match was called off and the meeting was cancelled. The crowd rioted, destroyed the track and the stadium, and then set fire to the debris. The venue closed the following year. The site was subsequently developed for housing, which is now the area around Ongar Road

 

Edited February 2, 20251 yr by erskblue

Brief footage off a game in 1918. Will try and do some more research on it later.

The above match is possibly footage from a friendly played on 10th May 1919 at The Victoria Ground. We went down 4-1 in front of 8,000 spectators.

www.thechels.info.

 Fred Taylor (left) and Tottenham's Bert Middlemiss at match at White Hart Lane on 27th December 1913.

We won 2-1!😀

A sprinter at The Bridge in Sept 1911. 

Edited February 12, 20251 yr by erskblue

Walham Green station, now Fulham Broadway

The Rising Sun: Great pictures. Much appreciated.🍻

Jim Molyneux making a save against Liverpool at The Bridge in October 1913.

We won 3-0 in front of a crowd of 40,000.

Edited February 28, 20251 yr by erskblue