Hawks are due to visit Preston on 20 August

AN EXTRACT FROM THE HISTORY OF PRESTON GRASSHOPPERS

On the 28th September 1869 a meeting was held at the Bull Hotel, Preston at which the following resolution was passed: ‘That a club be at once formed in Preston to play football with the Rugby Rules of the game but without hacking. That the club be called ‘The Preston Grasshoppers.’


The name ‘Grasshoppers’ was chosen, as among the founders were several old boys of Cheltenham College. This school had a game ‘Fireflies v. Grasshoppers’ which is believed to continue to this day.


Once the RFU was formed in 1871 Grasshoppers' adopted the official rules of the game, although they only applied to join the organisation in 1875. The Rugby Union Annual records of the time show that we were members in 1876 until 1886, more of this later.


Whenever a match was played against Rossall School, the game had to be played by their rules, which was an adaptation of The Eton Field Game. It was played with teams of 11 players, Goalkeepers were used and the result was determined by goals scored by the ball passing underneath the crossbar of 11' x 8' goal posts. Games versus Brookhouse, which when played in Blackburn were to the Eton-Harrow rules. This was a mixture of Association and Rugger, a very rough game by all accounts.

The club’s early games were played at Winckley Meadow, before, in 1871 a move to West Cliff was made. This was the home of the town’s Cricket Club (who 'Hoppers paid an annual rent of £4 for use of a pitch) as it remains today. A number of other clubs where in existence in the town including Preston Olympic, Preston Atheneum, Fishwick Ramblers, and Preston Rovers. A team called North End, who became the now famous Preston North End, played rugby and cricket during this era.

Four figure crowds often witnessed home fixtures, especially against Manchester and Liverpool. The admission price was 6d at the West Cliff end and 3d to watch from the South Meadow Lane end, Ladies free! There was even a newspaper advert for special trains to transport spectators to the 'Hoppers away match versus Manchester in 1878. A Grasshopper's match at West Cliff in March 1878 against '20 of the Town' drew 3000 spectators. Such was the popularity of the game.

This article was originally posted on 13-May-2005, 19:58 by Hugh Barrow.
Last updated by Hugh Barrow on 13-May-2005, 20:01.