Diary of John Counsell
1914 ~ 1916
1914.
Jan. 1st - At Hull. Hull K. Rovers 8, Wigan 6.
Jan. 3rd - At Oldham. Oldham 6, Wigan 8. John Prescott played in place of J. Thomas, indisposed.
Jan. 10th - At Wigan. Wigan 17 points, Leigh 3. One of Leigh directors tried to get the Leigh players to leave the field but was ejected from the field.
Jan. 7th - Infirmed meeting of members of Wigan Football Club re Todd and committee.
Jan. 13th - L.B. Todd transferred to Dewsbury for £400.
Jan. 21st - General meeting of Wigan Football Club re transfer of Todd. It was a disorderly meeting from beginning to end, the committee leaving the platform.
Feb. 2nd - Jas. Henderson resigned the presidency of the Wigan Football Club. He was asked a few days later to allow himself to be again nominated, but he declined.
Feb. 23rd - Johnny Thomas placed on reserve.
Feb. 28th - At Castleford. First round N.U. Cup. Castleford 8, Wigan 27.
Mar. 4th - At Leeds. Trial match. After match Bert Jenkins and Gwyn Thomas (below) were selected to tour Australia.
Mar. 14th - At Runcorn. Second round N.U. Cup. Runcorn 2, Wigan 13.
Mar. 21st - At Wakefield. Third round N.U. Cup. Wakefield 3 goals 1 try 9 points, Wigan 2 tries. Gate £320 approx.
April 7th - Geo. Taylor signed D.L. Evans on for Wigan in Wales (telegram).
OVERLAND TO MARSEILLES
Apr. 20th - At Football Committee meeting and presented Bert Jenkins, Percy Coldrick, Gwyn Thomas and R. Ramsdale with travelling trunks, bags and shaving requisites for tour to Australia.
Apr. 22nd - Left Wigan 2-15 en route for Paris with the above four players who were going over-land to Marseilles for Australia. We were joined at Manchester by Mr. Syd Foster, of Halifax.
Apr. 23rd - Left London and arrived in Paris and saw players in Marseilles train at 7 o'clock. Stayed at Hotel Londres and Milan.
June 2nd - Elected chairman of new committee. No refreshments until business done.
July 14th - N.U. meeting. Highfield club were exempted from qualifying rounds of the Northern Union Cup.
RUGBY FOOTBALL IN THE WAR YEARS.
Aug. 22nd - Attended first practice match of the season at Central Park. Poor gate compared with former years.
Sept. 4th - Attended special meeting of Wigan Football Club Committee re Bradley. Self, A. Selkirk and G, Taylor went and signed him on at the Temperance Hotel.
Sept. 8th - Attended N.U. meeting and League meeting in Manchester and decided to on playing football.
Sept. 24th - Left Wigan 9-15 for London and Plymouth to meet Football Tourists returning from Australia. L.B. Todd went by same train: he is going to his New Zealand regiment stationed at Salisbury Plain.
Sept. 26th - Up at 6 o'clock a.m. to meet boat "Orontes" by tender "Atlantic". Left Plymouth for London; Gwyn Thomas, R. Ramsdale, Bert Jenkins and P. Coldrick having gone home direct from boat.
Sept. 27th - G. Taylor met us at Wigan station.
Oct. 1st - P. Coldrick (below) refused to sign playing terms agreement.
Oct. 17th - First round Lancashire challenge Cup at Central Park. Wigan 21, Oldham 5. Gate money £328.
Oct. 31st - Second round L.C. at Leigh. Leigh nil, Wigan 6. Gate money £238. Wigan players decided not to play on a 25 per cent, reduction in wages.
Nov. 7th - Neither Wigan first nor second teams played their fixtures with Warrington.
Nov. 14th - At Central Park. Semi-final for Lancashire Cup. Wigan 33, Swinton 3. Gate £170.
Dec. 5th - At Salford. Final tie for Lancashire Cup. Rochdale 3 points, Wigan 2.
Dec. 10th - Attended special meeting of Wigan Football Committee re practicing economies.
Dec. 29th - Wigan "A" team accepted reduced terms.
1915.
Jan. 1st - At Central Park. Wigan 46, Hull K.R. 5. poor attendance.
Jan. 5th - Attended Northern League Committee meeting in Manchester. Thirteen Salford players were suspended until end of month for refusing to play at Broughton on Christmas Day.
Jan. 9th - Before a poor gate at Central Park. Wigan 62, Broughton R. nil.
Jan. 30th - At Central Park before a poor gate. Wigan 73, Runcorn 5.
"TREATING PROHIBITED"
Feb. 27th - At Oldham first round N.U. Cup. Wigan 10 points, Oldham 5. Coldrick and Banks (below), of Wigan, and two Oldham players sent off the field.
Mar. 2nd - At Manchester. Coldrick and banks, two Wigan players, suspended two and three matches respectively.
Mar. 13th - At Bradford. Second round N.U. Cup; £1 bonus. Bradford 3, Wigan 11. Gate £230 odd.
Mar. 27th - At Central Park. Third round N.U. Cup. Wigan 11, Broughton R. 5. Bradley, Walford and Owens injured. £230.
Apr. 8th - Football Committee suspended Bert Jenkins.
Apr. 10th - At Hunslet. Semi-final N.U. Cup. Huddersfield 27, Wigan 2. Were short of four players.
1916.
Jan. 1st - At Barrow. Barrow 8, Wigan nil. Short of players.
Feb. 5th - At Wigan. Wigan 10, Swinton 2. Admission: Original prices 9d. and 6d. for first time this season. £55 gate.
Feb. 14th - Monday. Treating prohibited.
Mar. 20th - Attended Wigan Football Committee meeting. It only lasted ten minutes.
May 8th - Committee meeting. Only three present.
May 31st - Annual general meeting. Forty members present.
JIMMY LEYTHAM DROWNED
Aug. 21st - Monday. News received in Wigan that Jas. Leytham, of Lancaster, had been drowned the previous day.
Aug. 30th - Attended his funeral with other committee men.
Sept. 23rd - Wigan 20, Salford 3. Bert Jenkins played.