Diary of John Counsell
1911 ~ 1913
1911.
Jan. 2nd - Monday at Central Park. Wigan 15, Halifax 8. £285 gate.
Feb. 18th - First round N.U. Cup at Central Park. Wigan 18, Huddersfield 13. Gate £472 2s. 0d.
Mar. 4th - Second round N.U. Cup at Central Park. Wigan 21, Warrington 2. Gate £440 odd.
Mar. 18th - At Leeds. Third round N.U. Cup. Leeds 4, Wigan 13. Gate £660.
Mar. 27th - Signed W. Winstanley (below) on from Leigh for £150. Self, Sandy Wood and Geo. Taylor went.
Mar. 29th - Jas. Leytham badly knocked out at Central Park by Woods, the Oldham fullback.
April 8th - At Huddersfield. Semi-final N.U. Cup. Wigan 4, Batley 2. Gate £652 odd.
April 10th - Went with Geo. Taylor to Manchester, Batley having protested against our win over them on Saturday. The Cup Committee dismissed protest.
April 18th - Went with Geo. Taylor to Manchester. Northern League meeting. It was decided that Oldham and Wigan play at Wakefield tomorrow, the winner to be top of the league.
April 19th - At Wakefield. Wigan 11 Oldham 3. Wigan played practically their second team and Oldham did not exert themselves.
April 22nd - At Wigan. Semi-final N. League Cup. Wigan 16, Widnes nil. Gate £350.
April 29th - At Salford. Awfully wet day. Wigan objected to playing the match as there were pools of water over the field, but the Cup committee decided the match must be played. Broughton 2 penalty goals, Wigan nil.
May 6th - At Broughton. Final N. League Championship. Oldham 20, Wigan 7.
LANCE TODD'S WEDDING DAY.
May 10th - At All Saints' Parish Church, wedding of Mr. Lance B. Todd to Miss Annie Samuels. Mrs. Counsell and self attended. Breakfast at Dog and Partridge.
May 11th - Went with Arthur A. Laing to Standish to try and form a N.U. Football Club there.
May 16th - Ald. J. Gaskell refused the presidency of the Wigan Football Club this year.
June 19th - Went with H. Bouchier and purchased smoker's cabinet for L.B. Todd as a wedding present from the club.
July 6th - Jim Henderson elected president of Wigan Football Club. George Wood and T. Lymm also nominated.
Aug. 21st - Mr. H. Bouchier resigned his position on the Wigan Football Committee, he having a new position at Oldham. Mr. Peter Gallagher filled the position on the committee.
Sept. 1st - Assisting selling season tickets at Central Park.
Oct. 28th - Wigan beat the Australians 7 points to 2 points. Big crowd. Gate £1,038 12s. 1d.
Dec. 1st - Met Lou Bradley, a new player from Wales, at Dog and Partridge Hotel. He played a good game at Wigan the following day against Wakefield Trinity.
1912.
Jan. 1st - Went to Barrow. Wigan 37, Barrow 4.
Jan. 6th - Rain and snow all day at Wigan. Wigan 16 points, Runcorn 5. A record poor gate. £18 odd.
SHARROCK SENT OFF AT HULL
Jan. 20th - At Hull. Hull 5 points, Wigan 12. Jas. Sharrock send off field. Committee and players had sandwiches.
Jan. 29th - Sam Latham and Jas. Hodkinson and Dai Rees, "Flying Barber," went to Wales.
Feb. 17th - At Wigan. First round N.U. Cup. Wigan 35 points, Highfield 10. Gate £81 10s. 0d.
Mar. 2nd - Wigan knocked out N.U. Cup 2nd round by Oldham at Oldham 12 points to 8 points.
Mar. 13th - Wednesday at Ebb. Vale who beat Wigan by 6 points to 5. Welsh folks delighted.
April 8th - At Central Park. Wigan 8, Hull 8. Jas. Leytham, J.H. Green and Mark Green injured.
April 27th - On behalf of Northern League Management Committee presented medals to Wigan "A" team who beat Oldham "A" in final for Combination Championship at Central Park, Wigan.
May 4th - At Halifax. Huddersfield 13, Wigan 5, in final for Northern League championship.
May 23rd - Annual meeting. The only change on the committee was P. Gallagher off J. Walkden on.
June 11th - Attended N.U. annual meeting Huddersfield as official Wigan representative.
June 12th -Attended Northern League annual meeting and elected on management committee.
SAM LATHAM'S HALIFAX APPOINTMENT.
June 18th - Sam Latham appointed secretary to the Halifax R.L. Football Club.
June 24th - Geo. Taylor appointed to do the work as secretary and treasurer to the Wigan Football Club, S. Latham having left.
Aug. 17th - Met Buller Francis, the New Zealand footballers, at Wigan L.N.W. Station.
Sept. 12th - L. Bradley signed registration form.
Oct. 16th - Went with J.H. Prescott, W. Counsell and Jas Walkden to Runcorn to see Harry Price in Cottage Hospital.
Oct. 19th - At Central Park. Wigan 24, Leigh 6. First round Lancashire Challenge Cup.
Nov. 2nd - At Central Park. Wigan 70 points, Coventry nil. Todd, Bradley, Curwen and Ramsdale earned an overcoat each for scoring three tries each ad one each for a friend.
Dec. 7th - George Formby kicked off in match at Central Park. Wigan 22, Hunslet 13.
Dec. 11th - At Salford. Final for Lancashire Cup. Wigan 21, Rochdale 5.
Dec. 28th - Signed W. Curran (below) on for Wigan from New Zealand.
1913.
Jan. 1st - Wigan at Barrow. Won by 20 points to 13.
Jan. 2nd - With other committee men went to Jacky Brown's funeral. (A former forward)
Feb. 1st - At Wigan. Wigan "A" team 85, Morecambe nil.
Feb. 15th - At South Devon grounds, Plymouth. England 40, Wales 16. Winners £3, losers 30s.
Mar. 8th - First round NU. Cup at Wigan. Wigan 28 points Leeds nil Big crowd.
Mar. 15th - Second round at Rochdale. Wigan 16, Rochdale nil. Gate £228.
Mar. 29th - Third round N.U. Cup at Wigan. Wigan 5 points, Huddersfield 14. Gate £1,200.
May 2nd - Wigan signed on W. Gwyn Thomas, fullback, from Wales and London.
May 3rd - Northern League final at Wakefield, Huddersfield 29, Wigan 2. The half-time score was 3-2.
June 2nd - Elected Chairman of the Wigan Committee for the tenth time.
June 10th - Annual meeting of Northern Union. Moved that the clubs be allowed to secure services of Colonial players. Was lost by small majority.
GEORGE HESKETH SIGNED ON.
Sept. 2nd - Geo. Hesketh (below) signed on for Wigan club.
Sept. 7th - Mr. Sandy Wood, vice-chairman of Wigan F.C., died in Wigan Infirmary.
Sept. 15th - Councillor Jas. Walkden co-opted on Wigan Committee in place of S. Wood (deceased).
Oct. 4th - The two Swansea half-backs, Owens and Jerram, turned out with the Wigan "A" team at Wigan. Their first match. Big crowd present.
Oct. 18th - First round Lancashire Challenge Cup at Wigan. Wigan 9 points, Rochdale 2. Gate £389 19s. 2d.
Nov. 1st - At Salford. Second round. Salford 7, Wigan 9.
Nov. 6th - The committee considered anonymous letters appearing in the Local Papers criticising the team selected for next Saturday against Huddersfield, but no alteration was made.
Nov. 8th - At Wigan. Wigan 35, Huddersfield 3. Gate £728 18s. 7d. Record for league matches at Wigan.
Nov. 15th - Semi-final at Leigh. Leigh nil, Wigan 16. Gate about £235 10s. 0d.
Nov. 22nd - Benefit match for J. Leytham and jas. Sharrock. Wigan 30, Broughton 6. Good gate. £165 each.
Dec 6th - At Broughton. Final tie for Lancashire Cup. Oldham 5, Wigan nil.
LANCE TODD'S DECISION
Dec. 11th - L.B. Todd informed the committee he would not play any more for Wigan and on December 22nd officially resigned his connection with the club and wrote asking to be put on transfer.