Bootham Crescent - It Happened This Day
Chronologically we re-trace the history of Bootham Crescent
01-May-1920 Cricket. A York & District XVI (16) side lost a 2 day game by an innings and 153 runs against Yorkshire CCC who included Herbert Sutcliffe in their side at Bootham Crescent. All 16 York players were allowed to bat. It is understood that this was the first occasion a Yorkshire CCC first team played in York. The 1890 county game against Kent was played at the Yorkshire Gentlemen's ground across the Scarborough railway track on their former Wiggington Road ground.
Summer/31 City's first game at Bootham Crescent. They beat York RLFC in a cricket game.
20-Aug-32 First Bootham Crescent game played, the traditional season opener, the First Team ("Blues") drew 3-3 against the Reserves ("Maroons") in front of 3,000, twice the usual Fulfordgate attendance with receipts of about £70. Admission price was 2.5p (half price for women and boys). At the same time, 4,500 were at Clarence Street for the York RLFC friendly with Batley.
27-Aug-32 First competitive Bootham Crescent game played. A Midland League match ending York 2 Bradford City 4 (sign of the times, standing admission was 6d (2.5p) for Midland League games) in front of a 3,000 crowd. It cost £6,000 to construct the ground. The Main Stand and Popular Stand were built and drainage was improved.
31-Aug-32 Official opening of Bootham Crescent with a Third Division North game against Stockport County (6:30 kick off). The club president, Sir John J Hunt (also chairman of Hunts Brewery), formally opened the ground by cutting a chocolate and cream coloured ribbon - the new colours of the club. Also in attendance were the Sheriff of York (Mr Arnold Rowntree), Mr. Roger Lumley MP, Mr. Arnold Kingscott, treasurer of the Football Association, and other personalities in the football world. The attendance was 8,106 (beaten only 3 times in Fulfordgate league games) with receipts of nearly £400. The game ended as a 2-2 draw. City were represented by Duckworth, Archibald, Johnson, G Maskill, Harris, Bolton, Williams, Fenoughty, Baines, McDonald, Mitchell. Tom Mitchell scored City's first goal and Reg Baines followed with a penalty to earn a 2-2 draw. County's Percy Downes had scored the first ever goal to give the visitors the lead.
The ground took just 3 months to build. Hunts Brewery donated refreshments for the occasion.
17-Sep-32 Reg Baines is the first player to score a hat trick at Bootham Crescent beat Mansfield 4-3. 5 months earlier, he had been the last player to score a Fulfordgate hat trick.
26-Nov-32 Ground record crowd see City lose 1-3 to Scarborough in an FA Cup tie.
22-Apr-33 New record attendance of 8,673 for a league game see City go down 1-2 against eventual champions Hull.
1933 Temporary floodlights installed in front of the Main Stand for training. FA rules banned lights being used for matches.
01-Aug-33 City reserve sides switches to The Yorkshire League to cut expenses as concerns are raised over the costs involved in the move to Bootham Crescent. Plans to widen approach road to Bootham Crescent would greatly facilitate spectators coming and going from ground are announced. Chairman Arthur Brown publicly thanks Supporters Club having already raised £950 out of £1,500 required to provide The Popular Stand.
20-Aug-33 First ever Boothanm Crescent open day allows the fans a rare glimpse of the ground's inner sacnctums, including he dressing rooms. 2,000 fans attended.
03-Sep-33 City slump to a record Bootham Crescent defeat when losing 2-6 to Rochdale in front of 4,363.
March-34 The ground hosts the North Riding Senior Cup Final for the first time. City draw 2-2 with Middlesbrough but lose the replay.
March-34 Before a game, the referee and his linesmen were found unconscious in their room, they were believed to have inhaled poisonous fumes from a faulty heater.
21-May-34 Whit Monday (now late Spring bank holiday) Merseyside derby at Bootham Crescent as the country's top 2 baseball sides clash in an exhibition game. Crystal beat British Enca by 142-91 in a 2 innings baseball game, the first to be held at Bootham Crescent, in front of a "good" crowd. John Moores (Littlewoods Pools) was a keen advocate of baseball and was instrumental in forming summer leagues across the country. When Dewsbury Royals folded in 1936, York City Maroons took their place in the 8 team 1937 Yorkshire League attracting around 2,000 for their first home game on 5 May 1937 when The Maroons lost by 9 runs to 3 against Scarborough Sea Gulls. York finished mid table but struggled to build on the opening gate of 2,000 and included Tom Mitchell in some games. Across the city, a local baseball league was founded. In 1938, York City Maroons moved to Clarence Street and finished 10th and bottom of a new enlarged and stronger league which encompassed Yorkshire and Lancashire as the popularity of baseball started to wane. City had several requests for the hire of their ground during the decade, a 1933 request from York Motor Club to hold grass track racing and the British Union of Fascists in 1937 were just 2 of those that were turned down.
June-34 Mass gymnastic display at the ground as a part of the York Civic Week's Children's Festival.
12-Jan-35 New record ground attendance of 13,612 see City lose 0-1 to Derby in the FA Cup.
16-Nov-35 City beat Mansfield 7-5 in the highest goals aggregate game ever seen at Bootham Crescent.
29-Feb-36 New Bootham Crescent record low crowd of just 1,811 (down from 3,485 at the previous home game) see City beat Rotherham 2-1, the crowd was affected by a dispute between the Football League and football pools companies (over copyright and payment for use of the fixtures) which meant the scheduled fixture (Oldham, home) was postponed and the new game only announced late the day before meaning the pools companies had very little time to produce their pools coupons. The match programme had a a ballot asking if fans were in favour of football pools' coupons. Given the ballot result and low crowds across the country, the FL action quickly ceased. It wasn't until December 1963 that a smaller crowd saw a home league game.
01-Aug-36 Opening of the Social Club on the current site beside the Main Stand. A new brick based structure was installed on the site a year later. Due to financial difficulties, City asked for a loan to fund it. Only the York & District Loco Brewery offered financial support. The Social Club was to become the home of the Supporters Club. Before 1936, an old wooden hut from the cricket club, furnished with second hand cinema seating served as the social club. The brewery removed the hut (one of 3 buildings in the area of the ground that was later occupied by the gymnasium) and rebuilt it in their own yard. It is believed the olden wooden hut no longer exist. 1931 map of the area.
19-Sep-36 League record attendance of 10,619 see City's unbeaten start to season ended by Chester in 0-2 a defeat.
10-Feb-37 Wally Hunt (Rochdale) sent off at Bootham Crescent. He and Jon Wright (Darlington) who was sent off on 23 October 1937 are believed to be the only players sent off at Bootham Crescent pre WW2. Meanwhile on 7 December 1935 at Walsall, inside right Alec Gray became the first City player to be sent off.
17-Mar-37 Only 1,600 see City beat Hartlepools United 5-0 in a midweek afternoon game in the new fangled Third Division North Cup, a forerunner of The Autoglass Cup.
Summer/37 York City Maroons competed at Bootham Crescent in baseball's 8 team Yorkshire League. Along the way, a number of friendlies were also staged, including games against West Ham and Romford. Crowds struggled to top 2,000. The Maroons moved to Clarence Street and an enlarged 10 team league covering Yorkshire and Lancashire in 1938, their second and final season.
16-Aug-37 Official opening of the new Social Club. For many years, the Supporters Club continued to use their former Windmill Hotel HQ on Blossom Street alongside the new venue for their meetings.
01-Sep-37 37/8 Supporters Club (membership 1,489) complete the Popular Stand at cost of £1,500 when their 1932 loan is finally paid off. The Supporters Club "Shilling Fund" (5p) provided much of the funding. Building work had started in 1932 when £500 was raised after Dick Leckenby, a YCFC director, provided the deeds to his home as collateral to allow work to start. Supporters Club members barrow loads of rubbish to form a raised base of The Popular Stand and much more in the way of skilled and unskilled labour. In late 1937, a sign was placed on top of the Popular Stand, the club crest above the words, "Popular Stand - Cost Defrayed By City Supporters Club", it was to remain in place until 1959 when weather beaten, it was replaced by another sign that was to remain in situ until 1978.
08-Jan-38 Ground record attendance of 13,917 see City beat Coventry 3-2 in FA Cup Round 3 replay. Receipts were a record £838.
22-Jan-38 Ground record attendance of 18,795 see Reg Baines score a hat trick as City beat West Bromwich Albion 3-2 in Round 4 of the FA Cup. Receipts were a record £1,426.
12-Feb-38 Ground record attendance of 23,860 see City beat Middlesbrough 1-0 in FA Cup Round 5 thanks to a Peter Spooner goal. Receipts were a record £2,193. Middlesbrough's attempts, first to get the game switched to Ayresome Park and then to increase admission prices were both thwarted. Consideration to work to boost the ground capacity to 30,000 was rejected for cost reasons. However, to increase attendance, banking / terracing was extended further upwards behind both goals and 2 rows of bench seating were provided along both touchlines. Tickets had sold out in 90 minutes.
05-Mar-38 All time ground record attendance of 28,123 see City draw 0-0 with Huddersfield Town in FA Cup Round 6. It was the fourth new record in under 2 months and stands to this day. Receipts were a record £2,735. This was partly due to the first increase in admission prices during the cup run. Whilst Main Stand and Popular Stand prices were increased, behind the goals remained at 5p. The game also meant City became the only club ever to play at home in 6 rounds of The FA Cup in one season. Town won the Leeds Road replay 2-1 in front of 58,066 with goals by Edwin Watson and Frank Chivers, Huddersfield going all the way to Wembley, where they lost 1-0 after extra time to Preston. The final Bootham Crescent capacity was less than one third of the all time record. Seating of The Popular Stand, the loss of The Enclosure and today's onerous health and safety regulations help to account for the shortfall.
Summer/38 The Enclosure standing area is tarmaced.
October/38 Social Club refurbished ex-player and Malcolm Comrie is appointed Steward.
14-Jan-39 City's all time worst home defeat is witnessed by 3,826 as Rochdale win 7-0.
1938/9 Hire of cushions in the Main Stand saw a profit of £7 46p (9 shillings and 3 pennies) during the season.
11-Mar-39 Bootham Crescent hosts a friendly between The Yorkshire League and famous amateur side Corinthians.
26-Aug-39 New season opens at Bootham Crescent with a 2-2 draw with Chester. New Football League regulations saw both teams wearing numbered shirts for the first time. They'd been worn for the frst time at Bootham Crescent earlier in the month when City hosted Hull in a League Benevolent Fund game.
14-Oct-39 First wartime game at Bootham Crescent. City go down 2-4 to Sheffield United in a friendly with returning Reg Stockill scoring both City goals watched by 3,000
21-Oct-39 City go down 1-2 to Middlesbrough in the first war league game at Bootham Crescent in front of 4,500.
1940 During World War 2, the tunnel at the back of the Popular Stand was used as an air raid shelter for pupils and staff of the nearby Shipton Street School. War time bombs fell on the Shipton Street end of ground and neighbouring properties. Minor damage was incurred after the air raid on York in April 1942.
01-Feb-41 York 7 Sheffield Wednesday 0. 2,500 see Bert Brenen score 4 in City's win a war time FA Cup tie.
13-Sep-41 More high scoring as City beat Middlesbrough 9-5. Local born George Lee scores 4 and Charlton's Bert 'Sailor' Brown also scores in front of a 3,600 crowd. At the time City's close proximity to army barracks enabled them to field many famous guest players, including several internationals.
22-Nov-41 Legendary England international striker, Dixie Dean scores on his one City guest appearance in the 3-4 defeat against Gateshead.
29-Apr-42 Bootham Crescent suffers minimal damage as a result of a rare German air raid on York. However, the Main Stand roof suffered minor damage from incendiary bombs resulting in holes in the roof and supporter getting wet. A permit to repair the damage was finally received in September 1943 and repair work was completed in the following month.
1942 and 1943 Bootham Crescent hold 2 school's sports days in each year's summer school holidays as part of the "holidays at home" initiative. Other war time uses of the ground included using the Popular Stand tunnel as an air raid shelter and various armed forces displays.
03-Jan-42 England international, Raich Carter, makes his one City guest appearance in the 3-2 win over Grimsby.
28-Feb-42 5,176 see City beat Leeds 8-1.
17-Oct-42 A representative match was staged in which a Football League XI defeated the Northern Command 9-2, watched by 5,500. After the match, Mr. Fred Howarth, the secretary of the Football League, wrote the following letter to the club: "May I take this opportunity, on behalf of the League, of congratulating your club, directors and officials alike, for the excellence of the arrangements. You will appreciate that always in representative matches our chief concern is the smoothness of the arrangements. You did your part splendidly. The League thanks you for staging the match, which was a complete success, both from the entertainment side and from the financial side. They are grateful for the kindly attention of your directors and will remember with pleasure their first official visit to your lovely city."
23-Jan-43 First live radio broadcast from Bootham Crescent as City run out convincing 4-0 winners over Sunderland.
24-Apr-43 City's war time record crowd of 16,350 (receipts of £1,398 54p (10 shillings and 9 pennies)) see City crash out of the FA Cup when they can only draw 1-1 with Sheffield Wednesday in the semi final second leg (losing 4-1 on aggregate).
28-Oct-44 City 10 Gateshead 2 in front of 1,500. GH Hawkins (4), R Dix (3), Fred Scott (2) and Tommy Dawkins were the scorers.
01-Dec-44 Bootham Crescent hosted a Bradford PA v Gateshead game as Park Avenue was unavailable due to an FA XI v Army game. That season, City also hosted a Hull v Newcastle game as Hull's temporary home ground (Boulevard) was hosting a Yorkshre Cup rugby league game.
27-Apr-45 2,106 see City's lose their last home war time game 1-2 against Hartlepools United. A few weeks earlier over 10,000 had seen City bow out of the FA Cup against Sheffield Wednesday when losing 1-6.
Post WW2 Post WW2. In the early post-war period, considerable improvements were made to the ground. Progress was initially slow as materials were diverted to other post WW2 re-building works. Deeper drainage was completed, the Bootham Crescent end banking was concreted (summer 1947), the Popular Stand steps were concreted (first 5 rows in summer 1948 and the rest a year later), Shipton Street end concreted (first 24 steps in 1948) and tannoy equipment was installed. By 1950, the ground's capacity was quoted as 23,000.
19-Oct-46 Post war boom in soccer attendances. City attracted a new record attendance (previous record was set in 1936) for a league game when 15,485 see Doncaster win 4-1. Fearing delays in admitting spectators, due to large numbers expected and the need to give out change, for the first time for a league game, City sold match day tickets in advance. At the same time, they asked fans to "pair up" and pay their half a crown (12.5p) admission fee thus avoiding the need to give out change. That season, 2 of City's home league games attracted 5 figure attendances. As a result of feedback and general crowd confusion, the PA system was upgraded shortly after the game.
Oct-46 Bootham Crescent saw a City XI go down 7-3 to a Polish Army XI of locally based (Sand Hutton) serving Poles. Soon afterwards, Eryk Kubicji and Edouard Wojtczak joined City.
02-Nov-46 City's league game against Stockport was selected by the BBC (Light Programme, now known as Radio 2) for live national radio commentary of the last 30 minutes, the whole game was broadcast live on the General Forces Programme. Making his debut as a commentator on national radio was Kenneth Wolstenholme.
26-May-47 City beat Halifax 2-0 in the latest ever game to be played in a season at Bootham Crescent due to the severe winter.
1947/8 That season, 6 of City's home league games attracted 5 figure attendances, 14,125 against Hull being the biggest. The season's gate receipts were a record £16,213.
30-Aug-47 Alf Patrick becomes the first City player ever to score 4 goals in a game.
1948/9 That season, 10 of City's home league games attracted 5 figure attendances, 21,010 against Hull being the biggest. City set a never to be beaten, all time record average home league attendance of 10,409. Even reserve games were well attended, a massive 3,591 saw the reserve game with Scunthorpe. Midweek matches were moved to Monday where they stayed until the 1973/4 season.
01-Sep-48 At the shareholders' annual meeting, it was announced that the club had agreed to purchase the Bootham Crescent ground which had been on lease since 1932. The chairman, Mr. W.H. Sessions, stated that an agreement had been signed and felt that the club now owned one of the best grounds in the Third Division. The deal was formally signed on 19 October 1948. The balance sheet revealed that the ground was bought for £4,075 and the buildings, which cost £7,444, had been depreciated so that the whole ground and equipment was listed at £7,204 at current value in 1949. To celebrate the purchase of the ground, a dinner was held at the Royal Station Hotel at which the deeds were handed to the chairman. Among those present were past and present directors and many enthusiasts who had worked over the years for the club. Also in attendance was the club's first captain back in 1922, Billy Smith.
20-Nov-48 Watch York City 6 Rotherham 1, filmed by Coal Board for a documentary and watched by a new home record league gate of 19,216 (record receipts of £1,271). Alf Patrick becomes the first ever City player to score 5 goals in a game.
23-Apr-49 City lose 3-2 to Hull in front of an all ticket crowd of 21,010, the first ever all ticket league game at Bootham Crescent. Sunderland (23/Sep/74) was the next. Rumblings of discontent surrounding congestions over the Glass Bridge began to be aired.
Summer/49 The lower tier of The Popular Stand was concreted as were 24 steps at the Shipton Street end. A brick dust running track was laid in front of the Main Stand.
August/49 Due to re-seeding work, the annual public practice match was moved to the Co-op ground on Stockton Lane.
01-Dec-50 Harold Dennis became the first City player to be dismissed at Bootham Crescent when sent off in a reserve game against Halifax.
09-May-51 First of 2 friendlies against Republic Of Ireland teams to mark the centenary of the 1851 Great Exhibition. City beat Sligo 4-0 and Transport 5-0 a week later watched by a disappointing combined attendance of under 5,000.
Summer/51 First known instance of tarmac in the car park. Personal recollections are of it being a pot holed area as late as the 1970s.
Early 1950s First known instance of "dugouts" at the ground. Essentially a wooden bench enclosed in a wooden frame, they occasionally moved position which indicated a portable structure. There was no dug out element of placing them below ground level.
23-Apr-49 City set an all time record attendance for a home league game when 21,010 (receipts of £1,451 12/6) see City go down 1-3 to Hull. 3 weeks earlier, over 40,000 had seen City win 3-2 at Hull.
10-May-52 England met Northern Ireland in the first Schoolboy (Under 14) international to be played at Bootham Crescent. The attendance was 16,000 and England, who won 5-0, were captained by Wilf McGuinness, he hit the post and was later to manage York City. He was the only player to go on to have a decent career in football.
25-Dec-53 City lose 2-0 at home to Barnsley in the traditional Christmas Day fixture list. Prior to the match, arguments raged as to the declining appeal of the fixture, the impact on Christmas dinner arrangements and lack of public transport whilst on the other side, shop workers argued to maintain the day as the shops were all closed all they had a rare opportunity to watch City. As a compromise, the kick off was moved to 11:00 rather than the usual 2:15. 5,160 saw the game, the lowest post WW2 crowd to witness a home Christmas Day City game.
Summer/54 Wire mesh placed over the players' entrance where they emerge from the tunnel and pass through the enclosure.
01-Aug-54 Season starts with over 23,000 through the turnstiles for the first 2 home games of the season. Did they know something was about to happen as Arthur Bottom scored a hat trick on his debut on the first day of the season.
19-Feb-55 21,000 see City's historic 3-1 win over Spurs in Round 5 of the FA Cup. The game was one of 5 successive games to attract attendances of over 10,000 to Bootham Crescent.
08-Apr-55 19,843 fans see City and Accrington Stanley finish 1-1 in their top of the table Good Friday game with with another 3,000 locked out
1954/5 That season, 9 of City's home league games attracted 5 figure attendances, 19,843 against Accrington being the biggest.
01-Jun-55 In the summer, major work was carried out to extend the Main Stand towards Shipton Street. Look closely (and for the rest of its live), you could spot the join where the last quarter (nearest the Longhurst end) was added to The Main Stand. This was named "Section D" with lettering starting from the Social Club end. Around 1983, the middle sections were merged and all were "re-lettered" starting with "Section A" at the Shipton Street end. Profits from the FA Cup run, together with a Stand Extension Fund, helped in this project. A side effect of the work was the removal of the ivy which had been allowed to grow across the back of the Main Stand. On April 6, a fund was set up to cover the cost of the Main Stand extension. With donations from local firms, the directors (£250), Social Club (£500), Supporters & Auxiliary Branch (£315) and others, £2,300 was raised in a month. The fund closed in June with £5,455 raised. A further £900 was also spent on ground improvements that summer. Original plans were to provide 700 extra bench seats were scaled back to 350. As part of the extension, wooden stairs at both ends (and in front) of The Main Stand (which allowed an additional entry / exit point to the seats) and a wooden gantry used by cameraman were demolished. A cycle park was made available "behind the grandstand" and due to the rise in car ownership, car parking in Grosvenor Road and vehicular access down Bootham Crescent was banned. The total cost of improvements that summer was about £6,500.
1955/6 Cup fever rubs off as City set an all time club record for highest home league aggregate seasonal attendance of 236,685 (average 10,290). Note the seasonal average was higher in 1948/9 when 2 fewer home league games were played. That season, 10 of City's home league games attracted 5 figure attendances, 14,976 against Derby being the biggest. Also, for the first time in City's history, average league attendance (all games, home and away topped 10,000), subsequently only achieved once more, in 1974/5. That season also saw Bootham Crescent The Lucas Trophy played between the Yorkshire and Lancashire police forces and refereed by Arthur Ellis, he refereed at 3 World Cups and was later a jovial Its A Knockout host / referee.
27-Dec-55 Arthur Bottom became the first City player to be dismissed in a first team match at Bootham Crescent after he received 2 cautions. He was also sent off in the home against Carlisle (16 September 1957).
28-Jan-56 22,000 see City draw 0-0 with Sunderland in the FA Cup Round 4. City lose replay. FA regulations mean that due to the colour clash, both teams must change kit, City play in blue shirts / white shorts and Sunderland play in white and black. Pre match, City supporters paraded the club mascot, a robin carved out of wood and painted red and white.
01-Jun-56 A 35 (other reports say 22) foot high concrete wall is built at the St Olave's Road (Bootham Crescent) end. The project cost around £2,500 (plus free labour from the Supporters Club) and had a two-fold purpose - a safety precaution and a support for additional banking and terracing. Previously advertising hoardings marked the edge of Bootham Crescent and the Grosvenor Road end had shallow banking which only extended part way towards the hoarding. The Social Club was upgraded with wood based structures being replaced by brick and concrete. The work saw the exit gate, near the Social Club installed and the wide banked steps built. The cost was about £4,000. The FA Cup tie in 1955 against Tottenham Hotspur had been restricted to a 21,000 capacity by the police, but with the improvements made the limit had risen to 23,600 when Bolton Wanderers provided the opposition in January 1958. The works also saw foundations for the floodlights, including some electrics, to be installed in that corner of the ground. At the time, the talk was of a possible ground extension to 30,000, the Shipton Street end being seen asthe prefered route.
13-Aug-56 7,099 turn up for the hastily re-arranged but traditional annual pre season practice match between City's probables and possibles It was the first time Barry Jackson had been seen in a City shirt. Heavy rain had seen the fixture postponed 2 days earlier.
20-Aug-56 City draw 2-2 with Workington on the opening day of the season in front of 15,318, City's highest ever home crowd on the opening day of the season.