SPORT and LEISURE

Cricket

Westhoughton has a rich heritage of cricket being played at the Tyldesleys and Daisy Hill grounds. In particular Westhoughton CC has produced four players who played for Lancashire and England, namely Richard Tyldesley, Billy Farrimond, Dick Pollard , and Mike Watkinson.

Billy Farrimond
Mike Watkinson
Richard Tyldesley

Football

Football in Westhoughton was noted for its annual Charity Cup Competition and its final which was traditionally played on Good Friday on the Red Lion pitch. The town also produced two England Internationals namely Jack Bruton and Francis Lee.

The Charity Cup
Charity Cup Final
Francis Lee, Mike Summerbee, Alan Ball and George Twist
Francis Lee making the draw for the Charity Cup

Athletics

Another notable Westhoughton athlete was Ethel Johnson a runner who represented England in the 1932 Olympics at Los Angeles.

Ethel Johnson 1936
Ethel Johnson leaving for USA Olympics in 1932

Boxing

Music

The Wingates Band is one of the oldest surviving bands in the world. It is also one of the finest and most celebrated.

The fascinating story of the Wingates Band, as recounted here in the inimitable style of David Kaye.