Memories of man who loved beautiful game

Terry Ainsworth remembers the playing career or city lad Joe Sherrington from his early days enjoying park football to the works teams of Storeys, Williamson's and Lansil.
By The Newsroom
Published 19th Mar 2016, 14:00 BST
Terry Ainsworth (sponosred by The Morecambe Hotel) remembers the playing career or city lad Joe Sherrington from his early days enjoying park football to the works teams of Storeys and Lansil. Lansil Football Club photographed outside the bowling green pavilion near the Lansil Sports & Social Club at the end of season 1962-63 after winning Division I of the North Lancs League on goal average from Lancaster Lads Club Old Boys and the Senior Challenge Cup which they won by beating Bulk St Annes 3-2 after extra time at Bolton-le-Sands..Lansil 1962-63: From lefft: back row (committee): George Delgarno, Tommy Makinson (trainer), Ken Topsy Irvine (manager), Arthur Waters, John Longbottom; second row: Ray Thompson, Alan Howse, Joe Sherrington, Bill Smith, Reg Cockbain, Ray Simpson, Derek Swift, John Shuttleworth, Dave Woodburn; front row: Colin Norbury, Harry Paulo, Keith Walling (captain), Brian Walmsley, Colin Norris, Billy Fox Mascots: - Geoff Walmsley (brother of Brian) & Mick Hargreaves (Grandson of TommyTerry Ainsworth (sponosred by The Morecambe Hotel) remembers the playing career or city lad Joe Sherrington from his early days enjoying park football to the works teams of Storeys and Lansil. Lansil Football Club photographed outside the bowling green pavilion near the Lansil Sports & Social Club at the end of season 1962-63 after winning Division I of the North Lancs League on goal average from Lancaster Lads Club Old Boys and the Senior Challenge Cup which they won by beating Bulk St Annes 3-2 after extra time at Bolton-le-Sands..Lansil 1962-63: From lefft: back row (committee): George Delgarno, Tommy Makinson (trainer), Ken Topsy Irvine (manager), Arthur Waters, John Longbottom; second row: Ray Thompson, Alan Howse, Joe Sherrington, Bill Smith, Reg Cockbain, Ray Simpson, Derek Swift, John Shuttleworth, Dave Woodburn; front row: Colin Norbury, Harry Paulo, Keith Walling (captain), Brian Walmsley, Colin Norris, Billy Fox Mascots: - Geoff Walmsley (brother of Brian) & Mick Hargreaves (Grandson of Tommy
Terry Ainsworth (sponosred by The Morecambe Hotel) remembers the playing career or city lad Joe Sherrington from his early days enjoying park football to the works teams of Storeys and Lansil. Lansil Football Club photographed outside the bowling green pavilion near the Lansil Sports & Social Club at the end of season 1962-63 after winning Division I of the North Lancs League on goal average from Lancaster Lads Club Old Boys and the Senior Challenge Cup which they won by beating Bulk St Annes 3-2 after extra time at Bolton-le-Sands..Lansil 1962-63: From lefft: back row (committee): George Delgarno, Tommy Makinson (trainer), Ken Topsy Irvine (manager), Arthur Waters, John Longbottom; second row: Ray Thompson, Alan Howse, Joe Sherrington, Bill Smith, Reg Cockbain, Ray Simpson, Derek Swift, John Shuttleworth, Dave Woodburn; front row: Colin Norbury, Harry Paulo, Keith Walling (captain), Brian Walmsley, Colin Norris, Billy Fox Mascots: - Geoff Walmsley (brother of Brian) & Mick Hargreaves (Grandson of Tommy

Joe Sherrington was born on Ripley Street, Lancaster, in the Pointer area of Lancaster and among his young friends were Alec and Bill Smith, two other notable local footballers who lived on Alma Road.

They would cross the road to Greaves Park for their impromptu games of football until Alec Smith decided Barton Road was a better place to practice. He was one of ten children and went to Cathedral School where football was not encouraged in the playground and Joe, after breaking a window playing cricket, was responsible for that sport being banned by sports master, Arthur Ellis.

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When Joe left school at 15 in 1952 he had a short walk down South Road to work because his first job was at White Cross the headquarters of Storeys of Lancaster.

Terry Ainsworth (sponosred by The Morecambe Hotel) remembers the playing career or city lad Joe Sherrington from his early days enjoying park football to the works teams of Storeys and Lansil. St Peter's Cathedral School with Joe Sherrington extreme right on the back row.Terry Ainsworth (sponosred by The Morecambe Hotel) remembers the playing career or city lad Joe Sherrington from his early days enjoying park football to the works teams of Storeys and Lansil. St Peter's Cathedral School with Joe Sherrington extreme right on the back row.
Terry Ainsworth (sponosred by The Morecambe Hotel) remembers the playing career or city lad Joe Sherrington from his early days enjoying park football to the works teams of Storeys and Lansil. St Peter's Cathedral School with Joe Sherrington extreme right on the back row.

Sport was always encouraged at Storeys and Joe would soon become familiar with sporting people like Walter Crossley, Tommy Bennett, Bill Raine and Jackie Clarke. In fact, it was Jackie, based at the Moor Lane factory, who played both cricket and football for the company who asked Joe to sign for the works team.

Jackie had a great pedigree in the game having played for New Mills FC, Lancaster Town, Oldham Athletic and Storeys so Joe quickly became one of his prodigies.

Joe would stay at Storeys until 1957 before moving to work at Lansil, another prominent employer in the city, and now he was playing on the Far Moor for Jimmy Brown’s Dry Dock United and was selected to play for the North Lancashire League against the Preston and District League on Ryelands Park on October 12 1957.

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In season 1958-59 Joe joined many of his friends and played for Williamsons Cotton Mills who had a short and colourful existence of one season. Along with Bill Smith he then started to play for his employer, Lansil, and remained there until around 1964.

Terry Ainsworth (sponosred by The Morecambe Hotel) remembers the playing career or city lad Joe Sherrington from his early days enjoying park football to the works teams of Storeys and Lansil. The team of Williamson's Cotton Mills 1958-59: From left, back row: An Other, Terry Stackhouse, Bill Fisher, AN Other, Bill Smith, Arthur Fitton, Ray Jagger, Maurice Jagger; front row: Derek Ronson, George Clarke, Bill Webb, Joe Sherrington, and W Moorby.Terry Ainsworth (sponosred by The Morecambe Hotel) remembers the playing career or city lad Joe Sherrington from his early days enjoying park football to the works teams of Storeys and Lansil. The team of Williamson's Cotton Mills 1958-59: From left, back row: An Other, Terry Stackhouse, Bill Fisher, AN Other, Bill Smith, Arthur Fitton, Ray Jagger, Maurice Jagger; front row: Derek Ronson, George Clarke, Bill Webb, Joe Sherrington, and W Moorby.
Terry Ainsworth (sponosred by The Morecambe Hotel) remembers the playing career or city lad Joe Sherrington from his early days enjoying park football to the works teams of Storeys and Lansil. The team of Williamson's Cotton Mills 1958-59: From left, back row: An Other, Terry Stackhouse, Bill Fisher, AN Other, Bill Smith, Arthur Fitton, Ray Jagger, Maurice Jagger; front row: Derek Ronson, George Clarke, Bill Webb, Joe Sherrington, and W Moorby.

When he finally hung up his boots he was to be found on the Far Moor as manager of Lancaster Moor Hospital in the 1970s along with Dougie Burrell and Terry Jackson, his able assistants.

Go to www.soccernostalgia for more articles and photos.

l Terry Ainsworth is sponsored by The Morecambe Hotel.

Related topics:MemoriesLancaster