MANCHESTER Magic coach Paul Middleton was a despondent figure following his team’s loss in the English Basketball League (EBL) Division 2 play-off final to NASSA. It was a depressing end to a wonderful season; the Manchester side were defeated by their London rivals 85-66 on their home court; in the end of year Final Fours showpiece.  The Magic’s star player, 23-year-old point-guard Tom Ward, was inconsolable, lifting his Magic vest over his head to mask his tears, before going through the motions of collecting his runner-up medal.  Though when the pain has healed from the heartache of defeat, both men will be able to reflect warmly on a year in which they have overachieved, in leading the Magic to their second straight promotion into the EBL first division.

Two years ago, Magic’s director Joe Forber had opted to drop his team from the EBL Division 1 down to the third division, in a bid to focus on the youth development at the club.  Forber, who was presented with the award for Outstanding Contribution to Sport by Manchester City Council, held a three-year plan to return to the summit of the EBL.  His club unbelievably achieved this feat ahead of schedule, especially when you consider the opportunities they have afforded their youngsters.  Of the Magic players that played in the play-off final, the average age was less than 21-years-old.  Four of the players, Conor Porter, Pharroh Gordon, Patrick Whelan, and Kingsley Nwagboso also play for the Magic’s Under-18s, whilst Connor Murtagh has just turned 19, and sharp-shooter Josh Houghton is just 21.  Furthermore, Middleton lost his team captain, Tom Devitt, through injury in just the second home game of the season.  Devitt, who was brought through the Magic’s youth academy, was the sole remaining starter from last year’s successful campaign, which left Middleton with the unenviable task of having to rebuild a brand new team centred around youngsters, and 31-year-old veteran Usman Baba.

Last December, the Magic hosted their ‘Annual International Haris Tournament’, a youth event in the memory of one of their former youngsters, Haris Charalambous, who sadly passed away whilst training for his University team Toledo back in 2006.  With youth teams from Spain, Germany, Switzerland, Northern Ireland, and Bosnia taking part, as well as the Magic’s own teams, and an England Under-17 team, the weekend event provided a great platform for youngsters to gain valuable life and basketball experience. The Magic Under-18s lost in the semi-final, to Akademie Weser of Germany, who ultimately lost in the final to Spanish side CB Cornella. Still, there were positive performances from the young Manchester boys, and Conor Porter was named on the All-Star Five team for the second straight year.  It was a first class event held at the ABC (Amaechi Basketball Centre), which was co-organised with the Manchester City Council.  The professionalism in the way the tournament was organised reaffirmed the Magic’s dedication to youth development.

Basketball has never thrived in Manchester like it has in the past 12 months.  The Manchester Evening News Arena attracted over 17,000 people for a record attendance in last year’s pre-Olympic friendly, which saw the eventual Olympic champions USA dismantle Great Britain by 40 points.  The iconic American players were adulated by the locals, who could only be grateful for the opportunity to see megastars such as Lebron James and Kobe Bryant, even if the tickets cost as much as £150 per person.  The Manchester Giants returned after an eleven year absence, after folding due to financial difficulties in 2001. Their application to go back into the top tier of British basketball was welcomed by the British Basketball League (BBL), and the Giants recruited the former Magic coach Jeff Jones to head their new project.  There has also been an announcement that NBA teams Oklahoma Thunder and Philadelphia 76ers will meet next summer in a preseason friendly in Manchester.  In addition, the UK has started to televise BBL and NBA basketball.  It is very difficult for a sport to reach its potential without the regular exposure necessary to build a fan base.  Nevertheless, with over a thousand youngsters taking part in basketball each week at the Magic’s home venue alone, it’s safe to say there is a demand for the sport in Manchester.

The Magic are more than just a basketball club, they are at the heart of the Manchester community, providing coaching programmes for ‘tiny tots’ right the way through to the women and men’s senior teams.  They have certainly lived up to their club philosophy which states: “To provide basketball activities to all members, regardless of gender, ability, race, religion, sexual orientation or socio/economic status”.  Joe Forber and his wife Maggie, who taught Maths for 38 years locally at Wilmslow High School and Sir John Deane's Sixth Form College, are two dedicated individuals, who are committed to giving back to their community. Forber has coached for 40 years, producing 10 full international players, including John Amaechi, who progressed to become the first English player to play in the NBA, where he appeared for the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Orlando Magic.  Amaechi, like the Forbers, has been a fundamental part of the Manchester Magic programme, donating £250,000 worth of funding to help create the first purpose-built three court basketball facility in the country, which is named after him. 

There has been a dearth of investment in the UK Basketball scene, which was exemplified by the UK Sport’s decision to withdraw all the funding agreed to British Basketball, despite UK Sport receiving a record budget of £347m, an 11% increase on their budget for London 2012.  The decision caused a national backlash from the basketball community, which included a letter from British NBA superstar Luol Deng to Prime Minister David Cameron.  A frustrated Deng insisted that he, along with other people involved in the game, have put too much in and care too greatly to let this happen.  Ultimately, the funding was reinstated for the next year after British Basketball appealed the decision, however, they will need to reach a strict criterion to receive their funding for a further three-years leading to Rio.  Amaechi has called for a full revamp in the way that professional basketball is run in the country condemning it as “the worst in the world bar none”.  Having played in America, Italy, Spain, France, and Greece, Amaechi certainly has an unrivalled perspective of the state of the British basketball.  He acknowledges that for the country to develop they would need to build similar centres to the one he helped fund, though a deterrent to potential investors is the thought that the ABC makes no money. 

Last year, after a successful campaign for the Magic U18s, two of the outstanding performers Jack Crook and Jordan Whelan, fled to America to further their potential through the US college system, following in the footsteps of Haris Charalambous.  Crook, a 6’ 9” centre, who also played for the Magic’s senior men’s team, had earned a four-year all-expenses-paid scholarship with Seattle University, after impressing in the annual youth tournament in Cherbourg.  Of all the international sports, both basketball and football are the two that attract the widest audiences and participants globally. In essence, the UK and USA are in juxtaposition, in terms of basketball and football.  The UK is home to the most popular league of football, with the Barclays Premier League, which receives a wealth of investment and sponsorship.  The USA, likewise, can boast an unrivalled basketball model, from college opportunities leading into the NBA league, whilst they struggle to increase the profile of their Major League of soccer.  As such it is only natural that budding footballers in the USA strive to play in Europe, just as young basketball players aspire to play at a higher level abroad.  Former Cheshire Jets forward Murtagh, who was ranked the number one junior in the country in 2012, was recently asked in an interview where he hoped to play in the next five years. The youngster indicated his desire to test himself abroad, stating: “Hopefully Europe. I’m not delusional enough to think I will play over in America but I’d like to play in one of Europe’s top leagues.”

In this year’s Cherbourg event, Pharroh Gordon was selected on the All Star Five team.  The youngster had only just turned 17, days before the EBL Division 2 play-off final, and the Magic will be hoping they will be able to retain his services, ahead of next year’s challenge in the first division.  Though Gordon failed to make an impact in the final, he has demonstrated his vast-array of skills throughout the campaign.  Coach Middleton had no qualms about blooding Gordon as a 16-year-old, claiming he had “earned his minutes”.  Including a player with the qualities of Gordon is a no-brainer, however Middleton has continually integrated lesser talented individuals into the first team rotation to give them a chance to evolve and be included.  In his attempt to gain promotion to the EBL Division 1, Middleton could have easily been forgiven for focussing on a core group of players.  The passionate coach has worked tirelessly to improve the Magic team, and to earn back-to-back promotions is nothing short of a minor miracle, taking everything into consideration. 

Tom Ward, who had left the play-off finals shattered, had literally turned into the team’s leader, once Tom Devitt was ruled out through injury.  Along with Middleton, Ward was a key factor in the Magic achieving the improbable promotion.  He finished the season as the ninth highest scorer in the league, and second in assists, whilst playing the most minutes in each game.  With Devitt out for the season, Ward became irreplaceable for the Magic.  When Middleton attempted to give Ward a rest for the youngster Patrick Whelan in the final, the disparity was clear.  Whelan turned over possession on four occasions in just over eight minutes as NASSA’s back-court smelt blood. With such a young team around him, Ward can only be eulogised for his outstanding play throughout the successful campaign.

The opportunity to play in the first division could prove decisive to the Magic’s chances of retaining their youngsters.  However, it’s the recent announcement that the Magic are to provide Sports Excellence Scholarships over the next three years to suitable student athletes who attend the University of Salford which may ensure they retain their best talent.  In the next three years, four Scholarships will be issued each year: one Gold Scholarship worth £5,500 per year for three years, two Silver Scholarships worth £3,500 per year for three years, and one Bronze Scholarship worth £1,000 per year for three years.  Additionally, there will be two more Scholarships made available worth £2500 per year, over a three year period, for student athletes: The Joe and Maggie Forber Award and The John Amaechi Award. These will be available for players of the Magic and their sister team the Manchester Mystics, although to qualify the applicant must be in further or higher education in the Northwest, though not specific to the University of Salford.  Not only are the Forbers and Amaechi providing a platform for youngsters to develop their social and sporting skills, they are also encouraging their youngsters to develop academically.

The Giants’ return to the BBL will present opposition for the Magic, as the Giants are looking to cast their net in the same region to capture the best available young talent.  Still, the Magic are a year ahead of schedule and profiting from their youth teams that have been integrated into the senior setup seamlessly under Middleton’s tutelage.  The vision that Forber has put in place is transcendent to all players, staff, and supporters, who walk through the doors at the ABC.  His legacy is unyielding: demanding that above success must be fair play and hard work.  Forber’s Magic, is a special club that is designed to uplift and develop the people of Manchester, giving the City a basketball club that the people of Manchester can be proud of for years to come.

Bolton Town Hall

WHAT exactly defines a town or city? Is it the people, architecture, size, or location? Andrew Bailey investigates the rather bloody and gory history of Bolton and why it possibly has never been given city status.

A HOPEFUL Bolton town and its community, waited in anticipation to see if their bid to become a city, was successful in March 2012. Sadly, for the town’s council bosses and citizens, the decision didn’t go their way.

The awards were part of the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee in which Chelmsford, Perth and St Asaph in Wales were granted new city status.

Before getting in to the nitty gritty, it would be a good idea to take a look at the town and get under the skin, to gage a feeling for its makeup. Bolton was once a hotbed for clattering weaving machinery powered by steam engines. The billowing smoky tops playing centre stage in the industrial revolution of the entire North West region. The cotton trade was big business and even lead to an influx of Flemish weavers, who settled from Belgium centuries ago. The town is notorious in creating big personalities and perhaps one of the most celebrated is Fred Dibnah?

If ever there was a man who epitomised the town’s industrial past it has be Fred. With stereotypical flat cap and cig in mouth, he used to lovingly restore steam powered traction engines – and use them as transport! He became an instant TV star overnight, back when the first ever documentary was made on him, and his occupation back in 1979. In this first ever episode, he was shown swinging from the clock tower of Bolton’s Town Hall, as he made repairs. The rather eccentric Lancastrian, who valued Victorian feats over modern living, made the local headlines when he built a mineshaft in his back yard! The cheeky chap even used a bow and arrow, to accurately get the angles of the shaft, which was aired on one particular programme.

From one character to another, we meet a well renowned comedian. When people ask who Bolton’s best loved son is, then it probably will be received with Peter Kay. Bursting on to our screens in a comedy based documentary, piloted back in the late 1990s. Playing various characters in ‘That Peter Kay Thing’ including an ice cream man, who had a personal vendetta against his rival Signor Whippy, for trading on his patch.  Another showed a working man’s club which lead to a full series known as Phoenix Nights. Peter in an ironic kind of way, almost becomes a caricature of himself with his Bolton accent and northern humour. It would be fair to say that for non-Boltonians, they feel he and his Phoenix Nights series personify the very town and district to some degree. Shouts of ‘garlic bread?’ and ‘turn big light on’ became regular quips at his stand-up tours.

Not only is the town renowned for its colourful characters, who encapsulate the human element of the vicinity. Another underlying aspect to cement what defines a town is the very structures and buildings. The 1954 romantic comedy film Hobson’s Choice which was directed by David Lean, was set in 1880s Salford. However, certain parts of the movie were filmed in Bolton, owing to the town’s narrow terraced streets, and its smog laden atmosphere. The industrial legacy and working class housing made it a perfect location, for the film makers to utilize. It has many streets that are not too dissimilar to fictional TV soap opera Coronation Street, which again reinforces the close knit community, along with the working class pitfalls of society.  

Another standout architect feature is Le Mans Crescent, named after Bolton’s French twin town, which overlooks the town hall. As its name suggests, it is an impressive masonry building, which curves around the road. It too has been part of the television folk law, including Sherlock Holmes whereby, it was transformed in to a snowy Russian location.

After looking in to the many contributing elements of what Bolton is distinguished and perceived, let’s take a look in to the possible reason, why it lost its bid for city status.

A good starting point which leads on from the architecture angle, involves an historic pub.  Ye Olde Man and Scythe is based on one of the oldest part of the town on Churchgate, and is said to date back to 1251. Every year the previous landlord John Jewitt, who tragically died in a swimming accident at Lanzarote two years ago, used to stage a re-enactment of the beheading of James Stanley, outside the pub. It is said that James ate his last meal prior to his execution in the pub. The chair that he was alleged to have sat on is still in the pub. Sitting in a glass cabinet in the museum room, the hell raising band ‘The Who’ destroyed it in the 1970s!

The English Civil War between 1642 and 1651, has been well documented in history books which, affected all of the country including Bolton. It is possible to say that when the war started, most Lancashire folk didn’t take much notice, as they were very parochial in their outlook. David Casserly states in his book ‘Massacre: Storming of Bolton’ that most “Lancastrians at the time looked at their county being their country and, probably thought little of what went on outside.”

The town back in the 17^th century belonged to the Ferrers family who also took the gentry name and position Earl of Derby. James Stanley was the town’s 7^th ruling Earl of Derby and had sided and fought with King Charles 1^st in the civil war. After fleeing battle and leaving the King, James Stanley made his way North with his Royalist contingent. Unfortunately, he and his army were ambushed by a group of Parliamentarians, at a bridge at Whitchurch, as they marched from Nantwich. The royalist contingent surrendered and became prisoners, with the Earl of Derby being one of them.

Author, David Casserly, explains that instead of the prisoners being granted mercy in previous cases, the captured would be “brought to trial and be made an Example of Justice.” The present method back then of ‘Example of Justice’ involved the rather gory act of beheading the prisoner, often in public places.

After being tried for treason in Chester, James Stanley, who was also the present King of the Isle of Man, in his defence proclaimed that as he was head of the island, the jurisdiction could not be recognised in his case. However, this simply did not wash with the courts who declared after proceedings that he was indeed guilty. Reading the charges they declared that “He had traitorously borne arms for Charles Stuart against Parliament on the 12^th August 1651, prohibiting all correspondence with Charles Stuart.” The judgement also read that he had “Fortified his house of Lathom against Parliament, and that he now held the Isle of Man against them.”

The horrific consequence involved him being “condemned to be executed, by severing his head from his body at Bolton.”     

This blood curdling and gruesome act of justice happened, on October 15, 1651 at 3pm outside Ye Olde Man and Scythe pub, on a scaffold built on Churchgate. It was witnessed by 100 people with a local man by the name of George Whowell, doing the horrific deed, owing to his personal grievance with Stanley, in the Bolton Massacre.

Fast forwarding 361 years to 2012 when Queen Elizabeth 2^nd celebrated her Diamond Jubilee, was this cold blooded act if justice the key reason, for the town losing out on becoming a city?

The term begrudging is defined in the dictionary as;

1. To envy or resent the pleasure or good fortune of.

2.  To be reluctant to give, grant, or allow.

If this is indeed a fundamental reason, why the town lost out for its city status, including previous bids, then this is a serious bout of resentment on behalf of the Crown and establishment. Interestingly and quite factually accurate, most people will point out that the decision making doesn’t actually lie with the Crown, but with the government, owing to the fact that it is a democratic decision.

The ruling monarch lost the majority of its essential powers, after the English Civil War was won by the Round Heads. The subsequent kings and queens have been part of the institution, more as a head of state and figurehead, instead of the notion of ‘divine right’ of rule. The Parliamentary system consists of representative democracy whereby, the power is sought through elected MPs who fight for their own constituency. 

If this is the case then it was indeed, the Parliamentarians, under the control of Oliver Cromwell and his New Model Army, who charged James Stanley and ordered his beheading some 350 years ago. Surely, if the town conformed and agreed to be the stage for the Royalist’s execution set out by the elected Parliamentarians, there is a sense of discrepancy for this side of the argument? In layman’s terms the town supported the Government and not the monarchy.

One thing for certain, is that neither the current Crown, nor Houses of Parliament, will ever divulge or disclose the real truth, why Bolton failed for city status. Instead and more likely, they’ll probably offer some public relations thought up explanation, explaining that each town candidate had an equal chance and, that decisions are taken upon their merits. Some spectators may even point to the fact, that the immediate area has cities within close proximity, with Manchester, Salford and the newly formed Preston for good measure.

So there we have it, a fascinating and intriguing look at a historic event yet with possible present repercussions. Even if the argument stands up or is totally ludicrous, depending on personal preference, it offers some serious food for thought.

The town’s council chiefs and citizens were as previously mentioned; rather downbeat after learning their bid had failed last year. However, it is not all doom and gloom as a history staff member at Bolton Museum, who wished to remain anonymous explained. He said: “It is a sad affair, especially with the size of the town, and the strong community we have here. Bolton does still have the legitimate claim of being the country’s largest town.”

The fact still remains, that this could possibly represent one of the biggest and best kept secrets in modern Britain. Also, if true it could be seen as a massive injustice to the people and the town of Bolton.

Not getting too disheartened, maybe the town’s gritty humour is the best way to conclude? So to quote Britain’s best loved steeplejacks, we will end with Fred Dibnah’s famous one liner, after bringing down a chimney: “Did you like that?”

From Col. Hurst RAMC 1918

Pte. Percy Meek, aged 23 basket maker from Snettisham.

Pte. Meek joined the Army in 1913. He was slightly wounded in the thigh in May 1915, after serving from the beginning of the war. He returned to the front in October 1915. He was quite fit until February 19^th1916, when he had to be forcibly prevented from going over the parapet to attack some German mortars which were firing at his trench. He then became dazed, and on reaching the aid post he could not answer questions, but he obeyed simple commands such as to put out his tongue. He believed he was still in the trenches which were being heavily shelled; his eyes were fixed on imaginary trench-mortar shells coming towards him, his pupils were widely dilated, and he sweated profusely. His pulse was 140. Convulsive tremors of the head, trunk and limbs constantly occurred. When he reached a hospital in England on March 2^nd, his expression was apprehensive, he saw the ghosts of Germans he had bayoneted come to take revenge on him and he heard them fire at him. He was still unable to speak, but he answered questions by nods and signs and in writing. He was able to walk with assistance. He was treated by hypnotism, but his condition steadily deteriorated, except that the hallucinations disappeared.

            I saw him first at Netley in December 1916, eleven months after the onset. He was still unable to speak; all four limbs were now completely paralysed, except that he was able with a great effort to make slight movements at his left elbow joint. An extreme degree of contracture was present; the legs were rigidly extended; the arms were extended and the fingers tightly clenched. It was almost impossible to produce any passive movements, but the contractures were entirely hysterical, as they relaxed completely under an anaesthetic and during sleep. Total loss of sensation to touch and pain over the whole body, including the eyes was present, except that passive movements at the elbow were painful, and he occasionally suffered from toothache.

            On December 15^th 1916, vigorous suggestion with the aid of an intralaryngeal electrode during light etherisation restored the power of whispering. It was then found that he had total loss of memory; he had no idea who or what he was, he did not realise that his anaesthetic legs belonged to him, and he had no knowledge of the meaning of words. During the following months he learnt to talk a kind of pidgin English, but the meaning of every word had to be taught, and he used each word in his limited vocabulary for a variety of meanings. All forms of drink were 'tea' and when petrol as poured into the tank of a motor-car he was in, he called out 'table has tea', table being for some obscure reason the generic name he applied to all vehicles. 'Hand' represented a hand and a glove, and 'to hand' was to hit; a word taught by other patients in fun would never be given up, so that all forms of meat, chicken and fish were called 'Puss'. His only numbers were 'one' and 'six', which represented anything more than one, except a very large number which was 'sixty-six' or a still larger number 'six-sixty-six'. All attempts to teach ideas of time, space and colour failed, and he did not recognise any of his relations, even when his father was brought to him in the middle of the night in the hope that he might know him at the moment of waking. He remembered recent events and called people by names, which he often invented; a bald patient was 'no-haired chick', two men who limped badly were 'no-legged chick' and 'six-legged chick'; all officers in uniform were 'Major' and civilians 'Mr' or, if friends, 'Mr Chick'. In spite of treatment no improvement in the condition of his limbs had occurred by October 1917, though he was able to sit up in a chair and enjoyed being taken out of doors. He delighted in childish toys, and in a general way his mind was that of a year-old child. He was quite happy, but was becoming very emaciated as it was difficult to persuade him to eat.

            On November 22^nd 1917 for no obvious reason he had a headache and became excited in the evening. His memory began to return during the night and he talked incessantly. The next day he realised the deficiencies in his speech and wished to have them corrected. When told a word he now repeated it correctly and remembered it and began to form proper sentences. On November 24^th I cured a man suffering from hysterical whispering with a laryngeal sound, in his presence. Though this had failed on many occasions since he learnt to whisper nearly a year before, it now cured him instantaneously to his intense delight. He lost his voice once more on the 27^th but it returned on passing the sound again. This time he felt something snap in his head and immediately afterwards he talked quite normally and his memory of his home and his past life flowed back. His father came the next day and he knew him at once. He soon remembered his experiences in France but his life in the hospital was almost a blank as it seemed to him that he was in France only a few days instead of 21 months ago. He had a vague recollection of very recent events and he knew the men in the ward but did not remember friends who had gone out only a week before. He remembered 'feeling funny with a buzzing head', then 'something in his head was suddenly relieved' and the buzzing stopped when his memory returned. His mental condition was now perfectly normal but for some time very little improvement occurred in the condition of his limbs. With re-education and passive movements the left arm slowly improved but it was not until he was transferred with the neurological section from Netley to the Seale Hayne Hospital in April 1918 that any marked improvement occurred. At the end of a fortnight his right arm, which had hitherto remained rigid and paralysed had improved so much that he could write long letters, brush his hair and feed himself but all movements were stiff, shaky and slow. The left arm improved At the same time but there was still no recovery of voluntary power in the legs. On May 1^st an attempt was made to overcome the rigidity of the legs. This was so far successful that slight voluntary power returned in the feet. Steady improvement followed until all movements became possible. By May 31^st he could stand with very little assistance and could perform all ordinary movements with his arms, though some rigidity was still present. On June 2^nd, his 25^th birthday, he stood without help and after being helped for a few minutes he walked without assistance round the quadrangle after being paralysed for 28 months. His physical condition now steadily improved and by June 20^th he was able to take charge of the basket-making shop at the hospital.