Where are the lost playing fields of Leeds?

Post by **tyke bhoy** » Tue 16 Sep, 2008 12:43 pm

godfather wrote: If that picture is behind the shaftesbury pitches, it will be the old skelton road ground which belonged to Leeds uymi. in later years was bought by East End Park wmc. they built a stand in the 70s. but through time was wrecked by local hooligans. the pitch itself is well maintained by a mr. Rotherforth and is one of the best pitches in leeds. wmc I understand but uymi? Is it still used by EEPWMC and if not who does Mr Rotherforth maintain it for?

godfather · Post by **godfather** » Tue 16 Sep, 2008 3:02 pm

the ground was owned by Leeds UYMI football club in the 50s and 60s was bought by East End Park WMC in the mid 60s and used by there football club. which includes 2 saturday sides in the West Yorkshire League and a Sunday League side on Sunday morning plus a youth side on Sunday pm. the groundsman is a committee man from the wmc.

Post by **tyke bhoy** » Tue 16 Sep, 2008 3:40 pm

Thanks Godfather, that will explain the added security in comparison to most Sunday League teams.I think I was unclear that I can't work out what the acronym, assuming it is one, UYMI is short for.

godfather · Post by **godfather** » Tue 16 Sep, 2008 5:19 pm

i believe was leeds university young mens institute. this was probably before there sports ground at weetwood on the ring road.

godfather · Post by **godfather** » Tue 16 Sep, 2008 5:22 pm

Oldfield lane football ground has gone, this was the one used for many years by leeds schools.

simonm · Post by **simonm** » Tue 16 Sep, 2008 5:46 pm

godfather wrote: Oldfield lane football ground has gone, this was the one used for many years by leeds schools. Aye, I remember that one well. All us kids traipsing onto the bus outside the school gates to be ferried to the playing field. Off, in single file into the old brick built changing rooms, into kit and out onto the field. After the game, freezing cold, back into the brick shed of a changing room, no shower etc, back into school clothes and back on the bus to school. And you tell kids today that and they'll not believe you!!

Leodian · Post by **Leodian** » Sat 04 Sep, 2010 9:54 pm

Brandy wrote: anybody got any ideas what this ground is about??i live pretty close to this and i have often wondered what went on in here!it seems to have been 'enclosed' behind a decent sized perimeter wall for some reason? ps/ i forgot to add that its just off ozzy lane near york road. I've just come across this topic when doing a search for something else. I know it is answered elsewhere in the thread but I can confirm the field is what I knew as the East End Park Working Men's Club football field.I used to live very near that and played around the area a lot as a child in the very late 1940's to early 1950's. One thing I recall is that it was a way to secretly get into a long narrow industrial site that ran next to Ings Road. I never knew what was done at the site but do recall there used to be lots of heavy cardboard containers (shaped like the old fashioned NHS dried milk ones) lying around that we used to play with. The cardboard had lead shot in between the cardboard corrugations (to presumably provide even greater strength). They were a great source of play fun. If I recall correctly the site had a small length of rail track in its confines and I vaguely recall a small train of sorts (though I'm unsure now of that).

drapesy · Post by **drapesy** » Sat 04 Sep, 2010 10:21 pm

godfather wrote: Oldfield lane football ground has gone, this was the one used for many years by leeds schools. This is what it looks like now If it had been sold off for development you could partly understand it - but its simply derelict now - why???

stutterdog · Post by **stutterdog** » Sat 04 Sep, 2010 10:30 pm

drapesy wrote: godfather wrote: Oldfield lane football ground has gone, this was the one used for many years by leeds schools. This is what it looks like now If it had been sold off for development you could partly understand it - but its simply derelict now - why??? I remember in the early 60's there was a sports ground opposite the chemical plant(I forget the name of the company) twixt Rodley and Horsforth roundabouts It was owned or may have been rented by Wilsons and Mathiasons I think. Its still there.

Johnny39 · Post by **Johnny39** » Sat 04 Sep, 2010 10:34 pm

Brandy wrote: anybody got any ideas what this ground is about??i live pretty close to this and i have often wondered what went on in here!it seems to have been 'enclosed' behind a decent sized perimeter wall for some reason? ps/ i forgot to add that its just off ozzy lane near york road. Try Leodis opening page - "York Road" then "Football Ground", a great aerial pic. of the UMI Football ground.