The Bosley Story.

Chapter 1

" Cookies eight "

In 1945 in the tiny Cheshire village of Bosley, a man called Alex Brown set  about forming a tug of war team. Alex had pulled as a seventeen year old with the young farmers, now a farmer himself, he longed to have his own team. It was a popular sport at every village fete', no flower show or miners gala'  would have been complete without it,  tug of war was the highlight of the day. 

He called the team Bosley farmers, They had great rivals in another local team run by a man called ( Big ) Bill Nixon. Bill was a twenty stone anchorman with a huge frame. The battles fought between these two teams at every show across the county have become legendary. There was little here to do with rules as we know them today. In her book about the life of her husband, Wineford Brown writes that one pull between them took so long that the light was fading before it was settled.

In the following year because Alex was now full time anchorman for the team they appointed a new Trainer/coach, Sam Holland, before becoming transport manager for a local firm, Sam had been a school master. The local corn merchant John Cook became team president, and for a short time the teams pulled under the name " Cookies Eight ".

left to right :- Arthur Brown (Alex brother) Robert Brown (Arthur's son) Jim Dandy, George Olliver, Arthur Malkin, John Cook, Joe Cotteril, Sam Holland Alex Brown, and Albert Bailey.

In 1947 they returned to the name Bosley Farmers and affiliated to the AAA's. This meant they had to pull under a set of rules. Gone were the days when anything went, no more turning on the rope or sitting. The team responded by taking their training more seriously. This marks the beginning of their rise to the top. That year they won every competition they entered, not loosing an end in 157 pulls. for the next ten years they traveled across the country gaining experience by meeting the best teams.

By 1957 the time had come when running a successful tug of war club was beyond the means of the team members, and they accepted the sponsorship of the local firm Wood Treatment. This gave them transport, new kit and a new name, Wood Treatment ( Bosley).  

Now they were able to chase their greatest rivals New Haw & Woodham. New Haw had beaten them in the finals of what was regarded the premier competition in the country.  the AAA's championships at the White City stadium in London.     In 1959 the team went again, this time the line up was Alex Brown (anchor) Jack Gleves (7) Geoff Balily (6) Hilary Brown (5) Phillip Boon (4) Peter Hurst (3) George Hicton (2) and Norman Hyde number one.

Hillary Brown remembers it as their hardest pull ever, New Haw & Woodham took the first end, and were up for defending their title. Bosley fought back with every thing they had and took the second end. The third end was a sheer classic, a battle of willpower and strength, in the end the utter determination to win brought Wood Treatment through. 

In the final end New Haw & Woodham gave everything they had.

An exhausted Wood Treatment clap New Haw & Woodham off the field.

This started them on that incredible run of 20 consecutive AAA's Catchweight titles, a feat that has never been equaled, but now they were the new Champions, The World awaited them, and they were ready to conquer it.

The medal won that day by George Hicton

There has been great interest in the story of Wood Treatment, I am indebted to Ross Vicars who supplied the picture of New Haw & Woodham along with some of their names, and a host of other Information that has just got to come out when this story is finished

Can you name the New Haw & Woodham team, Ross puts them as :-

1. Johnny Broughan ( pronounced, Brogan ) 2. Don't Know. 3. Either Charlie Drysdale or Chubby Cox. 4. Tommy Crossman ( fondly know as Gnome ). 5. Not sure, might be Eric Ware. 6, don't know. 7, Jack Robins. 8. Chick Cross.

Chapter two

" The first ever Twif Gold Meal "

After the 1920 Olympics in Antwerp, the Olympic committee reappraised the games bringing in a whole new set of criteria. Tug of War was one of the sports that was dropped. Faced with this new criteria, it became apparent that unless tug of war became a world wide sport it would never get back in again.

Feeling that the AAA's had more than their hands full with other sports, a group of tug of war enthusiasts saw that the sport needed new direction and leadership. In 1958 they founded the tug of war association with George Hutton as its chairman, and George Hillyard secretary.

George Hutton First Chairman of the Association

William George Hillyard First Secretary

In 1960 George Hutton was striving to get International tug of war revived, he contacted Tage Andersson from Sweden, and on a September evening at Victoria railway station he and George Hillyard meet Mr. & Mrs Andersson, it was to be an historical meeting. This meeting was later to be looked back on as the beginning of the International Tug of War Federation TWIF.                                                                                                                                  From this meeting, and much hard work, sprang the first modern day International, a new European Championships to be held in 1964 at Malmo Sweden as part of the 50th anniversary of the Baltic games.  

Before then there where four national championships and the same number of AAA championships to be faced, could they repeat their dominance in these competitions and be selected to represent England.    

In 1960 they retained both the AAA and the national catchweight titles. In 1961 they did it again and added the new Inter Counties 104 stone title to their honours. I've just mentions here their major titles,  they were sweeping all domestic teams before them, virtually without loosing and end anywhere in the country.

The club was growing fast with new younger lighter members hard in training, it all paid off in 1962 when they won the 88 stone and the catch weight at the national championships, and the catchweight & 104 stone at the AAA championships.

This incredible team went on in 1963 to take the 100 stone & catchweight at the AAA championships, the catchweight once again at the nationals, and the Inter-counties 104 stone, their exploits were rewriting the record books, but could they do it again in 1964, the year all the teams were talking about and training for. The first International since 1920. Everyone asked the question had wood treatment run their course.

At last the 1964 season opened, and the national championships, by the end of the day Wood Treatment had answered the question, they won the 104 stone and most importantly the catchweight. they went to the AAA Championships and again took the catchweight. it was announced that Wood treatment the National and AAA champions would represent England in Sweden.

The weight of this new events was to be 720 Kilos, While we in England were still pulling in stones. Once selected Wood treatment made the adjustments.  On August 25th at and excellent and exciting venue, England Holland, Denmark and the host team Sweden, battled it out in a points contest, Newspaper cutting from the games tell us how close, and how hard it was fought. It ended with Wood Treatment Taking the first ever Twif Gold Medal for England.

The Baltic Games Medal

Some of that successful team at the end of the season dinner, seated at the table on the left is Mr Sidney Thomston, and on the right Mr Donald Thomston  owners of the sponsoring factory Wood Treatment.

At the end of the 1964 season, Sam Holland their coach of seventeen years decide to retire. Training three nights a week, and traveling long distances every weekend were taking their toll. The club owed Sam a great debt of gratitude, and persuaded him to stay on in an advisory capacity. The association awarded him their highest honour the " Award of Merit "

Now with thirty one years experience pulling on the rope Alex Brown was elected as coach. It was a good choice, Alex was to take the club from strength to strength. England were to host the next European games at the crystal palace London. Wood treatment were determined to be there to defend their European crown. They won the national title again and were chosen to represent.

Twenty Thousand spectator in the Crystal Palace stadium roared wood treatment on to a spectacular victory  over Holland, Switzerland, Sweden and Northern Ireland, without losing an end.        

The victorious England team.

This win at the Crystal Palace led to an invitation for the team to tour Switzerland giving demonstration pulls. In Switzerland enthusiasm was fast growing for the sport, a Swiss millionaire Fugi Fuchs invited the club over all expenses paid. The crowds turned out in their thousands to watch and cheer them wherever they went. 

They were treated like heroes back home in England. The BBC radio, television, and sports magazines all wanted them.

The Young Pat Pheonix ( Elsie Tanner) of Coronation street posed with them.

The Game Magazine, put them up their with such great sporting heroes as Lee Trevino, Freddie Trueman and Randolf Turpin.

 Chapter Three

" Bosley open up the world "

While still dominating most of the domestic scene they turn their sights on the rest of the world.

Indoor tug of war Had taken off and by 1966 the first Indoor National championships were planed. The team had been indoor training, though at this new form of the sport many of the other teams gave them some very hard pulls. Nevertheless it was part of their attitude to the sport to believed that the greater the threat, the greater the incentive, and in those first championships they won the catch weight. The following year they took the 88st the 100st and the 104st. and again in 1968. and catchweight in 69. From1971 until 1977 their name appears in the record books at indoor for every year.  

All this along with wins at multiple weights in the outdoor championships from 1960 until1978. Even when this picture was taken in 1974 they were being hailed as the greatest team ever, and there was a lot more to come.

Their International record still stands as one of the greatest ever, representing  England Thirteen times and winning Gold for their country on every occasion without ever loosing an end.

Off to Ireland for the 1970 European Championships and again Wood Treatment won the gold medal for England, defeating the Republic of Ireland in the final, the home crowd very sportingly gave Bosley a big ovation for winning every end in the 720 Kilos.

Next stop Switzerland 

They win again without losing an end. The Swiss association present them with a silver salver and the traditional symbolic cow bell.  

                                                                                                                 While all this was going on George Hutton was still working hard to further the sport Internationally. He had made contact with one of the top people in Spanish tug of war Calaz Corte , Calaz invited England to come and pull against the Spanish champions " Marquina " who weighed in at 1000 Kilos.

George Hutton got in touch with Wood Treatment as English champions, and Alex was pleased to accept the challenge, although they only weighed 720 Kilos. They traveled to Spain with George Hutton as team manager, on arriving they learnt there was a new Spanish champion team and these weighed even heavier. Bosley took that years national championship team plus to spares. On the day of the contest the Spanish coach came over and shook Alex's hand and said,” After we've beaten you, you can put the other two on to make it a bit more exciting for the crowd ”.   The two teams marched out behind George Hutton with the " Union Jack Flag " The Spanish judge looked very confident as he started the pull, The heavy Spanish team lifted and lifted, nothing happened, the number two's head came up to see why Bosley weren't coming forward, Bosley were in complete control, and worked the Spaniards back in twenty seconds.

They seemed to think that there was something special about the Bosley boots that gave them that extra quality to their pulling, several of the teams where approached to sell them. It is fair to say that Bosley did a lot to sow the seed for the Basque tug of war to enter the world scene. The British Counsel Mr Brian Gorden was extremely pleased with Wood Treatment and wrote to the AAA's saying that they were a credit to their country.

Alex pictured here with the famous five that were to backbone of the team for eighteen years

With so many years of experience behind him as founder of the team, puller and coach, Alex brown was asked to take up judging. He took the necessary examination, This turn in Alex career was at times to take him away from the team. So one of the team John Hollinshead was voted in to coach the team when Alex was absent.   

By 1972 Twif was up to eight countries, the latest one being South Africa. A visit was for arranged for four countries to go there and pull a test series. Bosley and Camberley were invited to represent England. With George Hutton as their manager, Bosley at 720K and Camberley at 640K, they set off on a seventeen day tour. 

George Hicton and Hillary Brown make their plans.

The first test was in Cape Town with each country pulling the best of five ends. 

The Springboks test side were waiting

A German teams was pulling the South Africans in the 640 Kilos.  George Hutton said to Jack Frazier the Camberley coach, " Look at these boys " George was obviously impressed. Camberley won the 640 dropping just one end to the German team. Bosley won the 720 K without losing an end.

As the tour went on Bosley remained unbeaten. A Johannesburg Newspaper magnet that owned " Die Vaderland " decided to put together a team of his own, and threw out a challenge to Bosley. The President of the South African Tug of War Union, rather embarrassed ask George Hutton if Wood treatment were prepared to pull this team which was made up of their heftiest wrestlers and weight lifters that could be found.  On behalf of Bosley John Hollinshead accepted the challenge.

The match was arranged to take place in the Golden City, it was billed in the newspaper as. The biggest thing the Golden city had ever seen.  A journalist at the time, wrote: - The two teams lined up on the rope. The eight beefy Boers, tanned, hefty, muscles bulging, with arms like steel shafts, hands like hams and necks like young oaks, stood facing the Englishmen of Bosley who seemed puny, pale and washed out, their manhood proclaimed only by their hairy cheeks. 

In his excitement the cameraman printed this in reverse unless Bosley pulled them left handed to give them a chance.

However, appearances were soon to prove deceptive, as the massively outweighed English team wood treatment destroyed them. Such was the impact that Bosley had on the people of South Africa that the national newspaper next day paid them their highest honour calling them " The Bosley Springbok Team from England " and that they were, greater than the Beatles.  

The records show that they won:- 40 Gold medals in the National outdoor Championships, and 24 at Indoor.  38 at the AAA outdoor Championships.    2 at the AAA indoor Championships. 15 at the Inter counties Championships. 5 in the United Kingdom outdoor Championships.  2 in The World outdoor Championships. 11 in European Championships. and 6 in the National League.  Making that an incredible total of 143 Major Gold medals in the days when reaching a final, meant pulling your way through a host of great teams.

There is no doubt that had tug of war still been in the Olympic games, they would have won many gold medals, and become national heroes like Sir Steve Redgrave is to rowing.

Chapter Four

" Old Father Time "

It comes to us all, even to this super team, though the club had taken on lots of new young pullers, many of the old guard knew the time had come. they had nothing left to prove, and although one or two of them did pull on with the youngsters. The end came in 1983, When they  only went out once, and on that occasion they called themselves  " Bosley old boys" 

Honoured by the Association with the Order of Merit. and given a virtual state visit to South Africa.  Alex brown kept his connections with the team. When he passed away in September of 1984.  tug of war lost a legend.

George Hicton immigrated to South Africa with his family to coach and train the Springboks.  He later returned to England. His death from cancer on November 20th 1988, at the age of 49 was met with great sadness throughout the world of Tug of War.

His great friend Hillary Brown who pulled in every one of those twenty consecutive wins in the AAA catchweight Championships with George, helped me write the story of that great team, and still stand very tall.

When history looks back at this team, the overwhelming impression will be of a great force. Like those men that drove the great sailing ships into the history books, So will  their exploits on the field of tug of war be remembered.  Both of them had qualities that modern yachtsmen, and today's tug of war teams can only dream of.  

Wood treatment continues today and I still rate them as being a very good team, They tell me they are coming out next year to win back that catchweight title, no one should write off this little village tucked in the hills, or the men that it breeds.

From the Farms and fields of Bosley, sprang up the greatest tug of war team the world has ever seen.

Twice World Champions.

11 times European Champions.

5 times United Kingdom Champions.

104 combined National Championship titles.

Representing England on over twenty occasions without losing an end.

This story is dedicated to the memory,

  Of those great men.

   I know a place where the themes do blow, where wild tyme and rosemary grow

There bred these men that once we knew, true sons of England stood these few.

Now all the world proclaims their fame, honouring their Bosley name

Like kings upon the rope they rein, shall England see, their like again.

Editors Acknowledgments 

Without the help of Mrs Dorothy Hicton, wife of the late George Hicton, and Hillary Brown who pulled in every one of those Twenty years.  I could never have put this Story together.                                                                      Nor would much have been remembered of those early days if not for Dorothy's mother Mrs Winnefred Brown, Alex Browns wife, Who wrote a book about his life, one that I have drawn from extensively. 

A great debt of gratitude must go to John, George's son, who has for over seventeen years preserved his fathers medals and memorabilia.  I recently visited him at his home in Ashbourne. He had a table laid out with as many of his fathers medals as it would hold.                                                      Their lay the complete set of the AAA's medals for twenty years, a fistful of association national medals, Medals and trophies  from around the world.  It was very humbling to stand at that table. I'm hoping to persuade John to allow some of them to be displayed at this years Ashbourne show. 

I know that Congleton Library and museum are very keen to house this marvelous collection.