BANK HALL MINERS' CLUB
1957 - 1993
The following reports and stories are all taken from the Burnley Express & Advertiser
December 11th, 1869 edition.
...the first coals were hacked out by a man named William Fanny, and the honour of raising the first tub of coal went to John Hudson.
The history of coal mining in Burnley can be dated to the 12/13th century but it was not until the 19th century that it became industrialised. The first Bank Hall Pit shaft was sunk in 1865 on behalf of the Hargreaves family and when the pit opened in 1869 it was, and remained, Burnleys largest and deepest shaft. It survived until 1971, the reasons for its closure are explained below.
An Article from the Burnley Express of August 21st, 1970
Thanks to the Coal Industry Welfare Organisation, and the men of Bank Hall who subscribed weekly, the project for a club got off the ground in 1954, when a committee was set up. The sports ground opened in 1956 and the club in 1957.
There was a main ballroom, rear clubroom, small bar lounge and spacious games room, including provision for darts and snooker, as well as the committee room and usual offices.
In the second half of the 1960s a ladies powder room was added, a feature which became increasingly desirable as the emphasis grew towards a family entertainment centre.
The committees aim was to keep membership around 1,000. In 1970 there were 800 miner members and 150 associated members. In addition to the usual club facilities, there was a cabaret night on Saturdays, Group sessions on Tuesdays and Sundays and 50-50 dance nights each Friday.
The centre stood on top of a massive spoil heap from Bank Hall Colliery. By some happy quirk of geography, there was a remarkable rural aspect to the scene, because trees abound around the man-made beauty spot.
For many members, the club premises probably took pride of place. But, setting them off, were flower borders, one of the best kept bowling greens in the North, a fine cricket pitch, a football pitch and a small putting green.
The sporting scene included soccer and cricket. The cricket team won the Saturday League in 1969 and did very well in other years. There was a bowling green and the club also sponsored a Sunday morning swimming club at North Street baths.
From the outset the club was run by a 12-man committee, six members from the National Coal Board and six from the National Union of Mine-workers. The chairmanship alternated annually and two trustees were nominated from each group.
From the Burnley Express March 19, 1971
About 800 are losing their jobs at Burnley's Bank Hall colliery, because the National Coal Board is no longer prepared to gamble with miners lives.
This statement was made by the Mine's branch secretary of the National Union of Mineworkers, commenting on the boards decision to close the colliery for safety reasons.
Matters came to a head following the ignition of gas at the coal face by a spark. The men have been given a months notice operative. Now they will have to start the search for new jobs, the Coal Board deciding to make them redundant because redeployment would have been too difficult.
Over the previous year about eight ignitions had happened at the pit face.
Fred Holland was working only five yards from the face at the time of last ignition. He explained; "There was a long red glow starting from the disc and travelling the length of the cutting machine. The smell was something horrible. Obviously, it could have been a nasty situation, but no one was hurt. I must say that the coal board went to considerable lengths in trying to make the pit safe by installing a new machine at the cost of about one million pounds on the year."
Bill Cook, 51, NUM branch president of Marlborough Street "If we as a union had fought the closure we would never have forgiven ourselves if anthing had happened. I would rather have it this way than walking along Rossendale Road behind a funeral cortege."
Harold Weatherall, of Carlton Street Nelson, 25 years on the coal face:
"The had done everything possible to keep it open. It's an act of God."
Tom Barker, 50 of Slaidburn Avenue, after 35 years at Bank Hall: "The closure cannot be helped. It's one of those things, but this is my life and I am sticking to it."
After the mine closed in 1971 the club continued to thrive, both the cricket and football teams did well, and the club was well supported. It became famous as a centre on the Northern Soul scene and people travelled many miles to enjoy the music and dancing. For many years it's all day opening on Boxing Day also attracted a large crowd of happy merrymakers.
Thriving football team
On the evening of Friday 24 July 1992 Bank Hall FC played host to Burnley FC. Burnley won 1-4 and the attendance was about 1,200.
A mural by David Wild, 1931-2014, believed to have been painted for the Club.
ARSON ATTACK SHOCK
After the mine closed in 1971 the club continued to thrive, both the cricket and football teams did well, and the club was well supported. It became famous as a centre on the Northern Soul scene and people travelled many miles to enjoy the music and dancing. For many years it's all day opening on Boxing Day also attracted a large crowd of happy merrymakers.
Tragedy struck Friday 2, July 1993. Fire gutted the club in the early hours causing so much damage that the building had to be demolished for safety reasons. There was nothing that the 35 firefighters who tackled the blaze were able to do to save it. Crews arriving at the scene were delayed because a skip had been placed across the roadway leading to the club and a special power pump had to be used to extract water from the nearby canal in order to fight the blaze.
I am sickened and saddened, said nightclub owner Mr Pino Musso, at this stage I can see no future. Club secretary, Mrs jean Moore admitted that she was in tears when she saw the extent of the damage.
There were signs that the premises had been broken into and cause of the fire, confirmed by the police, was deliberate. No one was brought to justice
