As you may have read in the local press, Trust in Widnes is currently planning an ambitious club history project which will celebrate our unique heritage.
It is hoped that we will receive Heritage Lottery funding but to make a successful application we need the help of Widnes supporters to demonstrate that there is a wider interest in the project and that people would be prepared to come forward to take part. We also need your views as to which aspects of the plans you think will work best and any other elements you would like to see included.
The title of the enterprise is ?Local Heroes - A History of Widnes FC, 1873-1993?. The reason for the cut-off point is that 1993 was the year in which Widnes FC (the old members club) ceased to exist as a legal entity and control passed to the new limited company, Widnes RLFC Ltd.
It is proposed that the scheme will have a number of elements...
1. A written history of the club, perhaps in two or three volumes (eg. 1873-1915, 1916-1945, 1946-1993). As well as the story of the playing exploits of the Chemics, each volume would include a brief biography of every player to have played first team football during that era. We would also look at other aspects of the players? lives such as their working conditions and everyday life in the town.
2. A document archive - a computer scan of every page of every Widnes home programme from 1945-1993 and as many as possible from the pre-war years. Also scans of annual reports, season ticket books, other documents and photographs. The archives would be available for anyone to view at local libraries and would also be made available to schools and other groups and organisations who might be interested in the material.
3. Oral histories - we would like to record a number of interviews with spectators, ex-players and officials to preserve memories of the club that would otherwise be lost.
4. A website to include as much material as is feasible from the written history and the document archive.
5. Schools - we hope to involve local schools in the project which would involve their pupils finding out about any family and community links with the club, their work to be published in brochure form.
So how can you help? In the first instance any correspondence expressing interest in, or support for, the proposed project would be useful to us in demonstrating to the Heritage Lottery Fund that this is a scheme worthy of their backing. If there are any aspects of the proposed plans that you think are particularly good or any changes you would like to see made, please let us know.
In the fullness of time we will require volunteers to help, for example, with some historical research, to assist with recording interviews for oral histories and indeed for people to be interviewed. We would also like to hear from any teachers whose schools might like to become involved and any companies who might be prepared to look at sponsoring aspects of the project, such as the written histories.
Please do get in touch, the contact details being as follows: email -
chemics1873@btinternet.com or by post - Trust In Widnes c/o Widnes Vikings, Halton Stadium, Lowerhouse Lane, Widnes, WA8 7DZ.
Trust in Widnes
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