In last weeks Widnes Match day Programme there is an article titled, 'Schofield Remembers'
Garry is asked a number of questions on various events during his career i.e. positives and negatives. I was amazed to read his favourite ground was, of course, Headingly however, the worst ground was Hilton Park! to quote Garry; The old Hilton Park at Leigh, TERRIBLE SLOPE, always muddy, always freezing, with a visitors dressing room you couldn't swing a cat around in!
I know Garry's eyesight is not the best however, it looks like his memory is going too


Having played on Hilton Park a number of times in the sixties I don't remember any slope, maybe one developed in later years!!

Did Garry not play at Batley,Castleford or Wakfield?
I can't remember any Lancashire team with a slope although, Oldham's, Watersheddings, would be the nearest to that description!
Can't believe the inaccurate rubbish that gets printed!
PS, There is also a very good two page article in the Programme on the Centurions!

Did you ever go to Grundy Hill when Chorley played there? Not only did that pitch slope end to end but it also sloped side to side! Plus it also had an old railway freight carriage for changing rooms.

Schofield has lost the plot if he thinks there was a slope on Hilton Park. Also, it was rarely all that muddy until after Atherleigh Way & B&Q were built, spoiling the drainage on site - even then, it didn't have a rep for being all that bad.

Lets compare and contrast.







Hmmm, looks like they might need to retitle that article "Schofield Remembers" doesn't seem fitting.

Sorry, never went to that ground and, I don't think Garry Schofield did too although, he won't remember

Brilliant, your photographs illustrate perfectly just how 'level' Hilton Park was and, it shows Mount Un-Pleasant to be far and away worse well done

I think there was always something of a debate as to whether there was a slope or not, but the fact it was debated would suggest it wasn't exactly clear cut.

For my part, I always thought there was a slight slope towards the Railway (Asda) End. Plus there was a bit of a hump in the middle which I think was for drainage purposes.

Don't think Leigh RMI ever complained..

Nah, not much of a slope at Hilton Park at all, maybe a little right to left slope looking towards Glebe St.

Having experienced Post Office Road and Mount Pleasant though !!!!! My word !

Post Office Rd had a 20% gradiend from left to right too !! I needed an oxygen mask plaing uphill at Batley !!

I always though Leigh had one of the best pitches in the Championship...... I've played on it before and it was fine!!!

There was no slope on Hilton park,and I wouldn't say the changing rooms were that small either,but it could get a bit tricky if you dropped your soap in the bath and tried to find it.

It was fun trying to get out of the baths in the referee's room under the main stand especially if you were over 4ft tall!