Employees recognised for their outstanding contribution to - Belong

Belong Life Autumn 2012
Bevin Boy
could boot it...
Belong Macclefield
A Football League player in his younger years, Belong
Macclesfield resident Maurice Brooks fondly remembers
his sporting past.
Born in Thurcroft, South Yorkshire on the 4th of June 1925,
Maurice was the youngest of six, and took an interest in kicking
a ball not long after he took his first steps! As a boy, he soon
developed into a keen footballer, playing leisure time football for
Buxton Football Club in his younger years.
Maurice started his working life as a Bevin Boy in the pits. Bevin
boys (named after politician Ernest Bevin) were conscripted to
work in the coal mines from 1943 until 1948, and fulfilled a vital
role in increasing the production of coal from mines of Britain
during the war years to ‘keep the home fires burning.’
Professional football
At the age of 18, spurred on by Buxton’s Manager, Andy
Beattie, a former Scottish professional football player, Maurice
was signed up for Stockport County Football Club at the Eagle
Hotel in Buxton. He then spent two happy seasons playing in an
inside right position at Edgeley Park and scoring a number of
goals, before being forced to retire from League football due to
a serious injury.
“Sadly I was plagued by injury during my time at Stockport
County,” recalls Maurice, “and finally had to retire with what
ultimately became a lifelong problem with my hip.” He
continued to play for local league teams for a number of years,
spending time playing for clubs such as “The Millers” (New Mills
A.F.C.), before finally hanging up his boots.
Following his retirement from football,
Maurice went on to enjoy a long and
successful career as a welder and
maintenance worker at McVities and
Price in Stockport. Maurice and his wife,
who worked as a secretary, brought
up three sons Graham, Paul and Nigel,
whom he always encouraged to enjoy
and participate in sport.
Spectator sport
But retirement from League football
didn’t stop Maurice from enjoying
watching the sport. Whilst he doesn’t
really support any one team, he still takes
pleasure in viewing big matches with
fellow residents when they are screened
in the Venue at Belong Macclesfield!
These days Maurice looks forward to
more sedentary weekly games; his
competitive nature comes to the fore
whilst playing whist with fellow residents
every Tuesday and he enjoys nothing
more than a good old sing song, when
familiar tunes such “Keep the Home
Fires Burning” are top of the list for this
ex-Bevin Boy.
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