Newspaper Article from The Review
October 13^th, 1999 Edition

By MIKE McKINNEY - Review Staff Writer - EAST LIVERPOOL

Most people would consider blood ties to be the thickest of all.  Capitalizing on these ties between East Liverpool and Stoke-on-Trent, England, is the aim of a new initiative called "Heritage Link" that Stoke officials hope to forge with the city.

Strengthening that link through travel, tourism and sports was the theme of a talk to the East Liverpool Area Chamber of Commerce Tuesday by Richard Gibbins, managing director of Tacklers Sports Management and a resident of Stoke-on-Trent. 

 According to former East Liverpool resident Jack Eardley, who began developing a partnership relationship between the two cities in 1996, about 5,000 families emigrated to East Liverpool before 1900 from Stoke-on-Trent and the surrounding Staffordshire district of England.  Many of these immigrants were instrumental in building the local pottery industry and governing the city, and most worked in the potteries.

Gibbins' talk was focused on increasing the business links between the cities.  He said a video teleconference, involving city and school officials from both places and intended as a get-acquainted session, was scheduled to take place Tuesday at the high school.

The immediate topic of discussion, he said, would be regarding plans for a 14-16 year-old international boys' soccer tournament to be held in July and August 2000, at which East Liverpool would be invited to represent the U.S.

 "It's not just about the soccer tournament, it's about history and heritage links," Gibbins said.  The local youths participating, he said, would learn a lot about the game that would benefit local soccer programs and gain invaluable recognition for the city.  "It will put East Liverpool on the map," he said.

 Local tournament organizer Ann Herdmann is currently planning for fund raisers and corporate sponsorship.  According to Gibbins, all expenses would be paid in England, and the team would only have to come up with airfare.

Gibbins then went beyond the soccer tournament to propose an expanded range of contacts that would benefit both cities.  He said Stoke-on-Trent officials and the North Staffordshire Chamber of Commerce and Industry hope that groups on both sides of the ocean would organize tours, but not necessarily to see the standard sights.

"We're saying, don't travel to England and go to London," Gibbins said.  "Come to Stoke-on-Trent, stay in our hotels, eat in our restaurants, and we can help plan your trip from there. And there's so much history to see there that's a part of the pottery history here."

Likewise, Gibbins said, persons traveling to America would be encouraged not to go to Florida or Disney World, but to stay in this area and experience the attractions of East Liverpool and the Tri-State Area before engaging in other travels.

He said this could be an effective way of increasing trade and business for both areas.  "If we can get it, we need the total support, for trade, tourism and soccer," Gibbins said.

Gibbins presented chamber president Jim Dunlap with a certificate which made the East Liverpool Chamber a member of North Staffordshire's Chamber.

Eardley said later that the soccer tournament and travel and tourism efforts are just the most recent of activities between the cities.  Acknowledging the blood ties that many local residents still have, Eardley mentioned visits to East Liverpool in 1998 by a delegation from Stoke-on-Trent and a subsequent visit there by a local delegation.  This led to a visit by Stoke-on-Trent's band to East Liverpool's all-class reunion activities over the Fourth of July weekend in 1998.

The relationship between the cities is beyond any "twinning", or sister cities arrangement, Eardley said, "because no other city in England has a relationship like this with anywhere else in the world, because of the blood ties."

Eardley singled out the contributions of Stoke-on-Trent's Chief Executive, or City Manager, Brian Smith, in fostering the relationship.  He said Smith had been heavily involved in sponsoring the band's visit here, and he is the driving force behind Tuesday's upcoming teleconference.  Smith is also fully behind the organizing effort for the soccer tournament.  He said Smith and other Stoke-on-Trent officials are "totally supportive of us."   

Eardley, who now lives in Kentucky, said he has had a large number of relatives over the years in East Liverpool, including members of the Sheville, Crawford, Mills, Johnson, Cox and Powell families.  Eardley said he and Gibbins, as well as Gibbins' wife, Doreen, are staying at the Sturgis House until Tuesday.

Heritage Link | Home | Millennium Get-Together
Family Letters | Pictures | Contact