NEHL - The first Ordnance Survey of the 1850s illustrates a ball alley at Byers Green, on the south side of what is now Shafto Street.

Ball Alleys were built and used for handball (or fives), which is similar to squash. The aim of the game was to hit the ball above a painted bar across the wall in such a way the competitor could not return it for a second bounce. It was a very popular sport amongst working class industrial communities as little apparatus was required to play the game.

The ball alley was constructed on the north side of the village green, but by the 1870s and 80s the area was consumed with colliery housing. Therefore, it's very likely the alley was demolished.

In later years, fives was played at the Marquis of Granby. A game is documented in August 1890, with a £10 wagered between Thomas Vickers and William Peart vs P Davison and William Gibbons. The former won.