using SignalR with document onload instead of jquery onload - asp.net-mvc

Question

I have used the signalR chat app (as laid out in this tutorial http://sergiotapia.com/2011/09/signalr-with-mvc3-chat-app-build-asynchronous-real-time-persistant-connection-websites/) in a standalone test site and it all works great.
I'm now trying to incorporate it into my larger project.
Now unfortunately my larger project has a body onload function defined, so i don't use the standard jquery $(function () {}); syntax for executing stuff on page load. This hasn't been too much of an issue so far, most jquery plugins and scripts get executed in the function called by my body onload and its fine.
But for some reason, my signalR code just isn't executing.
Its the exact same code as laid out above, only its called on my body load.
The page loads, does a post to /signalr/negotiate (which returns the url and clientID)
In my sample app which works, it then does a continuous post to /signalr/connect
In my other app, it simply does a single get to the page im currently on.
Its not making the post to connect.
Is there a way to manually call this?
Here is the source of the page not working.
Please note that the reason im not referencing JQuery itself is because its loaded in my master page. JQuery is present.
<script src="/public/javascript/jquery.signalR.min.js">
<script src="/public/javascript/json2.js">
<script type="text/javascript" src="/signalr/hubs">
<div>
<input type="text" id="msg" />
<input type="button" id="broadcast" />
<ul id="messages"></ul>
</div>
<script type="text/javascript">
function ExecuteOnLoad() {
// Proxy created on the fly
var chat = $.connection.chat;
// Declare a function on the chat hub so the server can invoke it
chat.addMessage = function (message) {
$('#messages').append('<li>' + message + '</li>');
};
$("#broadcast").click(function () {
// Call the chat method on the server
chat.send($('#msg').val());
});
// Start the connection
$.connection.hub.start();
}
</script>
EDIT : here is the chat hub
public class Chat : SignalR.Hubs.Hub
{
public void Send(string message)
{
//Call the addMessage method on all clients.
Clients.addMessage(message);
}
}
DOUBLE EDIT : ok, i've made a standard html page in my mvc project and wired up the onload event again and everything works fine. the problem seems to be that polling doesn't seem to working when i call
$.connection.hub.start();
instead its doing a get to the current url and returning the page again in the get request.

Answer 1

The problem had nothing to do with the question I asked.
I thought it might have to do with the onload function, but it did not.
The problem was because my page had a reference to the Jquery.Validate plugin.
The version I was using was 1.7, I updated to 1.9 of the plugin and it worked fine.