Birmingham Amateur Football Teams

[Vivienne14]

Yes Lyn. There are so many of these photos around, with lots of unnamed individuals, but if you know your relation was part of one of these groups, it's a good starting point for an image of the person. When I see young people in photos like the next two, you wonder about their story. Did they make it through WW1?

First is Ladywood United F.C 1913-14, the second is of the Wesleyan Cricket Club - champions 1910 ,1911 and 12. Viv.

 

[Vivienne14]

Three more sporting group photos, all local football teams; Saltley, Brookvale and Drews Lane. Viv.

 

[Old Boy]

Hello again, Chris,
I'd like to take you up on your second challenge.
Is the captain Geoffrey Paddison? Geoffrey was probably better known to most people as the opera singer David Hughes (born 11 October 1929 – 19 October 1972), the Birmingham-born (Bournbrook) tenor with Welsh forefathers.
Am I right?
Kind regards, David

Hello David. Of course you are right. The captain was Geoff Paddison, better known as David Hughes. For the life of me I cannot think why I missed answering your post at the time. I am extremely sorry.
Chris Beresford (Old Boy)

 

[RickyJ]

Another proper grown up team from Small Heath area that shook the World just before my prime fooitballing time (1953-54). DIGBY UNITED. Sponsored by the true Brummy Digby family.

My late and much loved Brother in Law Johnny Ellis is third from left back row, and his mate Deakin is third from right, back row. I do not know the others. Both of these men had trials for Pro Clubs, and both represented the National Army side (National Service was rife then of course). Any further info on any of these blokes would be tremendous.


View attachment 82061

Dennis, my Dad Clifford Jones was from Small Heath and often spoke of playing for a team called Digby back in the 50's but he always referred to them as 'Digby Amateurs', would this be the same team as Digby United?

 

[David Quick]

This is a bit of a long shot this but does anybody remember Saltley Spartak? I used to play with them around '65, '66. Used to convene at The Gate, Alum Rock if I remember correctly. Can't remember much about the league we played in or where but players names do come to mind: Roger Deakin, Rob Smith, Dave Miller, Wally Slaughter, Robert Blythe, Melvin Hicks, Reggie Pink, Neil Reynolds, Kevin Kane, Billy Derby. Hoping for a lucky hit! David Quick

 

[Edifi]

From 1956-59 played in the South Bham Sunday Lge for a teamcalled Hayden Rangers.Anyone remember us.We were from Glebe Farm Stechford

 

[Jumbos]

Hi Paul,I remember all the names you mention but only Freddie (Jumbo) Clarke in the picture.

You are correct that is Freddie Clarke on the far right and also, the guy to the left of the goalie is Charlie Cooke - I know because Freddie (Jumbo) and Charlie were both my Uncles . I’m also pretty aure the man next to Uncle Fred is Johhny Farmer. This must be a very early Jumbos 11 team - way before Timmy Alsop, Timmy Clarke, Paul & Mark Gardner, Tony Mcabe, Frankie Mceaver etc etc.

 

[kbg9263]

Re: South Yardley Amateurs A and B teams. I played in goal for the team that had Graham Lovett, Les Sparkes, Alan Jones, Jeff Mayo, Alan Robinson, Ray Taylor, Jimmy Ravenhill, Mickey Cartwright, Kennt Dixon. We started out as Yardley Stonehouse in the South West Birmingham Boys League when I was 12 years old and then we changed to South Yardley Amateurs. Made the Villa Cup final where Ray South was in the team which means that the A and B teams were combined for this game. Albert Hill was our Manager. I remember an A v B game somewhere. Great set of Mum and Dad supporters.

 

[Arnold Mason]

Here is photo of my father-in-law William Fenton ( Bill ) in the Wood End F.C. team. I am not sure if this is a team in Birmingham or if it is the village near Kingsbury ( which seems unlikely). He played for many teams both before and after the war.
I will post pictures of his medals that we have in a separate post.
Bill is 2nd from the left front row.



Regards from Redruth

Arnold

 

[Arnold Mason]

As promised photos of my father-in-laws medals awarded to him for his footballing. He was William Edward Fenton and seems to have played football all over Birmingham. As you can see he had a very successful at football. His school report said not very academic, good at football. He also played football for his squadron whilst in the RAF during the war ( never mind the war there is a football match to play ! They would fly him back from France just to play.)

Titles :- Top left & right & Bottom r Birmingham & district Wednesday League
Bottom L :-Campbell Orr Challenge shield


Reverse of medals
Inscriptions-: T L Finalist 51-52
TR Buttler Cup 54-54
BL Won by Handsworth & Dist League 46-7
BR 2nd Div Winners 54-4


Titles :- TL & R Shirley Charity Cup
BL Templars Midland AFL 1934-5 ( This ties in with the photo In my previous post )
BR Erd Palace FC 37-8


Reverse inscriptions
TL Winner 35-6
TR Runner Up 36-7
BL Wood End FC Champions
BR W E F


Titles TL & R Handsworth & Dist Football L
BL Birmingham Sunday League
BR Birmingham Youth & Old Boys Am FA
No reverse inscriptions on these


Titles L Birmingham Festival League 1951
R No title


I have included all the above info in case you can't see it on the photos.

Regards from Redruth

Arnold

 

[COLINSTARK]

Finest footballers known to mankind. Champions of Yardley and the Universe (Division 7) 1960. Marlborough FC.

Back Row L/R Lewis, Roger Pratty, Tony Pollard , Dennis Williams , Barry Gamble, Rob Pedlingham
Front L/R Some little feller, Frankie Treacy, Clive Smith, Johnny Williams, Reggie Phipps.

Some of us went on to bigger and better clubs such as the Brookhill sides, run by a very odd chap whose name escapes me. Does any one remember those Brookhill sides by any chance? Phil Kelly the Wolves keeper was involved. Bordesley Green/Alum rock/Stechford areas. Training at Albert Road school. I think the owner and manager was locked up eventually for fiddling with younger team members....he was a well known meat trader (no pun intended) in the Town I think..


View attachment 82060

H


His name was Bill Wilcox. I played for Brookhill back in 1961-62. Bunny Larkin and Bert Linnecor(both Blues) used to help Bill with the training,even though the had moved to Norwich and Lincoln.Bill Wilcox hzd a good relationship sith Wolves and one or two of us got to go there for trials et . COLIN STARK

 

[jonnybrowne]

I know they re-fomed a few few years back, but does anyone have any memories of the original Paget Rangers in the 1940s? my mum used to go and watch them as a teenager, and before she met my dad went out for a while with Dougie Lishman who later played for Arsenal.

Mum, then Gladys Ray, went to Paget Road school with some of the lads who formed the club.

 

[Arnold Mason]

I know they re-fomed a few few years back, but does anyone have any memories of the original Paget Rangers in the 1940s? my mum used to go and watch them as a teenager, and before she met my dad went out for a while with Dougie Lishman who later played for Arsenal.

Mum, then Gladys Ray, went to Paget Road school with some of the lads who formed the club.

Did Paget Rangers play at Pipe Hayes park? My father-in-law played there but I don't know which team he played for. He played for many teams over the years.

Regards from Redruth

Arnold

 

[jonnybrowne]

Did Paget Rangers play at Pipe Hayes park? My father-in-law played there but I don't know which team he played for. He played for many teams over the years.

Regards from Redruth

Arnold

I think they did play in Pype Hayes Park when they first started - I believe they moved to a pitch in Walmley a bit later.

 

[barester]

H


His name was Bill Wilcox. I played for Brookhill back in 1961-62. Bunny Larkin and Bert Linnecor(both Blues) used to help Bill with the training,even though the had moved to Norwich and Lincoln.Bill Wilcox hzd a good relationship sith Wolves and one or two of us got to go there for trials et . COLIN STARK

Iplayed forBrookhill youth committee team that won the League and Youth committee cup back in 1959, final played at Cadburys and we beat Erdington Abbey 9/1, Wilcox took us to Pattisons restaurant after for a meal, home games always played at Glebe Farm. Bunny Larkin held the club record for most goals in a match(9) until our centre forward Dennis Millard(?) scored 11!!!

 

[Arnold Mason]

I think they did play in Pype Hayes Park when they first started - I believe they moved to a pitch in Walmley a bit later.

Thanks very much.
Arnold

 

[jonnybrowne]

Thanks very much.
Arnold

Talking about teams that used to play there, I’ve a childhood memory (Sixties) of seeing a team playing in Pype Hayes Park on Sunday mornings wearing claret and blue, and thinking it was the Villa!

 

[Arnold Mason]

Talking about teams that used to play there, I’ve a childhood memory (Sixties) of seeing a team playing in Pype Hayes Park on Sunday mornings wearing claret and blue, and thinking it was the Villa!

Training ground perhaps?

Arnold

 

[postie]

Anyone remember John Hewitt, played for a lot of Birmingham teams...

 

[jonnybrowne]

Training ground perhaps?

Arnold

Nice thought, but wouldn't think they'd train on a Sunday afer a match, and certainly not in a public park! Most likely local lads who'd adopted the colours for their team, or, bit more of a stretch, one of Villa's youth teams....certainly got the very young me excited though.

 

[Gwynfor]

Good ole Harborne Lynwood Football Club pictured around 1923/4. It was founded in 1894 and produced players for Villa, BC & West Brom from the hallowed turf in Lordswood Road. I wonder what their nickname was? There is a modern road Lynwood Walk named after them https://maps.google.co.uk/maps?f=q&...2.455094,-1.954837&spn=0.014567,0.027595&z=15

I used to play for Kenwick Dynamo in the early to middle sixties, we were managed by Mr Jones who was a teacher at Harborne Hill School, we were Harborne Lynwoods biggest rivals but we were in different leagues, we played in the South Birmingham Sunday Premier League, some of the players who were playing then were Jeff Ballard, David Knowles, Robert Nicholas & Joey Stone, it would be interesting if anyone remembered us.

Good ole Harborne Lynwood Football Club pictured around 1923/4. It was founded in 1894 and produced players for Villa, BC & West Brom from the hallowed turf in Lordswood Road. I wonder what their nickname was? There is a modern road Lynwood Walk named after them https://maps.google.co.uk/maps?f=q&...2.455094,-1.954837&spn=0.014567,0.027595&z=15

 

[mikejee]

Birmingham had there own Shamrock Rovers in the late forties and fifties,there headquarters was "The benyon " Hockley,they played at Lightwoods park mostly,but did once make a tour of Ireland.
The team sheet as I recall was Kelly,Kelly,Kelly,Kelly,Kelly,Kelly,Kelly,Kelly,O'Shay,Baglin and Beard.

Here is a photo of the Shamrock Rovers

 

[Shinkwin]

Here is a photo of the Shamrock Rovers

Here is a photo of the Shamrock Rovers

View attachment 154250

My Father is in this picture ,he is in the shamrock rovers kit front row first left ,Eugene McCarthy ,also know as Janeboy and was a good friend of Paddy Hogan when he was living in Birmingham. For many of years i have been trying to find pictures and write ups that was in the Argus Paper back then on him and his team mates but with no success ,and when i saw this write up and picture i wanted to ask if anyone could advise me on how to get hold of a copy of these for him please or have any that you could please put on this Forum so i could show him ,i would really appreciate it ,He is now almost 87 years old a still loves to read and see pictures of those days he loved so much .

 

[mikejee]

The picture was from an Evening Mail supplement series from 1998 called Old Brum , and it was no 2.in the series. The supplement was compiled and alrgely written by Carl Chinn. Possibly he has a copy of the original, or can perhaps put you in touch with Ned Grogan, who originally supplied the picture.

 

[Shinkwin]

The picture was from an Evening Mail supplement series from 1998 called Old Brum , and it was no 2.in the series. The supplement was compiled and alrgely written by Carl Chinn. Possibly he has a copy of the original, or can perhaps put you in touch with Ned Grogan, who originally supplied the picture.

Thankyou so much i am very grateful for your reply

 

[onetakemike]

A long shot since this club folded about 1937, but does anyone have any info on Aston Victoria FC, founded in 1880, and became Birmingham's top amateur/ semi-pro team, winning the first two Birmingham Junior Cups around 1890. They fell down the ladder from heady days of sharing the still unfinished Villa Park in 1892, into youth Sunday football, but made it through until almost 1940. They were a general sports club, who had water polo, pigeon racing, cycling and rifle shooting in their range of activities. Did anyone's granddad play for them, or does anyone have a photo of the football team,better still their colours?

 

[Jeepwolf]

I used to play for Kenwick Dynamo in the early to middle sixties, we were managed by Mr Jones who was a teacher at Harborne Hill School, we were Harborne Lynwoods biggest rivals but we were in different leagues, we played in the South Birmingham Sunday Premier League, some of the players who were playing then were Jeff Ballard, David Knowles, Robert Nicholas & Joey Stone, it would be interesting if anyone remembered us.

I remember Joey Stone Gwynfor, he worked with me at Cadburys. We played together a couple of times for the works team. By then he was by far the oldest player in the team, but he still had the ability. We both shared a love of the Wolves. He got married late in life and moved over to Kidderminster, and i havent seen him since. He was well respected in the football world, and a really nice guy.

 

[Tinpot]

Small Heath Champions 1932-33.
Some of the same faces appear in Jack Moulds Athletic 1934-35
My Dad was goalie Norman(Jack or Lew) Lewis.
Les Bishop and Bert Powles are names I heard him talk about.

 

[John Keogh]

I used to play for Kenwick Dynamo in the early to middle sixties, we were managed by Mr Jones who was a teacher at Harborne Hill School, we were Harborne Lynwoods biggest rivals but we were in different leagues, we played in the South Birmingham Sunday Premier League, some of the players who were playing then were Jeff Ballard, David Knowles, Robert Nicholas & Joey Stone, it would be interesting if anyone remembered us.

Hi, I played for Kenwick Dynamo from 1976-1986, the manager at that time was Ken Mitchell, we trained at Harborne school just down from the Green Man pub, I remember in my early days, I was 15/16,and Kenwick were getting started again after a year or two off the scene, so with an influx of us younger lads and several of the "older" players we would rebuild Kenwick Dynamo into the top Birmingham amateur Sunday league team. I remember starting to train with these "older" players thinking I was so fit and Energetic that I'd run rings around them... No chance!! You could hardly get near the ball! With their body positioning, awareness and skill. Most of these guys would have been about 7/8 years older than me, Steve Cattier was the goalkeeper, Extremely good, Ray Webb defender, had played for Aston Villa youth team, fast and tenacious in the tackle, Dave Gubbins defender, Roy Paine midfielder, Keith Crowd midfielder, played semi-pro, Brian Mcgetrick midfielder also semi-pro, Geoff Ballard midfielder played professional in Belgium, Mick Ballard striker (Geoff's brother), and Mickey Lillis the best striker I have had the pleasure to play alongside, don't know why he never played professionally. We played for a year or two in the Birmingham Works League (1977-1980?) Teams like Dunlop, Willmott Breadon, Co -op, West Midlands travel etc, pitches and facilities on a professional standard, in those 2 or 3 years we won the silver Palethorpe Ball (in a glass"box") and the massive Bass Cup (I'm sure you can view these on Google). After this we joined the South Birmingham Premier Division, many of the "older" players retired or moved on. It took a year or two to get our footing but we went on to win the Premier League 2/3 times and appear in two cup finals. In the summer of 1986 I myself moved on and played for many clubs and then veterans football before "retiring" in 2010. Would be great to hear from any ex team mates and enjoy recalling our days of Glory, thank you. John Keogh.

 

[Eric Gibson]

My younger brother Gordon Gibson was an avid footballer from about five years old, played for many teams including for his school and works, he was signed as a junior for Aston Villa then Walsall but I've never had a team photo of him.
There must surely be one somewhere, anyone ever come across one?