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Birmingham Factory Football Teams

AustinLancer

AustinLancer

knowlegable brummie
Apologies if this is already answered.

I noticed that Ron Atkinson once played for the BSA Tools team. Does anyone know any good web sites that list the history of "Works" teams in the West Midlands?
 
Cheers Alf , this has given me a good starting point. I know a guy who worked at Ford Dagenham and said the blokes in the works football team never worked a day on the line when he was there.

Fancy a book being written by a City fan and a Villa man - wonder if there were any arguments in the drafts !!!!!!

It's a pity HP were never a shirt sponsor for the Villa - Rover looked good on their shirts , being based at Longbridge.
 
there were a number of ex professional footballers, i had the good fortune to play in the same team with, DEREK KEVAN, (ALBION), JIMMY MCEWAN, (VILLA),KENNY BURNS,
BOBBY MCDONALD, TOMMY GRAHAM, BROTHER OF GEORGE, MALCOLM BEARD, ROGER DAVIES, (derby), to name a few. PETER ALDIS, the former villa full back played for M&B
and two ROBERTS'ES, KENNY & K.O. played for KYNOCHS.
 
Cheers paulx

What happened to these teams when these businesses closed ?

Did they become new identities / teams like Armstrong Siddley >>>>> Airbus UK ?
 
I have had a look through some of Michael's Dad's football stuff. I found amongst other things a book entitled Birmingham County Football Association founded 1875. Season 1935-36. It is packed with information on fixtures and clubs including works clubs with names and addresses of all club secreteries.
 
Thanks Wendy, what are some of the companies that fielded teams ?

A bloke I worked with at Rackhams 20 years ago was telling me how when he did his national service in the British Army in the 50's because he was a good footballer he got out of a lot of the "army stuff" his pals had to do, especially when it came time to play the RAF / Navy.
 
Dunlop, Chance &Hunt, Austin Motor Works, Bellis & Morcom Inter Dept Competition, Kynoch's, Adie Bros, Ansells, Arcadians c/o Wilkinson and Riddell, Aston Road Tube Works, Atkinsons Brewery, Bakelite, Barker & Allen Ltd, Baxters Screw Works, Berry's Electric, Birmingham City Police, Birmingham Co Op, Birmingham Corporation Tramway & Tramway, Bloor & Pillar, Brades Steel Works, Bromford Tube Co, Chamberlain & Hookman Ltd, City Gas, City Meat Market, Salvage Dept, Water Dept, City Rolling Mills. There are pages and pages will post more later.
 
Wow!!!! Thanks so much Wendy. What a fantastic cross section of Brummie groups / industry. Thanks so much for posting.
 
AustinLancer, Holy Souls would be a church team youth club they would put teams of different ages into to leagues, many teams played on Saturday & Sunday, kick off time depended on how the light it would after 90 mins+ 15mins for a half time slice of orange if you were lucky!, a lot of the pitch`s were almost devoid of grass, the players swilled down i bucket of cold water after the game, the Sports Argus would phoned given the score and it would be in when the Sports Argus was on sale at 5pm. Len.
 
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Cheers lencops for reply. It is easy to forget in today's times what a big part different community groups eg Boys Brigade played in the lives of many. It's a pity some of today's "stars" didn't start off in such teams.
 
My late father in law left me a book "The Birmingham and District Works Amateur Football Association, Golden Jubilee Souvenir Book, covering from its inception in 1905 (by its founder John H. Webster) until 1955. Understand my father in law played for Gaskell and Chambers in the early fifties. Will.
 
Hi Any chance of any scans off the book please, I played in the works league for Linreads, GKN Screws & fasteners & GEC Blackheath & would welcome any info about them. I also refereed for a couple of seasons in the league.
Cheers
Dave
 
Daverock, when did you referee? The reason I ask is that my hubbys grandad used to ref, he died in 1965, so would have been in 50's/early 60's, his name was Jim (James) Meredith and wonder if you or anyone else remembers him.
Sue
 
Dave,
Would be happy to assist but the book lists the winners of the various competitions from 1906 to 1954. It lists the competitions into numerous cups and shields. There are so many it is like looking for the proverbial needle. Do you know the sheild/cup the various teams played for and I can but check if they ever won during the period. It also list the officers and council members of the association from 1905 to 1955. In 1955 it lists: New life members E. Martin and S.Penniall The new Vice Presidents as being B.H. Edwards and W.S. Smith. There is also 'Valued Service Awards' listed for the various years.
Have found dates for the following as having entered the association: Linread - 1942....No GKN listed.... GEC Witton - 1906.... GEC Ileene Works 1913...GEC Magnet Works 1938.
The print is very small to put on the site but if you can send me more info to narrow the search, by way of pm, I will see what I can do for you. Will.
 
I seem to remember Parkinson Cowan Appliances had a team who used to play
at Bachelor's Farm Rec Stechford in the 1950's

Kind regards

Dave
 
Dave,
Sorry no trace of Parkinson Cowan but if they did not win any of the divisions, of which there are on average twenty four, they would not be shown. There is a firm Parkinson Stoves who won in 1928.

Hope the following comes out for it shows a photo from the book of all the silver ware of the association as it appeared in Lewis's window in October, 1955

001-1.jpg
Cheers Will.
 
A.Willoughby said:
Dave,
Sorry no trace of Parkinson Cowan but if they did not win any of the divisions, of which there are on average twenty four, they would not be shown. There is a firm Parkinson Stoves who won in 1928.

Hope the following comes out for it shows a photo from the book of all the silver ware of the association as it appeared in Lewis's window in October, 1955

001-1.jpg
Cheers Will.
Click to expand...


Hi Will,

Yes, that is the same company, it was a very large factory which stretched from
Iron Lane Stechford up Station Road hill to the Railway. Theres a trading estate
now on its old site. I believe they were taken over by Electrolux who used their
name on some of thei cookers. Parkinson's also made the 'Monitor' paraffin heaters.

Kind regards

Dave
 
Sorry if this is the wrong place but it is football related but not factory!

Stechford Winner of Birmingham F.C. Shield 1937-8.​

My Uncle, James Frank BOTT told me he helped to set up this football team.

James is pictured on the back row in a dark jacket. Anyone recognise him or anyone else?
 
I am so glad I discovered this thread as I think it has solved the mystery of a medal we found in an old trunk that belonged to my Great Grandfather. We are in Perth, Western Australia and found the medal along with some old football team photo "postcards" and have been running in circles trying to track down its origin ever since. We believe he was involved in football in the area at that time before the war, however his history before joining the army and eventually immigrating to Australia is somewhat of a mystery to our family.

I am now fairly certain the medal is from one of the cup competitions of the Birmingham & District Works Amateur FA. I have seen the Wilkinson Cup mentioned in old newspaper articles relating to the football association. I have not been able to track down any specific information relating to the 1912-13 season, or the team name the initials EW FC stand for. Any assistance would be appreciated.

medal1.JPGmedal2.JPG


Thanks

Greg
 
Welcome to the Forum, grb, and let's hope that one of our knowledgeable members can help you.

Chris
 
The Devil is in the detail as they say I would think that the medal is not for any sports related prowess as they would normally included the sport they took part in on the medal, hopefully this you will see from a catalogue from 1904 and for some reason it is back to front but hopefully you will get the idea I suspect that it was not for football?



Medals WJD 1904.jpg
grb said:
I am so glad I discovered this thread as I think it has solved the mystery of a medal we found in an old trunk that belonged to my Great Grandfather. We are in Perth, Western Australia and found the medal along with some old football team photo "postcards" and have been running in circles trying to track down its origin ever since. We believe he was involved in football in the area at that time before the war, however his history before joining the army and eventually immigrating to Australia is somewhat of a mystery to our family.

I am now fairly certain the medal is from one of the cup competitions of the Birmingham & District Works Amateur FA. I have seen the Wilkinson Cup mentioned in old newspaper articles relating to the football association. I have not been able to track down any specific information relating to the 1912-13 season, or the team name the initials EW FC stand for. Any assistance would be appreciated.

View attachment 85119View attachment 85120


Thanks

Greg
Click to expand...
 
My assumption is that EWFC represents the name of a Football Club belonging to a Company with the initials "E.W." I have posted something in the Factories section of this Forum, pointing members to this thread.

Would it be possible to post one of the images showing a/the team, grb?

Chris
 
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When I started playing in the B'ham Works league there were 18 divisions in it plus the youth division which consisted of apprentice teams so there could have been about 250 different teams all from factories in Birmingham.
 
When I go in the loft again, will get down the refs award Grandad got and put it on the site, he refereed in this area for many years, until he died in 1964.
Sue
 
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