Everton vs Villa 1959 - Sports Argus query

[villafan86]

Wow, thanks for all of your efforts everyone! I can confirm it was a local paper, his parents saw him on it and discovered that he'd made the trip to Birmingham on his own. It was definitely on the train and it's possible that it could have been taken in Liverpool for a local paper there and later reused for a paper in Birmingham.

Can you believe that the one week we need for the Sports Argus is the one that's missing?!

 

[villafan86]

View attachment 219963

I am now wondering if it might be this and was reproduced in the Argus a week later.

Thanks for this! It certainly feels like the closest yet but I can't see my old man there. I'm still working towards getting this for his birthday but I'll see if I can get some more info out of him without him catching on.

I'll see if he remembers the following (feel free to add to the list of questions):

- What station he left from
- What paper he was pictured in
- How long after the match his parents saw the paper

Time does play tricks on your memory so I do sometimes wonder if one of the details is a red herring, but he's adamant it's this match and that's the main clue so should be enough if it's possible to find it.

 

[villafan86]

Yes indeed, I read it that his had gone with his father, perhaps his Dad bought it, having seen himself on the front page, or as you suggest it was in next week's Argus, that his grandparents had bought. If it is the one, The Liverpool Echo may be able to provide a copy of their photograph. Link below:

Want to buy one of our photos?

Our award-winning photographers take amazing photographs of Merseyside every day and you can buy them

www.liverpoolecho.co.uk

I don't think this is it, but it still feels like a good lead. I have a horrible feeling that the photo was lost in the digitisation of all of these old papers. It being in two separate papers does give me a glimmer of hope. If/when the hunt comes to an end I'll show him this photo and see what he says. I don't recognise him there at all though

 

[Astoness]

another thing to consider is that back in the day some papers had 2 editions and the later edition would have a different front page so this could mean that only the first edition was kept at the library of birmingham and newspapers online...think i am correct in saying this but not certain

villafan...do you live in birmingham ?

lyn

 

[John L]

Thanks for this! It certainly feels like the closest yet but I can't see my old man there. I'm still working towards getting this for his birthday but I'll see if I can get some more info out of him without him catching on.

I'll see if he remembers the following (feel free to add to the list of questions):

- What station he left from
- What paper he was pictured in
- How long after the match his parents saw the paper

Time does play tricks on your memory so I do sometimes wonder if one of the details is a red herring, but he's adamant it's this match and that's the main clue so should be enough if it's possible to find it.

I think now that you have a likely date for the Sports Argus (21st Feb) I would first visit the Birmingham Library to see if they have the original paper or a digital copy (having telephoned fist to let them know what you are looking for and why) and if not, check with the Birmingham Mail again, giving them the issue date. You could also perhaps ask what papers your Dad's parents bought and whether they bought a local paper or a national paper each day and at weekends to keep in touch with sport/news and compare that with how you keep up to date now.

 

[Down Memory Lane]

I'm trying to track down a photograph from what I believe to have been the front cover of the Sports Argus on the 14th, 15th or 16th of February, 1959. Aston Villa played Everton away on February 14th and my Dad, as a 12 year old, traveled alone on the train to Liverpool to see the game and back again. His parents knew nothing of this until they saw him on the front cover of the paper soon afterwards posing for a photo with some other travelling fans. This story has been the stuff of legend in my family for years and whilst my Dad did have this photo in a frame, unfortunately it was stolen many years ago. He's 80 in May and nothing would give me greater pleasure than tracking it down for his big day.

I'm going from his memory here so it's possible that it was a different newspaper, but the date should be correct given that it's quite a famous game ('The Valentine's Day Massacre') and I don't think he went out to another away game, so wouldn't be mixing it up. I've tried the club, the central library, the Birmingham Mail and a few other places but have never had any luck.

Any help would greatly be appreciated!

If you haven’t already, why not try contacting Aston Villa directly with your story.

They have their own archivists so you may get lucky.

Good luck, it would be fabulous if you could find it.