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Shops Owned By Retired Footballers

Old Boy

Old Boy

master brummie
Hi All,

In the good old days when professional footballers were on a par with us ordinary members of the public and not the overpaid, pampered millionaires that they are now a lot of them retired to take up businesses.
Several that I know of took up pubs but they were generally employees of the breweries. Some of the more sensible ones bought shops. Probably the best known in Birmingham was Harry Parkes who had a thriving sports shop in Corporation Street. (is it still there?)

What oiher ex footballers bought shops?

Old Boy
 
Chris Pete said yes he does remember Leslie Smiths shop as he was born in Witton road and lived there till he married little me. He said it was down the bottom of Witton road just up from Harry Parkes. Jean.
 
I remember Frank Moss, ex Villa, he had a newsagents and general seaside holiday shop in East Looe. He would always be in the shop in the morning and early evening but the afternoons were reserved for golf when his wife would be in the shop. Sometimes used to see him at night with his dad in one of Looe's watering holes.
 
I was taught Sport at Erdington Grammar by Miss Bradford,her father Joe Bradford was a retired footballer and he had a shop somewhere in Brum.
 
In 1973 I transfered from Burton Post Office to Derby, they sent me out one day on a SubPO collection, I
walked into Wilmorton SPO and saw this fellow behind the counter, and said"Good God, one of my all
time hero-s , Harold Bodell, the last time I saw you, you were playing inside right at St Andrews, we had
many a chat over the good old days and at Christmas time I could never get away from him, I also knew
Audrey his wife and Paul his lad who was a good golfer like his Dad.Later on several old Derby players
had subpostoffices including David Nish and Henry Newton. The wages they pay players now are stupid,
thanks to Mr Murdoch and Sky, how can you justify paying John Terry 120 grand a WEEK, Bernard
 
Alberta said:
I was taught Sport at Erdington Grammar by Miss Bradford,her father Joe Bradford was a retired footballer and he had a shop somewhere in Brum.
Click to expand...
Hello Alberta,

Joe Bradford had two daughters, Rita and, I believe, Joan. I was at school with Rita and remember that she had auburn hair. Was Rita or Joan your teacher? Their dad Joe did not have a shop but he was the licensee of the Stockland Inn. Before that he had the Red Lion in Muntz Street, Small Heath and Rita and Joan attended Somerville Road School as did I.

Bernard,

You have reminded me that Bobby Hope the great West Brom Albion player had a sub post office.
 
Beamish, You are correct, Graham Lovett did have sports equipment shop on Yardley Rd, Acocks Green but not now. Len.
 
Gil Merrick owned The Blues Cafe while he was still playing, the £100,000 a week wages were unheard of then. Len.
 
Birmingham City Welsh International Don Dearson had a shop in Church Rd, Yardley circa 1950`s. Len.
 
I think Blues Welsh International Wilson Jones ran a household removals business as Wilson Jones & Daughter. Len.
 
Alberta said:
I was taught Sport at Erdington Grammar by Miss Bradford,her father Joe Bradford was a retired footballer and he had a shop somewhere in Brum.
Click to expand...
I remember Joe Bradford well.In the late '60s-early '70s I worked for Birmingham City F.C and Joe worked in the Blues pools office in Cattle Road.We spent many a lunchtime chatting.He was such a wealth of knowledge and a true gentleman.
 
lencops said:
I think Blues Welsh International Wilson Jones ran a household removals business as Wilson Jones & Daughter. Len.
Click to expand...

Len,

I do not know about a removals business but Wilson Jones certainly kept a pub - The White Hart in Aston Road at Bracebridge Street, Aston. It was usually full of Villa supporters but he was happy taking their money.

Old Boy
 
Harry Parkes's is no more - it closed around 13-14 years ago if memory serves.
The building became a Bar Med - a brasserie but that went to the wall - then in became Minzu - an eastern eaterie and karaoke bar - but that also went by the by 18-24 months ago . The premises are currently empty and up for let.
 
Peter Broadbent (Wolves) had a childrenswear shop in Halesowen in the 60s/70s. When I went to live there in 1968, Johnny Vincent (Blues) bought a house on the same estate. I think he had a pub somewhere in Birmingham when he retired.
 
Seabird Johnny Vincent had The Travellers Rest pub on the Bristol Rd he passed away a few years ago R I PMossy
 
Oh that's a shame, he was a talented player.

Bob Latchford (Blues) and his wife had a childrenswear shop in South Wales after he left B'ham. My ex OH used to deal with him.

Talking of footballers, I've got a shop in North Wales, and last Summer Dennis Law and his wife came in - I had GREAT pleasure gloating to ex that I'd shaken his hand and got his autograph! :D
 
Mossy said:
Seabird Johnny Vincent had The Travellers Rest pub on the Bristol Rd he passed away a few years ago R I PMossy
Click to expand...

Yes Johhny sadly died in 2006 and the Travellers Rest had been bulldozed by that time to make way for the Northfield bypass.I remember Johnny hitting the Tilton Rd crossbar with a shot of such ferocity it bounced back to the halfway line before it landed.
 
Jean, the sports shop on witton rd, was owned by dick taylor
who was i think was assistant manager at the villa when
johnny dixon was caretaker manager, in the mid sixties.
 
Chico Hamilton (Villa) had a ladies clothes shop in the early 70's on the Terminus Shopping Centre very near Johnny Dixon's shop.
 
Just to add a bit more to Lencops post #12 Grahams brother Terry started the bussiness for Graham to join him later. Im sure that the Villa goalkeeper/ Worcestershire wicket keeper Jim Coombs Was conected at some stage.
 
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Jack Crayston (ex Arsenal in the 50's) had a newsagents at the blackwood road shops in Streetly.

Brixhamgazza
 
It was at Harry Parkes that my brother and i used to buy our subbuteo football teams from,no wi and ps3`s in them days ,3d bus ride from Sparkhill a walk down Corporation street.It wasn`t till i was a bit older that i found out i was putting money in the pocket of an ex Villa player aaaah !.
 
John Schofield ex Birmingham City goalkeeper had a tobacconist/confectionery shop on Long St Atherstone, i used to call on him when i was a salesman.
He was a really nice guy, but a little forgetful, he had i understand a metal plate in his head from an injury sustained whilst playing for the Blues. Max
 
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