More Welwick Relics

A photo in last Thursday’s Holderness Gazette prompted to me to contact the paper...

I was fascinated to see the picture of the 1922 Welwick AFC team sent in by Bill Patrick.  I came across mention of a team at Welwick during research into my ongoing 'The Story of Easington United & Football In The Back Of Beyond'. 

Many years ago, I interviewed Gordon Clubley, former player & Chairman of the Easington club.  During a discussion about pre-War football in Holderness he said: “Welwick had a team back then and bah they were a hard lot, with 'Cam' Connor and Frank Hill in their ranks.  Games again’ them used to be a fairly rough affair”. 

This was a view endorsed by Cam's nephew, Tom Graham.  He told me that Cam was "a keen footballer of some repute, having played for Sunderland in his younger days" (although I'm not sure to what level) prior to moving to Holderness in 1921.  Tom remembered standing next to him watching a game at Thorngumbald where Cam constantly harangued friend and foe alike, urging a "more robust" style of play.  When Tom reproached him about this, Cam replied, "You've got a lot to learn about the game young 'un!"  Robert Campbell Connor later went on to be President of the South Holderness Football League.

Such recollections are also backed up in Don Rowland’s 1997 publication celebrating Withernsea AFC’s centenary.  Therein he quotes a 1925 Withernsea Gazette report of: “…a very rough house in the cup-tie between Patrington and Welwick last Saturday, for the bill of damages was…one broken leg, one broken collar bone, one displaced patella, one strained muscle and sundries”!

In addition to the above anecdotes about Welwick AFC, I also have in my possession the attached South Holderness League match report cuttings, which I believe are from either the ‘Gazette’ or the former ‘Hull & East Yorkshire Times’.  They are included in an old scrapbook given to me several years ago by my great-aunt Dorothy Webster.  They are undated but given the dates on the other bits and pieces in the scrapbook, would appear likely to originate from about 1919.

Report 1:

More interesting was the second team engagement with Patrington.  This was Withernsea’s first engagement in the Holderness League.  Throughout, the match was stubbornly contested, and although Withernsea won by 2 goals to nil, Patrington had an equal share of the game.  That they did not score was due to the splendid exhibition of the Withernsea backs (R. Woodhouse and Medforth).  These two players kicked with judgement and time after time checked the rushes of the visiting forwards.  Gallagher scored in the first half with a fine shot, and Dickinson, following a fine run, scored the second point.  For Patrington Meadley played a fine game, as also did Lockwood, Coates and Walker.

Report 2:

A WITHERNSEA WATERLOO

Patrington met Withernsea 2nd at Patrington on Saturday in connection with the Holderness League.  For a number of years there has been a keen rivalry between these two villages in the football circle and this rivalry remains to this day.  Patrington were easy winners by a margin of three goals.  Had not Dame Fortune been against them the score would have been about twice as large.  The Sandjumpers only looked like scoring about twice in the first half.

Thorpe and Houlden scored for the “Pats” in the first half, and the latter placed another two goals to his credit in the second half.  Rawdon scored the only goal for the Sandjumpers.  On the whole Withernsea were completely outclassed by the “Pats”, who really played a fine game right through.

The players who deserve mention for the winners are Leary (full back) who was easily the best man on the field, Bolderson and Marritt, of the half-back line, who played a magnificent game, and all the forwards, the three inside men deserving extra praise.  If it had not been for Gallagher, the visitors’ custodian, the score would have been considerably larger.  The only other shining light was Carr.  Patrington are no longer at the bottom of the league and it is to be hoped that they will win every match now and finish up mid-way of the league table.

Report 3:

PATRINGTON FOOTBALL – Although the Patrington football team failed to gain a victory at Paull on Saturday, they delighted their supporters by giving their best display of the season.  Paull are an admittedly clever side, and in Alderson, the inside left, have a forward much above the average of the South Holderness players.  He was responsible for both the goals which Paull obtained, and throughout played a grand game.  Patrington put up a good fight, and Cressey netted the ball, but unfortunately the point was not allowed.  Stephenson in goal was in brilliant form, and stopped several hot shots in masterly fashion.  Walker at back and Holden at centre-forward both distinguished themselves, whilst they received every assistance from their colleagues.  On Saturday a good match should be seen at Patrington, when Hedon pay a visit to fulfil their South Holderness League fixture.

Report 4:

SOUTH HOLDERNESS FOOTBALL

(FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT)

The South Holderness League match between Withernsea 2nd and Burstwick produced a lively encounter.  The match was played at Withernsea but Burstwick (who, by the bye, have five Withernsea players in their ranks) proved the victors by 2 goals to 1.  The match was stubbornly contested, always keen, and at times rough.  Smith (for Withernsea) and Spreckley (for Burstwick) scored in the first half, and Manson scored for Burstwick in the second half.  The play in the second half was very keen, and Smith (Withernsea) was ordered off the field.  There was not much to choose between the teams, but Burstwick accepted the chances on offer.

At Patrington, the South Holderness League match between the locals and Hedon was productive of some excellent football.  Hedon, in the first half, were the superior side, and well deserved their one goal lead at the interval.  Casson was the scorer, and a rare good goal it was.  In the second half matters were far more even, but Hedon increased their lead by means of a goal by Andrews, who converted a well-placed centre.  Although beaten, Patrington played a good game.  Leary, at back, being especially fine, and throughout played a splendid game.  Stephenson kept a goal, and stopped several hot shots.  The Patrington halves were also in good form, Balderson, on the left, and Marritt, in the centre, being on their best behaviour.

Note the reference to both Patrington and Withernsea as "villages", along with the nicknames of "The Pats" and "The Sandjumpers".  Perhaps Gazette readers will recognise some of the names and possibly be able to confirm that my estimated dates for the reports are correct.

As stated at the end of my attachment, when cross-referencing with Don Rowland's 1997 publication, the Withernsea club referred to in the reports is probably "Withernsea Juniors", who became "Withernsea United" in November 1919 and were certainly members of the later South Holderness League (1946-1953). 

Withernsea United were one of two clubs in the town (village?!) between 1919 and 1925, the other being "Withernsea North End" (the present day Withernsea AFC).  In his book Don didn't seem to think that either were members of the South Holderness League but the attached match reports would suggest otherwise.  Or was there a third Withernsea Saturday team at the time? (Don does list a third team, "Withernsea St Matthews", but they played in the Hull Sunday School League) 

Another can of worms opens perhaps...  

Here's a modern take on some of the sounds those old boys of Welwick might have listened to...

Freshly squeezed

Saturday 14th January

CML North Division

Easington United 0 Dronfield Town 1

Ours wasn’t the only cup progress to please me last Saturday.  For as we cruised past the hapless Welbeck in the CML cup, the 'Barmby Army' ensured their place in the 4th round of the slightly more prestigious FA Cup, courtesy of a 3-1 win over Ipswich.  My cup certainly was over-flowing that night…

Or rather it would have been had not a pint (bottle) of Wold Top bitter set me back a staggering £3.60!  Bloody ‘ell, thank God Mrs Slush didn’t want one. 

We were at the new Hull Truck Theatre (how long is it before it loses the “new” tag?) to see “The Flint Street Nativity”.  It’s the first of two planned visits to the venue in the early part of 2012; the second one will see us attending Mick Martin’s acclaimed Northern Soul-based production, “Once Upon A Time In Wigan”.  Might have to pack a hip-flask in for that one!

Sunday brought a live FA Cup game on ITV that had actually bucked the trend by filling the ground as Citeh hosted United in the Manchester derby.  Of course the main talking point for the pundits afterwards concerned the tackle that earned Kompany a red card.  However, for me it was the performance of Rio Ferdinand – Lord help us at the Euros if Fabio still fancies him and Terry at the heart of the defence.  And how Micah Richards can’t get in the squad, well…

After Sunderland had breezed past Posh we were treated to the 4th Round Draw, which is a bit of a novelty for Hull City supporters.  Somewhat disappointingly I already knew that the Tigers’ ball was number 11 (why do they have to tell us that?  It surely removes some of the anticipation?) but a home tie with everyone’s favourite (!) former Non-League club Crawley Town should at least prompt hopes of only a second visit to the fifth round since 1989!

Staying with the Tigers, James Greenwood and Les “Amber Nectar” Motherby’s new Hull City Kits site is proving a real hoot for kit geeks like me.  And the duo excelled themselves this week when publishing an insightful interview with Tigers kit-man John Eyre.  Fascinating stuff…if like me you go in for that sort of thing of course!

The prospect of a run in the cup, along with Papa Allam’s promise not to let Nasty Nigel have any of his former players, was enough to persuade Nick Barmby to shed the word “Caretaker” from his Manager title the following Tuesday.  Here’s wishing him the very best of British.

That local delicacy - The Patty

Of course best of British is something we may not be wishing each other for very much longer if Scotland’s First Minister (& Jambos fan) Alex Salmond has his way. 

Given my mother’s maiden name (Douglas) you’ll perhaps not be surprised to learn I’m quite a fan of the Union and therefore strongly opposed to the current calls for Scottish independence.  However, when listening to the likes of Nicola Sturgeon bleating on as she did on Thursday’s Question Time, I do begin to sympathise with those south of the border who favour letting the “troublesome Scots” go their own way (i.e. the people referred to by Philip Johnston's excellent piece in the Telegraph a few days later); that and the fact that it would show the fallacy of Gordon Brown’s original theory that Devolution would strengthen the ties between us!

Hodgy (left) lines up a spare for when Ben's is returned with interest!

Back to football and our own Baris League Challenge Cup third round draw took place at Monday night’s League Committee meeting.  It gave us a home tie against CML South Division opponents in either Bilborough Pelican or Southwell City.  The teams had drawn 1-1 on Saturday and would meet again at the War Memorial Ground on Wednesday week to decide who’s to make the trip out to the Humber Riviera.  Bet they can’t wait!

The first signs of man-flu were beginning to show as match day approached.  I was in a foul mood with work mate Mike whose refusal to stay at home (typical contractor!) had allowed him to spread the lurgy. 

“Might not be able to do the dance class run tomorrow”, I told Mrs Slush on Friday night.

“Well you won’t be fit enough to go to football in the afternoon then?” came the reply. 

“Ah, I’ll have a hot toddy and see how I go…”

I felt a bit better on Saturday morning – good stuff that Balvenie Doublewood - and what a glorious winter’s morning it was.  A white sheen covered the ground but when I dropped the kit off at Low Farm at half past eight, there appeared no danger of our game being off.

In the event it was a good job the game was at home.  Opponents Dronfield reported a temperature of -4C overnight, which would have left Stonelow Road in serious doubt, while the match officials were also prompted to call me before setting off from Lincoln, such was the severity of the frost down there.

Liam does his "floundering" impersonation but all's well

This was to be our first real test since the ‘Festive Makeover’.  Dronfield arrived in second place in the table thanks to an outstanding run of form.  Ten straight wins had been halted only by the Christmas draw at “derby rivals” Parkhouse, a game in which the visitors had come from 3-1 down with ten minutes left to earn a share of the spoils.

Such form made our draw there in October look a decent result.  The feeling was that both Mack and Nicho would settle for a similar outcome this time round.
The afternoon was perfect for football – bright and still.  Dronfield boss Craig Butler described it as “like the Riviera”.  That’s what I’ve been telling people for ages!

There was a bit of controversy beforehand when Biggy Smalls was omitted from the squad, having completed a 14-mile run that morning before duly posting the fact on Facebook.  There’s no doubting that Craig’s probably the fittest member of the current squad but the management were certainly not impressed that this had formed part of his “pre-match preparation”.  Not the start to the afternoon that was required.

Luke’s continued absence on a skiing holiday and Perry’s decision to take up the offer of regular HPL football elsewhere meant the total number of new faces in the squad was five – Mr Matongo being joined in the starting eleven by new keeper ‘Patty’ (signed in midweek from HPL side Hedon Rangers) while Robbie, Alex and Tom comprised the bench.

Can't see a foul there myself?

Dronfield’s official website would later inform us thay had “eight first team regulars” missing.  Considering they named a 23-man squad for the programme, I’m not sure that was such a blow!
Still, they started like a team who were confident of maintaining their title aspirations; neat and tidy approach play, good movement, confidence on the ball but, thankfully, no end product – at least for the first half.

‘Patty’ was forced into just the one real save, and that originated from his own error.  And although we didn’t create much, half-time arrived with most in the disappointingly small crowd feeling there were some points to be had.

Sadly, such thoughts would be dispelled just before the hour mark when Karl Hobson scored in an incident that also saw the unfortunate Nicho carted off to hospital with suspected knee ligament damage.

As our official report says, we twice came close to levelling matters, while at the other end sub Jamie Wallis should have increased the visitors’ lead.  But his finishing was, to quote a saying familiar to the aforementioned Alex Salmond, “pish”.  It remained one nil.

Although beaten, I took a lot of positives from the day – nobody expects to bed-in seven new players in such a short time and there were plenty of encouraging signs on show...despite what our opponents' report said ;-) 
  

Holy (All) Saints - another one gets away!

My mood was further lightened by news of a much better display (despite defeat) by the Stiffs and a fourteenth consecutive win for the Casuals, Robbie Koren’s spectacular winner against Peterborough and a twitter-feed full of Leicester fans demanding Pearson’s head.  Bitter? Moi?!

As I performed the Saturday evening clearing away duties, to the accompaniment of a glass of sloe gin and the sound of Henry’s Jukebox on local radio, with his fine mix of “classic blues, swing, rock & roll and soul”, I was once again convinced that we were on the up...for now!

Postscript: Given the title of the post it would be remiss of me to leave without posting a couple of gems from those lovely guys at, wait for it, Freshly Squeezed. Ha, get it?
Aw, it's ferkin seamless this blog...

Happy New Year!

Saturday 7th January
Baris CML Challenge Cup R2
Easington United 6 DFS Welbeck Welfare 0

Less than a fortnight into 2012 and it would appear I've already fallen down on one of my New Year resolutions, namely that of ensuring I keep on top of this blogging malarkey.  Anyway, better late than never...    

Christmas was a fairly low-key event in the Slush household this time around; Mrs Slush’s latest bout of tonsillitis helping put something of a downer on any wild partying she (and I for that matter) might have had in mind.

Not that it wasn’t enjoyable, thanks to fact that both the Elder & Younger Slushette are still of an age to completely buy into the idea of Father Christmas.

Hutton Cranswick’s resignation from the league meant we were one of few teams not in action on the Holiday Tuesday.  According to CML Chairman Frank Harwood, it proved a cracking day for the league with “crowds of over a hundred reported at five games and attendances in general up on the norm”.

Lack of a game meant Mack and Nicho were quick to push for decent attendance at the three training sessions between the back-to-back games against Welbeck.  They weren’t disappointed and as 2012 arrived it did so with a genuine belief on our part that things may just be on the up again.

The Comeback Kid (with three new followers)

Mrs Slush’s inability to do much socialising over the time off had allowed me to catch up on my reading and I ended 2011 with an absolute belter in Dominick Sandbrook’s “State Of Emergency(Britain: The Way We Were 1970-74)”.

Being born in 1966, the period covered by the third instalment of Sandbrook’s historical series evoked many memories of my boyhood years living up Turmarr Villas, the small cul-de-sac of council houses adjoining the original Easington School.  And while too young to appreciate Prime Minister Heath’s dealings with the TUC, IRA and EEC, I could fully relate to the author’s accounts of what was on the BBC and ITV.

As such his chapter detailing the children's telly of the time brought back to some great memories, as did the pieces on the "classic" sitcoms of the era - The Good Life, Rising Damp, Are You Being Served, Love Thy Neighbour and Til Death Us Do Part.  Oh 'eck.

For me, ‘State Of Emergency’ provides some excellent background to events that would come to dominate later life.  Indeed, some of the parallels with recent events are quite staggering – public sector pay disputes, racial tensions and arguments over Europe.  Never mind 1981 (from which several Official Papers have just been released), a lot of what’s happening now is very reminiscent of Britain in the early 1970s.

A new Starter (sorry!)

Back in January 1972 as they prepared to entertain the likes of Humbleton and Thorngumbald, if someone had told people involved with Easington United that some forty years later they'd be hosting teams from north Nottinghamshire, they'd have been accused of sampling some of the recreational “aids” that, although associated with the “Swinging Sixties”, according to Sandbrook really came into their own during the early Seventies!

But here we are and, thanks to the work of the management over the Festive Break, here is hopefully where we’ll be staying.  This despite the rumours circulating on the unofficial CML message board that suggested we have resigned from the competition.  We haven’t and we have no immediate plans to do so.

An apt cover as it turned out!

A Christmas/New Year accompanied by weather in marked contrast to that of twelve months earlier ensured there was never any doubt that our return to action would go ahead as planned.  And so, at five to two on 7th January 2012, the latest incarnation of the Eastenders First Team emerged from the home changing rooms ready to do battle for a place in the last sixteen of the league cup.

Due to Bezza’s work commitments, Ben “Killer” Killingsworth became the second of the new recruits to make his full debut; deputising at left-back (or “left-half” as regular supporter Ted Roberts later termed the role!).  Elsewhere, Messrs. Roberts, Shortland and Start were handed slots on the bench.

The result was never really in doubt from the minute the skipper headed home on 12mins.  A superb second followed just past the half-hour only for AG to then blot his copybook when striking a second half penalty that is still rising.  No hat-trick for Graham then.

Aside from striking the woodwork at 2-0, Welbeck rarely threatened a comeback and when Nicho slotted home a second penalty our progress was assured.  A Frost goal and debut strikes for Start and Shortland capped a fine afternoon.
Dare I say the future is bright again?

Thanks to Burt Graham for the photographs

And as this song has irritated me for the past few weeks I might as well inflict it on you all too...

 

Ram Raided

Monday 2nd January

Football League Championship

Hull City 0 Derby County 1

Having only caught my first City game of the season a few weeks before, via the midweek win over Birmingham, I might have known my second wouldn't prove anywhere near as enjoyable.
As some sort of good luck charm I took the Elder Slushette - well, she boasts a far better record over her first few City games than I ever did.

Coming into the fixture on the back of two solitary goal away defeats in which the Tigers had reportedly been the better team in both, it was almost predictable that Nigel Clough's "Dawby" would complete a miserable Christmas period for St Nick.  Ah well...