HISTORY

Lower Gornal Athletic Football Club (1950's?) update 24/1/03 - actually 1948/49 see follow up article Click photo to enlarge Recently we published an article about the Alfred Allen works in Deepdale Lane, showing a group photo dating back to around 1940. We appealed for details of those pictured, and were delighted to receive the following response from Andy Cashmore: Your picture of the Alfred Allen top shop boys - my wife couldn't believe her eyes when she saw it! Her Father, Billy Brookes is pictured third from the left second row up. She didn't even know that he had worked there. We have a photo of Billy when he played football for Gornal Athletic some years ago, I'll see if I can dig it out. And here is that photo, with Bill the tall chap, first player on the left, front row. Andy tells us that it appeared in the Black Country Bugle some years ago - his mother in law recognised Bill and contacted the Bugle for a copy. The stairs wall rising diagonally behind the group should be a giveaway clue to its location - it's the car park of The Old Bull's Head. We haven't accurately dated the picture yet; from Bill's youthful appearance on the earlier Alfred Allen photo and the officials' clothing we guess that it is 1950's, but the history of Gornal Athletic printed in their programmes does not mention a successful team in those early years (the club was founded in 1945), whereas the photo shows an array of trophies and medals. We will shortly be able to name some of the older besuited figures for you, but the players are more difficult - can you help? Email us at admin@yampy.co.uk