HISTORY

Jack Stevens and the Lower Gornal Athletic Football Club 1948/49 season update 29/1/03 gives team line-up, see foot of article Click photo to enlarge Recently we published an article about an old photo of Gornal Athletic outside the Old Bulls Head. We guessed that the Athletic photo was 1950's, but were confused because the team pictured were displaying trophies and medals, whereas the club history in match programmes does not mention a successful side in that era. We were therefore fascinated to receive the following from Jackie Freedman (nee Stevens): Although I haven't lived in Gornal for many years I was born and brought up there in the 50's and 60's. I now live in Devon and was sent a copy of the article about the website in last week's Dudley News by my mother. I logged on yesterday evening to find a photograph of Lower Gornal football team. I recognised the occasion as I have a very similar photo taken at the same time framed and hanging in my home. My father Jack Stevens is one of the team, seated front row, second from the right. The season is 1948/49. The photograph was to celebrate two victories: the winners of the Wolverhampton Charity Cup and the winners of the J.W. Hunt Cup competition. During that season the team also became joint holders of The Bird Cup. 1948/49 also saw the team win the Wolverhampton Amateur League Cup. My mother also has a cup dated 1949/50, with Wolverhampton Amateur League Cup engraved on and my father's name. I am amazed that there is no reference to this team in the history of Lower Gornal football club, as they brought success and recognition to the village so soon after the Second World War. At that time the population of Gornal was significantly smaller than the present day and the pride in the victories of the team in those few years was evident during the following decade. I remember even as late as the early 80's when my father visited Garden Walk to watch a match, one elderly gentleman groaning about a missed goal and turning to my dad saying, 'you'd have put that one in alright Jack!' Until the move to Garden Walk the team would get changed behind the Bull's Head and they would also hold meetings there. In fact for many years the photo of that successful team hung on the wall in the pub. They were a talented side many of whom had had their footballing year curtailed by the war and in the late 40s were once again enjoying being able to play. My own father had undergone trials for Derby County, then a successful first division side, but the war came and that was that! The photo and article appeared in the Bugle in February 1997. My mother tells me that the goalkeeper's name was William Hyde and the trainer was Arthur Grainger. I hope this has given you a little insight into the team of the time. If my father were still alive he would have been proud to tell you some more, but he sadly died in 1996. * * * 29/1/03 update from Jackie: I'm glad to have helped in solving the puzzle of the photo. I have relayed the story to my mother in Gornal. She has dug around in cupboards etc and unearthed the names of the full team. They are as follows: Back row: Sid Allen,Jack Westwood,William Hyde,Harry Nock(in overcoat),Harold Halford,Jack Watton. Front row: Bill Brookes,Len Parkes,Cliff Raybould(capt), Jack Collins,Jack Stevens,Sid Lee. I believe Bill Brookes was a flying winger-Gornal's equivalent of Stanley Matthews at the time! Apparently in the final of the Wolverhampton Charity Cup Gornal beat Oxley 2-1. It was watched by the then sports writer for the Express & Star who afterwards said that the Lower Gornal Team were the best amateur team he'd seen in watching the game for 20 years. I also now have a copy of the Sporting Star,dated May 7,1949 in which there is yet another different photo of that successful side. In an accompanying article Lower Gornal is picked as amateur team of the season out of 68 of those covered by the paper's sports writer.No wonder the supporters called 1948/49 the glory year. As well as winning cups the team were also Wolverhampton premier league runners up four times. The gates were then around 400 people each match. Many thanks to Jackie for this information - we are sure that Richard Upton, Gornal's present enthusiastic but under-resourced Manager, would give his right arm to have Jack Stevens and colleagues in the current Peacocks squad! Do Yampy readers have further memories of this formidable outfit? Email us at admin@yampy.co.uk