Arctic weather hit matches in 1913

With today's match postponed, here is the 'Way Back Then' article that would have appeared in the programme

Arctic weather interrupted football in Leamington and throughout the country one hundred years ago. An attempt was made to play several matches, but a snow storm brought them to an end. Leamington Town went to Stoke in Coventry for a league match ‘but found that the meterological conditions there were worse than those in Leamington. A plucky start was made in a blinding snow-storm, but it was impossible to continue for longer than twenty minutes.’

Fans were looking forward to the Saturday game against Cradley Heath in the Birmingham Junior Cup. The Courier noted, ‘It is difficult to say what chances the local club have of winning, but it is certain they will give the Black Country team a good game. Both players and officials are keenly desirous of bringing the trophy to Leamington for the first time, and providing the team shows the form of which we know it to be capable, there is no reason why this should not be achieved.’

But the Courier cautioned, ‘Cradley Heath are, without a doubt, a very formidable obstacle to surmount. In the Smethwick League this season, they have lost one match only.’ The game had an outcome which no one had anticipated, ‘ending in a fiasco which will not be forgotten by those who witnessed it.’

‘In the first place, the ground was in a truly wretched state. It reached the absolute limit of muddiness, even for a cup tie. ‘ It was admitted that the FA Cup at Coventry had been played on a ground that was all mud and water, but at least that was flat. On the Old Warwick Road enclosure, we get a layer of thick ooze, combined with a series of pools of water. To reach the stand in the reserved enclosure one had to perform feats on a series of planks which squelched as one trod upon them. If the ground was fit to play, it was hardly so. A large quantity of sawdust had been strewn on the worst parts, but it seemed to make very little improvement.’

Town started to kick towards the Municipal School end and ‘it was one of the toughest struggles we have seen at Leamington this season. It was not a brilliant or scientific game by any means. What was the point of trying to do clever things with a ball that rarely bounced, and utterly failed to respond to those delicate touches necessary for good dribbling?’ The score was 0-0 at half time, but in the second half Town ‘had the better end for shooting’ and their star striker Gathercole pounced to make it 1-0.

Then disaster struck. The outside right for Cradley had a violent collision with Jonas and broke his left leg. An immediate collection was taken for him and raised £3-12-6d which was made up to £4 by Town players. However, Cradley then refused to continue playing and the match had to be abandoned, to the considerable annoyance of the large crowd of spectators. The referee insisted that he had nothing to do with the decision. If the condition of the ground was the problem, it was hoped that Town would be awarded the match as Cradley had declared it playable in the morning.