The 1912-13 cup run, stuttering progress

Town drew away in the Coventry Nursing Cup, but then went down to a surprise defeat in the replay at home. The opponents were Coventry Y.C.M.S., referred to as the ‘Catholics’ who apparently wore a green strip.  

It should be remembered this was a period when many football clubs were started by churches or chapels or had religious affiliations.   The Catholics were the first team to win on the Old Warwick Road ground in the 1912-13 season and the Courier admitted that ‘no question as to which was the superior team’.

There had been something of a problem with Town players turning up on time for the start of matches, but ‘On Saturday the Catholics were the delinquents, their non-arrival causing the game to be 30 minutes late in starting.  The result of this was that semi-darkness had set in before the game ended, and it was only by watching the movements of the dimly-distinguishable players that one could locate the ball’!

The visitors were able to score two goals under cover of darkness: ‘It was during this state of atmospherical gloom that the visitors scored the last two goals of the match.  From the stand, it was difficult to see how these two goals were secured.  We saw the Catholics race up the field; some dim figures flitting about in front of goal; then we saw two or three players shaking hands with each other, and we knew that a goal had been scored.’

The report suggests that Town were worse in the first half than in the second and were lucky to go in 0-0 at half time.   Shortly after half time, they did manage to score, but this was the only time they mounted a real attack and ‘none of the home forwards were up to the mark’.   The scoreline could have been worse if it had not been for the efforts of the midfield, called ‘the intermediate line’ but even they ‘had their work cut out in trying to check the scientific assaults of the Catholics’ forwards.’

More cup heartache

They then suffered a further blow from the same team when they were beaten 3-2 at the Catholics’ ground in the second round of the Telegraph Cup in a match in which the referee seems to have been a ‘homer’. This drop in what up to then had been sparkling form had left supporters of the Magpies ‘flabbergasted’ according to the Courier.   The hopes of fans ‘had been raised high by the splendid strides the local club has made in the Coventry and North Warwickshire league this season.’

The Catholics seemed to save their best performances for cup matches, as their league form was much more indifferent.      A large contingent of Town supporters travelled to Coventry in the hope of a victory for Leamington.  Unfortunately, the team was struck a blow when Jonas failed a late fitness test and hasty changes had to be made in the line-up. 

Back to the Junior Cup

They then had a week without a match, giving them a chance to regain their form before they faced Lord Street at home in the Birmingham Junior Cup.   The Courier reported,   ‘The Town were in the best of form when they did start; in fact, I don’t remember seeing them give a better display.   True, Lord Street are not the formidable team they once were, but they still have a reputation for being good go-getters.  The Town’s victory on Saturday was due to the all-round improvement shown in the combination of the team.   There was a cohesion to the home forward line which was refreshing to the spectators.’   In other words, they were playing together more effectively.

The Courier seemed to be relaxing its normally restrained reporting standards, referring to one player by his nickname of ‘China’ and another as ‘Phil’.  Apparently, the dribbling was one of a high standard, but there were also some fast individual runs with the ball.    The ‘intermediate line’ or midfield ‘would do credit to many a team in higher football circles.’   Unfortunately, the game had to be abandoned some minutes before the end because of bad light with Leamington leading 7-1.  However, they were partly to blame for their plight as once again the players turned up late.

Leamington then had another Saturday without a match, before facing Lord Street again to play the abandoned match.  The ‘Lords’ put out a much stronger team than in the first encounter while Leamington were weakened by the absence of their star player, Gathercole, who was ill.

‘Neither team played a very scientific game, but the muddy state of the ground was not conducive to good football.   Play was of the ding-dong order in the first half, and it was very difficult to say which of the teams had the better of the exchanges.’   It was the visitors who went ahead, but Town responded by piling on the pressure.   They were making headway and had scored an equaliser when the game had to be stopped because of an injury to Checkley.  Although Town were unquestionably the better team, they only scored the winning goal in the last couple of minutes when the bulk of the spectators were already leaving.