Job done

Leamington consolidated their hold on second place in the Southern Premier League with a workmanlike 2-0 victory over St. Neots Town at the Phillips 66 Community Stadium this afternoon. Merthyr Tydfil are three points behind the Brakes and have played two more games. Chippenham maintained their seven point lead with a 1-0 win.

Leamington dominated the opening phase of the first half and created a number of chances, but they were all off target, although the strong wind didn't help. Obeng was particularly wasteful when one on one with the Tango keeper, putting the ball well wide. The visitors came into the game more towards the end of the half and there were fears of them taking the lead.

Nerves were settled early in the second half when a good cross from Connnor Gudger allowed Jack Edwards to head the ball into the net. A great strike from distance by Gregory provided the second goal.

Brakes remained in control of the game, but did not come that close to scoring a third. Credit to the referee for booking Fortnam-Tomlinson for simulation.

Attendance was 582 and one dog.

The Old Five

Some fluent and fluid play by Leamington saw them defeat Dorchester Town 5-0 at the Phillips 66 Community Stadium this afternoon. Unfortunately, results elsewhere mean that they stay in 4th place.

Edwards headed down for Obeng to open the scoring. Powell then made it 2-0 from close range after some good build up play. Obeng scraped the upright and if it hadn't been for a couple of good saves by the Dorchester keeper, Brakes could have been further ahead at half time.

On 57 minutes a long run from Courtney Baker-Richardson into the box saw him put a low shot into the corner of the goal to make it 3-0. Mace headed in from a corner to make it 4-0. Thompson-Brown then made it five with a long low shot.

On a raw afternoon, Brakes fans were sent home with a warm feeling inside them. Attendance 405 plus two dogs.

Slough of Despond

Leamington went down 0-6 at home to Slough Town this afternoon and were toppled off top position in the Southern Premier by Chippenham, although they are only two points ahead and the Brakes have a game in hand.

This was my first live game since my knee operation. It has been evident that form has been slipping a bit, but this was a disaster. Slough were given too much space for their first goal which was a curling effort from 20 yards. About five defenders were then unable to stop them scoring their second.

Rowe then got himself sent off and Slough scored their third with a free header from a free kick.

I'm not sure what I would do if I was the manager and I was 0-3 down at half time. What I wouldn't do is get another player sent off which is what happened to Jack Edwards when he got a second yellow for grabbing an opposition player by the throat.

There were four dogs present, which was a record canine attendance in a crowd of 655.

When a town has more than one non-league club

It's quite unusual for a town to have more than one non-league club, but it does happen: Eastbourne currently has three.

Both of the last programme articles I wrote for Leamington FC concerned towns which at one time had more than one non-league club. First, St. Ives before the First World War: Mr Doyle said that they had lost several of their players, who had joined the Amateur Football Association club in the town. He thought that the principal reason was that the players did not like the ground that was hired. Mr Corbett said that he was the first secretary of the opposition club, and he should be sorry to see the Town Club to go under. He moved, “That this meeting send a deputation to the Arthurian Club to suggest a compromise, viz., that they should run a junior team and the Town Club the senior team.”’ The proposal was rejected by the meeting.

‘Mr. Golding said it was impossible for the two clubs to be run in the way that was suggested if the Arthurians still kept up the A.F.A. as members could not play for both. Mr Corbett thought the Arthurians would drop out of the A.F.A., and join the Hunts F.A. The Mayor thought that they ought to form their own club first, and then if they thought it wise this club could go to the other club and see if the compromise could be made. A show of hands was taken of those playing members present, and it was found that there were about 14.’

Chippenham

Chippenham was in the unusual position of having two senior non-league clubs for two periods in the 20th century. Chippenham Town and Chippenham United both existed in the early years of the century and then Chippenham United was revived after the Second World War. Chippenham United joined the Western League Division Two for the 1948-49 season, winning their division at their first attempt and gaining promotion to Division One. The following season, they finished above Chippenham Town for what was to be the only time in the club’s history. United’s best league finish was in 1950-51, when they finished fourth with Town in third position. The following seasons were less successful, and they only escaped relegation in 1955-56 due to the expansion of Division One. However, the club was relegated in 1957-58 after finishing bottom of the table. The club dropped out of the Western League at the end of the 1959-60 season and disbanded a couple of years later.

When the two clubs were at the height of their success, letters to the local paper called on them to merge so that the town might aspire to Southern League football, but to no avail. United were well supported, taking 2,000 fans to one away match in 1950. They also had professional players, some with Football League experience, no less than twelve in 1949. However, this does seem to have stretched them financially, as an urgent appeal was made in 1953 over the loudspeakers at the game and in the local press for additional financial support.

The presence of their rivals also seems to have put financial pressures on Chippenham Town. A loss of £711 was reported at their annual general meeting in 1951. This amounts to the substantial sum of £20,145 at today’s prices. This was in spite of a donation of £1,000 from the Supporters’ Club and the £1,000 transfer of a player to Plymouth Argyle. Taken together, these sums would amount to around £56,000 at today’s prices, so the underlying loss was £76,000. Admission fees and share of gates brought in £3,184, but this was exceeded by the £3,232 spent on wages for players. (£91,500 at today’s prices). In addition the player-manager was on £905 a year (£25,600 today) and £37 was spent on decorating his house which appears to have been provided rent free.

Following a game online

I am still not well enough to get to the New Windmill Ground (apart from anything else, I can't drive). Recently, the Brakes have suffered setbacks against local rivals (the Bardsmen and the Pilgrims, the latter apparently not being very pleasant). You can't expect to win every game in football, but are the wheels coming off?

It's a strange experience following a game through tweets. Some argued that we were playing well against a resilient Chippenham, others that we were poor and all hope of the title had gone. Strange how negative fans sometimes are about their own team.

So I was heartened by the report in today's Non-League Paper. It said that the Brakes 'were much improved from their disappointing Christmas results ... the hosts were putting together some neat passing football.' And Leamington are still top, albeit on goal difference from Hitchin, but they have played one more game.'

New Year in Leamington in 1917

Once I have recuperated from my knee replacement, I hope to be back at the New Windmill Ground and providing short match reports. Meanwhile, here is the article I wrote for the Stratford Town programme.

Between Christmas and the New Year in 1916, officials met with Warwickshire farmers to discuss how agricultural production could be increased and made more efficient to boost the war effort. What immediately came up was ‘The Drink Question’. The Chairman of the meeting pointed out that Germany had reduced the production of beer to 25 per cent of the total quantity consumed before the war. Alderman Metters said that this ‘was a matter which should be faced manfully and at once if we wanted to win the war.’ Some farmers did not want to curb profitable barley production but it was argued that ‘The great waste of barley in brewing could not possibly be justified.’ What is now often forgotten is that in some parts of the country such as Carlisle the pubs were nationalised to curb drinking and they remained in state ownership until the 1970s.

The 213th Army Troops Company, Royal Engineers, all Leamington men, enjoyed a good Christmas Day menu on the front. For breakfast they had fried bacon and sausages, bread, butter and tea. For dinner (lunch) they had roast pork, boiled potatoes, cabbage, plum pudding, rum sauce, stewed fruit, custard and bread. Tea was bread, butter, cake and jam. Supper was biscuits, cheese, boiled beef, pickles, hot rum and coffee. Presumably, as an engineers’ battalion, they were a little way back from the front line.

A more sombre note was provided by news of local men killed in action. Private Hepton of Portland Street had been employed at the Leamington Skating Rink and left a wife. Corporal Avis had been the chauffeur to the Vicar of Stoneleigh and was well known as an athlete. Writing to his mother, his commanding officer said, ‘It may be some small consolation to you to know that your son suffered no pain, being killed instantaneously by a machine gun bullet through the brain.’ At the end of these reports, the Courier mentioned that they were selling a special series of naval and military In Memorial cards at their offices.

On a more cheerful note, what was described as ‘good old English pleasure’ took place at the Town Hall on New Year’s Day in the form of a party for 200 local children organised by the Mayor and Mayoress. The large hall had what was described as a ‘beautiful illuminated Christmas tree – bright with red., gold and silver’ on the stage. Punch and Judy started the party. They then played games such as ‘Fox and Geese’, ‘Kiss in the Ring’ and ‘Oranges and Lemons’. Cakes were then made available in the council chamber, but without icing because of the war. Tales told by ‘Roma the Storyteller’ were followed by musical chairs. A beautiful sleigh, designed by the manager of the Theatre Royal, was then drawn in by three teddy bears. On the sleigh were Father Christmas and a fairy queen. Each child received a silver medal with the borough arms. A conjuror was next on the programme and then, by popular demand, there was another session of musical chairs. The event concluded with everyone joining hands to sign Auld Lang Syne and the National Anthem. This was some party and, as the Courier observed, ‘one in which it was good to be for a few hours and forget the world of sorrow and suffering.’

Leamington's sombre 1916 Christmas

This was my article for Tuesday's programme which was postponed because of floodlight failure.

Christmas in 1916 in Leamington was necessarily a rather sombre occasion. Not only had many lives been sacrificed on the Somme with only minimal gains in territory, there was no indication of how the costly military stalemate might be broken and the war brought to an end. Technological breakthroughs such as the tank; the arrival of the Americans; and the eventual success of the blockade of Germany, these were yet all to come.

In the first December issue of the Courier, locals were asked to consider shopping early for Christmas. Such an appeal in early December would seem odd today. Nevertheless, E. Francis and Sons of Bath Street stated in an advert: ‘We are making early displays both of useful, inexpensive Christmas Gifts, and also of some very beautiful novelties, specially designed for handsome gifts; and we have every hope that our customers will help us by beginning their Christmas shopping earlier than usual, and in this way relieve the pressure on our staff. Of some of the prettiest gifts we have only a limited supply, and they cannot be repeated. Special value in seasonable gifts for our soldiers and sailors.’

Alongside this advert was a long speech on the war by Mr E.M. Pollock, somewhat oddly described as ‘The Borough Member.’ He called on people to invest in war savings certificates instead of spending extra on Christmas gifts. He also made it clear that he had no time for those calling for the replacement of the dithering Mr Asquith as prime minister by the ‘Welsh Wizard’, David Lloyd George. Before the Courier was published, the change had occurred and the country had a war leader who made a real difference.

Not surprisingly, Christmas was a subdued affair in Leamington. The Post Office reported that the volume of Christmas cards was well down. The Courier reported, ‘It was not the same. How could it be the same? No one, as far as the social side was concerned, will look back on the Christmas of 1916 as a festival, and it is after all, the family and festive side that makes an English Christmas the happiest season of the year. It is only in the religious sense that the word Festival applied this third Christmas of the war. All places of worship were well attended, and hymns, sermons and simple decorations once more brought us face to face with the greatest fact and the greatest factor in the history of the world.’ In rather convoluted language, necessary given the sensitivity of the subject, the Courier went on to reflect on the way in which the war had shaken the religious faith of many and the failure of what was meant to be ‘a restraining influence on the greeds and passions of men.’

‘As regards an influx of people into the town, this did not occur, for the request not to travel unless necessary had its effect on passenger traffic in and out of Leamington as elsewhere. Compared with Easter, it was trifling. Khaki was greatly in evidence and munitions workers helped swell the list. Trains from Nuneaton, Northampton and Leicester contributed a fair quota of passengers, and it goes without saying that trains from Coventry were full.’