Help needed with photo

[Flaming Pie]

I have got a strong suspicion who the player is with the ball at his feet.So as not to influence, l will keep that to myself for the time being .lt looks like 1930s to me.Does anyone recognise the ground? I have a feeling that the info on the back of the postcard is not correct Many thanks for any information.

[Pete’s Picture Palace]

It looks more like a cricket pavilion than a football stand, no seats visible and particularly with the white picket fence. Plus the players are wearing different coloured shorts.

The bloke with the ball at his feet looks familiar but I can't think who it is at the moment.

Suggest it's a testimonial match or some other friendly. Sorry can't be of more help.

[beaudog]

We had a pavilion like this when I played football with North Staffs Poly Old Boys in the 1970s. Cricket was occasionally played there and we played what we termed Corinthian football, friendlies with other teams from a wide area. We often turned out in odd matching shorts, but boy did we enjoy the games and the pie and beans afterwards. Oh and the odd pint as well. This is not the old pavilion at Whitcombe Road Meir, Stoke on Trent but very much like it. Memories. This could be this sort of sports ground.

[Flaming Pie]

Thanks beaudog. It will be interesting if any Midlands sports fans can confirm if this is indeed Moor Lane,, Birmingham?

[beaudog]

There is indeed a sports ground at Moor Lane in the North of Birmingham. Could this be the one.

[Flaming Pie]

Not much info coming forward on this photo, so here is my humble opinion on who l think the player is with the ball at his feet. I think it is a teenage Bob Paisley.Probably aged about sixteen. Bob was born in Hetton-le - Hole, County Durham.He left school in 1933 and began work in the mines.He then became an apprentice bricklayer.He played for Hetton FC until Bishop Auckland signed him in 1937 .Liverpool signed him in 1939. Hetton played at Eppleton Colliery Welfare Ground, Hetton-le-Hole,,which ( l think) was also a cricket ground. I don't think that Bob actually ventured out of Durham until he joined Liverpool and from there he ended up fighting in the desert in WW2. . What would he have been doing playing in Birmingham in an amateur match when he was a kid? Therefore, I think the Moor Lane, Birmingham written on the back might be incorrect.l did show it to a Liverpool fan,, who knew Paisley after the war, ,and he seemed to have little doubts that it is indeed the great man. lf you read this littlewiggy, what do you reckon'? By the way, the Reds looked great last night. My £5 on Everton looks to be all in vain!

[Rocky]

Flaming Pie wrote:

Hetton played at Eppleton Colliery Welfare Ground, Hetton-le-Hole,,which (l think) was also a cricket ground.

Viewing the link below, the Welfare Ground at Eppleton was indeed originally shared with cricket, having a pavilion and a stand behind the goal. Could that be the Pavilion in your picture?

http://100groundsclub.blogspot.....liery.html

From this newspaper cutting I’m assuming that ‘Paisley’ is the ‘Bob Paisley’ in this Hetton Juniors line up from August 1936.



Now to add to the puzzlement, this newspaper cutting listed a baseball fixture at Moor Lane in Birmingham 1939. One of the sports complexes in Moor Lane today is called “The Pavilion” which could relate to it’s historical past (e.g. that Pavilion in the photo?).



Finally, it may be worth sending a scan of the team group through to the Durham Amateur Football Trust http://www.thedaft.org.uk The guys there are a font of knowledge and they may be able to verify the team whilst also noting some of the other players. Strange there’s only 10 players kitted out in that team group!
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[Pete’s Picture Palace]

Well, I've been advised by someone in the Birmingham area that this ground is the Lucas Sports Ground in Moor Lane, Witton, Birmingham, next door to the Witton cemetery.

So it's unlikely to be Bob Paisley after all. Bad luck, FP !

[Flaming Pie]

Many thanks Pete and Rocky.l will contact the people you mentioned Rocky. There are not many photos of Paisley as a youngster. A photo of him in the Hetton line-up is needed, if one exists? There are a couple of books out on him with just the one schoolboy photo.However, the Birmingham sports ground does seem to rule him out. If it is Bob, historically it would be quite important, because very little on the young Paisley seems to exist. I might try sending a copy to Liverpool , to see if they will forward it to his family. They might be able to verify if it is him? To be honest, l don't know if clubs bother to do things like that anymore. Perhaps Paisley had a double in the Birmingham area?

[nozer]

Ten a side.
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