Banbury Spencer fc pre 50s programmes

[holtie96]

I recently acquired at some cost a batch of pre 1950s Banbury spencer programmes,I am happy to check your wants lists if you wish to pm me.
Most are from 1947-1950

[holtie96]

No wolves A Coventry A west brom A enquiries?

[slightfold]

Any chance of you posting a cover? I have only ever seen later ones with great artwork covers and colours and the logo 'gay puritans' if memory serves me.

[Maidonian]

October 1947

[bisphamseasider]

I wonder what the history is of Banbury being nicknamed the Puritans, especially gay ones at that.

Seems to be a contradicition in terms.

[Maidonian]

I know Banbury Spencer began as a works team...

http://www.corsetiere.net/Spirella/Sp_prewar.htm

before evolving into Banbury United.

I've contacted the chap I know at Banbury to ask him about the nickname. He's always interested in obtaining items on the club, so I'll send him a link to this thread because he might be interested in seeing what programmes holtie96 has.

[Posh1959]

I dont believe the word "GAY" In the 40s and 50s had the same meaning as it has today.

[holtie96]

Thank you for the responses, although some going happily off track a bit
I will upload a few covers for you

[holtie96]

[Posh1959]

This is my favourite Banbury cover from the 40s

[holtie96]

[holtie96]

Maidonian wrote:

I know Banbury Spencer began as a works team... http://www.corsetiere.net/Spirella/Sp_prewar.htm before evolving into Banbury United. I've contacted the chap I know at Banbury to ask him about the nickname. He's always interested in obtaining items on the club, so I'll send him a link to this thread because he might be interested in seeing what programmes holtie96 has.

Thanks maidonian

[bisphamseasider]

Posh1959 wrote:

I dont believe the word "GAY" In the 40s and 50s had the same meaning as it has today.

No it certainly didn't but where there many 'happy' puritans?

[slightfold]

Thanks for the covers. I think they are brilliant, certainly IMO amongst, if not the very best of non-league. The blue one with the goalie attempting in vain to stop the shot is a real 'Roy of the Rovers' piece of artwork.

[bisphamseasider]

Great programmes Holtie.

Seeing old programme covers from non-league clubs I know little about is one of many reasons why this site is so great.

[Maidonian]

Most immediate post-war non-league programmes (certainly those I've come across against Maidenhead) were rather plain and minimalistic which I'd always presumed was primarily because paper was rationed. The two exceptions I'd seen were the aforementioned Banbury Spencer issue which was also full of information, and the Slough United programme, both had colour covers which was quite an innovation for non-league clubs at the time.

[shadders]

I am the programme editor for Banbury United and was kindly sent this link by Maidonian

The Gay Puritan nickname did not appear on Banbury Spencer programmes until midway through season 1934/35, which is when we suspect it was adopted. Until that point, that is when playing in local football during season 1933/34 and the first half of season 1934/35 when the club competed in the Oxfordshire Senior League the club programmes showed the club's nickname as "The Reds"

The quote "Hanging the cat of a Monday for the killing of a mouse on Sunday", which appeared on club's programmes until the demise of Spencer in 1965 is from a poem by Richard Braithwaite relating to his observations on Puritan zeal in Banbury from early in the 17th Century.

Why Gay was added cannot be verified from any sources that I have and as posted above is contradictory. You only have to watch the “Blackadder” programme which was a classic. However, I would guess the club wanted to portray a positive and happy image and thought by adding this that it would do so.

The Gay Puritan nickname and quote survived on the first two years of Banbury United programmes for season 1965/66 and 1966/67 but then fell out of use. It was revived in the early 1990s but without the “Gay”. As stated above “Gay” now had primarily a different meaning to that which it had in the 1930s. I personally would like to see the Gay brought back into the nickname – I have used it and the quote on some programmes in recent seasons for minor games which do not require a full programme.

I don’t have many original Banbury Spencer programmes, the prices tend to be out of my price range, but have obtained a lot of photocopies, including a few pre-War from originals held by the son of the club’s former Secretary.

I have recently written a book with a local historian on the history of Banbury Spencer Football Club – this is currently with the publishers and should see the light of day early next season.

Attached to this post is a photo of an early season 1934/35 cover

A complete photocopy of a December 1934 Banbury Spencer programme can be viewed here

http://files.pitchero.com/clubs/6372/oldprogramme.pdf

By the way the club has a number of programmes relating primarily to the last ten years for sale if anyone is interested

http://files.pitchero.com/clubs/6372/programmesforsale3.pdf

[bisphamseasider]

That's great information Shadders and another superb programme cover.

You wouldn't believe that was from 1934/5 if it didn't say so.

[holtie96]

Thank you for the messages an enquiries I will list a couple in eBay tonight if anyone fancies adding some color to their collection

[BAZZABAGGIES]

I had a relative who used to follow Banbury he never kept any programmes just pictures..

Blackpool and Newcastle must have the best Pre War covers