Festival of Britain 1951

[footballprogrammes.com]

The last few days leading up to Christmas are always the quietest in a programme dealers calendar. For the first time in well over 15 years I used the time to have a good look at my own collection and update the cataloguing of it properly. As footballprogrammes.com is run out of our premises in West London, apart from the converted garage at home for some work from home, I don't keep programmes in the house so my collection is located at various relatives’ houses. Whilst we were making the annual Christmas visits, she was busy doing what the fairer sex do best, chinwagging, whilst I was cataloguing away.

Rather than concentrate on one club, my collection consists of 4 main areas of interest, namely: Festival of Britain 1951, a pre-war programme from each of the 101 clubs to have played in the football league 1901 to 1939, the opening of floodlights/ first game after the war for each League club & the entire League cup competition from the first two seasons 1960/1 & 1961/2.

The major weakness of not having immediate access to the collection is the discovery that I have had several items I needed but sold them through the business without knowing they were required. Anyway, I hope to have eliminated that problem for the time being by producing a comprehensive inventory.

Over a period of time I am going to post a number of questions/talking points from each area of my collection on the forum starting now with the Festival of Britain 1951.

The Festival of Britain has been covered a number of times in the 30 odd years of Programme Monthly. This is a list of the programmes I require; If anyone knows of any ‘NO Programme’ games I would be grateful for the info:

ACCRINGTON Bohemians, Cork
BOLTON Dundee
BRADFORD C Nimes
BURY Dunfermline, Vervietos
CARDIFF Eindhoven
CARLISLE Shamrock, Strasbourg or Waterford? – either were scheduled for 16 May.
CHESTER Shelbourne, Dundalk
CREWE Shelbourne,
GATESHEAD Limerick,
GILLINGHAM Nimes,
HALIFAX Waterford,
HARTLEPOOL Limerick,
LINCOLN Transport,
MANSFIELD Stoke, Waterford
NORTHAMPTON Progres,
OLDHAM Cork, Bohemians
ORIENT Haarlem,
PORT VALE Progres,
QPR Schiedam,
READING Nimes, National
ROCHDALE Shamrock, Bohemians
ROTHERHAM Wateford, Malines
SOUTHPORT Drumcondra,
STOKE Schiedam,
WALSALL Haarlem,
WATFORD National
WORKINGTON Shamrock,

According to my records the following Football League clubs took NO part in the Festival of Britain: Arsenal, Blackburn, Brentford, Burnley, Coventry, Everton, Exeter, Ipswich, Sheffield United, Torquay & Wolves. I have a programme(s) or need one (listed above) from every other club.

The following is a list of games I found were scheduled but appear never to have taken place for a number of reasons. Eg Porto were meant to have played at Arsenal and Blackburn but cancelled their trip at the last minute. Does anyone know if any of the following DID take place? The scheduled date where known in May 1951 is in brackets after the fixture:

A VILLA Sparta (16),
BARNSLEY Dundee Utd (?),
BOLTON Anderlecht (16),
BRENTFORD Dinamo (16),
BURNLEY Haborg (?),
DONCASTER RC Brussels (16),
EVERTON RC Brussels (12),
FULHAM unknown German team (14),
IPSWICH unknown Swiss team (14),
NORWICH Nimes (14),
NOTTS CO Frem (14),
SHEFF UTD RC Brussels (17),
SWANSEA unknown Finnish team (?),
TORQUAY unknown Swiss team (14),
WREXHAM Shelbourne (16),

There are countless other games played by Non League clubs which I also collect. Too many requirements to list but am always interested in adding them to my collection along with any of the above.
_________________
David Allen
http://www.footballprogrammes.com
http://stores.ebay.co.uk/FOOTBALL-PROGRAMMES-WAREHOUSE

[Rocky]

footballprogrammes.com wrote:

According to my records the following Football League clubs took NO part in the Festival of Britain: Arsenal, Blackburn, Brentford, Burnley, Coventry, Everton, Exeter, Ipswich, Sheffield United, Torquay & Wolves.

In my records I have Torquay listed as playing three Festival of Britain games:

9-5-1951 Torquay United v Penzance 5-1
14-5-1951 Torquay United v Falmouth Town 6-1
19-5-1951 Barnstaple FC v Torquay United 3-4

Can anyone else verify these fixtures?

[atletico]

Click the link below for a list of matches...

http://www.rsssf.com/tablesf/festival-britain51.html

[1980Cossie]

Hi
It was not uncommon for Halifax Town to print programmes with 2 different coloured covers in the 50/51 season and the Halifax v Waterford FOB match was no exception, the ''common'' one has pink covers, Mick Hewitt had one for sale fairly recently at £350 i believe. The white cover issue is much rarer, only 1 thought to exist and sits in my collection. I'd be interested to know if anybody else has a white covered version.
Robert

[footballprogrammes.com]

atletico wrote:

Click the link below for a list of matches... http://www.rsssf.com/tablesf/festival-britain51.html

Thanks, I have already taken that list into account. Although useful it is not definitive and cannot not help in the quest to find if programme(s) were published.
_________________
David Allen
http://www.footballprogrammes.com
http://stores.ebay.co.uk/FOOTBALL-PROGRAMMES-WAREHOUSE

[GreatBarrWolf]

Rocky Boro wrote:

footballprogrammes.com wrote: According to my records the following Football League clubs took NO part in the Festival of Britain: Arsenal, Blackburn, Brentford, Burnley, Coventry, Everton, Exeter, Ipswich, Sheffield United, Torquay & Wolves. In my records I have Torquay listed as playing three Festival of Britain games: 9-5-1951 Torquay United v Penzance 5-1 14-5-1951 Torquay United v Falmouth Town 6-1 19-5-1951 Barnstaple FC v Torquay United 3-4 Can anyone else verify these fixtures?

Torquay United actually played (or were scheduled to play) six games - all away as follows:-

Truro v Torquay United – 8th May
Penzance v Torquay United – 9th May – won 1-5
Newquay United v Torquay United – 12th May
Falmouth v Torquay United – 14th May – won 1-6
Bideford United v Torquay United- 17th May
Barnstaple v Torquay United – 19th May – won 3-4

On the Festival of Britain topic as a whole Scottish football staged two knock-out competitions (the St Mungo Cup and the Quaich Cup) whilst Northern Ireland held there own Festival of Britain Cup.

As for programmes for these games - heaven only knows if they were produced.

[Rocky]

I've looked into Torquay's participation more closely and apparently they completed a tour of Cornwall and North Devon.

08/05/51 A v Truro City W 7 - 0
09/05/51 A v Penzance W 5 - 1
12/05/51 A v Newquay W 5 - 2
14/05/51 A v Falmouth W 6 - 1
18/05/51 A v Bideford D 2 - 2
19/05/51 A v Barnstaple W 4 - 3

As mentioned, it would appear that the list http://www.rsssf.com/tablesf/festival-britain51.html cannot be used as a definitive list.

[surfinjim]

footballprogrammes.com wrote:

The following is a list of games I found were scheduled but appear never to have taken place for a number of reasons. Eg Porto were meant to have played at Arsenal and Blackburn but cancelled their trip at the last minute. Does anyone know if any of the following DID take place? The scheduled date where known in May 1951 is in brackets after the fixture: BARNSLEY Dundee Utd (?),

Would be dated 14th May. not sure the game was played, but the programme does exist for it........but doesn't come up very often!!!

Jim
_________________
26th December 1979

Bolder, Blackhall, Williamson, Smith, Pickering, Hornsby, King, Johnson, McCulloch, Mellor, Curran.

Scorers; Mellor, King, Curran, Smith (pen)

GODS EVERY ONE OF THEM!

[norwich collector]

norwich v nimes on 14th DIDN'T take place the one game norwich played in FOB was against Servette switzerland on 12/5/51

[garyspain]

I have never seen any of those below and have never heard of any existing apart from missing the Oldham v Cork Athletic on an offers list in PM many years ago. I spoke to the vendor at the time and had no doubt he had the programme.

ACCRINGTON Bohemians, Cork
CARLISLE Waterford
OLDHAM Cork Bohemians
ROCHDALE Shamrock, Bohemians
SOUTHPORT Drumcondra,

I also need Stirling v Distillery, Dundee v Distillery and St. Mirren v Distillery but I am led to believe they are all most likely non issues.

I have the other Irish you listed although wasn't aware of the "white" Halifax issue until now. The pink one will do me though.

I too would love to know for sure if any exist.

[Garry]

Hi David , After exstensive research at the Bradford Library last year as i too was trying to find out info on any games that Bradford City were due to play in the F.O.B.

We tried to play 3 fixtures but due to many a reason we never managed to take part in the competition .

So just to confirm Bradford City did not take part in the F.O.B.

Regards Garry
_________________
bradfordcityfootballprogrammes.co.uk A website that now has over 7,400 scans uploaded of programmes from 1st team , Reserves , Juniors , West Riding Cup . Bradford Championship , FA Cup , League Cup , Friendlies , Testimonials , Public Practice Matches and Team Sheets

[cornwallwhite]

According to the "bury bible"
they played 2 games
sportklub rapid may 12th home won 2-1 11.480
dunfermline may 16th home 1-1 2.284

[BAZZABAGGIES]

Ayr played 4 matches.
Ive had the Walsall v Haarlem one a long time ago

[Linnet74]

From a non league perspective Kings Lynn played the following F.O.B. matches.

14th May 1951 Gorleston H 1 - 1
19th May 1951 RAF XI H 5 - 1

Programmes were issued as Sporting Gold Auctions had these listed a few months ago.

[corneli_blue]

Cardiff City played 2 games in the Channel Islands in May 1951.

Jersey at St. Helier on 12 May (won 6-1)
Guernsey at St. Peter Port on 14 May. (lost 2-0)

I don't have the programmes. They might have been billed as Festival of Britain games, but I have no way of checking.


Alan

.
CARDIFF CITY 'HOMES' WANTED:
CARDIFF CITY FANZINES WANTED:
OTHER MATCHES/EVENTS @ NINIAN PARK WANTED:
CARDIFF CITY / WALES 'PIRATE' PROGRAMMES WANTED:
http://www.footballprogrammece.....highlight=
CARDIFF CITY 'HOME' TEAM SHEETS WANTED:
http://www.footballprogrammece.....highlight=
COMMUNITY SINGING SONGSHEETS at NINIAN PARK:
http://www.footballprogrammece.....highlight=
CARDIFF CITY 1945-46 'HOMES' WANTED:
http://www.footballprogrammece.....highlight=
CARDIFF CITY PROGRAMME COVERS - 1910 - 1960 - Flickr
http://www.flickr.com/photos/91630300@N04/sets/72157632367947333/

[seand]

There was a local tournament in Northern Ireland played 1951-52 which was billed as the Festival of Britain Cup. Details here....
http://home.online.no/~smogols.....195152.htm

I think one or two friendlies in the North in May 1951 were billed as Festival of Britain matches too.

[garyspain]

seand wrote:

There was a local tournament in Northern Ireland played 1951-52 which was billed as the Festival of Britain Cup. Details here.... http://home.online.no/~smogols.....195152.htm I think one or two friendlies in the North in May 1951 were billed as Festival of Britain matches too.

Among the games in NI were (programme issued unless indicated)

Ards v Haarlem no programme known
Cliftonville v Haarlem
Glentoran v BVV (currently on ebay)
Glenavon v BVV (now Den Bosch I think)
Irish FA v Gold Coast amateur International
Northern Ireland v France senior International
Welsh League v Irish League (played in Wales)

I suspect there were other games in Northern Ireland.

Home Farm v Birmingham is sometimes listed as an FoB game but I'm pretty sur eit wasn't and the programme makes no mention of it.

There are others not listed on rsssf such as Rhyl v Dundalk, South Liverpool v Cork Athletic and Holyhead v St Patricks Athletic.

[burnley_collector]

Burnley played Hamburg in late-April 1951, losing 3-1.

[corneli_blue]

garyspain wrote:

Welsh League v Irish League (played in Wales)

Alan

[Pars Fan]

Hello,

I'd be grateful if any can tell me if there was a programme for
Ashington & Guests v Dunfermline Athletic played19/05/1951.
Be even more grateful if anyone has a copy available?

Thank you