LOOKING BACK - December 1 edition

A huge thank you to Malcolm Garrett, Roger Smith, Sue Townsend, Sybil Barnes and Bill Hall for their help with the Rugby Town Football Club picture (November 3 edition). Richard Rogers is very grateful for all their information about the club and his grandfather George Hubert Woods, who was one of the founding members around 1904. We now know that the photograph was taken in front of the Oakfield Club in Bilton Road on April 30, 1954, before the last game of the 1953-54 season against Atherstone Town. They had just been presented with the Birmingham Combination Champions’ Shield. Rugby were the last winners of that competition as the following season the league disbanded as most clubs had joined the Birmingham and District League. The photo includes journalist and club vice-chairman Freddie Friend (in the dark coat standing second from right). His daughter Sybil Barnes said he worked for the Rugby Advertiser from 1932 to 1947, before joining the Evening Mail in Leicester.

These are the people I think we can name so far: (Back row from left) Trainer Jack Aarons, ?, Alec Murison,? Bill Hall, ?, J Scott.

(Middle row standing) ?,?,? Owen Steane, local solicitor John Prime (slightly behind), ?,?,Bert Jones, ?,?,Vernon Haworth, ?, Freddie Friend, manager William Frith.

(Seated) leading goalscorer George Awde, John Kirkaldie, Hugh Johnstone, Bernard Rowley, Dennis Mullins, goalkeeper Tom Grimley, Geoff Smith, Harold Hartley, Fred Hallard and Keith Turner.

(Front) Stan Frost, Keith Brown, captain Jack Llewellyn and John Shaw.

From Roger Smith’s match programmes, also possibly on the picture are chairman CM Whyte, joint presidents B Stevenson and L Mitchell and treasurer JD Jenkinson.