Shirley Town F.C. was a non-league association football club from Solihull, England, active in the last decade before the Second World War.
| Full name | Shirley Town F.C. | |
|---|---|---|
| Founded | 1933 | |
| Dissolved | 1944 | |
| Ground | Church Road | |
| President | George Featherstone | |
| Manager | E. J. Jennings | |
| ||
History edit
The club was founded by George Featherstone, a local contractor, in 1933.[1] The club joined the Birmingham Combination in time for the 1935–36 season,[2] although its ambitions originally spread wider, with secretary/manager E. J. Jennings proposing a revamped league allowing 2 full-time professionals per side in 1937.[3]
The club was generally a mid-table Combination outfit, and entered the FA Cup from 1935–36 to 1938–39, although it was forced to start in the extra preliminary rounds, and never made it beyond the first qualifying round; its best showing, in 1937–38, ended in a defeat at Shrewsbury Town.[4] Before the 1938–39 season, the club changed its name to Solihull Town.[5] Under its new name, the club gained its greatest honours, by winning the 1939–40 Combination and the Birmingham Senior Cup, albeit that year the competitions lacked full participation owing to the war - indeed Solihull had two XIs in the Combination itself.[6] The club beat Darlaston in the final of the at the Hawthorns thanks to goals from Billy Boswell and (in the last minute) Davies.[7]
However that seems to have been the final match played by the club, as it went into abeyance for the rest of the war, and never re-emerged. Although in 1944 the club had expressed an interest in re-joining the Combination as soon as it re-started,[8] by 1945 it had ceased activities,[9] with Featherstone moving on to redeveloping a racecourse in the area.[10] The Shirley Town name was revived by an amateur club after the war,[11] and the club stepped up in the semi-professional leagues in 1974 when merging with West Shirley Athletic.[12]
Colours edit
There is no available description of the club colours, but photographic evidence[13] suggests the club played in blue shirts, white shorts, and blue stockings.
Ground edit
The club played at the Shirley Stadium,[14] on Church Road,[15] opposite the Plume of Feathers public house.[16] The club opened a covered stand, seating 1,000, on 30 November 1935, in a Combination match with Aston Villa's A side on 30 November 1935.[17]
Notable players edit
- Billy Austin, former international and FA Cup winner with Manchester City[18]
- George Parkin, formerly of Burnley and West Ham United[19]
- Alf Maitland, formerly of Newcastle United[20]
- Jack Russell, formerly of Birmingham, Norwich, and Bournemouth & Boscombe Athletic[21]
- Emlyn Jones, formerly of Southend United[22]
- Tommy Read, goalkeeper, formerly of Grimsby Town[23]
- Jack Snape, right-back, the club's first professional, who signed for Coventry City in 1936[24]
External links edit
References edit
- ^ "His aim - new sports arena". Birmingham Daily Gazette: 5. 17 September 1949.
- ^ "Hinckley football". Midland Counties Tribune: 6. 21 June 1935.
- ^ "New football league in Birmingham?". Birmingham Daily Gazette: 11. 26 January 1937.
- ^ "FA Cup qualifying stages - first round". Coventry Evening Telegraph: 20. 2 October 1937.
- ^ "Shirley Town F.C.'s changed name". Evening Despatch: 21. 17 June 1938.
- ^ "Birmingham Combination". Sports Argus: 3. 18 May 1940.
- ^ "Late goal beats Darlaston". Rugeley Times: 8. 15 June 1940.
- ^ "Combination again". Evening Dispatch: 4. 25 November 1944.
- ^ "The Combination". Evening Dispatch: 4. 28 April 1945.
- ^ "His aim - new sports arena". Birmingham Daily Gazette: 5. 17 September 1949.
- ^ "North Birmingham League". Sports Argus: 6. 8 October 1949.
- ^ "Togetherness prevails as Adders form new company". Sports Argus: 17. 17 August 1974.
- ^ "Shirley Town". Getty Images. Retrieved 19 February 2024.
- ^ "Shirley "Derby"". Birmingham Daily Gazette: 11. 20 September 1935.
- ^ "Shirley Town F.C.'s bid". Birmingham Daily Gazette: 11. 30 August 1935.
- ^ "Geo. Featherstone Challenge Cup". Evening Despatch: 23. 13 May 1938.
- ^ "Opening of new stand". Birmingham Daily Gazette: 12. 29 November 1935.
- ^ "Ex-international for Shirley T". Birmingham Daily Gazette: 15. 15 October 1936.
- ^ "Shirley signing". Birmingham Daily Gazette: 11. 2 October 1935.
- ^ "Shirley signing". Birmingham Daily Gazette: 11. 2 October 1935.
- ^ Matthews, Tony (1995). Birmingham City: A Complete Record. Derby: Breedon Books. p. 122.
- ^ "SUFCdb | Player Profile". Archived from the original on 3 March 2016. Retrieved 28 June 2014.
- ^ Lamming, Douglas (1985). A who's who of Grimsby Town AFC : 1890-1985. Beverley: Hutton. p. 100. ISBN 0-907033-34-2.
- ^ "Jack Snape given chance by Coventry". Birmingham Daily Gazette: 12. 1 October 1937.