COLESHILL POST No3 - CTFC HISTORY PART 2.

[Alan Beckett]

COLESHILL POST No3

MIXED START TO COLESHILLS’ SEASON

Coleshill started the season with a 4-0 success away to Gornal Athletic, the best start to a season since 1947 when Town beat Curdworth 9-0. Further victories over Heath Hayes and Continental Star lifted Coleshill to 5th place in the league but disappointing defeats to Alvechurch and Boldmere plus a draw at home to Westfields brought everyone back to earth and dropping three places in the table to 8th. In the FA Cup an appearance at Wembley is just a distant memory as Coleshill fell at the first hurdle.

Tuesday 6th August
Coleshill Town 0 v 2 Alvechurch
Alvechurch have links with Birmingham City Community Development Trust and so are a young, fit, talented side. The game was played at a hectic pace and the football on offer was of the highest standard. A great advert for the Midland Alliance. There was little between the teams but Alvechurch just had the cutting edge and won the game with a goal in each half.

Saturday 10th August
Coleshill Town 2 v 1 Heath Hayes
Coleshill dominated this game for long periods but had to wait until the 50th minute to finally break the deadlock. Hayes hit back with a controversial goal five minutes later but Town got the reward that their play deserved when Chris Gumery scored from the penalty spot.

Wednesday 14th August
Continental Star 0 v 4 Coleshill Town
Another fine away win. The scoreline flatters Coleshill but there is no doubt they were the better team. All four goals came in the second half with Connor Leek starting the scoring with a wonderful volley. Chris Gumery, Jordan Archer (penalty) and Chris Lloyd all found the back of the net.

Saturday 17th August
Stourport Swifts 3 v 1 Coleshill Town FA Cup Extra Preliminary Round
A disappointing result to be knocked out of the FA Cup so early in the competition. In a tough, well contested first half Coleshill were just getting on top and scored just three minutes from half time. Barry Fitzharris hit the post but Danny Tymon was on hand to score from the rebound. Unfortunately Coleshill couldn’t see out the half and gave away a soft penalty which John Griffin scored from. Town were not the same after the break and John Griffin went on to complete his hat trick. A well deserved win for the home team.

Saturday 24th August
Coleshill Town 1 v 1 Westfields
Coleshill took the lead through Danny Tymon and then when Westfields had a player sent off the points looked safe. However, Wesfields had other ideas and scored a deserved equaliser and were the more likely team to go on and win the game. A draw probably a fair result.

Monday 26th August
Boldmere St Michaels 1 v 0 Coleshill Town
Boldmere scored after just six minutes but from then on Coleshill dominated the game without being able to force an equaliser. A disappointing derby defeat.

League Record
P6 W3 D1 L2 F11 A5 Pts10 Position 8th

September Fixtures

Sat 07-Sep FAV 1RQ A 3.00 Malvern Town
Sat 14-Sep MFA Highgate United
Sat 21-Sep FAV 2QQ A 3.00 Nuneaton Griff
Sat 28-Sep MFA H 3.00 Rocester


CTFC HISTORY PART 2

In 1906 Coleshill applied and were accepted into the Birmingham Youth & Old Boys League to play competitive league football for the first time. Their first success came in 1910 when they won the Coleshill Charity Cup and the Tamworth Nursing Cup. The picture was taken on the banks of the river Cole looking back up the High Street and shows the two cups, players and committee.

In the CCC they beat the holders Wilnecote United 4-3. Coleshill were 3-0 down before goals from captain Jack Nichols, C.Williams twice, and with just four minutes to play C.Watkins scored the winner. “Mr Nichols was carried shoulder high off the field to the Swan Hotel amidst great excitement. Later Mr Linforth drove several of the players round the town in his motor car with the Coleshill captain seated in the front with the cup and they were greeted with cheers all along the line”. (Coleshill Chronicle) The Coleshill team was: Goal: H.Fitzherbert, Backs: WG.Palmer and W.Caswell, Half Backs: H.Freeman, JC.Clare, and E.Clive, Forwards: H.Malpass, C.Watkins, JA.Nichols (capt), E.Sly and C.Williams.

The final of the Tamworth Nursing Cup was played on Monday 28th March 1910 at the Castle Ground Tamworth against Baddesley. Over 200 supporters travelled to Tamworth. The same Coleshill team took to the field. Baddesley took the lead through a penalty but Jack Nichols equalised and E.Clive scored a second. Clive then missed a penalty but Coleshill held on to win 2-1. “The players, with the cup and a large number of supporters, arrived at Forge Mills Railway Station and the Coleshill Brass Band were on the platform playing ‘See the conquering hero comes’.”. (Coleshill Chronicle)
Coleshill’s early nickname was “Coleshillites” but this changed to the “Rabbits Pies” as Coleshill’s hospitality for visiting teams became famous for its delicious rabbit pies. The supporters were heard to say “Play Up Rabbit Pies”. The nickname was shortened to “Rabbits” and this stuck for many years. Coleshill have also been known as “The Greens” because of the colour of their strips. The earliest recording of playing in green was in the report of the Cup Final above. “Supporters wearing the little bit of green that denotes a Rabbits supporter”.(Coleshill Chronicle) I’m not sure exactly why green, but they maintained a variation of the colour for almost 100 years and have only just changed to white & blue! More recently the nickname became “The Colemen” or just “Town”.
Coleshill originally had their “HQ” at The Swan Hotel but by 1897 they had moved to the Three Horse Shoes and then in 1899 moved again to The Clock Inn in the High Street to be “more convenient for members to get to the ground”. I presume this was where the players changed into their uniforms.

Over 100 years ago most towns, villages, collieries, working men’s clubs and large works had football teams. Not necessarily in leagues but they played in cup competitions as well as friendly matches. Coleshill Charity Cup was established for “the purpose of promoting football and assisting charitable work in Coleshill” and was intended to be a competition for local teams. In 1908 a committee was formed with Mr GE Pridmore as Chairman, Mr WE Barber as Secretary and Mr A Wall as treasurer and 17 local teams entered. The first Coleshill Charity Cup Final was played on 17th April 1909 when Wilnecote United beat Edgbaston Athletic 5-2 on Coleshill F.C’s pitch, the “Swan Field” in front of a crowd of more than 600. Mr Pridmore presented the trophy to the winning team and put a sovereign for each team in the cup, this became a tradition.