THIS WEEK 2014/15 - No2

[Alan Beckett]

THIS WEEK 2014/15 -25, 50 and 100 YEARS AGO WEEK 2

1989/90
Saturday 12th August 1989
Last season Coleshill finished in 16th place and Boldmere St Michaels won the Midland Combination Premier League. Manager Ronnie Mason, Chairman Harry “H” Davies, Secretary Sheila Davies, Sponsor Walker Homes. Leading scorers Paul Brady and Rory Cash with 5 goals each. Leading appearances Tony Gormley with 36. The highlight was the Birmingham Senior Cup where we beat Birmingham City and played against Wolverhampton Wanderers at Molineux. Played against Chelmsley Town on Boxing Day and this may be our highest ever crowd 1000, not confirmed!

This season begins with an away game at Bloxwich Town next Saturday 19th August. Ronnie Mason is now in his second year as Manager, his assistant, Brian Jordan.

1964/65
Saturday 8th August 1964
Last season Coleshill played in the Birmingham Youth & Old Boys League Mercian Division
and finished in 8th place with a record of:

P26 W10 D5 L11 F59 A62 Pts25 Pos8/14

Sherwood Rangers won the league. Coleshill Hall Hospital had moved on to the Worcester Combination but the cream of their players were to join Coleshill in the next few years which brought about a change in fortune.

This season starts Saturday 29th August at Home to Ward End Unity.

1914/15
Saturday 8th August 1914
Last season Coleshill played in the Birmingham Youth & Old Boys League Suburban Division and finished with a record of:

P12 W6 D2 L4 F37 A21 Points 14

They also jointly won the Evelyn Cecil Shield, a draw in the Final with no replay.

This season is different! There will be no football as “The Lads” went off to war, but we will look through the papers each week and follow the local news!

FROM THE COLESHILL CHRONICLE ARCHIVES
War with Germany was announced on 4th August 1914, so what was in the Coleshill Chronicle that week? Well, the front page was full of adverts as usual! Page 2 concentrated on the "Atherstone Show" with a full prize list, live stock, vegetables, cakes & jams etc, then there was cricket and tennis scores and finally on Page 4:

Coleshill And The War
Experiences Of Residents
The trend of international events is remarkable if only for the rapidity with which they have been carried out. Before the holidays the majority of people believed that England would be able to avoid active participation in the great European war. But on Tuesday morning when the papers gave the news that an ultimatum had been sent to Germany it was realised that war was inevitable, and that we should soon be engaged in one of the most terrible conflicts in history. As in other parts of the country, there was a rush to get in stocks of provisions, and local grocers were hard pressed all through the day, and had to work late to cope with orders. There was an unprecedented rise in the prices of practically all articles of food. Bacon went up to 1s.2d per lb, butter 1s.8d, lump sugar 5s per dozen, tea rose 2d per lb and there is the likelihood of further increases in all these articles. Bread and flour remain unaltered at present.
Coleshill has several of her sons taking part in the activities. Foremost, we note that Colonel Pinney has been promoted to the rank of General, Dr John Dale (medical officer of health for Birmingham) is attached to the South Midland Field Ambulance and has already responded to the call of his country. Mr Howard (manager of Coleshill Gasworks) of the Royal Engineers Reserve, has also been called. Mr H.Taylor has been ordered to rejoin his company of the London Territorials, and the motor-lorry driver from B.Dabbs Brewery Stores, a reservist, has joined his old regiment in Lichfield. In addition the local Red Cross have been asked how many members they can send to assist their country.
On Wednesday and Thursday representatives of the Government were in Coleshill securing horses, and several farmers and tradesmen have been compelled to find animals.

THIS WEEK will also be in every home game programme!