Chapter 5.
1928-1939 Intermission
Assorted moves continued on varied fronts to find a ground.
In November 1928 an impassioned editorial in the Gazette called on the Council to emulate the enlightened self-interest of other employers and provide a sports ground, the like of those seen from any suburban train; physical fitness was necessary to anybody’s staff “… the men who went out to bat together on Saturday would not willingly let one another down on Monday.”
Perhaps, as a consequence, a month or so later the Staff Association negotiated the acquisition of 12 virgin acres at Morden (this presumably became the St Helier Housing Staff ground and, later, that of the News Chronicle). Everyone at County Hall was asked to contribute 1d. per week or 5/- per annum to this worthy cause and at least 4 winter pitches and 2 cricket pitches were proposed. 500 people offered £166 and the scheme died.
The Rugby Club were now up to five XV’s and toured every Easter, including South Wales and St Quentin in France who returned the visit. The Rifle Club, Badminton, Bowling, Swimming, Netball and Women’s Hockey were still running.
In April 1931 a Sports Club meeting decided to re-start soccer. J. F. Lyne was appointed Secretary; this, of course, is the man who, as Chairman of the Sports Club in 1947, was the biggest single influence in achieving at last the present Belmont ground and the pavilion; he called an interim committee of old stagers which fixed a sub at 15/-; friendlies were sought. Nothing happened.
At a meeting during the summer of 1932 (genesis unknown) a Mr Pratt of Architects had been elected Secretary of the Soccer Club. In November, it was reported to the new ground Sub-committee of the Sports Club that the expense involved had foiled their efforts to get started and, in view of the lateness of the season, it was decided to hold another meeting! Nothing further happened that year but the ground sub-committee was still / again running, and trophies were to be presented by the Chairman of the Council at a Bohemian Concert.
Club ties (egg, green and egg) were instituted at £1 a dozen. Sports Day made £10 profit. A Ladies Staff Cricket Club applied for affiliation but did not materialise. Half a dozen profitable dances were run each year, so back up funds were available.
1933/4
By January 1933 we had the well-established Eltham Cricket Club ground (perhaps six acres) at Mottingham, and a well-attended meeting in March. A. H. Hayler was appointed Secretary, subs at a guinea, the First Team put in the Southern Olympian League.
The Reserves were fixed in friendlies but, at the start, a considerable number of promises of support had been withdrawn; by January, membership had so far increased that Reserves could become regular. By February, injuries in the Firsts had made it difficult to hold their own in the League and an outside left was particularly called for. Significantly, there were no reports or details in any Gazette, only appeals, but re-election was avoided.
1934/5
The AGM, in view of expected recruiting, put forward two league sides, entered for two cups, also visualised a Third XI and fixed subs @ 10/-, under twenty-one’s 5/-. L. F. Austin and H. L. Lowe were the Joint Secretaries, S. K. Hobday the Treasurer (until 1939). Strong full backs were “advertised for” in September and again in January.
In the Senior Cup we got past Thos Cook and went out to Herne Hill; the junior parallels were Old Tenisonians and Old Hamptonians. The Firsts drew with Bromley Res. And we also met Old Libertians, Dartmouth and one of the Universities. Virtually no players’ names appear.
Reports were bare statements of results, plus the odd comment that we needed to do better or run an appeal. For the second season LCC were at the bottom of the league but, presumably, not to the point of re-election.
Bunny Austin now took over as sole Secretary, a man indeed of many parts, and well known to post-Second War staff; he was, for instance, the man who produced the only departmental side (Public Health) to beat the Valuers between 1948 and 1956. Up to 1939, he had a Chairman and a Treasurer, but there was no other job he didn’t do, including blowing up (and lacing, remember) all the balls on Saturday morning to be transported to the home grounds. Members of that time recall his hard work, enthusiasm and drive, ability to find and encourage new players, his all-round management ability, but above all his good-humoured friendship. He spread good-will, led the social side with parties to staff functions and LCC hospital dances, never studied his own convenience. As a side line, he was, at the same time, high in the management of Bromley FC (Athenian) which benefitted both clubs. He organised Public Health to win the inter-departmental in the four years from 1934-37 and was a qualified ref of considerable ability. When he finally relinquished our Chair, not being able to maintain contact with the teams in the field, he took over control of Egham Town in the Spartan League in 1957.
1935/6
This was a good season. The Firsts started well in Div 2 of the SOL, again Old Hamptonians were our downfall in a cup; the Reserves had a poor league start and they went out to Courages (away?). Games are also recorded against Old Finchleians and Sydenham Gas Amateur Sports Guild. A new fixture was a Club ‘A’ Team on Boxing Day against the Captain’s XI (C. F. Lyne who left after the War to own a holiday camp at Kessingland [Suffolk].
In two successive monthly reports, the Firsts lost a player in the fog which, with flooding, lost us many fixtures. Non-players were sought to travel with the teams (upshot not known).
The series of challenge matches with Birmingham Corporation started, one-all at Mottingham, a very fast game in which they flagged near the end from their long journey; it was reported as having been played in the best possible spirit, indeed they found it the most enjoyable game they had played, far superior to their normal fixtures; presumably this came out at the dinner we stood them at the Crossways Hotel.
The First XI finished fourth in their table and the Reserves respectably, their standard having much to do with the senior success. Although several positions still needed strengthening, hopes were strong for a third and even fourth XI.
The Mottingham ground was still home although the lease had lapsed and Crown Lands were demanding a large increase in rent. That spring, to cover this liability and to rent, in due course, a larger and better equipped ground which could include our prosperous rugby club, the Sports Club published an appeal seeking major financial support from the “top brass” and 6d a month from the rest of us. Nearly a thousand subscribers registered immediately; some twelve months later £250 was in hand to cover upkeep and they were negotiating with the Council to provide a ground – but they were still doing so in 1938. It was pointed out, since the First World War, business houses had, from self-interest, increasingly funded magnificent sports grounds, but not our employer; the general impression was that the Council doubted their right to do so out of the rates, so examples were quoted, such as the Civil Service.
1936/7
This was all in ironic contrast to the attitude of Birmingham Corporation, apparent when we paid our return visit this season (where we won 6 – 1) and dined with them at a hotel. These games ranked high with the players of that era.
Birmingham Council had provided a ground for all grades of staff, including manual, in 1926. By 1930 this had been replaced by another of 15 acres, a pavilion by 1933, with maintenance, staff, equipment and catering on the corporation, and run by a committee from departments plus players. All staff plus families paid 2/6 per head per annum. Pitches were 2 rugby, 3 soccer, 2 hockey, 3 cricket (with half-a-dozen tennis courts elsewhere), hot showers, a roomy light refreshment room, a full-time steward and (we noticed) electric light.
At home, lighting was candles stuck on nails, two wash basins were serviced by buckets of hot water, one casual groundsman and, critically, only one pitch, the shed being too small to take any more bods. So, when with twenty new players a third team became possible, they had to be strollers.
By November we were second in the Senior League (one extra game played), all the Second and Third team players were considered capable of moving into the Firsts, and such strength could give us the championship; on the other hand, the Reserves lost one game because their keeper had left the Club without telling us; around Christmas, we lost ground with three draws due to sickness; January was brighter with still more promising players coming along.
More vitally, this was Cup year for the seniors, who reached the Surrey AFA final via Old Norcollians, Old Westminster Citizens (see 1956/7) and Old Grammarians (of the Old Boys League, Division 1).
The account of the final on Sutton’s ground is very brief. West Wickham, then a friendly side, beat us 3 - 2 in a fine game. All their goals were scored with the strong wind in the first half; after the change, the Council were seldom out of their half, Rutter and Hardwick scored, but …. The teams spent a social evening in Sutton. The Reserves went out of their county cup by the odd goal, first round, to Thomas Cook.
All remaining First Team games were lost in the aftermath, leaving them third in the table, the Reserves middling in theirs; the Thirds won half their friendlies, and theirs are the only published figures – at halfway through the season.
The sub is noted at 10/-, for which sum the Club was providing the shirts.
1937/8
The ground at Mottingham died under us, the cost of even one pitch every other week becoming prohibitive, and the Council still not behind us.
We had initially been told the sub-soil was sandy, carrying a very fine cricket table with room for one soccer and one hockey pitch, and an adequate licensed pavilion. It was taken on as a stop-gap which should generate enough support from the staff and the Council to lead to a more grandiose scheme; sounded a bit like a second marriage?
In fact, the year before, the pitch had lost us five games on the trot. It was literally ankle-deep in mud, some 2-3 inches of which stuck under one’s boot which had to be ‘lifted’ around for 90 minutes. As a defender I have always preferred heavy conditions, but these were far the worst I ever played in, all games felt like extra time. To cope, three hip baths were available, which was perhaps better than Brent’s oil drums of the 1960’s? The glass ware from the bar was packed in saw dust in a trunk and produced by Timberlake at Belmont in 1948.
We moved to Gunnersbury Park. The Thirds entered the League, and in view of the long programme, cups were cut out. The subs were raised “to permit the continuance of the thirds” though the connection is not apparent. Both the First and Reserve keepers had left the service and the Club but more promising players were recruited and the First XI was, on paper, considered to be stronger; it was mid-November before they won a match at which time the Reserves topped their division.
Publicity now dried up completely until June with a short summary of results but no League tables. In contrast to the previous Xmas, the Firsts were relegated, the League having sprouted a third division; our players were considered “individually superior but had no determination to win.” The Reserves were runners-up in Junior 1 and robbed of the Championship by the over-frequent calls of their seniors. The Thirds held their own in their division. In the Senior Cup we went down heavily to Old Bromleians.
1938/9
A pitch for the 3rd’s could no longer be afforded, so they were withdrawn from the League and ran as strollers.
While the Gazette appealed for goalkeeping assistance in the plural, it was announced that Jack Davis from Bromley and Jock Connors from London College and Queens Park Glasgow were joining us; Bill Douglas, an ex-Northern Nomads, was there the previous season; Les Wasbourne, an amateur with professional Margate, had been with us since 1933.
Following narrow defeats in opening games, the League sides had a run of wins up to the end of February; at that time the Firsts were second in their division having beaten Maori and Southgate Olympic neither of whom were expected to lose any games that season; in fact, by the following month, the former were still top, the latter had dropped another three points, and we were third. It took about the same time to assess the friendly side’s strength and get any even-strength fixtures, by which time they had enjoyed double-figure-games, for and against.
There are no further records of any of the teams’ results and a slump is presumed. The two top sides beat Old Wokingians in the Surrey Cups, the Firsts then going out to Grammarians; the Reserves took one more round off Old Westminster then succumbed to Courages again.
In August the Thirds had been found a pitch at Marble Hill and trails were announced with H. J. Bradshaw as contact. Once again Jerry thought differently, and we suffered our third hiatus since 1892, but this time the LCC went out as a going concern.
1939/40
In fact, on 9 November 1939, R. S. Pollard sent out a circular that, with Charlie Pawsey and Fanny Prior, he had found a list of dates pre-booked for us at Marble Hill. All players volunteering would play for the one XI on a roster, regardless of strength. It would seem that at least some of these fixtures were honoured.
[Ed. Once again, the Club was put ‘On Hold’ during the war years of 1939 – 1945, being revived once more in 1947.]