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www.OliverFamilyHistory.co.uk -> General Oliver Discussion -> Cup final results (89 years out of date)
Post Info TOPIC: Cup final results (89 years out of date)
jane


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RE: Cup final results (89 years out of date)
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Here's that photo I promised:

Mystery football team.jpg

Could this be the Stonesfield team of 1921?  This photograph of an unidentified football team is at Witney & DistrictMuseum.  The trophy looks like the Howe-Browne cup, which Stonesfield won in 1921. (We have another photo, this time of the Witney Swifts, with the same trophy in 1920.)

The Howe-Browne cup was first awarded in 1909.  The first few winners were as follows:

1909: Witney Cygnets

1910: Witney Gordons

1911: Lechlade

1912: Woodstock

1913: ?

1914: WitneyTown

1915-1919: the League believed to be suspended due to the war

1920: Witney Swifts [pictured in a separate photo at the museum]

1921: Stonesfield

1922: Newland

1923: Eynsham

1924: Witney Mills

1925: Witney Mills

... and so the list goes on (this and much more can be found in Bob Watts's history of the Witney & District F.A.).  In fact the trophy is still played for today . I am hoping to get to see it so that I can see how many little shields there are around the first layer of the base (which has had several extensions since the photo shown here).

We could probably rule out some of the above teams from comparison with other photos, and could perhaps find more lists of players in the newspaper.  If you recognise any Olivers please let us know.

Thanks

Jane




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jane


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This is absolutely nothing to do with Olivers now, but I was trying to find out more about carrier pigeons, which led me into their use as messengers in the war, and thence to the PDSA website, which talks about the Dickin Medal:

“During the Second World War (1939-45), PDSA's founder Maria Dickin CBE was aware of incredible bravery displayed by animals on active service and the Home Front. Inspired by the animals’ devotion to man and duty, she introduced a special medal specifically for animals in war.”

I’ve heard of dogs getting medals, and indeed the Dickin Medal was awarded to 18 dogs between 1943 and 1949, as well as to three horses and one cat.  But the most highly decorated species was  . . . the pigeon!  Astonishingly, 32 pigeons received this award for bravery.  From their stories, which you can read at www.pdsa.org.uk/about-us/animal-bravery-awards/dickin-medal-pigeons, they certainly were prepared to go to great extremes to get their messages through.  These messages saved lives (a message delivered by a pigeon called “G.I. Joe” is said to have flown 20 miles in 20 minutes, delivering a message just in time to save over a hundred lives).

If the Stonesfield pigeon post operated this quickly, then the celebration of their 1921 football victory would have been well under way before the team arrived back home.

OK, I had better be quiet now and let other people do some talking
Jane

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jane


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Not FA Cup Final day 2010, but the Witney & District Football League Cup Final, 1921, between the cup holders (Witney Swifts) and Stonesfield.  The match took place at the Boys' Brigade Ground, Newland, on 30 April 1921.  The teams were announced in that day's 'Witney Gazette':

Witney Swifts (playing in amber and black), team to be made up from A. Hosier, J. Busby, A. Keates, R. Wright, B. Scarrott, R. Hitchman, W. Townsend, R. Townsend, A. Townsend, J. Scarrott, P. Hosier, W. Hicks.

Stonesfield (playing in blue and white): A. Scroggs, W. Oliver, A. Oliver, S. Smith, R. Woodward, E. Thornett, B. May****, R. Hunt, F. Thornett, G. Oliver, F. Woodward

There is a detailed match report in the 'Witney Gazette' of 7 May 1921, which helpfully tells us that W. Oliver and G. Oliver were brothers.  The match ended in a draw, 1-all.  It was replayed a week later.  Again, the 'Witney Gazette' goes into great detail of the play.  

My favourite part of the story is about the way the results were communicated: ‘During the interval a carrier pigeon was despatched to Stonesfield bearing the score’, which then stood at 1-0 to Stonesfield.   Just 5 minutes before the end of the match, Witney equalised, but a last-minute goal by F. Thornett made it a victory for the blue-and-whites.  Another carrier pigeon was sent off to Stonesfield with the good news.

The winning Stonesfield team was the same as in the previous week's match, except that W. Pratley was playing instead of F. Woodward.

Now, at Witney Museum we happen to have a picture of the Witney Swifts, probably taken in 1920 when they had won the cup.  But we have another picture of an unidentified team with the same cup and probably a similar vintage.  Could this be the Stonesfield team of 1921?  I will get it scanned and posted, in case anyone can match any of those Stonesfield names to faces in the photo.  

Bye for now

Jane



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