Oddly enough, even though it's a mere drawing of the players, I can see that the 'big head' training was already playing dividends for this Armitage fellah at the top right of the photo. Wow.
Now - I may be clutching at straws here, but I see in the photo a 'J. Murphy'. Tell me, he never played for Crystal Palace at any time did he? We signed a J.Murphy from Palace at around the same time.
Seriously though, I'll be trawling through this lot later making my notes, and downloading the fantastic images you've provided.
Barry town fans, for the most part, haven't celebrate past players and heroes as there's no literature out there on them. Now our club is being run by the supporters (not 'owned' unfortunately), we're putting that right by celebrating past players in every programme. It's been a massive success and it's nice to know that there IS an interest out there - aside from the likes of me who tend to spend far too much time on this kind of thing.
Lennox / Whitlow was an amazing partnership but sadly came to fisticuffs during an FA Cup tie. It was all resolved the next day however with a shared woodbine and a jolly good handshake.
That photo is a sham! On closer inspection of the lhs R.Tricker is clearly a late addition and has been photoshopped in by Ron Came. He has no legs for starters and everyone knows our first double amputee, George 'Stumpy' Collins, didn't debut until 1943.
Sorry to read of your troubles BTSC, we have some idea of what can happen when things go wrong! If not at Charlton of a Saturday I sometimes watch the Welsh game on SC4. Often quite entertaining though of course the commentary is a challenge! Anyway, according to Colin Cameron's 'The Valiant 500', James Murphy ',,,,had one season with Charlton and had a useful run of 17 games in the first team, all at left half, before leaving the club in 1927'. He played for Ayr United andMid Rhondda before signing for Charlton, so there is a Welsh connection. There is no info as to where he went after leaving us, I'm afraid. Good luck with your article.
Henry Hirst far right middle row in the 1926/27 picture was rumoured to be the first player to wear a panama hat whilst playing for Charlton. As can be seen in the picture, the hat rarely left his head.
Absolutely, no problem. I guess the other clubs he played for (Exeter, Cardiff, and of course yourselves) all have his playing recorded in some form or another. We have one book that came out about Barry Town in 1993. However, since 1994 there has been more to-ings and fro-ings, ups and downs, than at any time in the preceding 80-odd years. From beating Porto in 2001 to where we are now, a decade later. Aside from this WONDERFUL book, there is no written analysis of the players, the managers, the heroes and the wasters. Through our fan-run matchday programme, we're trying to put that right.
Every other club has a Hall of Fame, but not us. Why not? Well, because up until now the stats and the history hasn't been written down. For (almost) the first time, Barry Town fans are getting to read up on their own club's history. To that end, we are inducting managers/players into our own Barry Town Hall of Fame - and Freddie Whitlow might just get in. After his League career, he came back to non-league Barry, for the 1935-36 and 1936-37 season, where he finished as top-scorer in both seasons, and finished off his final season with us with, I think, 7 (seven) hat-tricks. His last game for us also included a hat-trick. He was a bit of demon at the crease as well, playing for the local cricket club - but that's going to take a bit more unpicking.
As it turns out, this very thread - including the brilliant pics of him above - inspired me to get to the library during some Chrimbo shopping and do a quick half-hours research. In that half hour, I chanced on a 1935 newspaper I hadn't previously read, and whaddya know, I discover a never-printed-since-1935 Barry Town team photo taken at Jenner Park after an FA Cup 3rd Qually match, featuring one Fred Whitlow in the back row. The first time I've seen him in a Barry shirt! I was quite chuffed.
But yeah - I'll stick my story here. Unless the Charlton Athletic programme editor wants to stick it in there as well??
Thanks again all - it has honestly been a hoot and well worth the visit to Charlton Life.
Oh, and we were involved in a massive game on Saturday (attendance : 134) which we won 2-1 A.E.T. with a superb goal scored in the 118th minute. I then won £10 in their social club's lottery, won the Barry bus raffle (red wine), and had the players sing me happy birthday on the way back east. Good times. Tidy.
Thanks BTSC, that would be great to see what you've penned. I don't know whether our programme editor would be interested, if you'd like to contact him his email is matt.wright@cafc.co.uk
We are very lucky here at Charlton in that there's several people around the club that are very knowledgeable as well as being good writers. Consequently there's four or five books on different aspects of the club's history (sadly all out of print at the moment, but available to anyone that's keen enough to seek them out). I know what you mean about to-ings and fro-ings. Our main book about Charlton players was published in 1991 and is called The Valiant 500 as at that time that's how many first team players we'd had. Now just over 20 years on we have had 738 first teamers.
Anyway, good luck with your programme and your Hall of Fame ventures - I hope Fred gets in. I really look forward to seeing the article.
The finished article appeared in the matchday programme for Barry Town vs Goytre United on December 10th. Hoping to have this available online at some point in the near future,
Great to see Fred on the Charlton Centenary DVD I picked up before Christmas. A fantastic watch. Is there anything else available in a similar vein?
Slightly off topic, but in a wild moment back in 2002 I swore that if Latvia won the Eurovision Song Contest I would go and watch the next Latvian football team to play on British soil. Latvia won and sure enough when the draw for the preliminary round of the Champions League was made, Skonto Riga were paired with Barry Town, so off I went. I had a lovely evening down there draped in a borrowed Latvian flag.
Seriously, somebody mentioned Colin Cameron - club statistician - might be worth enquiring with him if there are any (True) interesting stories concerning Whitlow - no doubt he can be contacted through the club.
This thread reminds me of Golden Gordon and also the Tales From a Long Room stuff by the late Peter Tinniswood. I suspect he who would have enjoyed reading it.
I think that is one of the best threads on CL. Really enjoyed that. Sadly I never got to see the legendary partnership of Lennox/ Whitlow, as I was confused about my sexuality at the time and found watching men running round in long shorts both exhilarating and strangely disturbing. Fortunately, a strict diet of boiled potatoes and lard, coupled with much brisk walking across the Downs resolved the matter and I was able to continue watching Charlton happily from the mid 30s devoid of all uncomfortable, awkward stirrings.
Comments
This thread is amazing. Man, this is so good.
Oddly enough, even though it's a mere drawing of the players, I can see that the 'big head' training was already playing dividends for this Armitage fellah at the top right of the photo. Wow.
Now - I may be clutching at straws here, but I see in the photo a 'J. Murphy'. Tell me, he never played for Crystal Palace at any time did he? We signed a J.Murphy from Palace at around the same time.
Seriously though, I'll be trawling through this lot later making my notes, and downloading the fantastic images you've provided.
Barry town fans, for the most part, haven't celebrate past players and heroes as there's no literature out there on them. Now our club is being run by the supporters (not 'owned' unfortunately), we're putting that right by celebrating past players in every programme. It's been a massive success and it's nice to know that there IS an interest out there - aside from the likes of me who tend to spend far too much time on this kind of thing.
Sorry to read of your troubles BTSC, we have some idea of what can happen when things go wrong! If not at Charlton of a Saturday I sometimes watch the Welsh game on SC4. Often quite entertaining though of course the commentary is a challenge! Anyway, according to Colin Cameron's 'The Valiant 500', James Murphy ',,,,had one season with Charlton and had a useful run of 17 games in the first team, all at left half, before leaving the club in 1927'. He played for Ayr United andMid Rhondda before signing for Charlton, so there is a Welsh connection. There is no info as to where he went after leaving us, I'm afraid. Good luck with your article.
Fred also scored many a header, thanks to the freak birth defect which provided him with a booted foot growing out of his right ear.
There's a picture of it somewhere in my Players Cigarette card box.
Absolutely, no problem. I guess the other clubs he played for (Exeter, Cardiff, and of course yourselves) all have his playing recorded in some form or another. We have one book that came out about Barry Town in 1993. However, since 1994 there has been more to-ings and fro-ings, ups and downs, than at any time in the preceding 80-odd years. From beating Porto in 2001 to where we are now, a decade later. Aside from this WONDERFUL book, there is no written analysis of the players, the managers, the heroes and the wasters. Through our fan-run matchday programme, we're trying to put that right.
Every other club has a Hall of Fame, but not us. Why not? Well, because up until now the stats and the history hasn't been written down. For (almost) the first time, Barry Town fans are getting to read up on their own club's history. To that end, we are inducting managers/players into our own Barry Town Hall of Fame - and Freddie Whitlow might just get in. After his League career, he came back to non-league Barry, for the 1935-36 and 1936-37 season, where he finished as top-scorer in both seasons, and finished off his final season with us with, I think, 7 (seven) hat-tricks. His last game for us also included a hat-trick. He was a bit of demon at the crease as well, playing for the local cricket club - but that's going to take a bit more unpicking.
As it turns out, this very thread - including the brilliant pics of him above - inspired me to get to the library during some Chrimbo shopping and do a quick half-hours research. In that half hour, I chanced on a 1935 newspaper I hadn't previously read, and whaddya know, I discover a never-printed-since-1935 Barry Town team photo taken at Jenner Park after an FA Cup 3rd Qually match, featuring one Fred Whitlow in the back row. The first time I've seen him in a Barry shirt! I was quite chuffed.
But yeah - I'll stick my story here. Unless the Charlton Athletic programme editor wants to stick it in there as well??
Thanks again all - it has honestly been a hoot and well worth the visit to Charlton Life.
Oh, and we were involved in a massive game on Saturday (attendance : 134) which we won 2-1 A.E.T. with a superb goal scored in the 118th minute. I then won £10 in their social club's lottery, won the Barry bus raffle (red wine), and had the players sing me happy birthday on the way back east. Good times. Tidy.
Great to see Fred on the Charlton Centenary DVD I picked up before Christmas. A fantastic watch. Is there anything else available in a similar vein?
It would have been the Birmingham Snow Hill-Paddington service: via Solihull, Leamington Spa, Banbury and High Wycombe.
Used to work it myself (as a Guard) when at Paddington in the '80's
Sadly I never got to see the legendary partnership of Lennox/ Whitlow, as I was confused about my sexuality at the time and found watching men running round in long shorts both exhilarating and strangely disturbing.
Fortunately, a strict diet of boiled potatoes and lard, coupled with much brisk walking across the Downs resolved the matter and I was able to continue watching Charlton happily from the mid 30s devoid of all uncomfortable, awkward stirrings.