Toddles Woolhouse

[clive_w_nicholson]

I just got hold of this photograph of the Sheffield Association team that played the London Associaton in 1892.

The team line-up given is incorrect as Woolhouse is listed as the player that is clearly Needham.

Does anyone have the knowledge to identify Woolhouse for me as he was the reason I purchased the photograph. I don't have my research with me at the moment so cannot compare all the players against other photographs.

[dunsbyowl1867]

I just got hold of this photograph of the Sheffield Association team that played the London Associaton in 1892.

The team line-up given is incorrect as Woolhouse is listed as the player that is clearly Needham.

Does anyone have the knowledge to identify Woolhouse for me as he was the reason I purchased the photograph. I don't have my research with me at the moment so cannot compare all the players against other photographs.

Clive,

I'd say he is the one with the 'tache

Seriously though, there is a photo of a Wednesday team in 1890 in One hundred years at Hillsborough (page 14).

Harry 'Toddles' Woolhouse is on there and looks identical to the player 3rd from the right of the front row.

Cheers

Paul

[Guest clivenicholson]

Clive,

I'd say he is the one with the 'tache

Seriously though, there is a photo of a Wednesday team in 1890 in One hundred years at Hillsborough (page 14).

Harry 'Toddles' Woolhouse is on there and looks identical to the player 3rd from the right of the front row.

Cheers

Paul

Thanks for the help. Thought it might be him, but don't have my books to hand at the moment.

[RichardB]

I just got hold of this photograph of the Sheffield Association team that played the London Associaton in 1892.

The team line-up given is incorrect as Woolhouse is listed as the player that is clearly Needham.

Does anyone have the knowledge to identify Woolhouse for me as he was the reason I purchased the photograph. I don't have my research with me at the moment so cannot compare all the players against other photographs.

Go on, I'll take the big "QI" claxon, what was "Toddles" all about please ?

[clive_w_nicholson]

Go on, I'll take the big "QI" claxon, what was "Toddles" all about please ?

I will be honest. The 'Toddles' bit might not be accurate. My dad knows more about the early 1890's players/history than me and always refers to Woolhouse as 'Toddles'. I think that he picked it up from either something written at the time in newspapers or by something written by one of the Wednesday players. He has refered to him as Toddles for about 5 years and I just assumed that this was correct. However, it wouldn't be the first time for him to get someething totally wrong!!! I will double check his evidence for this.

It may be true. I discovered a few months back that the Famous Amature G.O. Smith was always called 'Joe' by his fellow players, combining the G and O together to form a slag word for him. Rather than say them seperately like I have assumed people read it nowadays.

[dunsbyowl1867]

I will be honest. The 'Toddles' bit might not be accurate. My dad knows more about the early 1890's players/history than me and always refers to Woolhouse as 'Toddles'. I think that he picked it up from either something written at the time in newspapers or by something written by one of the Wednesday players. He has refered to him as Toddles for about 5 years and I just assumed that this was correct. However, it wouldn't be the first time for him to get someething totally wrong!!! I will double check his evidence for this.

It may be true. I discovered a few months back that the Famous Amature G.O. Smith was always called 'Joe' by his fellow players, combining the G and O together to form a slag word for him. Rather than say them seperately like I have assumed people read it nowadays.

That how he is referred to in some of the books I have read including the story of how he sent a postcard to the club manager/secretary with a message something like" I hear you are having oxtail soup at the club today - can I have some I am sick" High living devils they were!

[RichardB]

That how he is referred to in some of the books I have read including the story of how he sent a postcard to the club manager/secretary with a message something like" I hear you are having oxtail soup at the club today - can I have some I am sick" High living devils they were!

Maybe Owlstalk can help ?; I don't visit there ...

[dunsbyowl1867]

Maybe Owlstalk can help ?; I don't visit there ...

I doubt it not most of them are still at school... from the Independent 1892 - the idol of Olive Grove...no clue here

[Ron Kendall]

On 21/06/2011 at 18:41, clive_w_nicholson said:

I just got hold of this photograph of the Sheffield Association team that played the London Associaton in 1892.

 

The team line-up given is incorrect as Woolhouse is listed as the player that is clearly Needham.

 

Does anyone have the knowledge to identify Woolhouse for me as he was the reason I purchased the photograph. I don't have my research with me at the moment so cannot compare all the players against other photographs.

Toddles is front row, third from the right. He was my wife's great uncle and was one of 3 brothers who played for Wednesday in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. He got the nickname due to his regular habit of 'toddling' into offside positions. 

[Edmund]

Wednesday team 1892 - one of the Woolhouses front right

Harry was born in 1868 the son of Thomas and Mary, both filecutters of Ecclesfield. Two of Harry's younger brothers, Fred and Dan, were also successful footballers (at Wednesday and Barnsley). Harry probably came to the notice of Wednesday in March 1888, when he performed well in the Ecclesfield team which played against Wednesday at Bramall Lane (3-2 to Wednesday). By September he was a new man in the Wednesday team which lost 3-1 to West Bromwich Albion at Olive Grove.

In March 1889 the entire Wednesday team were players at the Alexandra Theatre in a benefit for John Lisbourne (an entertainer). Harry played the part of a swell. In May 1891 Harry briefly became landlord of the Rose and Crown in Paternoster Row.

In October 1892 Toddles was out of the Wednesday team, and playing a non-league game for them against Stoke, in the hope of re-invigorating his performance and regaining a place in the team. In December 1893 he was in a benefit match for Wednesday against Attercliffe. In January 1894 Harry had earned a place again in the Wednesday first team (as centre forward) against top of the league Aston Villa. A knee in the stomach in a match against Notts County in February 1889, though he was quickly out of the infirmary, detuned his performance.

In April 1894 the champions of the Sheffield and Hallamshire Cup Competition, Mexborough, played a home match against a side selected from the other clubs in the league. Harry "Toddles" Woolhouse of Wednesday Wanderers was in that side. Toddles had a good second half but received a caution for a foul on "Cousin" Walter. The final score was one all.

His last game for Wednesday was in March 1895.

His first game for Barnsley was in August 1895. In January 1896 Barnsley played against Newcastle, Harry scoring three goals. Harry was in court in February 1897 summoned by a butcher for a £3 4 shillings debt for meat. His wife Ada testified that he was a professional footballer for the Barnsley St Peter's Club, earning £1 a week - when he got it - but had not been paid for some months, despite Barnsley recently doing well financially with the Cup-tie with Derby County. A month later the Secretary of Barnsley St Peters was subpoenaed to testify on Harry's earnings and stated that he received 30 shillings a week from September to April but nothing during the summer months, during which Harry had to maintain himself with his trade as a filecutter. Harry's wife re-appeared but could not explain his failure to pay the debt, and Harry was sentenced to 14 days in prison, though execution was suspended for a month, unless he paid the debt, which he promised to do.

From the Sheffield Daily Telegraph of Wednesday 6th December 1911:

OLD WEDNESDAY PLAYER'S DEATH - HARRY WOOLHOUSE Harry Woolhouse, of Ecclesfield, better known as "Toddles" Woolhouse, had the misfortune last Saturday week to injure his head by a fall. He was removed home, and attended by Dr. Stainsby, but his condition becoming worse, he was taken to the Sheffield Infirmary , where he died on Monday evening.  "Toddles" was a member of the Wednesday team in their palmiest days, at OLive Grove, and was considered one of their best inside forwards. He had several accidents during his 14 years as a first team player, the most serious being when playing in a Cup-tie against Notts County at Olive Grove, when he was acidentally hurt by Clements, one of The Notts backs.  Woolhouse had to decline all engagements after that occurrence. [In fact he played for three seasons after the incident] He will be buried at Ecclesfield tomorrow at 3.30.

Toddles was only 43 years old.