THYLACINE Posted June 10, 2012 Share Posted June 10, 2012 To be honest, it wasn't lost. I've always known it was there, but after an acute bout of nostalgia, I dug it out and cleaned it up and it got me thinking about the sport that I and thousands of other kids loved, lived and breathed when we were growing up in South Yorkshire in the 60's. But here's the sad thing. I can't remember the name of the team I played for when I won that medal. The dates on the medal correspond to my last 2 years at school. I remember some of us formed a team to play in a local league - the Sheffield & Hallamshire Under 16 ½ league and I think we called ourselves Thornbridge Athletic FC. The only other member of the team I can remember was a half back called John Tandy. So my question is, where would I look for a league table? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaveH Posted June 10, 2012 Share Posted June 10, 2012 To be honest, it wasn't lost. I've always known it was there, but after an acute bout of nostalgia, I dug it out and cleaned it up and it got me thinking about the sport that I and thousands of other kids loved, lived and breathed when we were growing up in South Yorkshire in the 60's. But here's the sad thing. I can't remember the name of the team I played for when I won that medal. The dates on the medal correspond to my last 2 years at school. I remember some of us formed a team to play in a local league - the Sheffield & Hallamshire Under 16 ½ league and I think we called ourselves Thornbridge Athletic FC. The only other member of the team I can remember was a half back called John Tandy. So my question is, where would I look for a league table? Why under siteen and a half? Surely it is easier to judge as "under sixteen" by going on someones birthday rather than having to add an extra six months on to establish if you are "sixteen and a half" Just seems a strange way of setting an age limit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
THYLACINE Posted June 10, 2012 Author Share Posted June 10, 2012 It's definitely weird and I don't know the answer. Sheffield & Hallamshire County FA have a website with a 'history' section, I will raise the question with them. I bet they don't know the answer either. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaveH Posted June 11, 2012 Share Posted June 11, 2012 It's definitely weird and I don't know the answer. Sheffield & Hallamshire County FA have a website with a 'history' section, I will raise the question with them. I bet they don't know the answer either. Just wondered as it does seem strange to go to a half year. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CJE638 Posted June 16, 2012 Share Posted June 16, 2012 I am the S&H historian, all queries to S&H are sent onto me to deal with - so hopefully I can sort out some of it for you. The team was Thornbridge Athletic, and the next season 1966/67 they moved into the S&H Under 18 sunday league. John Tandy was I believe their captain and the team was run by his father, I believe also called John. I was the secretary and also played for Hackenthorpe FC at that time and I remember playing Thornbridge many times in both league and friendly games. The reason for the Under 16 1/2 bit has been lost in history. Perhaps it was something to do with the fact that there were Under 15 and 16 leagues running under the title Highgate & District league, based at Tinsley around that time. They finished in 1965. For years the S&H ran a 14-16 league and a 17-18 league. It the early 1960's this became the under 16 1/2 and under 18 league followed by an under 21 league. These were all played on Saturday afternoons at that time. With the addition of Sunday football in 1966, these league soon disappeared and they had all gone by 1973. In those days the age of the player was based at 1 September in the season in the under 18 and 21 leagues, but in the under 16 1/2 league it was based at 1 March in the previous season, so most of the players would have been 17 at 1 September at the start of the season. Why not just call it an under 17 league. Sounds complicated, so I bet they shot the person who came up with the idea.The 1 September date was used as that fell close to the cut of date of 5 September used for deciding which school year you where put in. It would be nice to hear from anybody else who played in those leagues or have have medals from them. Chris Eyre (S&H Historian)i Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
THYLACINE Posted June 30, 2012 Author Share Posted June 30, 2012 Just read your reply Chris, I am amazed and delighted. First, that the S & H has an historian! That is classic. Sounds as if we could have played against each other! And second, to read some of the history of the league, I hope it inspires other players to get in touch and share their stories. Take a look at this previous post. Notice in the newspaper cutting there is a player by the name of S. Eyre. Perhaps you could tell us something about him? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest wayneybabes Posted August 8, 2012 Share Posted August 8, 2012 My dad, (whom Chris knows very well at the FA) will probably have played against you for Manor Rangers / Arbourthorne YC. His name is Pat Unwin and he played Right Back. He later went on to manage various different clubs, then he got to become a league secretary/chairman. He was elected onto the FA Council in 87. He has just recieved his 25 years service award this year and has been on the board of directors for the last 3 years. He says he remembers Thornbridge was based up Frecheville Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
THYLACINE Posted August 9, 2012 Author Share Posted August 9, 2012 Yes we were all from Thornbridge School and many of the kids lived on the Thornbridge estate. Congratulations to your dad, football is obviously in his blood, to stick at anything for 25 years is quite an achievement. I played right wing so we probably never clashed, we tended to stick to our positions in those days, even if you were getting none of the ball. If you weren't on the wing when you were needed you got a rollicking from the coach. Changing the subject :- Watching Euro 2012, the way the game has changed with emphasis on possession football, I think it has lost a lot of it's appeal and drama. A team can pass the ball 10 or 15 times and not cross the halfway line. And how come the goalkeeper can boot the ball into the opponents penalty area but if a defender does the same it is derisively called hoof ball or kick-and-hope? The players may have improved physically and perhaps skillfully but as a spectacle, the game has gone backwards. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest wayneybabes Posted August 9, 2012 Share Posted August 9, 2012 Yes we were all from Thornbridge School and many of the kids lived on the Thornbridge estate. Congratulations to your dad, football is obviously in his blood, to stick at anything for 25 years is quite an achievement. I played right wing so we probably never clashed, we tended to stick to our positions in those days, even if you were getting none of the ball. If you weren't on the wing when you were needed you got a rollicking from the coach. Changing the subject :- Watching Euro 2012, the way the game has changed with emphasis on possession football, I think it has lost a lot of it's appeal and drama. A team can pass the ball 10 or 15 times and not cross the halfway line. And how come the goalkeeper can boot the ball into the opponents penalty area but if a defender does the same it is derisively called hoof ball or kick-and-hope? The players may have improved physically and perhaps skillfully but as a spectacle, the game has gone backwards. i think that bowling green style football pitches have aided 'possession football'. also the ball nowadays is about as heavy as a balloon!! Euro 2012 was a big letdown. there was no chance England where going to win and i think the whole country realised this as there wasn't the usual hysteria of previous tournaments. Against Italy in the Quarter Final we where lucky to get nil :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
THYLACINE Posted August 9, 2012 Author Share Posted August 9, 2012 i think that bowling green style football pitches have aided 'possession football'. also the ball nowadays is about as heavy as a balloon!! Euro 2012 was a big letdown. there was no chance England where going to win and i think the whole country realised this as there wasn't the usual hysteria of previous tournaments. Against Italy in the Quarter Final we where lucky to get nil Like United in the play-off final :( Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RichardB Posted August 9, 2012 Share Posted August 9, 2012 Bring back the three-stone leather "casey", Chopper Harris and comb-overs - how on earth did Bobby Charlton hit that ball in from near the halfway line ? i think that bowling green style football pitches have aided 'possession football'. also the ball nowadays is about as heavy as a balloon!! Euro 2012 was a big letdown. there was no chance England where going to win and i think the whole country realised this as there wasn't the usual hysteria of previous tournaments. Against Italy in the Quarter Final we where lucky to get nil Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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