Football in the snow

[malumbu]

A light hearted thread to take us away from the dark clouds gathering. And on dark clouds on Tuesday I cycled home in the rain then sleet then wet snow then heavier snow. A mate showed his pictures from playing five a side the same evening outside in Catford.

The Mail, yes the Mail, had an article about jumpers for goalposts, orange balls, fans in bobble hats clearing the pitches and watching football in the snow on pen terraces. I was at one of the matches featured. Question is who is the mystery match in the slush in 1938 - I reckon Burnley vs Sunderland. Anyone know? Any other stories? Sorry this wont appeal to all on the forum.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-4062310/Football-snow-Discover-groundsmen-footballers-fans-battled-elements-nine-decades.html

[rendelharris]

Well, Burnley and Sunderland weren't in the same division in either of the '38 seasons (37-38 or 38-39), and they didn't meet in the FA Cup (no League Cup in those days), so seems unlikely. The advert on the stand for "Wednesbury Hippodrome" would seem to indicate it's in Birmingham, so the team in the dark kit could be Aston Villa. They played Sunderland at home on December 27th 1938, drawing 1-1 (having, bizarrely, beaten them 5-1 in Sunderland the day before), and it was a white Christmas that year.

The internet's a wonderful thing, and if my agent doesn't send me work soon I shall go mad(der).

[malumbu]

Eyesite is a wonderful thing too, I thought it said Wednesday and was advertising a variety night. But I am pleased that even in black and white I could differentiate between red and white stripes and other stripes. And of course being hard midland/NE teams no issues in playing in slush. Although others could prove me wrong - Wednesbury? Closer to West Brom or Wolves.

[rendelharris]

West Brom wore white shorts up to 1985, so it's not them in the stripes, and neither of those kits are Wolves (orange shirts, black shorts). However, I must admit that the ground looks a bit shoddy for Villa Park 1938.

[Cardelia]

The ground is too small to be Villa Park. Even back in the 1930s that was an enormous place.

It looks like a lower league ground to me, or possibly one of the giant old non-league grounds. Based on location (i.e. the Wednesbury advert) my best guess would be Walsall. Interestingly, according to http://www.historicalkits.co.uk/Walsall/Walsall.htm, they played in claret and blue in 1938 so it could well be them as the home team. I've no idea about the team in stripes though.

[malumbu]

In deed, Villa Park would have been three times the size but interestingly one of the stands in 1907 had an ad up for 'Hippodrome' https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Villa_Park_1907.jpg By 1938 it would have had large impressive stands with open terrace banks at each end. Walsall? Good spot!

[rendelharris]

Excellent shout - the stand is clearly this one at Fellows Park (Walsall home ground then) from the other side.

ETA and Reading would seem a good shout for the opposition from the kit - Walsall beat them 3-0 at home on 27/12/1938, when there was definitely snow.