Ted Duckhouse, playing for Birmingham City. Image from Blues Picture Store – Click on the image to visit the site.
Longstanding reader and contributor to the Brownhills Blog David Oakley writes to me to raise this interesting question. It seems there was a third local footballer of note hereabouts, as well as the Great Dickie Dorsett and Cecil Poynton. I had no idea about this, and I’m intrigued as to the memories folk have of Ted.
It seems that back then, local teams really were local, and maybe football was the better for that…
Thanks to David for yet another thought provoking and interesting conversation piece. David puts a lot into this blog, particularly with his excellent comments, and I don’t thank him nearly enough. Cheers, old chap – it’s always a pleasure.
David Oakley asked:
Hi Bob,
We have had Dickie Dorsett and Cecil Poynton mentioned on the blog, but I wonder how many of our older readers remember Ted Duckhouse, born in Shelfield, who played fullback for Birmingham City for 12 years, in the old Division One and Division Two of the Football League, a good old Blues stalwart?
Ted commenced his career in the 1930s by playing for Walsall Wood F.C., before turning professional for Birmingham City in 1938. Sadly, at the time, there was not much money around for professional footballers, ‘Soccer slaves’ as they were termed by Jimmy Hill, president of the P.F.A., at the time. How thing have altered since !
After his football career finished, Ted could be seen catching a bus to Darlaston each morning, as one of the hundreds of factory workers employed in the town. I wonder how many of his fellow passengers realised how close they were sitting to a man who some years earlier had forty thousand spectators following his every move, and whose face had appeared on cigarette cards, they may have collected as youngsters?
Ted finally retired in 1955, his last club being Rushden.
Cheers
David.
Rushden F.C. Signing Ted Duckhouse in the early 1950s. Left to right: Bob Broton, Ken Ambridge, Ted Duckhouse, Fred Robinson (chairman), Frank Langley, Vic Walker (committee member), ?. Image from the Rushden Research Group.