A quick one here send in by reader Bob Pugh, which I think may make for interesting discussion – Walsall Wood FC’s 1936 lineup featured on a cigarette card, and also a mystery team known only as ‘Walsall Jolly FC’.
It used to be a standing joke that if a smoker was considered mean, the phrase used was ‘he’s so tight, last time he opened a pack of fags, a picture of Stanley Matthews fell out.’ In this case it was a couple of local teams – so what do you readers think?
I know the Walsall Wood contingent will like this, so some names to faces would be nice. However, it would be great to know about Walsall Jolly FC too. Who were they, why that odd name? Where did they play? Do they still exist in some form?
Thanks to Bob for a great contribution. What do you know? Please comment here, or mail me: BrownhillsBob at Googlemail dot com.
The Woodmen of the past on a cigarette card… Image from Bob Pugh.
Hi Bob
A snippet you may wish to use on a slow news day!
You keep your ‘fans’ up to date with all things Walsall Wood FC, a recent photo (attached) caught my eye. In these days of celebrities and Premier League superstars it amazed me to find that Walsall Wood were included as part of a cigarette card collection, issued by Ardath cigarettes in 1936. I think most cigarette packets included a card in those days but can you envisage smokers or their kids all round the country saying ‘I’ll swop you a Manchester United for a Walsall Wood’!
Perhaps your experts can put names to the players or even add some biographies or anecdotes.
Incidentally the set also included a picture of the team ‘Walsall Jolly’ – an unusual name, does anybody know anything about them?
Regards
Bob Pugh
Walsall Jolly. Like, um, what? Image from Bob Pugh.
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Walsall Jolly Club, mentions from 1934 to 1939, played in the Birmingham Senior Cup, Walsall Senior League.
10,000-1 for the 1938/39 FA Cup
also had cricket team.
walsall wood f.c. team C.sivern.F.Haywood..HGreenfield.H.Rhead.C.Smith.H.Wood(capt)Front Row.F.Waltho.J.Cooper.T.Craddock.F.Knight.G.Williamson. formed1924/25
The Walsall Jolly team participated in the Birmingham AFA. On the cigarette card as mentioned in the original post it states the team were founded in 1920 but played in the Birmingham & District League (now West Midland Regional League) and won the championship in 1935. I would assume this is an error as this Championship was won by Wellington Town. In the now Birmingham & District Football League (formerly Birmingham AFA ) Handbook it shows results of Walsall Jolly and their Honors are as follows:
Birmingham AFA Championship Winners
1935 1938 1939
Birmingham AFA Senior Cup Winners
1937 1938 1939
Birmingham AFA Senior Cup Runners Up
1928
Birmingham AFA Minor Cup Winners
1937
Birmingham AFA Minor Cup Runners Up
1938
ref Jolly Good.
My father played with the Walsall Jolly fc although he always referred to them as the Walsall Jolly Boys when I was a child. He kept his football shirts in the wardrobe until the early 1950’s when mother told him to stop being sentimental and throw them away since they neither fitted him nor he would play again and she wanted the space..
I am certain he is one of the players shown on the back row of the cigarette card or photo,
I am 77 so it is all going back a long way.
My father Len Worrall played for the Walsall Jolly Club. He was Goalie and is on the centre of the back row. The team did go ‘on tour’ to Belgium – who the opposing teams were I have no knowledge of.
Dad had a friend in the team -Lennie Price. Uncertain but I was led to believe that the club was based near the Arboreteum.
We too have one of the cigarette cards.
HI, having recently moved house I was going through old family memorabilia and came across my father’s, Len Price, medal from the Belgian tour you refer to. The tour was the Easter 1931 competition at Namur, the Jolly Club were runners up. I also have his “cap” from 1927/28 when the team were runners up in the B&D AFA League and small silver (rather battered) cup when they won the Seniors Cup 1937/8/9. He often mention your father, did they not used to play tennis too?
Yes they did play tennis at the club based on Arboretum grounds at the top of the hill where the playing fields began. They also holidayed together in the Isle of Man