Right then, as things get a little bit back to normal here at Bob towers (and the welcome opportunity of a rainy day to get things sorted) I have some very early Walsall Wood football material kindly shared by the Woodward family with the young David Evans, which we believe may well show relatives of folk in the area.

I’ll let David explain under the photos themselves, as he’s done a great job of it. My great thanks to David and especially the Woodward family, who’ve lit up a previously rather opaque bit of Walsall Wood history.

Please if you can help with this enquiry, either by naming anyone present or by filling in with more material, please do: Feel free to comment here, yank me on social media or email me on BrownhillsBob at Googlemail dot com. Thanks!

A remarkably clear image of an early incarnation of Walsall Wood FC – Walsall Wood Prims FC, from the 1929-30 season, kindly shared with David Evans by the Woodward family. Please click image for a larger version. Do you recognise a relative?

Walsall Wood Prims FC 1929-1930. This original, card-mounted studio produced photo was shared with me by Geoff Woodward’s son. I cant begin to thank him and the family enough for their wonderful generosity.

We see, back row, right-hand side, the man who with others, founded the club… George Mycock. Brownhills Bobs blog has recently published the golden annniversary booklet, which you can read here.

We have seen that before the First World War there was the Young Men’s fellowship team that played on a pitch behind the Horse and Jockey, following which in 1928 the Walsall Wood Prims team was officially created, based at the Methodist Church by Oak Park.

The gentlemen extreme left also appears in the 1951 Ebenezer photos… again, here on the blog.

A close study of this image strongly suggests that the photo was taken behind the Ebenezer chapel, by the covered way that led from the choir vestry to the Sunday School. You can just see the edge of the toilet block, extreme left.

I would like to ask readers for their help , now. Names for all the people in this image, please, if possible!

This is a slightly later image, by which time the team were Walsall Wood Football Club. Some interesting suits and collars in there. Image kindly shared by the Woodward Family. Click for a larger version.

Another amazing photo from Geoff Woodward’s family of Walsall Wood FC.

The name by now has dropped the word ‘Prims’, which was a reference to the Primitive Methodists, with whose chapel and congregation they were originally associated with..

In 1932 or so the two parts of the Methodist Church in Walsall Wood, the Wesleyans and the Primitive Methodists united to become the Methodist Church. In Walsall Wood the Wesley Cricket Club dropped the word Wesley, and the Primitive Football club dropped the word Primitive. I note that the strip changed, too, to the famous red and white stripes.

I wonder, just wonder if readers may have ancestors in this photo? Certainly the player second row, second from the left was known to be a Mr. Wilkinson, and played with the team before WW1.

Is the big trophy the Walsall Cup? I think in the background we can just see the side of the Horse and Jockey Inn… The team played on ground behind this pub until moving to their present ground in Oak Par – helping to date the image.

Please have a good slow look..you may spot a grandfather, or great grandfather … again, huge thanks to the Woodward family.