All-conquering Springfield team stormed to success
"Success to Springfield United FC," reads the banner. And this team from the turn of the 20th century delivered success in abundance.
On the Rowley Hills, the newly-formed side was all-conquering as shown by their impressive display of silverware in this picture taken behind the Hailstone Inn at Rowley. The photo was owned by the licensee, Sid Hill, and we published it back in 1962 when some of those captured by the photographer were still alive and able to tell more about the team and its achievements.
People like 83-year-old Jim Parkes, of Rowley, who is third from left in the middle row, who had become a committee member after being forced to retire from the game.
"My, we had a real team in those days. And we played grand football. Look at all those trophies," he said.
Springfield won the cup which bore the village's name by beating Rowley United 2-1 in 1901, and held on to the trophy by beating Dudley Britannia by the same score the following year.
Centre half Tom Follows of Sycamore Road in Tipton believed the team went 40 matches without defeat.
The photo may have been taken after Springfield United had won the Dudley Charity Cup, the West Midland League Cup, and an unidentified third trophy.
It could have been in one of these matches that the club sprang a surprise, so to speak, as at the time of one vital cup final one of the side's stars was in Winson Green prison, and was brought from the jail in a pony and trap for the match.
In the centre of the silverware is the Springfield cup, which went on to become a trophy for a snooker competition in Springfield.
Who's who? There were plenty of discrepancies among those venturing to recall names back in 1962. The back row was identified as, from left, W Masefield; either S Rose or Tom Millington; fifth from left goalkeeper Joe Davies; with left back "Cloggy" Hobley next to him; then Jack Rock, a local barber; club secretary M Hackett; Sol Davis or J Tilley; and J Beddows.
There were many differences for the middle row, but as they were identified by themselves or immediate family we can surely be certain that Jim Parkes is third from left, and Tom Follows is fifth from left, while there was agreement that Dave Hollies or Hollies, the proprietor of the Hailstone Inn who managed the team, is at the right hand end.
And sitting behind the big trophy at the front is Harry Hubbard, the centre forward.
