Loco Rojo Posted June 6, 2019 Report Share Posted June 6, 2019 Morning all. Today marks the 75th anniversary of the landings and it got me thinking; does anybody know if any City players at the time, joined up and eventually took part in the landings? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BTRFTG Posted June 6, 2019 Report Share Posted June 6, 2019 Given their relative ages very few players returned from WW2 to enter the football league. Recall although suspended there was still a healthy series of fixtures being played to boost morale (quite a few famous names turned out for City in that capacity,) and these 'reserved' players plus those in the industrial towns who were in 'reserved occupations' and continued to play throughout the period came to the fore. I forget the player's name but my father did mention one fella, I think he signed from Leeds, who it was said took part in DDay? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Loco Rojo Posted June 6, 2019 Author Report Share Posted June 6, 2019 9 minutes ago, BTRFTG said: Given their relative ages very few players returned from WW2 to enter the football league. Recall although suspended there was still a healthy series of fixtures being played to boost morale (quite a few famous names turned out for City in that capacity,) and these 'reserved' players plus those in the industrial towns who were in 'reserved occupations' and continued to play throughout the period came to the fore. I forget the player's name but my father did mention one fella, I think he signed from Leeds, who it was said took part in DDay? Thanks, I hadn't appreciated that fixtures continued in some capacity at the time (just shows my ignorance really). Hopefully someone might know who the player you've mentioned is or know of any others. Such an incredible sacrifice those men and woman at that time gave for us. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Joker Posted June 6, 2019 Report Share Posted June 6, 2019 16 minutes ago, Loco Rojo said: Such an incredible sacrifice those men and woman at that time gave for us. Heroes every last one of them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andre_The_Giant Posted June 6, 2019 Report Share Posted June 6, 2019 A surprising amount of football was played in the war years. When the league was suspended, domestic football was broken down into regional leagues, exhibition games and so on. Bill Shankley played for City at this time apparently! England played 30 internationals during the World War Two also - all scrubbed from the record. I wonder how many goals the late Don Clark, still a Bristol City record holder, would’ve got had the War not interrupted his career? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave L Posted June 6, 2019 Report Share Posted June 6, 2019 28 minutes ago, Andre_The_Giant said: A surprising amount of football was played in the war years. When the league was suspended, domestic football was broken down into regional leagues, exhibition games and so on. Bill Shankley played for City at this time apparently! England played 30 internationals during the World War Two also - all scrubbed from the record. I wonder how many goals the late Don Clark, still a Bristol City record holder, would’ve got had the War not interrupted his career? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Admin phantom Posted June 6, 2019 Admin Report Share Posted June 6, 2019 2 hours ago, Loco Rojo said: Morning all. Today marks the 75th anniversary of the landings and it got me thinking; does anybody know if any City players at the time, joined up and eventually took part in the landings? Not clear what role they had, but a thread from 2015 had some info @Loco Rojo This book may be of interest to some? https://www.amazon.co.uk/Soccer-War-1939-45-Complete-Footballers/dp/075531431X (On a side issue found this relating to City players in WW1 https://www.footballandthefirstworldwar.org/bristol-city-football-club-first-world-war/ ) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andre_The_Giant Posted June 6, 2019 Report Share Posted June 6, 2019 35 minutes ago, Dave L said: Cheers Dave, very interesting So it was Bob not Bill Shankly. His brother! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Undy English Posted June 6, 2019 Report Share Posted June 6, 2019 Loads of great coverage about D-Day in the press today. R.E. City, my grandfather was too young to serve during WW2, but was trusted with watching German POWs and taking them for days out etc. One such individual was a 16yr old Alois Eisenstranger. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
downendcity Posted June 6, 2019 Report Share Posted June 6, 2019 4 hours ago, Andre_The_Giant said: Cheers Dave, very interesting So it was Bob not Bill Shankly. His brother! The Scottish Rougiers! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BTRFTG Posted June 6, 2019 Report Share Posted June 6, 2019 6 hours ago, Andre_The_Giant said: Cheers Dave, very interesting So it was Bob not Bill Shankly. His brother! Although not quoted in the book extract I believe a certain famous Liverpool manager did play for City - one Bob Paisley. I think I'm also right in saying he played for City against Bill Shankly who at the time was turning out for Cardiff..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old Rascal Posted June 6, 2019 Report Share Posted June 6, 2019 11 hours ago, Dave L said: Read through this thread in work and when I got home looked up the OP question to see if I could help. Unfortunately, There is no information on who was called up and where they served. There is an error though in either the book @Dave L has posted, which is Bristol City the first 100 years or Bristol City - a complete record 1894-1987? Oddly they both have the same co-author. In the complete record it says it was Bill Shankly and also Bob Paisley? All the other info is the same, including the Southampton game on Christmas Day 1941, where a car carrying 5 city players broke down in Warminster, so 3 city supporters and 2 Southampton staff had to make the numbers up for us. @BTRFTG The only Leeds player I can find reference to around this time was Jack Hargreaves who was with us in 1946-47. I wonder if any club historians have any more information? Good piece here about Alan Fowler who played for Swindon http://www.swindonweb.com/?m=8&s=116&ss=346&c=5603&t=D-Day+Hero Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BTRFTG Posted June 6, 2019 Report Share Posted June 6, 2019 52 minutes ago, Old Rascal said: @BTRFTG The only Leeds player I can find reference to around this time was Jack Hargreaves who was with us in 1946-47. Thankfully, I've still a relative alive who watched us throughout the post war period. It was actually season 54/55 and he signed from Leeds to win us the title. Half Back name of Tommy Burden. Googled this from the Leeds Archive https://web.archive.org/web/20090313095701/http://www.leedsfans.org.uk/leeds/players/51.htm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redysteadygo1 Posted June 6, 2019 Report Share Posted June 6, 2019 32 minutes ago, Old Rascal said: Read through this thread in work and when I got home looked up the OP question to see if I could help. Unfortunately, There is no information on who was called up and where they served. There is an error though in either the book @Dave L has posted, which is Bristol City the first 100 years or Bristol City - a complete record 1894-1987? Oddly they both have the same co-author. In the complete record it says it was Bill Shankly and also Bob Paisley? All the other info is the same, including the Southampton game on Christmas Day 1941, where a car carrying 5 city players broke down in Warminster, so 3 city supporters and 2 Southampton staff had to make the numbers up for us. @BTRFTG The only Leeds player I can find reference to around this time was Jack Hargreaves who was with us in 1946-47. I wonder if any club historians have any more information? Good piece here about Alan Fowler who played for Swindon http://www.swindonweb.com/?m=8&s=116&ss=346&c=5603&t=D-Day+Hero Don't think it was Jack as wiki informs he was playing for Leeds throughout the war. Must have been in a reserved occupation. Back in the early 1960s Jack took us for football coaching at Broad Plain House as well as other teams and he kept is eye out for useful talent as a scout for City. Regardless to say I never made it. Jack's claim to fame at that time was that he had played at the ground of every team in the four leagues. Not much change to the league make up in them far off days. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BTRFTG Posted June 6, 2019 Report Share Posted June 6, 2019 6 hours ago, BTRFTG said: Although not quoted in the book extract I believe a certain famous Liverpool manager did play for City - one Bob Paisley. I think I'm also right in saying he played for City against Bill Shankly who at the time was turning out for Cardiff..... Just home and looked it up. What I didn't realise was Bob P only played the one game for us (not uncommon at the time with troops bring shipped around) 28/9/40 against Cardiff. In one of Shankley's biographies it records he was stationed at various RAF bases throughout Wales and turned out a few times for Cardiff, odd coincidence..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old Rascal Posted June 6, 2019 Report Share Posted June 6, 2019 Thanks for the replies @BTRFTG and @redysteadygo1. I was looking up just after the war. Some amazing memories and stories we still have on this forum. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.