Roker Rover Posted November 20, 2015 Share Posted November 20, 2015 Spotted this photo in an article about Sir Stanley Matthews. I will be honest and admit that I did not know he had made guest appearances for Airdrie, Greenock Morton and Rangers during the war years. To be fair, he was only 30 when the war ended and he looks older here, so I could be miles wide of the mark but this photo looks very 'Scottish' to me, as does the DFC badge on the opponent's shirt (at least it looks like a 'D'). Can anyone confirm it's a Scottish ground? And if so, who he was playing for and where was the game played? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mike_gain Posted November 20, 2015 Share Posted November 20, 2015 Spotted this photo in an article about Sir Stanley Matthews. I will be honest and admit that I did not know he had made guest appearances for Airdrie, Greenock Morton and Rangers during the war years. To be fair, he was only 30 when the war ended and he looks older here, so I could be miles wide of the mark but this photo looks very 'Scottish' to me, as does the DFC badge on the opponent's shirt (at least it looks like a 'D'). Can anyone confirm it's a Scottish ground? And if so, who he was playing for and where was the game played? Looking at the badge of his team mate it looks like he's playing for Blackpool. Nae idea who the team in white are. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zen Archer (Raconteur) Posted November 21, 2015 Share Posted November 21, 2015 The team is most probably Darlington, they went bust in 2012 and the phoenix club added the 1883 suffix to the club name. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roker Rover Posted November 21, 2015 Author Share Posted November 21, 2015 Looking at the badge of his team mate it looks like he's playing for Blackpool. Nae idea who the team in white are. Yeah I thought that as well, which means it is probably an English league ground but he played mostly in the first division and it looks more like a lower league or non league ground. Could have been a friendly or a cup tie I suppose. Its definitely not Bloomfield Road. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roker Rover Posted November 21, 2015 Author Share Posted November 21, 2015 The team is most probably Darlington, they went bust in 2012 and the phoenix club added the 1883 suffix to the club name. Not so sure about that. I am from the North East and went to Feethams quite a few times before Darlo went pop and it does not look familiar. Also Darlington were always in the lower two divisions and mainly the 4th and Blackpool when Matthews played were strictly Division One. I am certain it's not Darlington. Feethams was shared with the cricket club which is still there and there was a field behind the other goal (which is also still there), therefore the building behind the goal just does not fit as there were no buildings behind either goal. Darlington also wore black shorts. By the way, I have now seen Darlington play at home on three different grounds (Feethams, The Arena and Heritage Park, Bishop Auckland) and they are currently arranging a ground share with the Blackwell Meadows Rugby club in the town and if that comes off, it will be the 4th different home ground I have seen them play a game at. Cannot be many teams who have played at more home grounds in my lifetime. I have seen Sunderland play them at all three grounds plus Gateshead play an FA Trophy semi final at the arena. The first time I saw them at Heritage Park was a Northern League match v Ryton and Crawcrook Albion (I live in Ryton), so I have also seen them v all three of the clubs I actively support spanning levels 1-9 of the English pyramid. I have seen Sunderland play them in friendlies, the Durham Senior Cup and the FA Cup, Gateshead in the Conference and the FA Trophy and Ryton in the Northern League. I will be honest, they are not my favourite club and I always preferred Hartlepool when they were rivals in Division 4 but as a fan of North East football, I hope they continue to rise back through the leagues. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roker Rover Posted November 21, 2015 Author Share Posted November 21, 2015 Bury v Stoke Gigg lane. Having been to Gigg Lane, its similar to Darlington and had open ground behind both goals, so I don't think that's right either. There are some new flats behind the east goal now but there would have been nothing there in the 50's. Beginning to think it's not a 'D'. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deeboy Posted November 21, 2015 Share Posted November 21, 2015 That's Sir Stanley Matthews, thank you very much. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
7-2 Posted November 21, 2015 Share Posted November 21, 2015 How about Dundalk away in a pre season friendly??? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roker Rover Posted November 21, 2015 Author Share Posted November 21, 2015 How about Dundalk away in a pre season friendly??? Could be something like that. I know nowt about Dundalk. A quick look on Google Earth shows yet another ground with nowt behind either goal and they have played there since 1919 so it's not that either. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arnold Layne Posted November 21, 2015 Share Posted November 21, 2015 Derby County? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sergeant Wilson Posted November 21, 2015 Share Posted November 21, 2015 Looking at the badge of his team mate it looks like he's playing for Blackpool. Nae idea who the team in white are.The ground looks like Bo'ness. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
7-2 Posted November 21, 2015 Share Posted November 21, 2015 Could be something like that. I know nowt about Dundalk. A quick look on Google Earth shows yet another ground with nowt behind either goal and they have played there since 1919 so it's not that either. I didn't realise Google Earth showed you what a place looked like 60 years ago. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Highland Capital Posted November 22, 2015 Share Posted November 22, 2015 I've been to Ariel Park in Dundalk (well stood in it's car park!) and I don't recollect any terracing like that or buildings in that style in the area. Also, going by Google, they've never worn a badge like that either. A photo from the 50s (presumably around when that photo was taken), shows Dundalk using the badge with the birds on it, similar to what they have now . Could it not be a junior ground? Looks like it could be to me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zen Archer (Raconteur) Posted November 22, 2015 Share Posted November 22, 2015 I didn't realise Google Earth showed you what a place looked like 60 years ago. Think Coatbridge. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HibeeJibee Posted November 23, 2015 Share Posted November 23, 2015 It's clearly later in his career. His team-mate's badge looks like Blackpool, but V-neck + white socks don't match any of these during his period: http://www.historicalkits.co.uk/Blackpool/Blackpool.htm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Highland Capital Posted November 23, 2015 Share Posted November 23, 2015 Seemingly this picture is from 1957 while he was at Blackpool. Has a V neck and looks very similar to the one in the initial photo. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Staggie52 Posted November 23, 2015 Share Posted November 23, 2015 It's clearly later in his career. His team-mate's badge looks like Blackpool, but V-neck + white socks don't match any of these during his period: http://www.historicalkits.co.uk/Blackpool/Blackpool.htm He left in 1961, the strip looks like the one shown from 62 onwards on that site, maybe they got their dates slightly wrong. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
7-2 Posted November 23, 2015 Share Posted November 23, 2015 I've been to Ariel Park in Dundalk (well stood in it's car park!) and I don't recollect any terracing like that or buildings in that style in the area. Also, going by Google, they've never worn a badge like that either. A photo from the 50s (presumably around when that photo was taken), shows Dundalk using the badge with the birds on it, similar to what they have now . Could it not be a junior ground? Looks like it could be to me. We're talking more than a couple of generations since the pic was likely taken though so much could have happened. Although the area appears to be mainly residential now the building could have been anything really, eg church hall, a small business, especially as it wasn't far from the station. Looking at Google maps right now you can see there is still terracing at either side of the main stand, one end curving round in a suggestion that it did extend behind the goal at some point. Interesting find about the badge. I had done a quick check and didn't find anything that dated the birds badge and wondered if it was a more recent innovation. It may well indeed not be Dundalk but it's intriguing trying to source the pic now! Think Coatbridge. If it's ok with you I'd rather not. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
killiejim Posted November 23, 2015 Share Posted November 23, 2015 If the badge reads BFC rather than DFC as suggested then a possible answer may be Oakwell, Barnsley. The head to head records show there was no competitive match between Barnsley and Blackpool in the period from 1949 to 1979 so such a match must have been a friendly, testimonial etc. However the old North Terracing at Oakwell was remarkably similar to the picture and the banking narrowed down to corner flag area in exactly the same way. I have no knowledge of Barnsley's change strip in the early 1960's but plain white with a coloured (red) trim would be a good guess. Any advance on Barnsley? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jacksgranda Posted November 23, 2015 Share Posted November 23, 2015 If it's a "D", how about Darwen? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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