Here are a couple of fine old photographs which will stir memories for many Examiner readers.
One shows the Huddersfield Police football team in the mid 1930s and the other is of Meltham Rugby League FC, also from the same period.
They had been kept – along with a cricket tankard – by Elsie Hesketh who died aged 104.
They were discovered by her niece Pat Smith and husband Ronnie who live in Brighouse.
Ronnie said: “It may well be that people recognise grandparents and great grandparents on the photos so we didn’t just want to throw them away. The tankard is inscribed A Hesketh which would be for Elsie’s husband, Albert, who died many years ago. He worked in the carpet department at the old Co-op store in Huddersfield town centre and the couple lived at Thomas Street in Lindley and then in Birchencliffe.”
The tankard is inscribed H&D CSL Midweek CC and was presented to Albert as a member of the league champions team in 1947/48.
Ronnie thinks it must have been a specialist Co-operative cricket league but is not absolutely sure.
The two photographs are small postcards with details of the teams’ success and the players names written on the back.
The rugby league team photo is headed Meltham RLFC. The caption states: “Members of the Huddersfield and District Rugby Football League (under 21) had a successful season 1935/36 winning the Holiday Cup, the Intermediate Cup and were finalists for the League Championship and semi-finalists for the Yorkshire Federation Cup.”
The team is (back row, from left) J Brook (committee), J Morgan, D Booth, L Armitage, K Oldham, A Smith, G Dixon and I Johnson (coach) with (front row, from left) J Brook, A Murdock, G Lockwood, S Grundy, H Handy, P Riley and D Beverley (captain).
The police photo information states: “This team are members of the Police League and the Huddersfield Half Holiday League. In 1934/35 they were champions of the Huddersfield Half Holiday League and in 1933/34 won the Northampton Rotary Cup and in 1935/36 were winners of the Town Cup.”
The team is (back row, from left) A Brockhurst, E Nesbitt (captain), W Eady, W Brook, H Hoar, F Bennington (trainer), F Sutton, S Heath, J Wells and W Hutchinson with (front row, from left) N Woodcock, J Wilkes, N Edwards, W Holmes and J Webster.
