WHAT an enjoyable time it was at the Tolson Museum when four contributors to the Pride of Huddersfield in sport shared their experiences on their achievements in a relaxed and amusing atmosphere.
A tribute to Kim and Lisa for organising the event. The speakers were Eileen Fenton in swimming, Inderpal Randhawa, Derek Ibbotson on running, of course, and Gerry Murphy on football coaching.
This was interesting to me, as I took the wedding photographs of Town player O’Connor with top players at that time, demonstrating their skills with a football and a dozen national press photographers. I even assisted the Examiner photographer to get good picture in that cauldron.
With their speeches they could put our politicians in the shade.
That brought back to me memories when Polish football team Silesia won the Invitation Cup in 1949. The significance was that they didn’t have a manager at that time. Ex-Polish soldiers, some only demobbed and under service contract formed their team in Cannon Hall camp as K S Polonia.
Later in Huddersfield KS Silesia, after a few Cup wins and with a permanent manager brought the prestigious General Anders Cup to Huddersfield. They won the final with a team who had players playing for Celtic in Glasgow and in other Scottish and English divisions.
Along with football, volleyball was well placed in Huddersfield. One of the Polish players became a referee. During the war and many years after the champions of Britain in that sport were a Polish team formed by ex-soldiers.
I remember when Britain’s champion in table tennis, Bergman and ex-champion Johnny Leach gave an exhibition and challenged Huddersfield’s top players, who gave them a hard time to keep the crown.
Also championship wrestling matches at Cambridge Road Baths (floor laid in winter), not to mention Anita Lonsbrough’s Olympic success.
Huddersfield can be proud of its sporting achievements.
Tony Sosna
Huddersfield
