Bedlington Football Teams

[Ovalteeny]

I believe this to be a photo of Bedlington Mechanics F.C. from the 1957-58 season. Sorry, I don't know any of the names of the players or officials other than my Grandad, who is standing 2nd. from the right. His name was Christopher Septimus Kidd, known to everyone one as Sep.

It's probably taken at Portland Park in Ashington and I think it's the Northern Alliance League Cup, which they won that season by defeating North Shields Reserves.  
Hopefully, someone might be able to add some more names to the faces.

[Reedy]

My Dad now aged nearly 86 was the mechanics first goalkeeper and says that your Grandad Sep was his boss at the Dr Pit.

He recognises the following from the Mechanics photo -

Back row L to R - Colin Hall, Jimmy Carley, unknown, unknown, Reg Vinard?, Alan Jobson, unknown, Matty Thompson, Waldock, Sep Kidd (chairman), Billy Pearson (secretary).

Front row L to R - Reg Lloyd, unknown, Matty Emmerson, Bill Pearcey, unknown.

Dad might have some other photos in his collection with your Grandad on. I'll let you know.

[Ovalteeny]

Reedy,

Thanks to you and your Dad for coming up with some of the names. Hopefully, someone else can fill in some of the gaps.

 

My Grandad used to live in the Dr. Pit Cottages, on the pit head, as I think he was something like the Colliery Engineer. As such, he was on call 24/7 in case of any problems. When we visited him, we used to go past the old Gasometer and Milne Park (where Bedlington Mechanics played their home games), which is now the Car Park behind Tesco's, and then across 4 or 5 sets of railway lines that had Tankies and Coal Wagons being shunted up and down. No red lights, no barriers, no-one there to ensure the public were safe. Everyone just relied on common sense, looking and listening both ways several times before crossing. 

[Ovalteeny]

Reedy,

would you mind me copying & pasting your reply above, onto the similar item that I have on the Sixtownships History Group within Facebook. In doing so we may get someone who can add to the names that you and your Dad have provided.

[Reedy]

Please do Ovalteeny. Hope it helps to fill in the blanks.

[Ovalteeny]

Thanks very much, Reedy

[Ovalteeny]

Bedlington Dr. Pit FC from 1949-50 season.

Back Row (L to R) - Percy White, George Mack, Ronnie ?, Bobby Young, Jackie Dixon, Colin Hall, Billy Hempstead, Johnny Glansy, John ?, Mr. Hall, Richard Jenkins.

Middle Row - Richie Dixon, Reg Lloyd, John Finlay, Tom Dixon, Gordon (Titchy) Burchell, Andy Jenkins.

Front Row - G. Besford, J. Dixon, Mack (son of George), G Medlin, N. price, Mr. Williams.

 

 

 

[Reedy]

Ovalteeny, some extra names and info for your latest team photo.

Bedlington Dr. Pit FC from 1949-50 season.

Back row- Ronnie? is Ronnie Chrisp, Mr Hall is Matty Hall who is the father of Matty Hall the teacher from Bedlington referred to numerous times on this site.

Front row - George Besford, Jimmy Dixon, G Medlin was known as Charlie, Norman Price.

[Ovalteeny]

Thanks again Reedy, was it you or your Dad who came up with the extra names. Either way - no matter - as it's terrific that such details can be made available.

[James]

Crossing the railway tracks and walking through the pit yard was the usual way to get to the other side of the Doctor Pit. The other way was to go through the cundy. This was a tunnel that went under rail line and to get there you would of turned right near the gasometer and entered the cundy near the back of the cricket field. The only danger you were faced with walking through the cundy was someone coming in the opposite direction on a bike without brakes!  At the cundy's exit, not far from the John Pit upcast shaft, the road would lead you to the top of Telephone Row.

The cundy according to the well known song was where "wor Geordie lost his penka".

[Ovalteeny]

I'd forgotten all about the Cundy, thanks James

[Symptoms]

Weren't there pit coppers who would chase you off pit property? I have a clear memory of these gadgies going after us when ever we went tobogganing (on balata belt* mats) down the heaps or when we were trying to nick stuff from the pit yard.  Snow sliding in Winter, dry sliding rest of the year.

 

* for our younger viewers, balata belting was the rubber/fabric stuff they made the underground conveyor belts with.  Lengths of it often appeared mixed in the slag on the heaps and we'd cut off suitable bits with our trusty knives (most lads carried knives back then).