A Mechanics football team ?

Alan Edgar (Eggy1948) · December 10, 2017

This photo was posted on the Bygone Bedlington site and the brother & sister that posted it have been told it's Bedlington Mechanics, post WWII. Their granda is No 3 = Charlie Rand and his friend is No 12 Ned Riddle. The two named used to work as mechanics for Jennings of Morpeth.

We have had the local Bedlington Mechanics 'historians' - Ovalteeny & Reedy + his dad - check the photo out and they all believe this is not a Bedlington Mechanics team.

None of the people in the photo; the cup & shield or the pavilion can be identified.

Anybody on this site any ideas?

Joe McNally · December 11, 2017

Bedlington Mechanics wore red & white "Arsenal" type shirts and played at Millne Park behind the market place in the 50's.This photo could be Bedlington Welfare who were green & white stripes at that time.The picture could be at Welfare Park in front of the bowling pavilion.

Alan Edgar (Eggy1948) · December 11, 2017

Cheers Joe, we did consider the Welfare team, but just can't prove it.

We have a couple of photos of the Dr Pit Welfare team - 1944-45 season, wearing hooped shirts, and one from 1949-50, wearing striped shirts but we can't match up any of the players in the 'unknown' team with the others.

The 'unknown' team against the 1949-50 Welfare team :-

Alan Edgar (Eggy1948) · December 12, 2017

On the 'not sure?' photo Mick Stewart (Facebook - Morpeth History Matters) says :- looks like a few Widdrington lads in that photo, I think 2 is Wilf Kelly, - 10 Jimmy Bolton and 11 Archie Morton....................could be wrong though.

Alan Edgar (Eggy1948) · January 29, 2019

The 1959-50 Dr Pit welfare Team numbered and No 5 identified as William (Billy) Hemsted by his niece Susan James-Hemsted on the Bygone Bedlington facebook group :-