THE following letter, which accompanies the photograph here, highlights the halcyon sporting (and employment) days of the Fifties...
“Over the past months various letters/stories and photographs have appeared in your paper in regard to Accles and Pollock Ltd, Oldbury and inevitably Britannia Road Boys' School.
“The following story may be of interest for your readers. I’m going back to the 1950's when employment was fairly easy to come by - at times one could have a job at lunchtime and change into another job at a whim in the afternoon. Unemployment was around 250,000 nationally! Most of the latter were of the "bad back brigade."
“However at school — Britannia Road — pupils were schooled to write in the school style. As a further result during the last year at school we were told to write, in the first instance, for an interview to a respective employer. Hence the following when I eventually presented myself to a Mr Cyril Teague - Youth Employment Officer at Accles and Pollock Ltd in February 1954 for a position of Junior Clerk. Having pressed his outside corridor office bell, another already employed youth came out of Mr Teague's office along with a colleague, and smiling he said that 'Cyril' would be with me in a moment! Then I was asked in and told to sit down as he guessed who I was from my handwriting, and relax, as he looked over his glasses. His first question - Can you play football? Answer - a little. Who do you support? Answer - Villa. His comment, 'that's even better’! “Then after speaking by 'phone to an adjacent office to a youth - yes, ex Britannia Road - it was agreed that I start work during the following Easter week. I could not forget this work interview. Yes this was how it was in 1954.
“Playing in the works colts team over the next 2/3 years was a great experience. However, just prior to our last season together due to age restrictions, the rather vociferous but energetic Mr Cyril Teague retired. He certainly inspired a lot of youths of the day to play football and fully utilise their one day release from work to study for eventually a qualification along with a possible apprenticeship.
“The enclosed photograph shows our colts team during our last season together in 1957/58 having topped Division 2 and winning the Subsidiary Cup. The final was played on the Midland Red ground, at the rear of the Basshouse Pub in Quinton, opposite the Odeon Cinema/Warley Bowl that was.
“The players in the photograph are: Back Row (left to right): Mr Harold Warrilow (the new Youth Officer), Carl Tranter, Eric Young, Ronnie Crumpton, (?), Jim Nicklin, Michael Mazich, Mr John Hall (trainer/manager).
Front row (left to right): Peter Fletcher, Barry Fereday, Brian Winwood (Capt.), John Carter, Ray Turner.
“I would be happy to know the unknown player on the back row. I believe Mr John Hall later married a fellow employee from the Accounts Dept at Accles and Pollock and eventually emigrated to Australia”. Eric Young, 46 Mackmillan Road, Rowley Regis (0121 559 7538).
