Many thanks to Gary Bird for sending me this 1922 photo of the Hoylake Grove Athletic football team who were playing in the Robson Cup at the time. Gary’s grandfather Francis (Frank) Bird is pictured back row 4th from Left. Gary thinks the goalie has a surname of Fleet. Please leave a comment if you recognise any of the team. By the way, I’m guessing that the photo wasn’t actually taken in Hoylake.
You can click the photo for a larger view and you’ll be able to appreciate just how big those flat caps are!
By the way, the photographer WJ McCulloch captured a young Dixie Dean in football kit in a photo that sold at Sotheby’s, New Bond Street for £900 in 2009.
Gary writes:
“I have also attached a press cutting [see below] from the Hoylake news from 1977 when they were celebrating their Golden Wedding in which my Grandad recalls his football day’s playing for Hoylake and west Kirby. Frank passed away in 1997.”
If you read the press cutting you’ll notice that it references various Hoylake landmarks (The Leas School) that have disappeared over the years. Nice to see Jessie Bird get a mention too.
Nice to see a reference to my uncle, Talbot Wilson! As well as the Wood Street prewmises he owned the auction rooms in West Kirby and the eponymous removals business. As a small boy I was very impressed with his gold Jag E type!
I think Anne Marsh of Walker Street, has the maiden name Fleet, some people will know her as Donna and Leighs Mum, or Cyrils widow, maybe she knows alot about the Fleet family.
I Think it’s Fred fleet who used to have the blacksmith’s in Shaw Street
I have a medal which belonged to my father William Parkinson stating Robson Cup 1922 but it doesnt give any more information as to why he was given this ie winner, runner-up and unfortunately it is too late to ask and he never spoke about it when I was a child.