F. H. Lloyd & Company Limited - Sporting Activities
 
There were many sporting clubs and teams at James Bridge works, including the bowling club, golf club, swimming club, tennis club, angling club, football and cricket clubs, a table tennis club, a pigeon flying club, and darts, snooker, rifle shooting, and crib teams.

The football club, which started in 1913 was formed by Mr. W. Rickuss, a dresser in the fettling shop, and later the trainer at Darlaston Football Club. The team initially played on several football pitches including the Robin Hood ground, The Meadows, and Wood Green ground, until the opening of the work's sports ground in 1920. For several years the team played in the Darlaston Workshop League, in which they came top of the league and won the cup. In 1914 the team was abandoned because many of the players went into the armed forces. After the war the team reformed and played in the Wolverhampton Works League, before moving to the Walsall Works League. In the late 1930s the team returned to the Wolverhampton Works League, where it remained. An apprentice's football team was formed in the early 1950s, which became very successful.

The 1966 first football eleven team. Back row left to right: R. Perry, T. Bowen, D. Matthews, P. Phillips, W. Jacobs, B. Franks, A. Bytheway, and B. Heitzman.
Front row left to right: E. Reynolds, M. Jones, T. Jenkins, R. Jenkins, and P. Morris.
Bernard Heitzman receives an award in 1970 for his many years of devoted service to the football club.

The football team played in the Wolverhampton Works League, and the apprentices football team played in the Walsall Minor League, the F. H. Lloyd Minor League, and the Staffordshire County Cup.
In 1971Trevor Bowen took over as football team manager of the work's first team, which competed in the Wolverhampton Works Premier Division. The first eleven competed in the J. W. Hunt Cup on behalf of the Wolverhampton charity for the blind. The second team's manager was Stanley Grainger. They competed for the Wednesbury Charity Cup. The third team's manager was David Knock. The team also competed for the Wednesbury Charity Cup, which was won by Lloyds in 1976.

The F. H. Lloyd reserves in 1972. Back row left to right: G. Bagnall, M. Dolan, D. Busby, G. Loundes, B. Hill, A. Daker, B. Adams, C. Bayley, B. Pitt, and J. Hunt.
Front row left to right: C. Kirk, K. Carter, J. Welch, M. Glover, R. Stackhouse, and V. Johnson.

The football committee in 1972. Left to right: E. Baggott, J. Gardner, J. Welch, T. Bowen, T. Busby, J. Hunt, and M. Dolan.

The 1973 first team. Back row left to right: Jack Hunt, Keith Turton, Brian Parry, Tony Bardell, Bill Startin, Ted Reynolds, John Jenkins, Chris Kirk, and Tommy Busby.
Front row left to right: Peter Jenkins, Tommy Jenkins, Mac Shinton, Michael Mossley, and Peter Phillips.

On Saturday, the 16th August, 1952 the first county bowls match to be held on the company’s bowling green took place. It was the Crosfield Cup match between Staffordshire and Shropshire which was played in two parts, twelve ends at James Bridge, and another twelve at Shrewsbury. The green was in excellent condition, and the game took place on a fine sunny day. About 250 spectators enjoyed the match which ended with only twelve points separating the teams.


A. Duckett on the green. From 'The Steel Casting', courtesy of Wendy Marston.
The angling club held an annual dinner and dance at the James Bridge works canteen.

In the photo, Mr. I. Pinto is being presented with the Ken Wheeler Heaviest Fish Trophy by Mrs. M. C. Lloyd at the 1966 annual dinner and dance.

The angling club had around 70 members and competed in the Coleman Cup, the Allison Cup, and the annual Inter-Works Contest.


The Allison Cup. From 'The Steel Casting', courtesy of Wendy Marston.

Members of the engineering staff cricket team, known as the Drawing Office Assassins. They won the interdepartmental knock out cricket cup in 1959. From 'The Steel Casting', courtesy of Wendy Marston.
Mr. T. Hall (left) receiving the Crib Cup from Mr. W. Norris Winn in 1970.

The crib team competed in the Darlaston Works Welfare League. The prize was awarded after the team came top in the league.
Mr. B. Powell receiving the Snooker Cup from Mr. W. Norris Winn in 1970 after the works team had come top in the Darlaston Works Welfare League.
In 1971 the work's cricket team competed in the Express & Star competition, and managed to reach the second round before being beaten by Kingswinford. The team also played against other teams in the Lloyd Group.
The work's tennis club played in the Walsall Park League Division in which they were very successful. There were first, second and third work's teams. The work's Golf club travelled to many golf courses and travelled as far afield as Llandiloes and Lincoln. Members competed for the F. N. Lloyd Trophy, and the spring and autumn medals. There was also the table tennis club who played in the Darlaston, Wednesbury, and District Table Tennis League,

Pigeon flying was once a popular hobby in the Black Country, and enjoyed by many factory workers, including some at James Bridge Steel Works, who founded the F. H. Lloyd pigeon club. Their birds took part in many races, starting in a number of locations including Weymouth, which was to be the starting point for the September 1976 Young Bird Race. Unfortunately due to bad weather the race was delayed and eventually started from Bath. The race was won by Mr. and Mrs. Owen Swift who are seen above receiving the Connie Everton Trophy from Connie Everton who is on the far right. On the left is club president Jim Steptoe.

Members of the pigeon club, and the trophy winners. Left to right: Jim Steptoe, Mr. and Mrs. Hall, J. Mears, J. Heap and Son, Owen Swift, K. Booker, Mrs. Swift, P. Morris, D. Battison, and M. Battison.
The F. H. Lloyd five-a-side football competition began in 1971 as a purely male affair. Teams competed for the Tom Rutter Memorial Trophy with names such as The Brownswood Bombers, The Trojans, The Lolly Pigs, and J2 Sons of Rest.

Ladies five-a-side began in 1976 with The Foundry Fillies, and The Machine Shop Girls.

On the left are the members of the winning team, The Foundry Fillies. Back row left to right: Lin Harris, Margaret Sheppard, and June Lee.  Front row left to right: Maureen Tillson, Joan Baggott, and Gywen Castree.
The Machine Shop Girls.

Back row left to right: Rhoda Lennard, Corrine Wilkes, and Carol Lennard.

Front row left to right: Debera Joych, and Dorothy Devey.
Winners of the Tom Rutter Memorial Trophy in 1976 were J2 Sons of Rest, seen opposite.

Back row left to right: Alan Preece, Alan Longmore, Michael Dulleston, and Paul Chapman.

Front row left to right: Ernest Baggott, David Hughes, and Brian Tillson.
The work's bowling club played in the Darlaston Works Social League, Division 3. In 1962 they finished in 5th place. The team also competed against other factory teams in the Lloyd Group. The swimming club met at Darlaston Baths  on Thursday evenings between 8 p.m. and 9 p.m. There was also a bowling club, a darts team, and a rifle shooting team.

F. H. Lloyd's first football team in 1973. Back row left to right: Jack Hunt, secretary; Keith Turton; Brian Parry; Tony Bardell; Bill Startin; Ted Reynolds; John Jenkins, captain; Chris Kirk; and Tommy Busby, committee member. Front row left to right: Peter Jenkins; Tommy Jenkins, manager; Mac Shinton; Michael Mossley; and Peter Phillips. From 'The Steel Casting', courtesy of Wendy Marston.
   
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