Redbrook AFC 1907
Courtesy of: Fred Beach / Rosemary Taylor. Uploaded: 2008.
Fred wrote (Dec 2007): "Attached is a photograph of Redbrook Junior AFC 1906-07".
"This is said to be a Junior side, which probably means under 21 as my grandfather was (just) Not sure where the photo was taken, or where Redbrook played in these early days, Clearwell maybe? It is probably a Tinworks team, my grandfather worked there all of his life, and lived on the Kymin".
Row 3: (all standing) 1. Milson Fox (in long coat), 2. Alfred Dovey,
3.
William Beach, 4. Arthur Hudson, 5. William Henry Morgan, 6. James Thomas., 7.M Jones.,
8. Walter Freeman, 9. Owen Hudson (in long coat....and hang-dog expression).
Row 2: (all sitting) 1. Charlie Perkins (on stool), 2. Percy Saunders,
3.
V Williams, 4 Fred Freeman.
Row 1: (sitting on ground) 1. Chalie Davies, 2. Ernest Selwyn, 3. William
Bamford.
"Many of the names will be known to anyone around Redbrook, the Hudsons
ran the village shop and milk round for years. And looking at W Freeman,
I now know where Dennis Freeman, who I played with, got his legs from.
Also anyone who knows the Bamfords in and around Monmouth will have no
trouble picking out Bill Bamford, I grew up with his granchildren, some
generations do offer up a mirror image. My grandfather was a stocky 5'
6" while I'm a good 9" taller, my cousin is the one who looks
like him".
Thanks also to Phil Hudson who also provided names and added (Jan 2008):
"Location - Not sure about this but I suspect the photo may have been taken
in the vicinity of the Kings Head and Copperhouse or lower end of the tinworks.
My copy of the photo has a hay stack to the right of the building
(animal feed I suspect)".
"Football Ground - Redbrook's current ground is
very much a 40's/50's creation. Apparently the only viable place to play
a game beforehand was on
fields to the north & south of the village. In particular I believe
they played on the field next to the river close to The Old Crow".
Graham Boulton added (Nov 2008): "My understanding of the football ground is below, the early part is as
told to me at least 50 years ago by my father, later info is based on my
own knowledge.
The current ground was originally owned by Redbrook Tinplate Works and the
ground level was considerably below road or current level and was in fact
for many years used as a football pitch.
Sometime before the 39-45 war it was not used as a football pitch and the
Tinplate Works had run out of space to dump its ash and clinker generated
on site and so used the current football space and built the ground level
almost up to its current level.
Then during the war the ground was used for munitions storage.
Finally in its development the Redbrook Football team purchased material
from the Sewage works at Wyesham to surface the area and hence create the
existing pitch, it was extended at the Monmouth end when with help from the
Labour MP of the time some land was purchased from British Railways. Fred
Blake was one of several people responsible for the latest development.
For many years after the final conversion ash/clicker would come to the
surface giving many players minor injuries".
Martin Blake, current secretary of Redbrook Rovers AFC wrote (Apr 2009): Our current pitch and car park was owned by Great Western Railway, it was initially rented from them and was eventually purchased from them in 1965".
Christopher Morgan added (April 2013): "... Top Row 5th from left. This may well be my grandfather William Henry Morgan. He was certainly working in Redbrook Tin Works according to the 1911 census and lodged at 3 Wye View Terrace Redbrook. He was born in 1888 so he would have been about 18 at the time of the photograph. There appears to be a family resemblance. He moved to Monmouthshire and worked all his life in the Tin Plate Industry first in Ebbw Vale and later he worked for the Abercarn Tin Plate Company. He died in 1962 having had 7 children. His descendants in Monmouthshire Canada USA and Australia must exceed 200. His ancestors have been traced back to 1640 in Coleford".
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