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Thringstone Miners Welfare F.C

2002-3:


Unfortunately, at the time of putting together this history of Thringstone Football Club, the club is experiencing its worst run of results ever. During the season 2002/3, Thringstone failed to win a single match - a new and unenviable record for the club, which even attracted the attention of David McKie, a columnist for the Guardian newspaper; (Guardian, 13.02.03).
The Club played 30 league matches, losing 27 (with 3 draws) and conceding an amazing tally of 136 goals. Epworth Town alone put 22 league goals past Thringstone in the home and away matches, and on August 19th 2002, the same side routed Thringstone 18-0 in a cup fixture.
And because the side failed to turn out for one of the league fixtures, three points were deducted, which meant that at the close of the 2002/3 season Thringstone had zero points.

Yet Thringstone were once a force to be reckoned with - Leicestershire Senior League champions in both 1985 and 1986, and twice winners of the prestigious Coalville Charity Football Cup in 1972 and 74. Only two years ago, the club was again challening for the Premier Division title, yet since then, they have fallen from the premier division and out of the Leicestershire Senior League altogether, being relaced by Fosse Imps in June 2003.

Everards Brewery Leicestershire Senior League Division One

Thringstone's Results for Season 2002 - 2003

Sat 17 Aug Div 1 A Epworth Twn L 0-12
Mon 19 Aug bbc d1r1 H Epworth Twn L 0-18
Sat 24 Aug Div 1 H Narborough L'th L 1-8
Sat 31 Aug Div 1 A Anstey Town L 0-8
Sat 7 Sep Div 1 H Sileby Town L 0-7
Sat 21 Sep Div 1 H Leic Constabulary L 2-9
Sat 28 Sep Div 1 A North Kilworth L 1-6
Sat 5 Oct Div 1 A Huncote Sports L 1-9
Sat 12 Oct Div 1 H Earl Shilton Alb L 0-4
Sat 19 Oct Div 1 A Asfordby Amateurs L 1-3
Sat 26 Oct Div 1 H Stapenhill L 0-3
Sat 2 Nov sc r2 A Ellistown L 0-13
Sat 9 Nov Div 1 H Saffron Dynamo L 1-6
Sat 16 Nov Div 1 H Epworth Twn L 0-10
Sat 23 Nov Div 1 A Bardon Hill L 1-8
Sat 07 Dec Div 1 H Anstey Town L 0-1
Sat 14 Dec Div 1 A Lutterworth Town L 0-1
Sat 21 Dec Div 1 H Cottesmore Amateurs L 0-3
Sat 18 Jan Div 1 H Asforby Amateurs L 0-3
Sat 25 Jan Div 1 A Leic Constabulary L 0-4
Sat 01 Feb Div 1 H Lutterworth Town L 0-4
Sat 08 Feb Div 1 A Earl Shilton Albion L 0-2
Sat 15 Feb Div 1 A Saffron Dynamo D 3-3
Sat 22 Feb Div 1 A Stapenhill L 3-0
Sat 01 Mar Div 1 H Bardon Hill L 2-1
Sat 08 Mar Div 1 H Aylestone ParkL 2-5
Sat 15 Mar Div 1 H Huncote SportsD 1-1
Sat 22 Mar Div 1 A Cottesmore Amateurs L 0-2
Sat 29 Mar Div 1 H North Kilworth L 0-3

Key

bbc : Beacon Bitter Cup

sc : Senior Cup



Leicestershire Senior League Division One (At 09.12.02)
Team Played Won Drew Lost For Against Goal Diff Points
Epworth Town 15 14 1 0 84 7 77 43
Stapenhill 13 11 2 0 38 13 25 35
Sileby Town 12 7 3 2 33 19 14 24
Lutterworth Town 12 8 0 4 32 20 12 24
Anstey Town 15 6 4 5 29 22 7 22
Aylestone Park OB 13 6 1 6 39 23 16 19
Narborough & Littlethorpe 13 5 4 4 24 17 7 19
Leics Constabulary 14 5 4 5 28 24 4 19
Earl Shilton Albion 14 5 4 5 21 24 -3 19
Bardon Hill 13 5 2 6 29 26 3 17
Asfordby Amateurs 14 5 1 8 25 34 -8 16
North Kilworth 16 4 3 9 27 51 -26 15
Cottesmore Amateurs 13 4 1 8 22 25 1 13
Huncote Sports 14 4 0 10 19 46 -31 9
Safron Dynamo 9 2 2 5 14 27 -13 8
Thringstone MW 30 0 3 27 15 136 -121 0

Table adjusted

Thringstone MW: -3 --- non fulfil
Huncote Sports: -3 --- non fulfil

HISTORY OF THRINGSTONE VILLAGE FOOTBALL 1945-1954

By Mr Jimmy Francis

In the late 1940's and early 1950's there was a very strong rivalry between two Football teams, Thringstone House (The Green) and Thringstone Imperial (Main Street).

At this time there was only two major roads in Thringstone, Main Street (Imps) and Loughborough Road (House). Housing Estates like Booth Road and Henson's Lane were being built around 1946-48. Melrose Estate, Glebe Road, Springfield, and Swallowdale were still fields, until of course, much later. I was born at 32 Loughborough Road Thringstone and my family moved into our new home at 6 St Andrews Close (Off Booth Road) soon after I was born in 1948.

In 1945 shortly after the Second World War both the Imps and the House played in the Loughborough Alliance League until the House moved into the Coalville League in 1949.

It was the Imps who were the strongest of the two village teams, winning most of the local Honours.

My Uncle - Albert "Sonny" Pollard played mainly for the House - but also played twice for the Imps. He remembers that a lot of the players were in the Army at the time and played at every opportunity when on "Leave", and there were many a time when the House were looking to field a team and recruited Players from Army barracks based at Garendon Hall Shepshed to play.

THRINGSTONE IMPERIAL - Played on the recreation Field - which is now the present Thringstone United's ground, their changing rooms were at the Fox Inn in Main Street, which used to stand in front of the existing Fox Inn.

1945-46

Thringstone Imps Loughborough Alliance DIV 1 WINNERS Thringstone Imps Cobbin Trophy CUP WINNERS (Vs Kegworth Utd - Won 11-0 at Browns Lane Loughborough)

THRINGSTONE IMPS PLAYERS: (this was the team that played in the Final of the Cobbin Trophy) Jack Tugby - Wilf Parker - Reg Abbott - Jim Ferguson - Son Elliott - Joe Vernon - Len White - Tommy Munday Aubrey Lees - Danny Gallacher - Leo Concannon

Other players this year: Arthur Sykes - R.Richards - T.Heath - Underwood - Pollard

Thringstone Imps entered the prestigious Coalville Charity Cup this year losing 0-5 to Shepshed Albion on Saturday 13th October 1945 at home on the recreation ground in the first round, but a protest from the Imps, that Shepshed fielded an unregistered player meant that the Imps had been awarded the game, and so, progressed to the second round.

In the second round the Imps drew 4 -4 away to Morris Sports at the Park Road Ground Loughborough on Saturday 03rd November 1945 - scorer's for the Imps - A.Sykes - R.Richards - T.Heath (2).

The replay was played on the 29th December at Thringstone with the Imps winning 10-1 - scorers for the Imps were - D.Gallagher (6) Underwood (2) J.Ferguson (2) In the Third round Thringstone beat Ibstock Penistone Rovers 4-2 at home on 26th January 1946 - scorers -Pollard (2) T. Mundy (2)

In the Semi Final on Saturday 02nd March the Imps lost 7-0 to Coalville Town Amateurs away at the Crescent Ground Hugglescote, Coalville lost to Wellington Victoria 1-2 in the Final.

1947-48

Thringstone Imps Loughborough Alliance DIV 1 WINNERS Thringstone Imps Cobbin Trophy CUP WINNERS (Vs Brush reserves - Won 3-1) 1948-49

Thringstone Imps Loughborough Alliance DIV 1 WINNERS Thringstone Imps Cobbin Trophy CUP WINNERS (Vs Thringstone House- Won 1-0) 1948-49 THRINGSTONE IMPS PLAYERS: Jack Tugby - T.Munday - Aubrey Lees - K.Shaw - Arthur Sykes - A.Abbott F.Lees - R.Richards - J.Munday - Wilf Parker - Danny Gallacher

Thringstone again entered the Coalville Charity Cup after not competing in the last two seasons, in the first round they beat Swannington Sports 11-3 at home. In the second round they lost 3-4 away to Ravenstone Athletic on Saturday the 27th November 1948 - scorers for the Imps were A.Lees (2) & T. Mundy

1949-50

Thringstone Imps Loughborough Alliance DIV1 WINNERS Thringstone Imps Cobbin Trophy CUP WINNERS (Vs College AFC - Won 2-0) Thringstone Imps played and beat Donistorpe 2-1 at home in the preliminary round of the Coalville Charity cup on Saturday 1st October 1949, Scorers R.Richards & Moore

In the first round they lost away to a very strong Measham side 2-8 on Saturday 15th October 1949

Measham went on to beat Nuneaton Borough 3-2 in the Final played on the Waggon & Horses ground Coalville with a crowd estimated at between 3500-4000

1950-51

Thringstone Imps appeared once more, and for the last time in the Coalville Charity Cup going out in the preliminary round away to Coleorton Rovers 3-2 at home on Saturday 30th September 1950.

19** ???: Thringstone Imps Dis-banded.

THRINGSTONE HOUSE ( Played at Whites Farm Field - behind Thringstone House (Community Centre) Sandholes, the House was the changing rooms.

1948-49

Thringstone House Loughborough Alliance DIV1 RUNNERS UP ( Runners up to the Imps) Thringstone House Cobbin Trophy CUP FINALIST (Vs Thringstone Imps- Lost 1 -0)

1948-49 THRINGSTONE HOUSE PLAYERS: Austin Skyes- A.Williamson - G.Collis - Sonny Freeman -L.Pearce - A.Gee- E.Musson - C.King - R.Bancroft - Lenny Wass - Albert ( Sonny ) Pollard

1949-50

The House entered the Coalville Charity Cup this year along with the Imps - and in the first round they beat Ellistown Colliery 1-2 away on Saturday the 15th October 1949 scorers: Gallacher & Pollard

In the second round they lost 0-7 away to Coalville Town on the 12th November 1949.

1950-51

Thringstone House Coalville League DIV 2 WINNERS

The House competed in the preliminary round of the Coalville Charity Cup winning away to Bagworth Colliery 0-4 on Saturday 30th September 1950. In the first round they won away to Ellistown Colliery 2-5 on Saturday 14th October 1950 Scorers: Freeman (2) Hamilton (3)

In the second round on Saturday 11th November they were crushed 0-11 away to Measham Imperial who were then a strong side in the Leicestershire Senior League Division 1, Leicester City fielded an "A" side in the senior league at this time. Measham went on to the Final only to lose 2-3 to Hinckley Athletic.

1951-52

Thringstone House Coalville League DIV 1 WINNERS

1952-53

Thringstone House finished 8th in the Coalville league this year, Ravenstone were the eventual League Champions.

Played Won Lost Drawn F A points 28 13 13 2 98 65 27 The House also reached the Leicestershire Junior Cup Semi-Final - losing 5-4 to Redmile - this was the House team that played that day. Norman Price -Ken Goacher - Ray Bradley - Mick Croson - Arthur Sykes- Bob Anderson - Tony Harley - Tom Storer - Sid Pollard - Norman Smith - Sonny Pollard Secretary: George Robinson.

1954: Thringstone House Dis-banded

Thanks to the late : Mr Gordon Robinson for the information in the programmes he produced for Thringstone MW.

Jimmy Francis March 2003

THRINGSTONE VILLAGE FOOTBALL 1957-58-59-60-61

Thringstone House re-formed in July 1957, the club would eventually become Thringstone Miners Welfare, and the first fixture in season 1957-58 included the following team (in formation).

Mick Farmer (Goalkeeper)

Pat Mitchell (Right Back)
Les White (Full Back)
Alan Bird (Right Half)
Graham Fox (Centre Half)
John Hoult (Left Half)
Ron Michison (Outside Right)
Kenny Neal (Inside Right)
Peter Heath (Centre Forward)
Alan Reid (Inside Left)
"Tripe"Griffin (Outside Left)

1958-59 Thringstone House Loughborough Alliance DIV 3 Runners-Up.

The House Played their early home games on Turolough / Warren Lane - from Thringstone going just past the junction at the old Turolough school and on the left side just past the woods.

Later they changed grounds, going farther along Warren Lane from Thringstone to Joe Hoult's Farm (a few hundred yards from Sharpley Rocks), which was over a mile from Thringstone House.

My first recollection of Thringstone FC around 1958-1959 was being taken to the home games on the back of Len Higg's Lorry, with the players and supporters all on the back of this open Lorry, some travelled in cars if they could not get on the Lorry.

I was eight years old at the time and with some friends, Peter Gough, Bruce Gallacher, and Raymond Brooks we would go to the Green on most Saturday afternoon's to see if we could get a ride to the ground on the back of the Lorry to the game.

Some weeks you could not get on the Lorry because of so many people, so we would walk, we would often get to the ground just as they kicked off. We would often walk back from the games because of waiting around for the players getting dressed after the game.

The actual ground at this time was opposite Farmer Joe Hoults Farm, sometimes they would still change at Thringstone House, but most of the time the players would change in one of Joe's barns behind the Farm House, there was many times that the players would find mice in their pockets when they came back after a game.

There was no facility for washing and cleaning up after a game, so players dressed and went home for their bath, caked in mud.

Before every Home game Joe Hoults farm hand's had to move the Cows out of the field the House was playing on, then Football members, Supporters and Players would mark out the pitch with handfuls of sawdust and erect the goal posts and nets.

They couldn't do much about the Cow dung which was left, with players from each side trying to avoid these mounds, players ending up sliding into it to try and win the ball.

When the ball was belted up into the air - if the players and indeed the supporters had not anticipated where the ball was going to land, and the ball came down on one of these Cowpats, it went everywhere, covering players and supporters alike.

Many times the Farm Hands would also move Cows out of the furthest field from the pitch while play was in progress, and the Cow's would pass by the goal posts to the Farm to be milked, there was one or two instances that play had to stop when the Cow's wandered onto the pitch and into the goal area nearest the farm.

After this and early in 1959-1960 the House moved ground yet again, to Gracedieu road next to the old railway line and the opening to Swallow Dale. They still used Thringstone House as the dressing rooms and walked or had a lift in a car the short distance to the ground.

The trains were still running between Coalville and Loughborough at the time, and the railway line ran the length of the pitch with the brook the other side. An hedge had to be taken out of the field to get the required dimension's of the pitch.

The ground was notorious for being rough and heavy laden, and there were many times during a match that the ball would end up in the brook and being swept away rapidly when there had been heavy rainfall, there was also many times that the game was held up because all the football's were in the brook at one time.

The house "Forest view" is still there today, and this was boarded up with specially made wooden boards before every game to protect the windows, some of the boards were as high as 15 feet, enough to cover the up-stair windows.

The ball they played with - was like an outsize cannon ball, Heavy, and bigger than today's modern football, and was coated with "dubbin" before every game, and when wet, it would probably weigh 3 or 4 times more, and with a lace running round the most of the circumference of the ball, caused many players to split their heads when heading the lace and the Knot. I saw many a player "duck" their heads when the ball was in its worse condition, but I could well understand it.

The Highest number of goals scored by any one player at this time was 11 by Brian Hammersley (which still stands to this day) in a 24-1 win over Cottons in the County Medals, Cottons scored first.

At around this time Brian held the club record of 66 for the highest number of goals scored in a season, only to be broken by Danny Gallagher in the late 60's with a total of 84 in a season.

Two players - Alan Reid and John Hoult each received a broken leg in separate incidents while playing during this period.

Thringstone as with other teams at the time always struggled to get any income coming into the club, it was a difficult time, and at the end of the following seasons, these were the total accounts of the club:

1957-58 season the funds for the club stood at £15-5s -6d 1958-59 season it was £ 2-8s-6d 1959-60 season it was minus £20-8s-6d 1960-61 season it was minus £16-6s-6d

Early 1960's Thringstone Players:

Mick Farmer - Goalkeeper
Pat Mitchell- Full Back
Les White - Full Back
Albert Hammesley- Full Back
Paul Rush - Full Back
Harold Straw - Centre Half
Terry Bancroft - Centre Half
Ruben Perry - Midfield
John Hoult - Midfield
Lenny Wass - Midfield
Terry Robinson - Midfield
A.Williamson - Midfield
Kenny Neal - Forward
Brian Hammersley- Forward
Alan Reid - Forward
Danny Gallagher - Forward
Thanks to the late : Mr Gordon Robinson for the information in the programmes he produced for Thringstone MW.

Jimmy Francis March 2003
HISTORY of THRINGSTONE FOOTBALL HONOURS

Researched and supplied by Mr J Francis Of Whitwick

1945-46: Thringstone Imps Loughborough Alliance WINNERS
Thringstone Imps Cobbin Trophy WINNERS
(vs Kegworth Utd - Won 11-0 )
1947-48 Thringstone Imps Loughborough Alliance DIV 1 WINNERS
Thringstone Imps Cobbin Trophy CUP WINNERS
(vs Brush reserves - Won 3-1)
1948-49 Thringstone Imps Loughborough Alliance DIV 1 WINNERS
Thringstone House Loughborough Alliance DIV1 RUNNERS-UP
Thringstone Imps Cobbin Trophy CUP WINNERS
(vs Thringstone House- Won 1-0)
1949-50 Thringstone Imps Loughborough Alliance DIV1 WINNERS
Thringstone Imps Cobbin Trophy CUP WINNERS
(vs College AFC - Won 2-0)
1950-51 Thringstone House Coalville League DIV 2 WINNERS
1951-52 Thringstone House Coalville League DIV 1 WINNERS
19** ???? Thringstone Imps Disbanded
1954 Thringstone House Disbanded
1957 Thringstone House Re-formed (July 1957)
1958-59 Thringstone House Loughborough Alliance DIV 3 RUNNERS-UP

THRINGSTONE MINERS WELFARE

1964-65 Loughborough George Hill Cup -Under 18 FINALIST
1965-66 Loughborough Alliance DIV 2 WINNERS
1966-67 Loughborough Mont Follick Cup WINNERS
1967-68 Loughborough Alliance DIV 1 WINNERS
Loughborough Challenge Cup FINALIST
Loughborough George Hill under 18's Cup WINNERS
1968-69 Loughborough Alliance DIV 1 WINNERS
Loughborough Alliance ( Reserves) DIV 3 WINNERS
Loughborough Challenge Cup WINNERS
Loughborough Cobbin Trophy WINNERS
Loughborough George Hill under 18's Cup FINALIST
1969-70 Loughborough Alliance DIV1 RUNNERS UP
Loughborough Alliance (Reserves) DIV 2 WINNERS
Loughborough Charity Cup WINNERS
Loughborough Challenge Cup WINNERS
Leicester County Junior Cup North WINNERS
Leicester County Champions Cup WINNERS
1970-71 Loughborough Alliance DIV 1 WINNERS
Loughborough Alliance (Reserves) DIV 2 WINNERS
Loughborough Mont Follick Cup WINNERS
Loughborough Challenge Cup FINALIST
Leicester County Junior Cup North WINNERS
Leicester County Champions Cup WINNERS
Loughborough George Hill Under 18's Cup WINNERS
1971-72 Leicester Senior League DIV 2 WINNERS
Loughborough Charity Cup WINNERS
Coalville Charity Cup WINNERS Leicester County Junior Cup ((Reserves) WINNERS
Leicester Senior League Challenge Match WINNERS
1972-73 Loughborough Charity Cup WINNERS
Leicester Rollstone Charity Cup FINALIST
1974-75 Coalville Charity Cup FINALIST
Leicester R.A.F.A Charity Cup WINNERS
Jimmy Francis
Monday, 03 February 2003

History of the Club from 1972:

THRINGSTONE 1971-72
Joined Leicestershire Senior League Division Two
Leicestershire Senior League Division Two Champions
Promoted to Division One
1982
Relegated to Division Two
1982-83
Leicestershire Senior League Division Two runner-up
Promoted to Division One
1983-84
Division One renamed Premier Division
1984-85
Leicestershire Senior League Champions
1985-86
Leicestershire Senior League Champions (2nd time)
1991
Relegated to Division One
1993-94
Leicestershire Senior League Division One runner-up
Promoted to Premier Division
1998
Merged with Grace Dieu United to form Thringstone United

SEASON LEAGUE P W D L F A P POS
1971-72 LEICS-2 30 26 2 2 140 27 54 1/16
1972-73 LEICS-1 30 17 8 5 61 30 42 4/16
1973-74 LEICS-1 30 14 4 12 65 54 32 8/16
1974-75 LEICS-1 30 13 10 7 52 36 36 7/16
1975-76 LEICS-1 30 18 5 7 53 29 41 3/16
1976-77 LEICS-1 28 10 5 13 45 40 25 8/15
1977-78 LEICS-1 30 7 9 14 29 50 23 12/16
1978-79 LEICS-1 30 8 6 16 31 53 22 13/16
1979-80 LEICS-1 30 8 4 18 23 66 20 12/16
1980-81 LEICS-1 30 8 4 18 22 46 20 13/16
1981-82 LEICS-1 30 2 3 25 30 89 7 16/16
1982-83 LEICS-2 30 21 7 2 81 82 49 2/16
1983-84 LEICS-P 30 10 8 12 44 54 28 9/16
1984-85 LEICS-P 30 24 3 3 83 28 51 1/16
1985-86 LEICS-P 30 21 2 7 62 32 44 1/16
1986-87 LEICS-P 30 12 9 9 47 42 33 8/16
1987-88 LEICS-P 30 5 10 15 39 64 20 14/16
1988-89 LEICS-P 30 6 6 18 43 85 18 13/16
1989-90 LEICS-P 30 9 7 14 43 54 34 13/16
1990-91 LEICS-P 30 5 5 20 25 93 20 16/16
1991-92 LEICS-1 34 14 6 14 51 70 48 8/18
1992-93 LEICS-1 34 19 6 9 94 53 63 5/18
1993-94 LEICS-1 36 27 3 6 92 42 84 2/19
1994-95 LEICS-P 34 8 8 18 42 88 32 13/18
1995-96 LEICS-P 34 8 7 19 40 69 31 16/18
1996-97 LEICS-P 32 3 4 25 37 109 13 17/17
1997-98 LEICS-P 34 9 10 15 34 47 37 12/18

THRINGSTONE UNITED 1998
Formed as a merger between Thringstone and Grace Dieu United
2000
Changed name to Thringstone Miners Welfare

SEASON LEAGUE P W D L F A P POS
1998-99 LEICS-P 34 11 10 13 56 63 43 9/18
1999-00 LEICS-P 34 14 7 13 64 61 49 7/18

THRINGSTONE MINERS WELFARE 2000
Thringstone United changed name
SEASON LEAGUE P W D L F A P POS
2000-01 LEICS-P 34 20 5 9 73 50 65 5/18
2001-02 LEICS-P 34 3 5 26 22 94 14 18/18
2002-03 LEICS-1

Thringstone F.C - List of Managers

John Tomlinson
Andy Snow
The Editor of Thringstone Online gratefully acknowledges the Football Club History Database for the use of this information.

Please visit this amazing website

Links:

The UK Football Pyramid... See how the Leicestershire Senior League actually fits into the UK football ladder.

History of the Leicestershire Senior League

Coalville Town FC Website

Thringstone Miners Welfare F.C Site.....(Not recently updated)



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