First Sun, Then Showers at Minworth’s Junior Sports
Sunshine welcomed the early visitors to the 13th annual Children’s Sports, organized by the Minworth Social Club, on Saturday, but the sun had been replaced by dark clouds by the time the record entry of 32 paraded for the fancy dress competition.
The judges, Alderman Mrs KE Smith, Mrs N Paulin and Mr T Walker, had a difficult job, but returned their verdict just before rain caused the 20 minute postponement of the actual sports.
The running track was crowded with parents and friends urging on their children, and some exciting races resulted. Trophies presented to the boy and girl with the highest number of points were awarded to Patricia Hemmings and Trevor Barnes, both of whom scored seven points.
Sports secretary Mr H Masters said that sports activities in Minworth were rapidly expanding and he praised the work of the president, vice-presidents and members of the social club and local tradespeople.
Ron Anderson, the Bound Brook FC Captain, receiving the Sutton Dispensary Cup from Mr NF Paulin, president of the league a the Sutton and District Football League’s annual presentation of awards, held at Minworth Social Club.
Cheers! These most happy fellas sipped beer from a five plat trophy which Minworth Social Football Club won last season. The trophy is the Sutton League’s Lewis Cup, which was one of the trophies handed over to the team at the club’s presentation night. Last season the team were runners-up in the Founders Cup and the Sutton Charity Cup. Holding on to the cup is the team’s vice captain John Dowling and in the centre is pictured the club’s president, Mr NF Paulin.
Minworth Hand out the Medals
Minworth Social held their presentation evening on Friday, when guests included the club’s president, Mr Norman Paulin, a former president of the Sutton Amateur Football League, and vice-president Mr Howard Masters and Mr Jack Smith.
Mr Paulin handed over the Lewis Cup to the Minworth captain, and Mr H Masters presented the Founders Cup runners-up award.
Twelve months previously, Mr Masters had challenged the club to win a trophy, and on Friday evening he said he was glad to find that the players had taken up his challenge and brought some silverware to the club’s headquarters.
Having achieved a little success, why not go a little further, Mr Masters said.
“Minworth are one of the oldest clubs in the Sutton League – and they have never won a top division championship. Set your eyes on the premier title for next season,” he said.
Mr Jack Smith presented the Sutton Coldfield Charity Cup awards, a final in which Minworth were heavily beaten.
“But,” said Mr Smith, “the result was flattering to say the least in favour of Sutton Town. Minworth gave a good display against formidable opponents, and although defeated the Social had won merit not only for themselves but also for the Sutton League.
Players who received awards included: John Griffin, captian, John Downing, vice-captain, Keith Garbett, Dennis Dixon, Terry Hopkins, Alan Gardner, Bob Rankin, Barry Williams, Colin Dixon, Michael Perkins, Colin Reynolds, Billy Coleman and Billy Chapman.
Mr Paulin brought the presentation to an end by handing Dennis Dixon a goal-scoring medal. He finished last season as top goal-snatcher in the premier division.
The players pulled a smart surprise when vice captain John Downing called on chairman V Gregory, secretary K Dewell, trainer Reg Garbett and committee man Alan Downing to receive awards in recognition of work each had performed on behalf of the club.
Mr Stan Clives, secretary of the Sutton and District Football League, shakes hands with the league president, Mr NE Paulin, after handing over the gold cup.
Stan Clives, secretary of the Sutton and District Football League, was a proud man last week when he presented to league President Mr Norman Paulin, a gold cup.
It was the climax of months of research by Stan that had taken him through the history books of the County FA and through pages of data held in the custody of Birmingham Reference Library.
Slowly but surely the history of both the league – and of a long lost trophy – was unearthed. Now it can be told.
The Sutton League began way back in 1910 under the name of the East Birmingham League. Its name was changed by consent of council on November 21, 1918.
It was on a visit to the office of BCFA secretary Mr Bob Eden that Mr Clives saw an old forgotten trophy standing on the filing cabinet.
A closer look – and a secret was out. It was the property of the Sutton League, Mr Clive found that the cup had been handed in by a Mr HJ Dore, who was traced as having been on the league’s list of referees in the early part of this century.
Stan took the trophy home and after long pondering decided to seek to put the cup into a glamorous “gold” coat. And so, thanks to a fine piece of workmanship, the cup presented by Sir Arthur Steel-Maitland, the Sutton League’s first president, was reborn.
The trophy stands twenty inches high and is surmounted by a figure in football kit. The engraving shows the league was formed in 1910 – providing a Golden Jubilee next year.
The President, Mr Paulin, receiving the cup, thanked Mr Clives for a “wonderful surprise”. He said he was certain “endless pleasure would abound the glittering trophy.”
Over 100 members, guests and officials attended Minworth Social Club’s bowling section’s annual presentation night on Saturday.
Guest of honour was the bowling section’s president Norman Paulin, who over the years has been a keen friend and supporter of the club’s sections covering the sports of bowls, football and angling.
Mr Paulin was introduced to the company by the Chairman of the bowls section John Ford, who was accompanied by the secretary Ray Bostock.
Mr Paulin said he was happy to know that the bowling section had been able to keep going under the severe strain of having had no home green, but was glad to hear that the renovation work being carried out would ensure that all would be well for the opening of season 1977-78.
Mr Paulin said to win the championship of the Sutton Thursday League Division Three with all their home fixtures being played at either Erdington or Aston based greens was no mean feat and he congratulated the club’s skipper Wally Hassell and his colleagues in bringing the trophy back to Minworth Social.
Mr Paulin presented the trophy and personal awards to the following members: Ray Bostock, John Ford, Wally Hassell, Arthur Ford, Danny Hebden, John Jeffs, Alfred Pritchard, Tommy Thornton, Dave Haden, Charlie Sharpe, Joe Haden, Im Stubbins, Steve Turner and Sonny Hasson.
Mr Paulin also presented the Alderman Smallwood Trophy to Dave Haden, together with aggregate awards to Danny Hebden (Saturday League) and John Jeffs (Thursday League).
Secretary Ray Bostock thanked Mr Paulin for his attendance and informed him that all the members were looking forward to the forthcoming season and gave an open invitation to supporters of the sport to join them. If sufficient members are available then it would be possible to launch a second team. Mr Bostock added.
Within the next three or four years all Football League matches will be played at night, said Mr Norman L Smith, Villa Vice-Chairman, when he spoke at the Golden Jubilee dinner at the Sutton and District League at Drayton Manor.
Saturday soccer, he forecast, was on the way out and he prophesied that eventually many League matches would be played on a Sunday afternoon.
Guests at the dinner to celebrate fifty years of Sutton League soccer included Mr Denis Howell, MP, “Teddy” Eden, Sir Alfred Owen and the Mayor of Sutton Coldfield. In the picture (above) Mr Howell, Mr Norman Paulin and Mr Eden admire the Steel-Maitland Gold Cup which was given by Mr AD Steel-Maitland in 1910 when he was the league’s first President. It was lost in 1913 but recovered by present secretary Stan Clives and gold-plated this year.
I have been going through my family history files, inventorying it, sorting, and of course removing the duplicates. There are a lot of duplicates. I found this letter my mother Sheila Paulin wrote to one of her Australian cousins (Squelch family) about Norman Paulin’s adventures with his in-laws. They were a part of the Bell-ringers at St John’s Church, Perry Barr.
“My father’s mother [Emma Jennings Paulin] was not impressed by my mother’s bell-ringing relatives. During the engagement Dad was invited along on the bellringers outing to Dovedale. The bus stopped at every pub on the way home, and Dad arrived home not feeling too well. His mother met him at the door to tell him she’d saved him some gruel for supper, and he was very sick and had to be put do bed. Dad didn’t go on any more of their outings, but he always had a laugh when we passed the “Jolly Sailor” at Tamworth, which was the last stop he remembered.”
The Amazing Paulin(e) Family 