Every Picture Tells a Story

Interesting photographs with a story to tell:

The Secretary recently received a surprise letter from a lady in Somerset who was looking through a box of old photographs and came across this postcard showing the Wotton AFC team from 1906 – 1907. The letter was addressed to “The Secretary/Chairman, Wotton-under-Edge AFC” but it found it’s way here. As you will see it was sent by G Sparrow on 9 January 1907 from Charfield to Miss R Osborne of Kingswood, Bristol. The lady who found the postcard does not know of any family connection. So which one of the players was G Sparrow? His address was Woodend Farm, Charfield. The message was:

Dear R

I did not go out next day after I got back. Should like to know who sent that post card to ??? they were not kind enough to come and help get me out.. Mrs P thought it could not be a friend sent the P card.

This is the football team that I have played for can you find me

G Sparrow

The message is short and abbreviated. Postcards were the equivalent of ‘texting’ 100 years ago. It sounds like G Sparrow was concerned about a mysterious postcard. Did he go on to marry Miss Osborne? What happened to all those young faces in the team? In a little over 7 years many of these young men were probably in the trenches in Flanders. How many survived? So many unanswered questions.

This picture was taken prior to an away match with North Nibley on 27 February 1983, to mark the occasion of a new kit donated by sponsors Tilcon. At the time the team were unbeaten in league and cup and well on the way to honours.

However, there is a sad footnote to this photograph. It was the last game that Gary Broughall was to play for the Club. He, together with Steve Jones, was selected to play for the Stroud Youth League Under 12 XI on the following Sunday; the first Wotton players to be so honoured in many seasons.

Gary was taken ill just before the kick off of that inter-league match and died the following day from meningitis. Steve Jones went on to play football professionally.

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