Saying hello (with questions on early football in Radford)


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I'm digging into early football in Nottingham. Notts Olympic were a Radford based club, active from 1884 to 1892, then reformed to play again until 1914. Their ground throughout was Churchville Ground, Churchfield Lane, which opened in 1884, in use until 1915, somewhere near St Peter’s Church,Radford.  I have been unable to identify exactly where this ground was. The Nottm Journal of 20.8.1884 says “at Friesland” but the ground was generally known as Churchville. The possibilities, running up from the south are as follows. Close to St Peter’ Church, in what is now part of the graveyard. I paced out the existing width of this land to 80 yards, making this an unlikely choice. Next, open space to the north of what is now Woodstock Avenue and to the west of Churchfield Lane, close to the former Radford Colliery.  One match report says “towards the Bobbers Mill end”, which, then as now, is on the other side of Alfreton Road. Finally, open land between what is now Grimston Road and Alfreton Road, to the east of Churchfield Lane, but this was built up before the recorded end date for the ground of 1915.  Any ideas will be most welcome!  Tony

 

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Welcome Tony.  I know nothing about and have no interest in football but I do know the area you're looking at pretty well as I was born on Bobbers Mill Road.

 

I think you're correct about the churchyard being out of the question. I remember it as it was when I was a child and it hadn't been touched for many decades.

 

My mother, born at Bobbers Mill in 1926, used to play in the fields on Churchfield Lane before the houses were built on the side opposite Wordsworth/Grimston roads. There were farms and fields running down to the Colliery. The object of your search may well have been in that area.

 

Edited to add that the council houses on the left side of Bobbers Mill Road were built around 1921/2 on what was a sand pit, so I doubt that was the location of the ground you're seeking.

 

Good luck with your research.

 

 

 

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Hello SD. I would think your best option will be to look at some early maps. I have these 2 photographs which I have filed away  as they show the area I was born and grew up in the 1950’s. They also show the area where I returned In 1980 having moved away For 10 years and lived for a further 20 years. You will doubtless make out Churchfield Lane and there are Places where a football field could have been situated. If you know the area, which I believe you do then Truro Crescent was built in the mid 1930’s. The row of Terraced houses across the top of the second picture is Grimston Road which were built around 1905-1910 approximately.  

7-E24-B9-FC-5-CEA-4202-8-C11-E8-C7-A170- AFBE12-D4-F9-A7-4-F7-E-BD16-F51684447300

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I’ve looked up this map which is about the correct date for your research. Interestingly you’ll note Hartley Road as it nears St Peters church Which I know as St Peters Street is nameD ‘Churchville’. Plenty of open spaces still.

https://maps.nls.uk/view/101603265

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I was just having another look at the map and had the very same thought as you CT. I’ve just logged back in to post but you’ve beat me to it. My only reservation is that the ground is inclined down towards the river Leen from Churchfield Lane especially St Peters Street side named here as Churchville but the church yard Area is pretty flat so it’s hard to say without checking but I recon it’s a very good candidate. As children we used to go to what we called Players wood yard where they had a lot of wooden boxes. It ran between Radford Grove Lane and St Peters Street Behind the Church yard. You could buy a crate for a few shillings to make a den in. We’d access it from Radford Grove Lane and the wood yard area did seem quite flat from memory but it was over 50 years ago.

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4 hours ago, soccerdata said:

 One match report says “towards the Bobbers Mill end”, which, then as now, is on the other side of Alfreton Road.

 

If it was Plot 1088, they would probably refer to "the Bobbers Mill end" for anything in the opposite direction from Churchville - not necessarily anywhere actually near Bobbers Mill.

 

@letsavagoo  I think I'm correct in remembering that area became the John Player Packing Dept, until Players left the area and the site was then used for housing.

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I’m not sure what it was officially called, boxing or packing sounds about right to me. As far as I recall Radford Grove Lane end (Bobbers Mill end) had an old people’s home and the rest is housing.  I’ve just looked on street view and it does look pretty flat, certainly enough to play football on.

https://www.instantstreetview.com/@52.960939,-1.181156,138.6h,-6.33p,1z

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CT's suggestion seems to add up. Notts Olympic's ground was on Churchville fields,  (that area also known as Friesland of course). I don't know how that area lies but Notts Olympic also played at the Gregory Ground, Radford Marsh when Churchville fields were water-logged, according to  'Lost Teams of the Midlands' Mike Bradbury. You've probably already seen that though soccerdata.

 

'Fields' might suggest a bigger area than plot 1088 though. The area on south side of  Churchville/Outgang Lane looks quite large?

 

 

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Just to say I know nothing whatsoever about football, even in Bobber's Mill.. though my Grandfather and great Grandfather occupied the Railway House at Bobber's Mill Crossing for years around the time you are researching.  Welcome to the madhouse and good luck with your research!

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