The History of Parkfield AFC

Very early days
In 1926, a number of 10 years olds formed themselves into a team, having got tired of just kicking a ball about. They played at every available moment, every during schooldays, and almost three times a day when on school holidays. They played on a small field belonging to Dr. J Sangster of ‘Parkfield’, Gravelly Hill. The Doctor, himself, when surgery hours were over, often came down to this field at the back of his house to show the boys the finer points of the game (himself an experienced and keen player, having played for Aberdeen F.C.). The fathers purchased balls and nets for the boys, the first jerseys were bought by the boys at a cost of 1/- each.

In those days the team was called The Paddock F.C. and comprised of:-

S.M.Sangster (Captain), D.W.Ryland, A.S.Fisher, K.Gray, C.Fisher, E.Ryland, J.Holland, A.Austin, N.Twist, L.Hughes, H. Baldwin, L. Baldwin, E.Baldwin, K Philips, A.Philips, A.Tranter, D.Holland (killed in action in N Africa (1940)), J.Stafford, N.Godbyr, P.Clarke, P.Fenner.

The start of competitve games
In 1930, the team split up, some broke away to form the old Yenton Club, and the remainder, as boys will, promptly became fierce rivals. Then was when the club really was born. The name ‘Parkfield’ naturally resolved itself from the name of Dr. Sangster’s house, where the club first started.

The first colours were chocolate, with blue sleeves, and white shorts. The closest the lads could get to their favourite team, Aston Villa's, colours.

On 4th April 1931, Parkfield AFC played its first competitive game against the newly formed Yenton and finished in a 5-3 defeat. The team was:- Machin, Perke, Harrison, N.K.Jones, Field, Gregg, S.Sangster, E Ryland, Reed, D Ryland, K Philips. The Yenton team contained former Paddock FC players, J.Holland, P.Clarke, A.Phillips, and A.S.Fisher. The teams meet subsequently with the results of a 4-3 defeat and a draw.

For the next five seasons the club continued to play just friendlies against local teams. The club was reasonable successful to start with but then really struggled in the 1933-34 season. But then in 1934-35 a re-arranged team with some new players and the use of the controversial tactic of “the centre-forward falling back” saw a great improvement with 20 wins from the 33 games played. This year also saw the change to the clubs colours which would serve us to this day. The story is that J. Clarke, on holiday in Ireland, noticed the striking effect of the sunset’s deep red reflection on a river, flowing between the fields of Irish Emerald green!

The club was now well established and was equally successfully on the pitch in the following year and so decided to apply to join a league.

Joining the Birmingham & District AFA
The club received a letter dated 1st July 1936 from the Secretary of the Birmingham & District Amateur Football Association, Mr R.H. Neale, informing the club had been successfully elected as a member of the Association on the back of our application sponsored by Headlingly FC.

Unfortunately the first league game resulted in a 6-2 defeat away to Wednesbury Amateurs. However the next league match resulted in the clubs first league points with a 10-3 home victory against G.S. Friends. The team went on to win a further five games, with five draws, in their first year in the league finishing a crediatable ninth position in the division of 12 teams.

The following year saw the club struggle, finishing bottom of the 11 team league but the club picked up again in the 1938-39 season to finish fifth in the division. The club was put on hold for the second world war in 1939, but most of the players thankfully returned from the war safely so that the club could resume its position in the Birmingham & District AFA in the 1946-47 season.

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