Birmingham History Thread - then and now | Page 6 | Vital Football

Birmingham History Thread - then and now

i had a few mates work at ansells, one of the best jobs about. and love to play against them at the ansells ground,,, sadly one of my old schoolmates chris murray worked there and i have tried to contact him through the years without success, they always had a good team, denis kennedy, the cronins, mick o gorman with a few old pros as well...and the bull down pritchard st newtown row,, was to die for,,seanie


Yeah, remember Denis Kennedy (goalkeeper if I remember) and yes, Mr Ansells Sports and Social himself, John Cronin and his son Bernard.

I used to know Terry Murray who used to work there.
 
I played against Ansells and was given the almost impossible task,( for me) of marking Jimmy McEwan. Also remember playing against the Cronins.

Did you come up against Derek Kevan the ex Albion player wittonite. He worked at Ansells Brewery, Aldridge depot.

Jimmy McEwan was a great character, never lost his accent.
 
Did you come up against Derek Kevan the ex Albion player wittonite. He worked at Ansells Brewery, Aldridge depot.

Jimmy McEwan was a great character, never lost his accent.
Not that I am aware of, my hands were full with Jimmy.
I was not a full back, I played left wing/ inside left but because I was quick and had a great engine I was given the job marking him.
Jimmy must have been in his fifties, and gave me the run around, to the extent that I took a kick at him and missed.
He walked over to me, put out his hand, pulled me up and said dont worry son, better than you have tried and missed.
Brilliant.
 
Yeah, remember Denis Kennedy (goalkeeper if I remember) and yes, Mr Ansells Sports and Social himself, John Cronin and his son Bernard.

I used to know Terry Murray who used to work there.
I have an idea that I played against one of the Cronins for The Towers pub at crown green at Ansells.
 
It is still there. I think they do tours around the station and the old jail.

That'd bring back some memories from my youth (work experience not arrest!). Just loved the imposing architecture as a lad, even with the new around it, you could sort of imagine less development and in some ways, how more imposing those buildings (like the original Mag's Court) would've been when not overshadowed by 'progress'.