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Source: Alan Keele
Portsmouth Dockyard had a wealth of
sporting talent within its walls, and its employees were involved in Football,
Cricket, Cycling, Athletics, Boxing, Golf, Angling, Archery, Tennis, Bowls,
Hockey, Sailing and Shooting. The various Departments, factories and shops in
the 'Yard had teams in many different Leagues and Associations in the City in
addition to the Dockyard's own Leagues. My memories of these sports are mainly
between 1945-1960, although sportsmen employed in the 'Yard later than this
period can be recalled.
In the Portsmouth Football Association
Leagues in the 1940s were MCD Sports, (Secretary Sid Oliver), Factory Sports
(Len Wilson), Coppersmiths Shop Sports (W H Bates), EEM Dept. (J E Dollery),
Plumbers Shop (Fred Phillips), Dockyard Universals (D Black), Ship Fitting
Dept. (W Shepherd) MED Apps. (R F Denford), Painting Dept. (G Young), EEM
Drawing Offices (L Critchett) and Joiners Sports (B Rees). In the Portsmouth
Lads' League were EEM Dept. (A Wiseman) and MED Apprentices (J Buckingham),
with many 'Dockies' playing for other teams within these Leagues. The Hampshire
Football Association also had representatives and referees within their ranks,
from the 'Yard. A number of teams were affiliated to the Civil Service Sports
Association. The Portsmouth Football Association Hon. Secretary was Mr W
0'Brien and the Referees Appointment Secretary was Mr P Faulkner, both were
Chargemen of Wood Caulkers.
The Cricket fraternity had their own
Dockyard League with three divisions and the League also entered the Lord
Mayor's Knockout Competition. The teams in the League were as
follows:
Division I - Naval Stores Sports, EEM, SCE (Supt. Civil
Engineers), Boiler Dept., Wellburns (Welders and Burners) Painting
Dept
Division II - Ship Shop, Joiners, Factory Sports, Coppersmiths,
Garage Sports (Transport Section)
Division III - Pneumatic Plant,
Torpedo Department, Plumbers, Smithery Sports, Foundry Sports
A knock
out competition within the League was also held, with the final played on the
No. 1 pitch at the Civil Service Sports ground at Hilsea, the League being
affiliated to the Civil Service Sports Association. A select Dockyard Cricket
League representative team occasionally played other organisations, including
the Portsmouth Supporters Club and the Admiralty Signal and Radar Establishment
at Haslemere.
Cyclists in the days before the War included Alf
Muggeridge (a Chargeman of Shipwrights) and Bert McGuigan. After the war Paddy
Mulally and Dave Fleming were among those prominent in the
Sport.
Athletics were well represented, the leading administrator
in Portsmouth at that time being Andy Gibbs (Shipfitter) the Hon. Secretary of
the Portsmouth Athletic Club but also its athletes included:
Peter
Blenkinsopp (Engine Fitter), Clive Nethercott (Joiner), David Gardner
(Shipfitter), Gordon Chaffey (Engine fitter), Arnold Bradley (Shipfitter), Alan
Keel (Shipwright) and Orien Young (Electrical fitter).
Several of these
athletes were successful in major championships and gained National titles. A
Portsmouth Dockyard team of sprinters won the Sir Patrick Hastings Challenge
Shield at the British Workers Sports Associations Championships when
representing the AEU Portsmouth District. The team in 1950 was J Hawker, A A
Bradley, J W Chaffey and T D Finnigan, all from the 'Yard. Brother A Gibb was
team manager. The event was the One Mile Medley Relay; L Radice an MCD
draughtsman won the high jump that year as a member of the ATA.
The
Dockyard held its own Sports Meetings before and after World War II and in the
1930s both the Electrical Fitter Apprentices and the Engine Fitter Apprentices
were affiliated to the Portsmouth Welfare Association who held an Annual Sports
Meeting. In the 192223 season the Portsmouth Royal Dockyard Athletic Sports
attracted competitors from Brighton, Catford, Surrey AC, Hampshire AAC
(Southampton) and the Royal Navy. The MCD Drawing Office held its own Sports
evenings after work at the Civil Service Sports Ground,
Hilsea.
Boxing had several well known exponents of this art
including Len Lemaux, Benny Clark, Phil Faithwaite, Billy Streets and Jack
Fiford. Needless to say all were very modest gentlemen. Gus Tout, a rivetter,
was a trainer who had a gym in Mile End.
The first annual Golf
tournament was held at Great Salterns on 24 June 1948. A medal round was played
in the morning with the President's Trophy (a handsome shield) won by S H Law
(SCE Dept.), MCD's J S Loades being the runner up. The Hon. Secretary's
Challenge Cup was presented to L A Cooper. In the afternoon a Points Bogey
Competition was won by J S Loades (MCD) who was presented with a handsome
silver mug, the Captain's prize. He was followed in by E L Debrulais (EEM) and
L A Cooper (MCD).
Angling was, and still is, very popular with
Fountain Lake Jetty a favourite spot to fish, for the Dockyard Angling Society
members.
Tennis and Bowls both had their own Leagues with the
Paint Shop and the Factory enjoying their successes. Both sports held knock out
competitions.
I am unsure whether Shooting had a following among
Dockyardmen but it is worth recording that Malcolm Cooper, a Constructive
Draughtsman, was described as being one of the world's best 3position marksman
with a record of more medals than any competitor in the 1978 Commonwealth Games
and three world records. Many of his successes were achieved after he left the
Yard.
Other sports, including Swimming, Archery,
Rowing, Sailing and Hockey had their devotees. The revival of
the Dockyard Establishments Central Sports Association (DECSA) which was sited
in Oslow Road, Southsea, saw the introduction of the Indoor Games
League.
I have only scratched the surface of sport indulged by the
Dockyard employees and this covers only a limited time period, but surely there
must be members among the Support Group who have a more detailed knowledge of a
particular sport and its personalities covering your period in the 'Yard. Take
a minute to jot down a few facts and send them to the Secretary, Mr Mike
Roberts. Some of this information was gleaned from the HM Dockyard Sports
Gazette in July 1948. More information concerning 'Dockies'; in Boxing can be
found in 'All Our Yesterdays' and, for Athletes, see the recently published
book 'Men's Athletics in Portsmouth 18801980', written by and available from
Alan Keel (023 9248 4448) at a cost of £25.00.
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