100 Years Ago Today

It’s not that often we can say what our Group was doing on a specific day in the past, especially so long ago, but today I can!

On Saturday the 5th December 1908, the very new 1st Porthill Scout Troop (as its name was then), played a game of football on Wolstanton Marsh against a team called May Bank Boys. The Troop was, as far as I can tell, less than 3 – 4 months old, so this was a good result for a young Troop. It was also reported in the local newspaper.

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The first cutting is from The Staffordshire Evening Sentinel’s Sport edition from Saturday 5th December 1908 and the second is from the same paper on Saturday 12th December 1908.

The report in the second cutting reads

‘Porthill Scouts were entertained at May Bank. Play was exciting in the first 20 minutes and Hawkins scored for the visitors. Before half time he again found the net. In the second half both sides played well, but one of the home backs fouled and from the penalty Gibbs scored. Shortly afterwards May Bank were awarded a penalty but Tomkinson saved. Two minutes afterwards the home team scored, but before the finish Hawkins scored again thus accomplishing the ‘hat trick’. The Scouts returned winners by four to one.’

The Scouts Hawkins and Gibbs are mentioned in a book I have which lists the name of every boy in the Troop in around 1909!

We were planning to have a replay this evening, but much to my annoyance, circumstances beyond my control have prevented it (we can’t get a suitable venue to play).

Never mind, we can still remember those pioneering Porthill Scouts, without whom I probably wouldn’t be a Scout!