Recalling A Guildford City Footballer From The Glory Days Of The 1930s

Published on: 12 Aug, 2019
Updated on: 22 Aug, 2019

By David Rose

Reader Mike Parkin has responded to a story published in The Guildford Dragon NEWS in 2016 about the book by Stuart Phillips of pen pictures and statistics of more than 700 players who either played for Guildford United, that later became Guildford City and finally Guildford & Dorking United teams, between the years 1921 to 1976.

Mike writes: “My grandfather was Richard Brown and was part of the side that won the Southern League in 1937-38.

“I have a framed team photo of that side where he is sitting in the front row, in the background is the crowd where I can clearly see my grandmother who had attend the game.

“Are there any other records of him?”

There certainly are in Stuart’s very comprehensive book – see extract below about Albert Richard (Dick) Brown.

Richard Brown’s listing in Stuart Phillips’ book The City Boys Are In Town on page 30. Click to enlarge in a new window.

The photo Mike mentions is likely to be this one that was featured in my book Images of Guildford (co-written with Graham Collyer), published by Breedon Books in 1998.

Guildford City players and officials pictured at their Joseph’s Road ground with the Southern League trophy won in the 1937-38 season. Click on picture to enlarge in a new window.

The book features a chapter on the Guildford Pinks, Guildford United and Guildford City. Graham wrote the caption that accompanied the above picture.

It reads: Glory days. Guildford City’s first Southern League title came in 1937-38 after an end-of-season run-in which saw the team head off Plymouth Argyle Reserves and Ipswich Town. Players were mobbed at the end of the final match and there was loud applause in the town’s cinemas as the news was announced on the Saturday afternoon. The club celebrated with a dinner in the Royal Engineers’ Hall. Back row (left to right): J. McFarlane, J. Todd, J. Hunter, Bill Ives, F. Over (trainer). Middle: Freddie Hodgson (who was a continuous director of the club, and several times chairman, from its inception until his death 50 years later), Arthur Grove, Jack Ede, Gerrard, Darvill, Willie Robb (the goalkeeper who had played for Rangers, Hibernian and Scotland in the 1920s), Jimmy Brown, Stan Denby, and directors Ingrey, W. A. Gammon, R. C. Jennings and A. Williams. Front: Hayden Green (manager), Bytheway, Johnny McPheat, Foulkes, Sammy Robinson, Dick Brown, Nelson Robinson, Charlie Barter (secretary). City won the league again in 1955-56.

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