Hinckley United Football Club
Members of the Southern League (Midland Division)
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MAIN NEWS RESULTS FIXTURES PLAYERS HISTORY HEROES FANTALK |
LAST DAYS AT THE HOLY WELLThe fateful year 1938-9 was to prove Hinckley United's last full season at the historic Holy Well ground. After the war the owners - a brewery - decided they did not wish it to continue as a football ground and after much searching the newly renamed Hinckley Athletic moved to Middlefield Lane in 1946.The final pre-war season on the sloping Holy Well pitch was one of both triumph and tragedy. Shortly before Christmas one of Hinckley's greatest former players was killed aged 70 in a bizarre motoring accident. Thomas Aucott, long time captain of Hinckley Town FC in its most successful period, was run over by his own car and he cranked the starter motor. On the field there were some notable successes. Now in the Birmingham Combination, an early season 4-1 victory against Reddich at the Holy Well seemed to offer much promise, with Hinckley centre Lloyd taking a hat trick. This was no mean achivement as Reddich had previously chalked up victories against Aston Villa "A" in the Combination. On the last Saturday of 1938 Hinckley defeated a promising Atherstone, but then had to wait until mid February to register their next League success. A 2-1 home victory over Solihull broke the sequence, but poor passing frequently let United down in their campaign. United continued to struggle for the rest of the season. In the very last home League game of the season they crashed 8-0 to strugglers Banbury Spencer, not helped by the failure of one United player to show up for the match. The Hinckley Times commented that had a lads' team from the local Queen's park recreation ground faced Banbury, the result could hardly have been worse. Fortuntately on the following Monday the team salvaged some pride when they entertained a strong Aston Villa side (including six first teamers) in the Hinckley Hospital Cup. Predictably United lost - 4-0 - but the performance was a great improvement from the Hinckley side against Football League oppostion. Hinckley had finished their last full season at the Holywell fifth from the botton of a highly competitive Birmingham Combination, taking 22 points from 38 matches (including 9 wins). The problem for Hinckley was that in large part the Combination was a "nursery" league for Football League clubs. Aston Villa "A" were champions and Walsall Reserves runners up. Other Football League clubs with teams in the Combination included Coventry, Wolverhampton, Birmingham and West Bromwich Albion. Faced with such strong opponents with much greater resources, Hinckley performed with credit, but struggled to make any great impression on the title chasers. Main / News / Results / Fixtures / Players / History / Heroes / Fantalk |
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