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Higham Ferrers Excelsiors Football Club

Rushden Echo, 29th August 1930, transcribed by Kay Collins

Higham Excelsiors of 1897

This Higham Ferrers junior team has been “spotted” by several readers, and the best account of the club and players comes from:

Mr. E. Wright, 18 Oval Road, Rushden, whose letter is as follows:

The group published in your issue of August 22nd was taken, I believe, about 33 years ago, and represented a smart junior football team of that period. They were known as Higham Excelsiors, and the playing pitch was on the old “Pleasure Ground” in Stanwick-road.

Their average age at the time this photograph was taken would be about 16 years.

As far as memory serves, the names, reading from left to right are:

Excelsiors c1897
Back-row: Fred Shelton (left back) now a butcher at Higham, W. Allen (goalkeeper) living now at Rushden, Frank Mason (right back) living at Higham, Bert Brown (outside left and known then as “Athersmith”) now at Higham.

2nd row: Howard Lovell (outside right) now a boot manufacturer at Rushden, Amos Nottingham (right half) living at Higham, - Daniels (centre half) used to come from W'boro’ to play, Jim Shelton (half back) left to join Police.

3rd row: Albert Coles (outside right) lost his life in the War, George Bates (centre forward) known then as “Bloomer”, now of Denmark-road, Rushden, “Teddy” Bates (left half) afterwards of Wellingboro’ Town, and still later one of the popular trainers of Rushden Town.



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