Amblecote Methodists – when football and church went hand in hand

A youth club team who had one of the shortest careers in the game

- By TERRY CHURCH

UNTIL at least the middle years of the last century many youth clubs and sports teams were attached to churches, regardless of the denomination.

This was certainly the case in my own village of Wall Heath where both the Youth Club and the Youth football team were organised by the Congregational Church, now re-named St Andrews United Reformed Church.

Another such case was at Amblecote Methodist Church who also ran both a Youth Club and a football team.

As we all slide into "old age" reunions and, sadly, funeral wakes, meeting friends and foes from the sporting fields of yesteryear, this does at least give us the opportunity to discuss teams and individuals and recall both with fondness. Amazingly the older that we get, the better we were!

One such event followed the death of Mike Badger, a very good friend of mine for many years. At the wake several photographs were displayed portraying various stages of Mike's life. Included was a photograph of Amblecote Methodist Church Youth Club football team. I am indebted to Mike's widow, Anne, for loaning the photograph to me.