In aid of the Town Fund for sending Christmas presents to Market Harborough soldiers and sailors a comic football match and a fancy dance took place on Saturday last, arranged by the social committee of Messrs. R. and W. H. Symington’s factory, in conjunction with the Town Committee.
The football match was between teams of ladies and gentlemen, and was played on the Town Cricket Ground, which was kindly lent by Mr. E. E. Plowman. There was a good attendance of spectators when the teams turned out, and the weather fine.
The ladies’ team was composed of the Misses A. Foster, Garfield, A. Lee, E. Gardiner (captain), A. Wells, E. Swinton, A. Stubbs, F. Simmonds, M. Simmonds, E. Smith, E. Patchett. Miss M. Penn was the trainee, and Miss E, Payne the linesman.
The gentlemen’s team consisted of Granger end Haddon: Tilley, “Mrs,” Kelly, and Potter; G. Scampton, Groom, Lawrence, Clark. and Smith.
The ladies wore the green and white colours of the Harborough Town team, and very smart and businesslike they looked too. The men were attired in all the colours of the rainbow-picture hats and skirts that were pictures. Each man handicapped too, by having his right arm tied rip. Mister and Miss Cox, in a most effective get up as “Darby and Joan,” kicked off, and the game at once became fast and furious. The gentlemen’s team included some old stalwarts at the game – there was Joe Lawrence, who used to be a star performer in the Town team twenty or more years ago, and George Scampton, whose football days are also getting a long way behind him, and there were players of more recent note in Kelly, Grange, Haddon, and some of the rest, but the Town team never arrayed like these, and the effects produced were weird and wonderful. The ladies were out for goals, and they scored four, Miss Stubbs kicking two and Miss Patchett and Miss Coales one each. The scored only twice and so were well beaten. Mr. Bernard O’Brien refereed the match with great good humour and tact. The match was rare good fun for the spectators, who thoroughly enjoyed it from start to finish. Incidentally we might say that although this was a comic match, the ladies’ team showed that with a bit of practice and coaching they could play a rattling good game, and now that ladies’ football seems to be coming into vogue we may hear of them again.
The Territorial Band played of music during the afternoon.
Midland Mail – Friday 12 October 1917