Village all-star team included an England goalkeeper and two FA Cup finalists
Football and history enthusiast Stuart Haywood, who lives in Midway, shares his fascinating research into the lives of some of Newhall’s famous soccer sons
MY interest in local football commenced in 1946, immediately after the end of the war. A group of enthusiasts got together and reformed Newhall United. The ground selected was on Newhall Park, known affectionately as “the Rec”.
It was a ground with considerable slope, much steeper than today.
A team of good local players was put together and, in the first season, 1946-47, they played in Division One of the Burton and District League.
The star player amongst a good XI was Arthur “Waddy” Redfern, who is still remembered with awe by my generation of the village.
In 1946, most people worked a five-and-a-half-day week but coal miners very often worked a six-day week because of the perpetual fuel crises that bedevilled austerity Britain.
Football fans who would normally have travelled to the Baseball Ground to support the Rams made do with going to the Rec and supporting the Blues.
There was no admission charge for the games but a bucket was passed round and spectators contributed in that way.
Newhall United were champions in that first year, scoring 160 goals in their 23 games, with Waddy scoring over half of them.
My favourite player was the goalkeeper John Proudman, who I admired for his exceptional agility and bravery.
Proudman was a colliery blacksmith and lived in a cottage in Bretby Road. I passed his home every day on my way to school.
In 1945, Proudman had played in a match on the Moat Ground for Gresley Rovers against a Forces XI.
Two of the players representing the Forces were Derby County stars Raich Carter and Peter Doherty.
Naturally, the Forces XI won handsomely, scoring seven goals but Proudman had a temporary memento of a large bruise which was caused by a Carter shot which he had blocked.
He was only too pleased to display the bruise to anyone who was interested.
By 1950, Proudman had joined Moira United. In a match against Quorn Methodists at Quorn on September 23 and with the game
only two minutes old, Proudman was called upon to defend his goal, which he did in typical style.
Proudman rushed out of goal in an attempt to win the ball from Quorn forward John Roach.
In doing so, he collided with Roach’s right thigh. It was immediately obvious that Proudman had been badly injured.
An ambulance was called and Mrs Proudman, who was in the crowd, collapsed.
Proudman was taken to Loughborough General Hospital, where a broken neck was Allan Jackson, left, in his days at Bury and Newhall’s Grenville Hair, above
diagnosed. His condition rapidly deteriorated and he was sent to Harlow Wood Orthopaedic Hospital in Mansfield.
Valiant Proudman died the next day of respiratory failure. He left a widow and two children and was laid to rest in Newhall Cemetery.
His grave was decorated with a miniature football pitch.
At the following inquest, John Roach was exonerated of all blame and advised to try to forget about it.
It is ironic that Proudman’s successor in the Newhall goal was Bernard Port, who had joined from Winshill amateurs and was the antithesis of Proudman.
Port, who was affectionately nicknamed “Dasher” was a very safe type of goalie, not very showy.
In the month that Proudman died, Port signed professional forms with Hull City, whose manager was Raich Carter.
With regard to the Proudman accident, I many years later read an article in the Guardian by its former editor Peter Preston. He mentioned the incident but there were a number of errors.
Preston was interested as he lived in Quorn at the time and also had ambitions to be a goalie when he was a young boy.
I wrote to him correcting the inaccuracies and he replied with a lovely letter.
A neighbour was so impressed, he insisted on framing it.
Back to Newhall, United only played on the Rec for a year before moving to a field in Alma Road, where they stayed until prefabricated houses were built on it.
Opposite the ground was a house which was the birthplace of an