Jon
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Post by Jon on Jul 21, 2014 22:30:58 GMT
One hundred years ago today Brazil played its first ever international match against Exeter City. City manager Arthur Chadwick did not go on the South American tour. He needed to stay at home to make some signings for the new season - no transfer embargo in those days. Charlie Pratt took on the role of manager for the tour - a man who was to move on to Torquay United and then, somewhat surprisingly, to Torquay Athletic. As well as managing, Pratt played in the " Brazil international" and the previous game at inside right. He had also played one game in Argentina as goalie - both keepers in the squad being unfit to play. Pratt, a centre-half, had signed for City from Everton in 1910 and was to stay there until 1921 - by the end being more trainer than player. He then moved to Torquay United as player-trainer and played regularly in the 1921/22 season, then concentrating on his role as trainer for the next four years. He did play in the 1923 Devon Senior Cup final - reprising his Argentinian goalkeeping role as the registration rules left Torquay goalkeeperless. He played a couple of Southern League games - at Aberaman and at Newport - in 1925. Cash-strapped Torquay tended to make trips to South Wales with just eleven players and a trainer - so late injuries caused a mass reshuffle and the trainer playing on the wing. In 1926 he was lured away by Torquay Athletic and would stay there for a very long time - the article below is from the Herald Express 2 March 1965! Pratt's place as trainer was taken by Frank Brown. Brown had played for Exeter in 1921-22, for Torquay 1923-25 and had spent the 1925-26 season as player-manager at Dartmouth United. His second stint at Plainmoor was to last twelve years - six as trainer to first Percy Mackrill and then Frank Womack and six as manager in his own right, before he was lured away to Chester City.      |
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jul 22, 2014 10:54:40 GMT
Fascinating report of Exeter's 1914 tour. But no mention of what was written about the team's style of play in Argentina: "the most complete exhibition of illegal methods ever seen in Buenos Aires".
Amazing to think that, when I was little, there was an old boy living in Haytor Road who'd played against Brazil. If only I'd known. A few months later my primary school class did a 1966 World Cup project. "Pop" Sanders put all the countries into a hat for us to work on; I drew Brazil. I could have featured Charlie.
I've read that Martin McGahey - of the tobacconist business on the High Street in Exeter - is currently in Brazil. I assume he is a descendent of Exeter's chairman of the day.
Crag Evans? There's a history of getting the great man'a name wrong. But, as we've seen before, forever the Welsh amateur international. How many minutes was it before he was crocked?
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Post by alisons on Aug 3, 2014 21:21:22 GMT
Hi
Any chance you can let me know which newspapers the article came from please? I had found that Charlie had lived his later years in Torquay so really good to have it confirmed.
The probably reasons Strettle & Whittaker were a couple of the earliest returnees was their wives have had babies. Martin McGahey is GG Grandson of the chairman.
Thanks for the info
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rjdgull
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Post by rjdgull on Aug 3, 2014 22:27:22 GMT
Hi Any chance you can let me know which newspapers the article came from please? I had found that Charlie had lived his later years in Torquay so really good to have it confirmed. The probably reasons Strettle & Whittaker were a couple of the earliest returnees was their wives have had babies. Martin McGahey is GG Grandson of the chairman. Thanks for the info Hi Alison, Welcome to this forum and I'm sure Jon will disclose his sources shortly. It does look like that the first article may be from the observer though.... Regards Rob |
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Aug 4, 2014 6:15:11 GMT
There's an article about McGahey's the tobacconist at: www.exetermemories.co.uk/em/_commercial/mcgahey.phpThis mentions Michael McGahey who was chairman of Exeter City at the time of the South American tour. It appears he was in the legal business whilst one of his sons took over an existing tobacconist business which has remained in the family ever since. |
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Post by alisons on Aug 4, 2014 12:00:22 GMT
I'm sure Martin McGahey would be able to fill in the details better then I can, but Michael McGahey was a solicitor in Exeter. When he died he'd just returned from a holiday and was staying with his son near to the city centre as he was going to court the next day. At least one of his sons followed him into law. I've also seen reports that the tobacconist was bombed in 42. The family that ran that business set up a stall at their front gate and carried on as usual.
If you'd like more info about Charlie Pratt there are some minute books and programmes on the Everton Collection site. There's a note that they weren't going to reimburse him for a visit to the doctor as he hadn't cleared it first.
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Jon
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Post by Jon on Aug 4, 2014 23:03:39 GMT
Hi Any chance you can let me know which newspapers the article came from please? I had found that Charlie had lived his later years in Torquay so really good to have it confirmed. The probably reasons Strettle & Whittaker were a couple of the earliest returnees was their wives have had babies. Martin McGahey is GG Grandson of the chairman. Thanks for the info The two cuttings are from the Devon and Exeter Gazette 11 August 1914 and the Herald Express 2 March 1965. Interestingly, the Gazette story clearly implies that Pratt only played two games on tour - one as a goalkeeper in Argentina and the second game in Brazil when he scored twice - so NOT the following game against the Brazilian national team. The Correio da Manhã has Holt returning from injury to play, but the new book on the tour has Pratt as keeping his place. Loads of coverage of the 1914 tour in the Brazilian online archive: hemerotecadigital.bn.br/memoria.bn.br/DocReader/docmulti.aspx?bib=%5Bcache%5D25910.594093.DocLstX&pasta=ano%20191&pesq=exeter |
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Jon
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Post by Jon on Aug 4, 2014 23:06:24 GMT
If you'd like more info about Charlie Pratt there are some minute books and programmes on the Everton Collection site. There's a note that they weren't going to reimburse him for a visit to the doctor as he hadn't cleared it first. The Everton Collection is brilliant - especially the minute books. www.evertoncollection.org.uk/collection/minute%2520books |
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Post by Deleted on Aug 5, 2014 6:38:48 GMT
Marvellous! All we need now is a translation from someone who has studied languages in Guimarães. |
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Jon
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Post by Jon on Aug 6, 2014 21:46:58 GMT
Marvellous! All we need now is a translation from someone who has studied languages in Guimarães. Maybe a little more interesting for a Portuguese speaker, but plenty of nice photos. The Exeter team line-ups have a nice mix of christian names and surnames. You've made me go all nostalgic and start trawling youtube for memories of Paulinho Cascavel. I even found this classic - I'll be able to throw away the vinyl now! |
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Post by alisons on Aug 7, 2014 7:20:49 GMT
Thanks for the newspaper info - will go with all the other's about the tour I've collected. Interesting that Charlie Pratt was managing the team. It was voted that he'd act as trainer during a team meeting on the voyage over the Atlantic. Charlie was at Everton when they did the Argentine tour as well.
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