Post by Jon on Feb 1, 2020 13:24:45 GMT
So today we meet Barrow at Holker Street, their home since 1909 - one year before Torquay Town set up home at Plainmoor.
Surprisingly, there is a player who played for Barrow in their first ever game at Holker Street and for Torquay Town in their first ever game at Plainmoor.
Henry Dowker (Harry) Singlehurst was born on 24 January 1889 in Valetta, Malta where his father (born in Lucknow, India) was serving in the Royal Engineers.
By 1901, the family had found its way to Plymouth via Yorkshire and Cornwall.
In 1904, young Harry was charged with playing football in the street, found guilty and fined a shilling.
Not longer after, the family was on the move again - this time to Heavitree.
Harry started playing for junior sides Homedale and Rougemont but around the time of his 18th birthday he signed for Exeter City where he soon established himself in the first team - alongside the orginal Reidy (who was the first man ever to play for Exeter City and Torquay United).
In 1907/08, the teenage Harry was the only ever-present in Exeter's P&D League campaign - scoring 10 goals in 26 games.
In 1908, City joined the Southern League and imported a new professional squad. Harry played regularly for the reserves in the P&D League (often alongside Torquinian Billy Pridham), but did not break in to the professional first team.
Possibly his two most interesting games that season were friendlies. He scored eight times as City beat Okehampton 17-0 (Pridham grabbed two).
He scored in a 5-2 win over Fred Karno's XI. The legendary Exeter-born comedy impresario had purchased the Exeter Hippodrome in 1908 and was staging a show that included a lengthy football-based comedy routine which featured Charlie Chaplin alongside a number of ex-professional players. Chaplin did not make the team.
In the summer of 1909, Harry was prepared to take boots and travel in search of a professional career. His Exeter City colleague, ex-Barrow star Daisy Bell recommended him to his old team. After a successful trial, Harry lined up in Barrow's Holker Street opening game against Eccles.
Harry soon moved on from Barrow, heading to Colne. At the time, Barrow were in the second division of the extremely strong Lancashire Combination while Colne were in the first.
Harry's Colne debut was before an 8,000 crowd as Colne beat Nelson 1-0 in a local derby FA Cup tie. Unfortunately, Colne had not registered Harry properly so the result was annulled.
By February 1910, Harry was back in Devon and playing for City reserves. He did make the first team for John Sutcliffe's testimonial against Argyle at Home Park.
When Torquay Town was formed in 1910, Harry signed up. He was a one-man Exeter contingent amongst a large Plymouth contingent and a large Torquay contingent.
He played in the opening game at home to St Austell and many other memorable matches. He scored two as Town beat Oxford City 3-1 at the specially-borrowed rain-sodden Recreation Ground to earn a trip to Accrington Stanley. Stanley played in the same league as Colne. He played in the team that won the Devon Senior Cup at Home Park.
The following season he was Town's top scorer with 21 goals (the man to deprive Crad Evans of being top scorer in every season of Town's existence) as Town won the Plymouth & District League.
He stayed with Town until the Great War stopped play, but after the War he settled in Kingswood, Bristol.
Surprisingly, there is a player who played for Barrow in their first ever game at Holker Street and for Torquay Town in their first ever game at Plainmoor.
Henry Dowker (Harry) Singlehurst was born on 24 January 1889 in Valetta, Malta where his father (born in Lucknow, India) was serving in the Royal Engineers.
By 1901, the family had found its way to Plymouth via Yorkshire and Cornwall.
In 1904, young Harry was charged with playing football in the street, found guilty and fined a shilling.
Not longer after, the family was on the move again - this time to Heavitree.
Harry started playing for junior sides Homedale and Rougemont but around the time of his 18th birthday he signed for Exeter City where he soon established himself in the first team - alongside the orginal Reidy (who was the first man ever to play for Exeter City and Torquay United).
In 1907/08, the teenage Harry was the only ever-present in Exeter's P&D League campaign - scoring 10 goals in 26 games.
In 1908, City joined the Southern League and imported a new professional squad. Harry played regularly for the reserves in the P&D League (often alongside Torquinian Billy Pridham), but did not break in to the professional first team.
Possibly his two most interesting games that season were friendlies. He scored eight times as City beat Okehampton 17-0 (Pridham grabbed two).
He scored in a 5-2 win over Fred Karno's XI. The legendary Exeter-born comedy impresario had purchased the Exeter Hippodrome in 1908 and was staging a show that included a lengthy football-based comedy routine which featured Charlie Chaplin alongside a number of ex-professional players. Chaplin did not make the team.
In the summer of 1909, Harry was prepared to take boots and travel in search of a professional career. His Exeter City colleague, ex-Barrow star Daisy Bell recommended him to his old team. After a successful trial, Harry lined up in Barrow's Holker Street opening game against Eccles.
Harry soon moved on from Barrow, heading to Colne. At the time, Barrow were in the second division of the extremely strong Lancashire Combination while Colne were in the first.
Harry's Colne debut was before an 8,000 crowd as Colne beat Nelson 1-0 in a local derby FA Cup tie. Unfortunately, Colne had not registered Harry properly so the result was annulled.
By February 1910, Harry was back in Devon and playing for City reserves. He did make the first team for John Sutcliffe's testimonial against Argyle at Home Park.
When Torquay Town was formed in 1910, Harry signed up. He was a one-man Exeter contingent amongst a large Plymouth contingent and a large Torquay contingent.
He played in the opening game at home to St Austell and many other memorable matches. He scored two as Town beat Oxford City 3-1 at the specially-borrowed rain-sodden Recreation Ground to earn a trip to Accrington Stanley. Stanley played in the same league as Colne. He played in the team that won the Devon Senior Cup at Home Park.
The following season he was Town's top scorer with 21 goals (the man to deprive Crad Evans of being top scorer in every season of Town's existence) as Town won the Plymouth & District League.
He stayed with Town until the Great War stopped play, but after the War he settled in Kingswood, Bristol.