Shirley Town F.C.

The club was founded by George Featherstone, a local contractor, in 1933.{{cite journal |title=His aim - new sports arena |journal=Birmingham Daily Gazette |date=17 September 1949 |page=5}} The club joined the Birmingham Combination in time for the 1935–36 season,{{cite journal |title=Hinckley football |journal=Midland Counties Tribune |date=21 June 1935 |page=6}} although its ambitions originally spread wider, with secretary/manager E. J. Jennings proposing a revamped league allowing 2 full-time professionals per side in 1937.{{cite journal |title=New football league in Birmingham? |journal=Birmingham Daily Gazette |date=26 January 1937 |page=11}}

The club was generally a mid-table Combination outfit, and entered the FA Cup from 1935–36 to 1938–39, although it was forced to start in the extra preliminary rounds, and never made it beyond the first qualifying round; its best showing, in 1937–38, ended in a defeat at Shrewsbury Town.{{cite journal |title=FA Cup qualifying stages - first round |journal=Coventry Evening Telegraph |date=2 October 1937 |page=20}} Before the 1938–39 season, the club changed its name to Solihull Town.{{cite journal |title=Shirley Town F.C.'s changed name |journal=Evening Despatch |date=17 June 1938 |page=21}} Under its new name, the club gained its greatest honours, by winning the 1939–40 Combination and the Birmingham Senior Cup, albeit that year the competitions lacked full participation owing to the war - indeed Solihull had two XIs in the Combination itself.{{cite journal |title=Birmingham Combination |journal=Sports Argus |date=18 May 1940 |page=3}} The club beat Darlaston in the final of the at the Hawthorns thanks to goals from Billy Boswell and (in the last minute) Davies.{{cite journal |title=Late goal beats Darlaston |journal=Rugeley Times |date=15 June 1940 |page=8}}

However that seems to have been the final match played by the club, as it went into abeyance for the rest of the war, and never re-emerged. Although in 1944 the club had expressed an interest in re-joining the Combination as soon as it re-started,{{cite journal |title= Combination again |journal=Evening Dispatch |date=25 November 1944 |page=4}} by 1945 it had ceased activities,{{cite journal |title=The Combination |journal=Evening Dispatch |date=28 April 1945 |page=4}} with Featherstone moving on to redeveloping a racecourse in the area.{{cite journal |title=His aim - new sports arena |journal=Birmingham Daily Gazette |date=17 September 1949 |page=5}} The Shirley Town name was revived by an amateur club after the war,{{cite journal |title=North Birmingham League |journal=Sports Argus |date=8 October 1949 |page=6}} and the club stepped up in the semi-professional leagues in 1974 when merging with West Shirley Athletic.{{cite journal |title=Togetherness prevails as Adders form new company |journal=Sports Argus |date=17 August 1974 |page=17}}

There is no available description of the club colours, but photographic evidence{{cite web |title=Shirley Town |url=https://www.gettyimages.fi/detail/uutiskuva/shirley-town-fc-church-road-solihull-west-midlands-england-uutiskuva/993680310 |website=Getty Images |access-date=19 February 2024}} suggests the club played in blue shirts, white shorts, and blue stockings.

The club played at the Shirley Stadium,{{cite journal |title=Shirley "Derby" |journal=Birmingham Daily Gazette |date=20 September 1935 |page=11}} on Church Road,{{cite journal |title=Shirley Town F.C.'s bid |journal=Birmingham Daily Gazette |date=30 August 1935 |page=11}} opposite the Plume of Feathers public house.{{cite journal |title=Geo. Featherstone Challenge Cup |journal=Evening Despatch |date=13 May 1938 |page=23}} The club opened a covered stand, seating 1,000, on 30 November 1935, in a Combination match with Aston Villa's A side on 30 November 1935.{{cite journal |title=Opening of new stand |journal=Birmingham Daily Gazette |date=29 November 1935 |page=12}}

• Billy Austin, former international and FA Cup winner with Manchester City{{cite journal |title=Ex-international for Shirley T |journal=Birmingham Daily Gazette |date=15 October 1936 |page=15}}
• George Parkin, formerly of Burnley and West Ham United{{cite journal |title=Shirley signing |journal=Birmingham Daily Gazette |date=2 October 1935 |page=11}}
• Alf Maitland, formerly of Newcastle United{{cite journal |title=Shirley signing |journal=Birmingham Daily Gazette |date=2 October 1935 |page=11}}
• Jack Russell, formerly of Birmingham, Norwich, and Bournemouth & Boscombe Athletic{{cite book |last1=Matthews |first1=Tony |title=Birmingham City: A Complete Record |date=1995 |publisher=Breedon Books |location=Derby |page=122}}
• Emlyn Jones, formerly of Southend United{{Cite web |url=http://www.sufcdb.co.uk/profile.php?p=170 |title=SUFCdb | Player Profile |access-date=28 June 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303230914/http://www.sufcdb.co.uk/profile.php?p=170 |archive-date=3 March 2016 |url-status=dead }}
• Tommy Read, goalkeeper, formerly of Grimsby Town{{cite book|last1=Lamming|first1=Douglas|title=A who's who of Grimsby Town AFC : 1890-1985|date=1985|publisher=Hutton|location=Beverley|isbn=0-907033-34-2|page=100}}
• Jack Snape, right-back, the club's first professional, who signed for Coventry City in 1936{{cite journal |title=Jack Snape given chance by Coventry |journal=Birmingham Daily Gazette |date=1 October 1937 |page=12}}

• [https://www.nonleaguematters.co.uk/nlmnet/Aarg3EC/BCm19.html Birmingham Combination tables]

{{reflist}}

Category:Defunct football clubs in England

Category:Defunct football clubs in the West Midlands (county)

Category:Association football clubs established in 1933

Category:Association football clubs disestablished in 1944

Category:1933 establishments in England

Category:1944 disestablishments in England

Category:Solihull

Category:Sport in the Metropolitan Borough of Solihull