Supergrid
Grand Finals
1951
Birmingham Vipers 3-4 Middlesex Saxons
Saturday December 15th 1951
Earls Court, London, England
0-1 - 13 Mins - Audrey Handy
1-1 - 31 mins - Sylvia Felgate
1-2 - 36 Mins - Ellen McKeown
2-2 - 41 mins - Sylvia Felgate
2-3 - 46 mins - Ellen McKeown
3-3 - 47 mins - Asa Martin
3-4 - 60 mins - Ellen McKeown
Shots 14-5
Att: 2,620
Birmingham Vipers:
Coach - Pat Kempson
Netminder - Mona Bertolino
Left Guard - Tanya Pitt
Right Guard - Peggy Heath
Sweeper - Rhoda Shipton
Centre - Helen Annis
Attacker - Asa Martin
Shooter - Sylvia Felgate
:Middlesex Saxons
Vesta Perry - Coach
Ann Mileno - Netminder
Heather Wallace - Left Guard
Janice Lothian - Right Guard
Honor Whitfield - Sweeper
Audrey Handy - Centre
Geraldine Gaunt - Attacker
Ellen McKeown - Shooter
The first ever Supergrid was played at Earls Court in front of a modest 2,000 crowd. Birmingham had a late team change when Zena Hall, who had played every minute of their season, took ill on the morning of the game and Helen Annis, who had lost her place at Right Guard after the first game, stood in as a makeshift Centre.
Ellen McKeown went into the game as joint top scorer and needed one goal to add the Golden Bat to the award of Player of the Year, given to her two days earlier. Asa Martin was among a trio of fifteen year olds on court and was on course to either share the Bronze Bat or win it outright if she scored. She was voted Young Player of the Year over team mate, Sylvia Felgate and Saxon, Heather Wallace, who was the youngest player on court.
Peggy Heath was the oldest player on court at 36.
Birmingham started the better of the two teams but fell behind just before the end of the first quarter to Audrey Martin's goal. Despite the Vipers being the better side in the second quarter, they went in at the break a goal down.
Sylvia Felgate immediately equalised at the start of the third quarter before Middlesex caught Birmingham on the counter on 36 minutes. Ellen McKeown applied the final touch to secure for herself the Golden Bat. Birmingham continued to be the team on the front foot and were again level on 41 with Felgate's second of the game.
Middlesex yet again caught Birmingham cold at the start of the final quarter with McKeown scoring her second from a free hit, but Birmingham immediately responded with the goal of the game from Asa Martin, recording for herself the honour of youngest ever Supergrid goalscorer in the process. Heath and Martin both had chances to win the game for the Vipers in the dying minutes before another Saxon counter attack saw McKeown complete her hat-trick and leave Birmingham with no time to find a fourth equaliser.
Gold Medal Match Middlesex 4-3 Birmingham
Bronze Medal Match: Glasgow 1-0 Liverpool ASD
Demoted: Liverpool
Promoted for 1952: Essex, London, Durham, Leeds, West Yorkshire
Player of the Year: Ellen McKeown {Middlesex}
Young Player of the Year: Asa Martin {Birmingham}
Team of the Year: Mileno & Wallace {Middlesex}, Heath {Birmingham}, Whitfield & Handy {Middlesex}, Martin, McKeown.
Golden Bat: McKeown, Silver Bat: Janet Camara {Liverpool}, Bronze Bat: Martin & Susan McCrossan {Glasgow}
1951
The December Edition of Gridball Monthly was a Supergrid special. Although officially called the British Gridball Championship Final, the press had coined Supergrid and it stuck. Team captains, Pitt and Whitfield appeared with the trophy.
Two hours later and it was Honor with the honours
Young Gridballer of The Year
Bronze Bat
Supergrid Runner Up
Asa Martin - Birmingham
Full Name: Asa Martin
• Born: 13 April 1936, Smethwick, Staffordshire, England: Age 16 [15 in 1951}
• Position: Attacker
• Rated - 2 - Okay {Climbed to 3 in 1952}
* Birmingham 19 appearances, 10 goals {1951-1952}
* Regular season Champion 1951 & 1952
* Supergrid Runner Up 1951
* Team of the Year 1951
* Bronze Bat 1951
Was a schoolgirl diving Champion before being tempted to Gridball while still at school. Was instantly brought into the youthful Birmingham team as one of a crop of talented teenagers in the first competitive season of Gridball. Was the youngest player in the Birmingham team on their Senior debut in 1951 and remained ever present on their way to Supergrid where her goal tied the game at 3-3, made her the youngest scorer in the showpiece as well as youngest player, only to see her team go down to a last minute winner. The goal also secured for her the bronze bat as third highest scorer of the season with six goals, which also made her Birmingham's top scorer. Although Gridballer of the Year Ellen McKeown technically qualified to be Young Player of the Year as well, it was decided that no single player could be awarded both honours in the same season so Martin was picked ahead of a host of other youngsters as the most impressive teen. Holds the unique distinction of being the only ever Young Gridballer of the Year as the title was done away with after 1951 due to the youthful make up of the teams. Martin was an integral part of the 1952 team until developing Rheumatic Fever in September, which developed into a career threatening Pan carditis which she is currently fighting
{January 1953}
Netminder of The Year
World Champion
Ann Mileno - Middlesex
Full Name: Ann Mileno
• Born: 19 April 1934, Homerton, London, England: Age 18 {17 in 1951}
• Position: Netminder
• Rated - 1 - Average
* Middlesex appearances - 7 {1951}
* World Champion 1951
* Goalie of the Year 1951
Played in the very first senior Gridball game in March 1951, being beaten twice but still seeing her team triumph 7-2. Remained ever present throughout the season, putting in two MVP performances on the way to Supergrid. Felt she didn't personally have a great game in the showpiece, conceding three goals, but fortunately her team mates scored four!
Mileno was injured in pre season of 1952 and missed the first half of the season. Her return saw her benched in favour of her replacement Pamela Flindt and confirmed her decision that her future lay in acting and not Gridball, rejecting a new contract at the end of the season.
{January 1953}
Team of The Year
World Champion
Audrey Handy - Middlesex
Full Name: Audrey Pertwee {Nee Handy}
• Born: 5 August 1929, West Wickham, London, England: Age 23 {22 in 1951}
• Position: Centre
• Rated - 2 -Okay
* Middlesex Appearances 11, Goals 3 {1951-1952}
* World Champion 1951 & 1952
* Team of the Year 1951
It was sometimes asked, was there nothing Audrey couldn't turn her hand to? An England Netball International, who considered a Tennis career at one stage and also sang mezzo-soprano in a family musical quartet, she even had a go at am dram before joining the Saxons in 1949. Handy lived up to her name in the first senior season, being ever present and scoring two goals, earning the distinction of scoring the first ever Supergrid goal to help her team become World Champions. The following season she found herself on the bench as understudy to Honor Whitfield after the arrival of Norma Blower from Liverpool. Having taken the time on the sidelines to marry playwright, Henrey Pertwee, she returned at the tail end of the season for the injured Whitfield in time to play four games and earn a second Supergrid Briooch.
Team of The Year
World Champion
Honor Whitfield - Middlesex
Full Name: Honor Whitfield
• Born: 3 December 1925, Islington, London, England: Age 27 {26 in 1951}
• Position: Sweeper, Centre
• Rated - 2 -Okay
Captained the Saxons to the first World crown in 1951 and was considered the best Sweeper of the season for her efforts. Had worked as a model before taking up Gridball and had a claim to fame of appearing in an oscar winning movie in 1944, but in an uncredited walk on part. Transitioned to Centre in 1952 after the arrival of Norma Blower from Liverpool but missed winning a second Supergrid Brooch though a broken wrist late in the season. Announced she would be sitting out the 1953 season on maternity.
{January 1953}
Team of the Year
Supergrid Runner Up
Peggy Heath - Birmingham
Full Name: Peggy Heath
• Born: 22 February 1915, Walsall, England: Age 37 {36 in 1951}
• Position: Right Guard
• Rated - 0 - Squad Player
Peggy was the oldest player on the court during the 1951 season after a modest acting career in the 30s and 40s was winding up, and although not the most skilful of players, played her part in helping the Vipers to Supergrid. She immediately retired from playing at the end of the season, taking a coaching job with minor side, Thames Valley in Minor Gridball.
{January 1953}
Team of The Year
World Champion
Heather Wallace - Middlesex
Full Name: Heather Wallace
• Born: 28th June 1936, Stratford, London, England: Age 16 {15 1951}
• Position: Left Guard
• Rated - 2 -Okay
Became the youngest Saxon in the team when she played in their second game of the season, remaining in the side for the rest of the campaign. She was just fourteen years old and still at school when proving a capable defender. Before the season was out she was training to become a hairdresser as well as working as a model. She was also the youngest player on court in Supergrid, although a nervy performance in that game didn't diminish from her place in the Team of the Year. Was ever present in the side that retained the title in 1952, when she began dating TV strongman Mike O'Neill.
{January 1953}
Silver Bat
Janet Camara - Liverpool
Full Name: Janet Camara
• Born: 11th May 1934, Messina, Sicily, Italy: Age 18 {17 in 1951}
• Position: Shooter
• Rated - 1 - Average
* Liverpool Appearances 7, Goals 9 {1951} {Minors 1952}
* Silver Bat 1951
* Holds the record for the most goals in a game - 7
Janet achieved a record in 1951 that may quite possibly never happen again. Earning a place in the trio of top scorers while also being in the team that got demoted. The Italian born, American raised player got into Gridball while visiting relatives in Liverpool. Seven of her nine goals this season came in a 10-0 demolition of Glasgow in November. Unfortunately she should have tried to save her goals as the Liverbirds lost the rematch to decide who would exit Gridball. Camara chose to stay on Merseyside and train to become an optician while working part time as a Model, rather than move to another team to stay in the senior game. Her loyalty was rewarded when the Liverbirds won their place back at the first attempt.
{January 1953}
