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
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Shots 14-5
Att: 2,620
Birmingham Vipers:
Coach - Pat Kempson
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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​
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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.
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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.
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Peggy Heath was the oldest player on court at 36.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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Two hours later and it was Honor with the honours
Gridballer of The Year
Golden Bat
World Champion
Ellen McKeown - Middlesex
Full Name: Ellen McKeown
• Born: 26 March 1932, New York City, USA: Age 19
• Position: Shooter
• Rated - 3 - Good
Born to a British stage actor in New York, Ellen moved to England aged seven and briefly worked as a child actress during the war. After struggling to progress in film, she turned to modelling, which brought her to Gridball.
Originally engaged by Leeds for publicity work, she was signed by Middlesex in early 1951 as cover for injured shooter Hanna Huber-McGaffee. Her competitive debut was sensational — she scored six goals in a 7–2 win over Liverpool, setting an early Golden Bat pace and becoming an instant star.
Mid-season, Ellen announced she was expecting a child and withdrew from play. In July, she suffered a miscarriage, followed by the breakdown of her marriage to Flight Lieut. Anthony Fairfax.
After a spell recovering, Ellen returned before the end of the season, scoring a hat-trick in Supergrid that secured for her the Golden Bat and a Supergrid Broch as well as the honour of being named player of the year for 1951
Young Gridballer of The Year
Bronze Bat
Supergrid Runner Up
Asa Martin - Birmingham
Full Name: Ellen McKeown
• Born: 13 April 1936, Smethwick, Staffordshire, England: Age 15
• Position: Attacker
• Rated - 2 - Okay
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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.
Netminder of The Year
World Champion
Ann Mileno - Middlesex
Full Name: Ann Mileno
• Born: 19 April 1934, Homerton, London, England: Age 17
• Position: Netminder
• Rated - 1 - Average
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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!
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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 1952. Established herself as an award winning stage actress in the 1970s and by 2002 was made a Dame for her services to Acting. Is the only person to win a Supergrid and a Tony.
Team of The Year
World Champion
Audrey Handy - Middlesex
Full Name: Audrey Handy {Later Audrey Pertwee from 1952}
• Born: 5 August 1929, West Wickham, London, England: Age 22
• Position: Centre
• Rated - 2 -Okay
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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. ​
Team of The Year
World Champion
Honor Whitfield - Middlesex
Full Name: Honor Whitfield
• Born: 3 December 1925, Islington, London, England: Age 26
• Position: Sweeper
• Rated - 2 -Okay
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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.
Team of the Year
Supergrid Runner Up
Peggy Heath - Birmingham
Full Name: Peggy Heath
• Born: 22 February 1915, Walsall, England: Age 36
• Position: Right Guard
• Rated - 0 - Squad Player
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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.
Team of The Year
World Champion
Heather Wallace - Middlesex
Full Name: Heather Wallace
• Born: 28th June 1936, Stratford, London, England: Age 15
• Position: Left Guard
• Rated - 2 -Okay
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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.
Silver Bat
Janet Camara - Liverpool
Full Name: Janet Camara
• Born: 11th May 1934, Messina, Sicily, Italy: Age 17
• Position: Shooter
• Rated - 1 - Average
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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.
Highest Rated Player
Françoise Bernt - Paris
Full Name: Francoise Bernt
• Born: 29 September 1933, Bratisvala, Czechaslovakia : Age 18
• Position: Centre
• Rated: {8} Star
Czech born Jewess who evaded the Nazis in Paris during the war, the teenager was studying to become an artist when signing for the Paris Belles to play in the pre Championship Summer series events in 1950. She dominated opposition mid courters, earing the nickname la magicienne. However, the game didn't capture the imagination in France and when Paris were omitted from the inaugural Championship in 1951, Bernt showed no interest in joining a senior team in Britain, opting to stay and continue her studies in France. while playing as an amateur in the Paris Championship. Thus the 1951 Championship took place without the games highest regarded player
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Note: In 1951 all players were amateur so there was no highest paid player, as recorded in future years.
Francoise Bernt Q & A March 1951
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Full name: Françoise Cyprienne Bernt
Birthplace & date: 29 September 1933, Bratisvala, Czechaslovakia : Age 17
Hair and eyes: Dark brown curly, Hazel-green
Previous clubs: None
Married? Boyfriend? Children? No, No and No
Car? Other? Too young to drive. Use the Metro mostly.
Favourite Gridballer? Audrey Handy {Middlesex}
Favourite Sportsperson? Micheline Ostermeyer
Favourite other team? The last one Paris have beaten
Most difficult opponent? {Ann} Sowden {Leeds}
Most memorable match? 4-0 in Middlesex last year
Biggest thrill in sport? Same match
Biggest disappointment? Paris not being in the championship this year
Best country visited? England
Favourite food? Crêpes with sugar
Miscellaneous likes? Painting, reading poetry, cycling
Miscellaneous dislikes? Bad weather, rainy days
Favourite Film? Gilda
Favourite singers / actors? Édith Piaf, Rita Hayworth, Gérard Philipe
Best friend in the game? Too many to name one
Biggest influence on career? Micheline Ostermeyer, gave me the inspiration to play sport
Which person would you most like to meet? Eleanor Roosevelt
What’s your full time job? Student and model
Personal ambition? Complete my studies
What do you like to do on your day off? Usually go cycling
What’s your favourite piece of jewellery or clothing? Silver bracelet from my mother
Do you have any pre game superstitions, lucky charms? Ribbon tied a certain way in my hair
How do you relax after a match? A hot bath
Best piece of advice you’ve ever been given? Don’t be afraid to try.
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