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West Yorkshire Terriers
The Terriers were created to represent the rest of their county not already covered by Leeds, and quickly established themselves as the bigger club in the area, reaching the semi finals in consecutive years, winning the Bronze medal in 1952 before going one better in 1953 after a sensational semi final where they won from two goals down in the final five minutes. They lost Supergrid in sudden death and then lost three key players from the team at the end of the season.
The Terriers play at Crow Nest Park in dewsbury.
Arena: Crow Nest Gridball Arena {Dewsbury}
Colours: Bright Blue
Coach: Hermione Hickson-Carroll {since 1951}
Honours - Supergrid Runners Up 1953
Supergrid Third Place 1952
Silver Bat: Mary Broomfield {17 Goals 1952}
Team of the Year: Vivian Ireland {1952}
Most Appearances: Valerie Cutts, Vivian Ireland,
Janet White, Mary Broomfield, Emily Taylor - 35
{1952-1953}
Most Goals: 24 Mary Broomfield {1952-1953}
In a Season: 17 Mary Broomfield {1952}
In a Match: 4 Mary Broomfield vs Essex
10th May 1952
Oldest player: Valerie Cutts
{27 and still in the team in 1953}
Youngest player: Vivian Ireland {15 Years, 144 Days: 0-5 vs Middlesex: March 8th 1952}
Record Attendance: 1,071 vs Birmingham {30th May 1953}
Season History: 1952: 2nd - Supergrid Bronze Medal
1953: 4th - Supergrid Runners Up
{Correct to February 28th 1954}
Mary Broomfield
Shooter {Rated 3}
Age 17 {12/02/36}
Born: Bingley
Apps: 53
Goals: 27
Supergrid Bronze Medal 1952
Supergrid Runner Up 1953
Silver Bat 1952
Was the local goalscoring sensation when her seventeen strikes in 1952 not only won her the Silver Bat but guided the Terriers to a third placed finish. Had had to take more of a secondary role in the scoring feats in 1953, playing alongside Emily Taylor as her attacking foil, which saw the Terriers reach and lose Supergrid. Is known for a dedicated training regime where she practices for three hours a day, even on non training days and is reported to be in bed by 8.30pm every night except match nights.
Vivian Ireland
Defender {Rated 3}
Age 17 {15/10/36}
Born: Bradford
Apps: 35
Goals: 3
Supergrid Runner Up 1953
Supergrid Third Place 1952
Team of the Year: 1952
Local teenager who originally looked set for a Tennis career before switching codes in 1952 to great effect, being ever present in the team's 3rd place finish in their debut season and being named in the Team of the Year. upgraded to a Supergrid Silver medal in 1953. Started out as a left guard but is maturing into a good all round defender.
Married aspiring actor Dereck Bennet in 1953
Valerie Cutts
Net Minder {Rated 2}
Age 28 {18/01/26}
Born: Sligo, Ireland
Apps: 35
Supergrid Runner Up 1953
Supergrid Third Place 1952
Played Camogie in her youth and was working as an announcer on BBC Radio North when colleague and Leeds player, June Wigoder recommended her to the Terriers. Has never missed a senior game and followed a bronze medal in 1952 with Supergrid silver the following year. Has a bit part in the movie O'Leary's Night with Yvonne de Carlo
June 1954
July 1954
New Signing - Joan Howes
Attacker {Rated 1}
Age 23 {14/08/30}
Born: St John's Wood, London
New Signing
Previous Club: Durham
Apps: 11
Goals: 0
Even at twenty-three, Joan was the youngest ever player for the Durham Lasses when she made her debut in 1953 but struggled to provide a goal scoring touch despite proving a worthy foil for attacking team mate Enid Gleadle. Left the lasses upon their demotion at the end of the season to join Supeergrid runners up West Yorkshire. Married World Speedway Champion Owen Burton in 1953.
World speedway champion takes up motor-cycling — official! Crazy? Not at all. Owen Burton of the Bradford Tudors has never passed a road test, so he must ride behind an “L” plate until he does. Behind Owen is the girl who’ll ride pillion when he’s through his test — Joan Howes, Durham’s bright Gridball attacker. She and Owen are engaged. Owen’s safety tip: “Wear a crash helmet.” And “L” plates or not, that’s the voice of experience. So heed the lesson!
Frances-Ann Davis
Centre {Rated 1}
Age 17 {13/10/36}
Born: London
Supergrid Champion 1953
Team of the Year 1953
Was the youngest player in the Limeys line up when she made her debut in March 1952, while still helping out on her father's milk round. Was also their youngest player in their 1953 Supergrid winning team and made the 1953 team of the year. With Patricia Dowie preferred at sweeper, Davis was sent to the Terriers on loan.
Janet White
Right Guard {Rated 1}
Age 27 {14/08/26}
Born: Bridlington
Apps: 34
Goals: 4
Supergrid Third Place 1952
Supergrid Runner Up 1953
6ft tall socialite and friend of Princess Margaret who has never missed a senior Terriers game since their debut bronze medal winning performance in 1952, which she followed with a silver medal in 1953. Off court she breeds Afghan hounds and is a keen trumpeter, a skill learned from her music hall comedienne Grandmother. She is also the sister in law of an American oil billionaire. Was the first player to have a 'no pin ups' clause in her contract.
June 1954
Audrey Denbigh
{Nee Snowdon}
Sweeper {Rated 1}
Age 26 {03/12/27}
Born: Keighley, England
Apps: 19
Goals: 3
Supergrid Runner Up 1953
Separated from her third marriage and pending divorce due in 1954 due to her having an affair, Born in Keighley, Audrey was eleven when her family moved east to Castleford At sixteen she eloped with a local boyfriend in 1943. The marriage was short-lived and quietly annulled within the year. In 1945 she married a decorated RAF pilot, and the couple settled in Leeds, where Audrey began modelling in fashion and commercial photography. A son was born in 1947, but the marriage faltered soon after. By 1948 they were living apart, and the divorce was finalised in 1950. Audrey’s beauty and notoriety grew. In 1950 she was involved with two men at once, a rivalry that exploded into violence when one badly injured the other. When the man recovered, Audrey married him in 1951, taking the name Denbigh — even as her affair continued. By 1952 the marriage had collapsed. Separation followed amid press scrutiny, with divorce inevitable but not immediate. The Sunday paper ran a full page story about her saga in July 1952, She claimed she is now much happier and wanting to focus on launching a Gridball career. The following month she played a bit part of bad blonde in the movie the Wright man starring Johnny Flanagan. Made her Gridball debut for West Yorkshire in spring 1952. Broke into the team proper in 1953 and scored West Yorkshire's goal in Supergrid 1953.
Hermione Hickson-Carroll
{Nee Hickson}
Age 46 {30/07/07}
Born: Sheffield, Yorkshire, England
Took over her husband's photography business after she was widowed in 1951. Was encouraged to run the Terriers the following year and took them to Supergrid in 1953 after finishing third the previous year.
