Gridball History & Records
Supergrid
The World Gridball Federation Championship Final is contested every December, usually the weekend before Christmas at a neutral venue
Qualification comes from finishing in the high positions in the World Gridball Regular season Championship. The team that finish the season in first place are seeded 1 and granted home advantage in their play-off fixtures. placings and home advantage are then issued based on final table positions.
The two teams that win through the Play-offs meet in the Championship Final, known as Supergrid. Winning a Supergrid is the pinnacle of any Gridballers' career.
1954 - West Yorkshire Terriers 2-1 Middlesex Saxons
Honor Whitfield becomes the oldest scorer to date when the 29 year old put the Saxons in front at the start of the second quarter but by half time Frances-Ann Davis levels in her bid to become the first player to win back to back Supergrids with different teams. The Terriers are the more likely in the second half but for the third consecutive year Sudden death is required. The game ends in controversy when Mary Broomfield looks suspiciously offside before scoring the 64th minute winner.
West Yorkshire Terriers 1954 - Coach - Hermione Hickson-Carroll - Netminder Valerie Cutts - Left Guard Vivian Ireland - Right Guard Janet White - Sweeper Audrey Denbigh - Centre Frances-Ann Davis - Attacker Joan Howes - Shooter Mary Broomfield
1953 - London Limeys 2-1 West Yorkshire Terriers
{ASD}
Yootha Feldman fires the Limeys into a fourth minute lead but defensive hesitance allows Audrey Denbigh to sneak in and equalise on 22 minutes. Emily Taylor misses a golden late chance to win it for the Terriers. In Sudden Death Vivian Ireland's defensive mistake gifts Yootha Feldman a second goal after 69 minutes to give the Limeys their first World title.
London Limeys 1953 - Coach Lili Daixel - Netminder Hazel New - Left Guard Pamela Van Earps - Right Guard Ann-Margaret Winch - Sweeper Marianne Shelton - Centre Frances-Ann Davis - Attacker Yootha Feldman - Shooter Joan Wallis
1952 - Middlesex Saxons 3-0 Birmingham Vipers
{ASD}
The Saxons come out of the trap flying in the defence of their title against the Regular season Champions. Gridballer of the Year, Geraldine Gaunt scores twice in the first ten minutes and are never in danger before she completes her hat-trick in the final minute.
Middlesex Saxons 1954 - Coach Vesta Perry- Netminder Pamela Flindt - Left Guard Heather Wallace - Right Guard Janice Lothian - Sweeper Norma Blower - Centre Audrey Pertwee - Attacker Geraldine Gaunt - Shooter Mary Lonsdale
1951 - Middlesex Saxons 4-3 Birmingham Vipers
{ASD}
An amazing first final that had a lot to do with the lack of quality and experience on the court compared with later years. Despite dominating the first half, the Vipers were down to Audrey Handy's goal at the break. The second half saw them come back to equalise three times through a Sylvia Felgate brace and Asa Martin, only to fall behind again soon afterwards. Ellen McKeown did the damage, scoring a hat-trick to seal her position as Golden bat and Gridballer of the Year, the final goal coming in the dying seconds. Future Olivier award winning actress, Ann Mileno kept goal for the Saxons.
Middlesex Saxons 1954 - Coach Vesta Perry - Netminder Ann Mileno - Left Guard Heather Wallace - Right Guard Janice Lothian - Sweeper Honor Whitfield - Centre Audrey Handy - Attacker Geraldine Gaunt - Shooter Ellen McKeown
Regular Season Shield
The Regular Season Shield is awarded to the team that finishes top of the regular season table and earns first seeding for the Supergrid Play-offs.
1952 - Birmingham Vipers - 2nd West Yorkshire, 3rd Middlesex
1951 - Birmingham Vipers - 2nd Middlesex, 3rd Liverpool
Open Cup
The Open Cup was introduced as a knockout cup in 1954 to offer Minor teams opportunities to host Senior teams competitively. The cup is seeded, the strongest seeds away from home, making it harder for the top teams to win it.
* After Sudden Death
NB: 1954 Sussex were demoted from Senior Gridball in the same season
Promotion - Demotion
Gridball started in 1951 with four teams and is being expanded each season by four until reaching the maximum compliment of thirty-two. Teams outside Senior Gridball take part in their regional Minor Championships in a bid for promotion
1954 - Demoted - Sussex [1 season] & Kent [2 seasons]
Promoted - Durham [1 season], Stafford [1 season], Manchester, Surrey, Bolton & Thames Valley [debut]
1953 - Demoted - Stafford Durham [both after 1 season]
Promoted - Sussex, Sheffield [ both debut] Leeds [1 season] Hull, Nottingham, Thames [all debut]
1952 - Demoted - Leeds [1 season]
Promoted - Liverpool [1 season], Lancashire, Tamar, Kent, Stafford [Debut]
1951 - Demoted - Liverpool [1 season]
Promoted - West Yorkshire, London, Essex, Durham, Leeds [all debut]
1950 - Promoted - Middlesex, Liverpool, Glasgow & Birmingham [debut]
Gridballer of the Year
Gridballer of the Year is the player considered by their peers to have been the best player that season
1954 - Norma Blower - Middlesex - Sweeper - Age 20
1953 - Geraldine Gaunt - Middlesex - Attacker - Age 21
1952 - Zena Hall - Birmingham - Centre - Age 18
1951 - Ellen McKeown - Middlesex - Shooter - Age 19
Golden Bat
Golden, Silver and Bronze Bats are awarded each year to the top scoring players
1954 - Gold - Geraldine Gaunt - Middlesex - 29 [Previous Silver Bat]
Silver - Joan Wallis - London - 20
Bronze - Pat Gilan - Tamar - 18
1953 - Gold - Ellen McKeown - Middlesex - 21 [second Golden Bat]
Silver - Geraldine Gaunt - Middlesex - 19
Bronze - Susan McCrossan - Glasgow - 13 [Second Bronze Bat]
1952 - Gold - Sylvia Felgate - Birmingham - 17
Silver - Mary Broomfield - West Yorkshire Terriers - 17 [player more matches than Felgate]
Bronze - Susan McCrossan - Glasgow - 15
1951 - Gold - Ellen McKeown - Middlesex - 12
Silver - Janet Camara - Liverpool - 9
Bronze - Asa Martin - Birmingham - 6
Gridball History & Records
Record Scores
Kent Maids 0-10 Middlesex Saxons April 24th 1954
Durham Lasses 0-10 Middlesex Saxons October 31st 1953
Glasgow Claymores 0-10 Liverpool Liverbirds November 3rd 1951
Durham Lasses 5-5 Glasgow Claymores - March 1st 1952
Liverpool Liverbirds 2-7 Middlesex Saxons - March 17th 1951
Glasgow Claymores 4-5 West Yorkshire Terriers - March 15th 1952
West Yorkshire Terriers 7-2 Essex Blades - May 10th 1952
Team Records
Most wins in a season: Middlesex 12 {1953}
Most points in a season: Middlesex 28 {1953}
Most Bonus points in a season: Middlesex 4 {1954}
Most Goals scored in a season: Middlesex 53 {1954}
Most defeats in a season: Durham 11 {1953} Kent 11 {1954}
Most penalty points in a season: Sheffield 4 {1954} - The avoided demotion
Player Records
Most Career goals: 60 Geraldine Gaunt - Middlesex {1951-1954}
51 - Ellen McKeown - Middlesex {1951-1954}
46 - Susan McCrossan - Glasgow {1951-1954}
45 - Joan Wallis - London {1952-1954}
42 - Sylvia Felgate - Birmingham {1951-1953} Leeds {1954}
Most goals in a season: 29 - Geraldine Gaunt - Middlesex {1954]
Most goals in a game: 7 - Janet Camara - Liverpool 10-0 vs Glasgow 3rd November 1953
7 - Ellen McKeown - Middlesex vs Durham 10-0 31st October 1953
Hat Tricks - When Ellen McKeown completed a hat-trick in Middlesex's 10-0 win in Durham on 31st October 1953 it was her record seventh time scoring three or more times in a game.
Other Hat-Trick regulars - Geraldine Gaunt {5 Middlesex 1952-1954}
Sylvia Felgate {5 Birmingham 1952-1953 & Leeds 1954}
Susan Mccrossan {4 Glasgow 1952-1953}
Janet Camara {4 Liverpool 1951-1954}
Joan Wallis {4 London 1952-1954}
Pat Gilan {4 Tamar 1954}
Most Career Appearances - 63: Geraldine Gaunt - Middlesex {1951-1954}
62: Janice Lothian - Middlesex {1951-1954}
60: Heather Wallace - Middlesex {1951-1954}
56: Norma Blower - Liverpool {1951} Middlesex {1952-1954}
56: Susan McCrossan - Glasgow {1951-1954}
55: Mary Broomfield - West Yorkshire {1952-1954}
55: Vivian Ireland - West Yorkshire {1952-1954}
55: Deborah Sellars - Glasgow {1951-1954}
54: Valerie Cutts - West Yorkshire {1952-1954}
54: Sylvia Felgate - Birmingham {1951-1953} Leeds {1954}
54: Janet White - West Yorkshire {1952-1954}
53: Eira Cordell - Essex {1952-1954}
53: Emily Taylor - West Yorkshire {1952-1953} Birmingham {1954}
52: Patricia Dowie - West Yorkshire {1952-1953} London {1954}
51: Joan Wallis - London {1952-1954}
50: Frances-Ann Davis - London {1952-1953} West Yorkshire {1954}
50: Rhoda Shipton - Birmingham {1951-1954}
49: Jill Jackson - Glasgow {1952-1954}
49: Pamela Van Earps - London {1952-1954}
48: Enid Gleadle - Durham {1952-1953} Hull {1954}
47: Rena Heilbron - Glasgow {1951-1954} Durham {1954}
45: Julie Hulatt - Glasgow {1951-1954}
43: Tanya Pitt - Birmingham {1951-1954}
42: Asa Martin - Birmingham {1951-1954}
41: Norma Blower - Liverpool {1951}, Middlesex {1952-1953}
41: Geraldine Gaunt - Middlesex {1951-1953}
39: Heather Wallace - Middlesex {1951-1953}
38: Mona Bertolino - Birmingham {1951-1953}
Oldest player: Celia McCarthy - Nottingham - Age 46 {1954}
Youngest player: Linda Burroughs - Lancashire - 13 years 180 days {vs Birmingham 7th March 1953}
Oldest Goal scorer: Celia McCarthy - Nottingham - Age 46 - At Tamar {11th September 1954]
Youngest scorer: Linda Burroughs - Lancashire - 14 years, 13 days {2-2 vs West Yorkshire 19th September 1953}
Fastest Goal: Margot Gislingham scored after 11 seconds for Sussex against Hull on 22nd March 1954.
Sin Bin - Nita Leighton of Essex is the only player in Gridball history to have been sin binned three times.
Missed Penalties - Only nine penalties have ever been missed in Gridball history. Schwiers' effort against Leighton was half of the first time two penalties had been missed in one month.
Own Goals - On September 19th 1953, Kent goalie, Betty Page had a nightmare day, diverting the ball into her own goal twice as Middlesex ran out 8-1 winners. It's the only time a player has scored two own goals in a game, and matches the overall total of two career own goals scored by Durham's Kathy Lansbury in two games.
Fightbacks: Only twice has a team ever recovered from being three goals down avoid defeat
Glasgow from 0-3 to 3-3 at Durham {1st March 1952} Finals score 5-5
Durham from 0-3 to 3-3 at Birmingham {1st October 1952} Final score 3-3
Sequences
Supergrid
Most consecutive wins - 6 - Middlesex {15th August 1953 - 31st October 1953}
Most games unbeaten - 11 - Essex 12th December 1953 to 17th July 1954
Most consecutive Championship defeats - 7 - Kent {7th November 1953 - 12th June 1954 - They did win a cup tie during the sequence}
6 - Durham 26th September 1953 - ongoing
Most games without a win - 11 - Leeds {12th April 1952 - Demoted at the end of the season}
Most played fixture Birmingham vs Middlesex {Six} B-4 T-0 M-2 B-9 M-8 {Includes Supergrid 1951 & 1952}
Record Attendance: 3,075 Supergrid 1952
1,464 London vs Middlesex 16th October 1954 {Regular Season}
Record score - Middlesex 4-3 Birmingham {1951}
Most winners Brooches - 2 - Heather Wallace, Janice Lothian, Audrey Pertwee {Nee Handy} Geraldine Gaunt {Middlesex 1951 & 1952}
Most Supergrid Appearances - 3 - Heather Wallace, Janice Lothian, Geraldine Gaunt { Middlesex 1951, 1952 & 1954}
Most Supergrid Goals - Ellen McKeown {3 - Middlesex - 1951} Geraldine Gaunt {3 - Middlesex - 1952}
Fastest Goal - Yootha Feldman - 4th Minute - {London 1953}
Latest Goal - Yootha Feldman - 69th minute {overtime} - {London 1953}
Oldest player - Peggy Heath - 36 - {Birmingham 1951}
Pamela Van Earps - 36 - London {1953}
Oldest Winner - Pamela Van Earps - 36 - {London 1953}
Youngest Player - Asa Martin - 15 - {Birmingham 1951}
Youngest Winner - Heather Wallace - 15 Years, 170 Days - {Middlesex 1951}
Oldest Scorer - Honor Whitfield - 29 - {Middlesex 1954}
Youngest Scorer - Asa Martin - 15 - {Birmingham 1951}
Youngest Winning Scorer - Frances-Ann Davis - 18 {West Yorkshire 1954}
*****
Middlesex - Winners 2 {most recent 1952} Runners Up 1
West Yorkshire - Winners 1 {1954}, Runners Up 1, Third 1
London - Winners 1 {1953}
Birmingham - Winners 0, Runners Up 2
Lancashire - Winners 0, Runners Up 0, Third 1
Essex - Winners 0, Runners Up 0, Third 1
Glasgow - Winners 0, Runners Up 0, Third 1
Multiple winners
Geraldine Gaunt - Gridballer of the Year 1953, Golden Bat 1954
Ellen McKeown - Golden Bat & Player of the Year 1951, Golden Bat 1953
Contracts
Highest paid player history - Patricia Dowie - London - First £100 a week player in 1955
Valerie Cutts, Yootha Feldman, Patricia Dowie, Deborah Sellars & Geraldine Gaunt £40 a week {1954}
Joan Wallis - £20 a week {1953} First £10+ player
Honor Whitfield - Middlesex - £8 per week 1952 - First Full Time Gridballer
{Gridball salaries are set based on appearances, rating and age}
Quirky
Two goals in the first minute: Susannah Eggar became the first player to score twice in the first two minutes on April 17th 1954 when playing for London against Sussex. Her second goal came after just 71 seconds of the game to set the Champions on the way to a 7-0 victory. Lightening struck twice for the unfortunate Martlets two months later on June 26th when Eugenie Lee got her first two goals on the way to her first ever hat-trick after just 91 seconds, though on this occasion the Martlets avoided a penalty point, going down just 0-3.
Two players sin binned in one game: On 1st March 1952 both netminders were sin binned in separate incidents in the 2-2 tie between London and Essex
Lights Out: On 22nd March 1952 Birmingham were beating Essex 3-0 when the lights in the arena failed and power couldn't be restored. The game had to be abandoned. Rather than replaying the fixture, both teams returned the following day and, in an empty arena, played out the remaining twenty-two minutes with no further scoring.
Opposing sisters: On 8th May 1954 when Sheila Biles' Glasgow visited Wiltshire for an Open Cup tie, her TV actress sister, Dorothy was playing for the opposition. It was the only senior game the TV hostess and model ever played and she scored Wiltshire's goal in a 3-1 defeat.
Spread the goals: Nottingham became the first team to have five different goalscorers in a match on July 31st 1954 when they won 6-0 at Sheffield. Claire Tyzack put them in front and June Morgan added a second before the break. Mary Sellars made it three in the third quarter before Sheffield's Jennifer Charlton diverted the ball past her own netminder. Wendy Redmond added number five in the dying minutes before Morgan completed the scoring with her second of the game.
The defeat for the Cutlers was also record breaking as they became the first team to suffer three penalty points in a season, and the first to suffer back to back maulings after losing their previous game 2-8 at the London Limeys.
Supergrid Half Time Show
In 1951 it was decided to entertain TV viewers with a fifteen minute performance from the Dagenham Girl Pipers, Every year since a popular artist has been invited to perform
1953 - Vera Lynn - Forget me Not, The Homing Waltz & The Windsor Waltz
1952 - Dagenham Girl Pipers - Popular medley
1951 - Dagenham Girl Pipers - Popular medley
* The above is fictional and purely for narrative only
Supergrid Venue
Supergrid is always played at a neutral venue
1955 - Haringay Arena - London - England
1954 - Murrayfield Rink - Edinburgh - Scotland
1952 - Earls Court - London - England
1951 - Earls Court - London - England