Thames Lionesses
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Arena: Earls Court Exhibition Centre, Kensington
{Capacity 9,000}
Colours: Lemon
Coach:
Most Appearances: 0
Honours: None
Most Goals: 0
In a Season: 0
In a Match: 0
Record Victory: None
Record Defeat: None
Oldest player: None
Youngest player: None
Record Attendance: None
Best position: 1954 Debut Season
{Correct to February 28th 1954}
Sian Blakiston
{Jane Blakiston}
Shooter {Rated 3}
Age 20 {12/02/33}
Born: St Marylebone, London
Apps: 0
Goals: 0
Gridball finally gets to see one of the hottest players of the pre professional era. Sian joined the Lionesses straight from school in 1948 and was a star of the old summer series, but opted to pursue a modelling career instead, turning down multiple senior offers when the Lionesses were rejected for a debut senior franchise in 1951.
Having since gone on to establish herself as a well known model, Sian, who changed her name from Jane after spending her childhood in Wales, stayed loyal to the Lionesses appearing for them as often as work would allow.
Sian sat out the 1952 amateur season as she gave birth to her first child with actor husband, Jimmy Martin. Returned in 1953 and played around have the Lionesses' promotion games.
Sian Blakiston says the way Gridball Contracts are issued should be changed. The Thames star stayed loyal to her team, turning down multiple offers to join the seniors. She was rewarded with Thames going up this year. But Players get a set £40 fee per match in their first season and only a weekly wage after they complete ten appearnace. Blakiston thinks she deserves £40 a week instead of £40 a match.
New - Monique Etevanon
Attacker {Rated 1}
Age 29 {18/06/24}
Born: Paris, France
New Signing
Previous Club: Stafford
Apps: 15
Goals: 2
When Etevanon arrived in London from France in 1947, her ambition was to become a dancer and after years in the West End and in Cabaret, she found herself touring when the opportunity came her way to join the Potters. Played their solitary senior season in 1953 before signing for the Lionesses when they replaced her club in 1954. Married singer Eardley Meek in January 1954
May 1954
New Signing - Éva Shaw
{Éva Ackerman}
Centre {Rated 0}
Age 26 {10/04/27}
Born: Kecskemét, Hungary
New Signing
Previous Club: Stafford
Apps: 5
Goals: 1
At 15, she was pushed into marriage in wartime Hungary to protect her from anti-Jewish persecution. The marriage was later annulled, and she became an actress under communism before escaping to Britain through a marriage of convenience.
Her third marriage, to agent John Shaw, brought British citizenship and links to the Stafford Potters. Glamorous and multilingual, speaking English, Italian and German as well as her native tongue, she was also linked with Austrian actor Gustav Basler.
In 1953 she made headlines after being named in the Marquess of Neyland’s divorce case. Described by her second husband as highly driven and determined, she scored her first Gridball goal in August 1953 in a 4–0 win over Durham.
Joined the Lionesses after Stafford were demoted in 1953.
Caroline Marshall
{Caroline Georgiana Marshall}
Netminder {Rated 0}
Age 20 {18/02/33}
Born: Tottenham
Apps: 0
Goals: 0
Relatively unknown goalie who joined the Lionesses towards the end of their Minor title winning 1953 season.
New Signing - Carla Tinsley
Left Guard {Rated 0}
Age 26 {10/04/27}
Born: Liverpool, England
New Signing
Previous Club: Liverpool
Apps: 24
Goals: 0
Carla debuted on 17 March 1951 in Liverpool’s first senior Gridball match, a 2–7 defeat to Middlesex. The only child of a British Army colonel, she began skating at seven and was schooled at home from nine to support her training. She finished third at the 1947 European Figure Skating Championships, second at the Worlds, and became British champion in 1948. After turning professional following the Olympics, she skated in London shows until a broken ankle in 1950. Gridball aided her rehabilitation, then became her new sport. Her legs are insured for £20,000; she wrote an ice-skating book in 1953. Accepted the opportunity to join the newly promoted Thames Lionesses for 1954.
Renée Bellan
{Dorothy Renée Herold}
Left Guard {Rated 0}
Age 38 {17/08/15}
Born: London, England
Apps: 0
Goals: 0
Dorothy Renée Herold was born in London to a British father and French mother, educated in France and fluent in French. At 5ft 9in, she was an exceptional all-round athlete, winning Olympic bronze in the high jump in 1932 and silver in the 4x100m relay in 1936.
Marriage, motherhood and a wartime move to America took her from competition into coaching, but scandal followed after an affair with former Italian athlete Zeffiro Bellan.
Returning to England with Bellan, Renée joined the Thames Lionesses in 1953 and helped drive them to senior promotion.
Married Bellan after divorcing in 1951, has a son [1938] from her first marriage and three daughters [1950 & 1952 twins] with Bellan
August 1954
Saturday night wasn't going to be spoiled for the Thames player as she hit the town shortly after her teams home defeat to Nottingham.
Betsy Giles
{Sarah Elizabeth Redmond}
Right Guard {Rated 0}
Age 25 {7/11/28}
Born: Bridgetown, Barbados
Apps: 0
Goals: 0
Sarah Elizabeth “Betsy” Redmond was born in Bridgetown, Barbados, in 1928 and raised in England. A powerful all-round sportswoman, she represented Great Britain in the shot put at the 1948 Olympic Games, but failed to make the qualifying standard for 1952.
Seeking a new challenge, she switched to Gridball with Thames in 1952, losing a stone during her first demanding season while retaining the strength that made her so difficult to move.
In 1953 she married fellow Olympian Andrew Giles.
Barbara Knight
{Barbara Ann Knight}
Attacker {Rated 0}
Age 24 {23/08/29}
Born: South Norwood, London
Apps: 0
Goals: 0
The older sister of team mate Sarah, Barbara began modelling in 1947 before being encouraged to try out for the Lionesses this season.
Sarah Knight
{Sarah Lynn Knight}
Centre {Rated 0}
Age 20 {10/12/33}
Born: South Norwood, London
Apps: 0
Goals: 0
The younger of the Knight sisters, Sarah joined the Lionesses as a teenager in 1953 and helped them win senior status before convincing her sister to try out for them,
October 1954
Josephine Pammant
{Born Josephine Pickles}
Netminder {Rated 0}
Age 22 {8/11/31}
Born: Palmers Green, London
Apps: 1
Half French goalie whose family lost their fortune during World War II. She joined the Lionesses after divorcing in 1954 and made her debut in the Autumn of 1954 as back up goalie to Caroline Marshall
September 1954
Former Players
Carol Barton - Sweeper - 14 Apps {1954} Left for Manchester in 1955 when Audrey Pertwee signed from Middlesex
September 1954