Baseball: Days of Baseball and lobster

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THOUGH it was once the largest foundry in Europe and employed thousands of local people, the now defunct Ley’s Malleable Castings is still remembered by many Derby people for its association with sport.

Sir Francis Ley, the company’s founder gave the Baseball Ground to Derby County Football Club in 1895 because, at the time, it was based at Derby Racecourse and the team’s fixtures kept having to be interrupted by horse race meetings.

He had established a recreational pitch next door to the foundry in 1890 for the use of his employees and had set up a baseball team there, after becoming fascinated with the game during a business trip to America.

For some 40 years, baseball continued to be played at the ground, though there was never the interest that football commanded and eventually it fizzled out altogether.

Former Derbyshire County Councillor Clive Wildsmith (75), of Turnditch, was joint managing director of Ewart Chain Belt, a subsidiary of Ley’s, which survived the 1987 closure of the main company and he has memorabilia and photographs from those early sporting days.

He has old photographs of the 1897 winning baseball team, including Rams’ star Steve Bloomer who played the game for several years, and a picture showing the pitch set up for the American game.

“There was a great deal of interest I understand, but that was before my time,” he said. “I have a coloured baseball bat which I saved when the closure came. It has a special place in my home.”

Clive was also a follower of the Rams and has an immaculate programme and menu of a supper held on October 1, 1934, to commemorate the 50th anniversary of Derby County Football Club, held at the Drill Hall, Derby.

The guests included some of the great and the good who at that time were associated with football, including president Bendle Moore, vice-presidents Samuel Johnson and Oswald Jackson, directors H T Ann, J H Follows, Joseph Lilley, George Pattison and Captain F E F Wright, manager George Jobey and secretary W S Moore.

The toast to the Football Association and the Football League was given by Judge Longson with response by John McKenna, and the football club was toasted by J H Thomas, Labour MP for Derby at the time. Two years later, he was to be expelled from the party.

According to the menu, it was a supper which would be the envy of any sporting occasion today.

It began with fresh lobster and mayonnaise, followed by a choice of fricassee of chicken, roast turkey, roast duckling and cherry sauce, York ham, ox tongue, galantine of veal or grouse pie with Russian and tomato salads. Then came ices, trifle, meringues and cream, chartreuse of fruits, stilton cheese and coffee. The wine list included Barsac and Burgundy, Cliquot and Scotch whisky.

Laughed Clive Wildsmith: “Not a bad selection was it?”

There is no indication how much the banquet cost.

A musical programme followed. The various “artistes” included Miss Winnie Twells, Miss Maude Coxon and Mr J Morris Twells, accompanied at the piano by Gladys Whitfield and Mary Twells.

The final entertainer was someone mysteriously named Stainless Stephen.

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