Box reveals club’s past

When bosses at the former Cape Hill brewery social club appealed for old sporting memorabilia, they were simply hoping for some nice pictures to spruce up the walls.

But what they discovered was the fascinating history of a little-known Smethwick football club, which it has emerged was one of the oldest in the country.

The now defunct Mitchells & Butlers Brewery works team was known to have been in existence since the late 19th century.

But a mysterious box of photos and papers left anonymously on the doorstep of the Portland Road Pavilion in Edgbaston shows the football club was 10 years older than people realised, dating back to 1876.

After an appeal for memorabilia in the Express & Star, the vast collection was found by staff outside the front door one morning.

More unique photos and papers, including data on every single match ever played since the club’s formation, was discovered in an old shed out the back of the pavilion – which was built in 1950 as a sports and social club for workers from the Cape Hill brewery.

The team was originally formed in Winson Green under the name St George’s and has a special place in the history of English football, having played early FA Cup clashes with the likes of West Brom, Preston North End and Sunderland.

Harry Mitchell, son of brewery founder Henry, played for the early side and his dad took it on in 1886, adding the Mitchell name.

They played their fixtures in pitches within the brewery confines until the pavilion was built in 1950.

Some of the greats of the British game faced the Smethwick side, including both Glasgow sides Celtic and Rangers, Nottingham Forest, Preston North End as well as Aston Villa and Albion.

The future could have been very different for the club, which narrowly missed out on becoming one of the founder members of the first ever football league in 1888, despite being invited by league founder and former Aston Villa director William McGregor.

In 1891 the club also sold Villa one of their all-time great players in Jack Devey, who went on to serve as a Villa director until 1935.

After a few years in the Football Alliance – effectively division two of the Football League – the team struggled and dropped out, and was destined to spend the rest of its years in the Birmingham works leagues.

Ian Burford from the social club is now attempting to piece together the unique history of the club, which folded when the brewery closed in 2002.

He plans even hopes the club can be revived. Any teams interested in taking on the St George’s name and playing at the Portland Road Pavilion should call Mr Burford on 0121 434 5130.