Mystery solved – it was Pelsall Pirates in snap

It is as a team shot of the Pelsall Pirates skid racing club – and was identified by one of its former members.

Dennis Marshman got in touch after recognising the snap last week, which was taken in from the 1950s, and which features 14 of his team-mates – although he is not on the picture himself. The 79-year-old, from The Crescent, in Great Wyrley, said it was both a shock and a pleasure to see the photograph in the paper, which harked back to a bygone era more than five decades ago.

"My son brought it around and said 'dad, have you got an idea about any of these people?' he said. "I never thought I would hear about it again."We formed around 1950 and in 1953 we won the second division of the Birmingham League.

"We used to ride against all of the other counties, Sussex and from Middlesex.

"We had a match in Pelsall and they only allowed three of us to ride; me, Dom Bird and Alan Wright. But we won the match and the league so I was happy to be picked for that.

"There was quite a lot of interest in us in those days, Sunday afternoon there was quite a crowd of people.

"We used to get sponsored by the local bike shop, which would give us the spokes for our bikes and other bits and bobs.

"It was a very big thing around Birmingham. I just can't remember why it stopped. I think some of the lads got called up for service. I did miss it afterwards."

Mr Marshman rode with the pirates for just over four years before the club finished and he had a season with the Birmingham Lions.

But he said after that he never rode again.

For much of his life he has been a miner, and at one time worked down in the Wyrley pit number three with team-mate Dom Bird and other riders.

It is not the first time there has been an appeal to find out more about the Pelsall Pirates after Pelsall History Centre called for members of the team to come forward in 2006. The last time most of them met was when Dom Bird died shortly after that.

Mr Marshman said: "That is the last time I spoke to some of them at the funeral but I would love to hear from people from the club."