Cowpats and creosote at Singer home games.

THIS picture of the Singer Motors team of the 1947-48 season was sent in by Arthur Small, of Bell Green, Coventry. Singer Motors, who were the forerunner to what is now Coventry City FC, began in the late 19th century, but their ties with City had ended by the First World War.

By the late 1940s, all bar one member of their team worked at the Singer Motors Factory, and are described by Arthur to have been a "good, friendly club".

Arthur, himself having managed three different sides within Little Heath FC between 1969-82, including the senior team, said that the Singers club was run by an excellent committee of mostly ex-servicemen.

The team played in the Coventry Works League and continued for about five years after Singer amalgamated with Rootes (now Rootes-Chrysler) in 1951.

The team played on a football field at the farm on Washbrook Lane, with the players finishing work at noon every Saturday, before cycling to the farm and removing the cow-pats from the field before kick-off at 2pm. They would also paint the lines on with creosote, rather than paint, because of the cows.

As there being no clubhouse or team bath at the farm, the players washed in cold water after each game, before being served tea by Ivy Holland - who was later the wife of left back Ernie Gardner - in the Old Barn.

CAPTION(S):

SINGER MOTORS FC...The picture shows (standing, from left): Ernie Gardner, Arthur Small, Harry Smallwood, Reuben Dixon, Jack Harris, Frank Judd' (seated, from left): Bert Farndon, Eric Shuttleworth, Jarvis Palmer, Don Penn and R Byrne.