Linotype Football Club 1919 -2003

[Mechanic]

 Linotype Football Club 1919 -2003

Here is a little bit of trivia I found when I was wandering around the internet. For the full story see :-

http://www.cheadleheathnomads.co.uk/history.htm



Linotype was formed in 1919 - the same year as Cheadle Heath Nomads.
Linotype was a works' team from the printing press manufacturers of the same name. Initially they played at Lawrence Road in Broadheath, in the middle of the Linotype Company workers' housing estate. There is not too much data available at this time about Linotype between the wars but we do know in their early days, the club had played in the North Cheshire League. There is also a reference in the Lancashire and Cheshire League handbook to a "Linotype and Co. App" winning the Division 3 (now Division 2) championship in season 1934-35.
Cheadle Heath Nomads won the Division 2 (now Division 1) championship in season 1936-37, which would suggest the two clubs met in season 1935-36 and maybe in 1936-37 too!

We would appreciate more data about Linotype between the wars.

On reforming in 1949, Linotype joined the Mid-Cheshire League, then in its second season, and was a member as such until the merger with Cheadle Heath Nomads.

Linotype emerged as one of the most successful clubs in the history of the Mid-Cheshire League, being champions on four occasions (1959/60, 1968/69, 1990/91 and 1993/94) and runners - up five times (1962/63, 1972/73, 1980/81, 1989/90, 1996/97).
In addition the club reached twelve Challenge Cup finals although only winning the trophy three times (1982/83, 1983/84 and 1987/88)

The Reserves also enjoyed some success. They joined the Mid- Cheshire League newly formed Division II in 1975 and in season 1977/78 defeated Hanley Town to win the Division II Challenge Cup, but lost in the final to Leek Town Reserves in 1987/88. They were also runners - up in the Division II championship in 1982/83 and again in 1989/90.
When the league disbanded the lower division in 1983, Linotype Reserves went into the Central Cheshire League, where they won the League and Cup "double" in 1983/84 and the league again, in 1986/87. However when the Mid-Cheshire League re-formed Division II in 1987/88, Linotype Reserves rejoined and became the only team to have played in the lower division in every year of its existence.

One of the strengths of Linotype was its family connections with sons following their fathers etc. into the Linotype fold. Down to the late 1960's the club received financial assistance from the Linotype firm, but from about 1970 this was withdrawn, as the company works at Broadheath were wound down. Linotype were able to continue because they were always able to draw on the services of men such as Wilf Hodgkiss, Jack Bather, A. Brown, E.B. Davies, B. Hennis and more latterly Brian McGuinness as members of the Management Committee.