Basford United Football Club - pre First world War

If nothing else, can anyone identify the location, the railway embankment and pair of houses must be unique. As far as I'm aware, it was not in Basford.

I'm slowly trying to photograph railways around Notts so will keep an eye out for anything that looks like the railway embankment.

This is a photograph of the Basford United football team that won the Notts Alliance Cup in 1915. It was taken at the club's old Catchem's Corner ground, in Basford. The houses in the background are still there, but the railway embankment is long gone. The club moved from Catchem's Corner in 1931 and now play at Greenwich Avenue, where a copy of this photo is in the clubhouse.

Thank you Neil, that is fantastic. I have been trying to find an answer to this for years. I am surprised that it was 1915 as I understand that my grandfather was in the photograph and he was fighting in the Machine Gun Corps from 1914 until he was killed in 1917. Perhaps he was at home on leave.

Thank you again Neil, I have now had some time to look into the information provided by you, and I have confirmed the location of the pitch and the pair of houses and hence the location of the photograph on a 1920s 6 inch/mile map, on Google Earth and on the History page of the Basford United Football Club’s website, which didn’t exist when I last checked some time ago. I have also confirmed the Notts Alliance League from the same History page and from a Notts Alliance 1894-1983 website. However, I am still puzzled by the year 1915 as the Basford United website mentions winning the Championship in 1905 and 1907 but not in 1915. The Notts Alliance website confirms those dates and shows that Netherfield Rangers won the Championship in 1915. May I therefore ask you what was the source of your 1915 date? Should it have been 1905 or 1907?

I played for Basford United in the 1980s when we won the Notts Senior Cup against Hucknall town. After Basford stopped playing at Catchems Corner am I correct moved to Mill st that is where I played for Basford. Houses were built on this site the reason Basford moved to Greenwich Avenue.

I understand from the Basford Bystander Issue 12 1986 that Basford United played at Catchem's Corner from 1910 to 1932, then they played at Vernon Avenue until 1934 when they moved to Mill Street.

My grand-dad Arthur Elliott (1888-1974) played for them in the early 1900’s and had a trial with Notts County.

i’ve got a newspaper article of him in a team photo for winning the league but can’t remember the exact year - I must try and find it.