Sidney Robert Palmer (Bly)

[Lisa Skeels]

Hello

I am looking for information about my relative Sidney Robert Palmer who, according to the 1911 census was named Sidney Robert Bly, born in 1889 in North Pickenham, Norfolk and was a Professional Footballer.  In 1911 the family was living at 1 Victor Cottages, Clayton Street, Nottingham and, despite looking for information on football sites, I have been unable to find any information about his football career.

Sidney was born to Mary Ann Palmer who later went on to marry my relative Robert Bly (Bligh/Blyth).  It appears he joined the Machine Gun Corps in 1915 suffered a gunshot wound to the chest which punctured his lung and was discharged in 1919 aged 30.  Following active service, it would appear that Sidney made is living as a Clerk.  He died in 1970 an is buried in Nottingham.

If anyone has any information about Sidney's football career, I would be extremely grateful.

Thank you so much for taking the time to read my post.

Lisa

[larkspur]

Sorry cannot help with Sidneys football career. But I can give you the baptism of his brother.
Newstead Abbey Chapel
16-9-1894 Walter Arthur son of Robert and Mary Ann BLY abode Newstead Park father a Keeper.

[chempat]

Which football sites have you looked at, and who have you contacted for information?

Thanks.

[Lisa Skeels]

I Chempat, my husband has done much more searching on this one for me, I believe he has looked at a PFA site and has contacted Nottingham Forrest but only via Facebook.  I have not long started researching this one and would be grateful for any insight and suggestions on where to look.

Larkspur, thank you for looking.

Lisa

[larkspur]

http://www.thegiantkillers.co.uk/1911.htm

Both Notts County and Forest 1911 teams are here.

Notts County: 1:Albert Ironmonger, 2:Ike Waterall, 3:Jack Montgomery, 4:Teddy Emberton, 5:Arthur Clamp, 6:Ben Craythorne, 7:Jerry Dean, 8:Albert Walker,  9:Jimmy Cantrell, 10:Billy Flint, 11:Bert Morley

Nottingham Forest: 1:John Smith, 2:Walter Dudley, 3:George 'Ginger' Maltby, 4:Jack Armstrong, 5:Teddy Hughes, 6:Joe Mercer, 7:Bill Hooper, 8:George Needham, 9:John Derrick, 10:Tom Marrison, 11:Grenville Morris

[captainbeecher]

Fortunately the Football League have always kept detailed records of every player that has ever taken part in a Football League game. Sadly I'm sorry to say that there are no players of the names Sidney or Robert Palmer or Sidney or Robert Bly in the records. There was both a Bill Palmer and Bill Blythe playing professionally in 1911 but I don't think either is the person you are looking for. Bill Palmer did play in Nottingham around the time of the 1911 census but he was a Yorkshireman who played for a great many clubs over a long career either side of World War One. I don't believe that he is Sidney Robert Palmer but just in case, there is a wiki page for this player at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Billy_Palmer :Bill Blythe meanwhile was a Scotsman and he never played in the East Midlands.

It's possible that Sidney was on the books of a club but never managed to make a first team appearance or he may have been playing for a club outside the Football League. Is it possible that Sidney would have been a man of independent means? If so, rather than listing himself as a gentleman as those who did not need to work for a living would record themselves, he instead listed himself as a Footballer and was playing in the amatuer game. I mention this only because even some of the top professionals of the time would not be listed in the census as Footballers. The maximum wage a player could earn in 1911 was just £6 a week. Very good at the time but only the very best players earned it. To entice players to their clubs, directors would offer them jobs in their businesses outside the game to supplement their wages [top players wouldn't actually do the job but would collect the wage] Further down the Footballing ladder, players really did need a supplementary income. So it meant most Footballers would actually have listed themselves by another occupation in the census.

[Lisa Skeels]

Thank you so much captainbeecher for looking at Sydney Palmer for me.  I really don't think he would have been a man of means and, following the war, he made a living as a Clerk so perhaps that was what he was already doing in 1911.  I had thought that perhaps he may have been retained by a club but never made a first team - it may just remain a mystery.

Thanks again - Lisa