I'VE had a note from Victor Stemp from Rushmere St Andrew.He sent in this great photograph of Bealings United in 1948.I'll let Victor take up the story.

Mike Bacon

I'VE had a nice note from Victor Stemp from Rushmere St Andrew.

He sent in this great photograph of Bealings United in 1948.

I'll let Victor take up the story.

“I, with a lot of help from Mr and Mrs Williams, who was an eye specialist and partly-owned A J Rawlins, helped set up the club,” Victor says.

“Mrs Williams purchased some red parachute material and had our shirts made.

“They also made their own puppets and put on a lot of shows and made most of the money for us to get started.

“We managed to buy a large shed for a changing room and Mr Dick Johnson, a farmer, let us make a football pitch on one of his meadows.

“The first year we played friendly matches and did well, so we entered the Ipswich and District League and did well for two years.

“Then, out of the blue, posters went up saying there was to be an extraordinary meeting of the football club. We went to see what it was all about and could hardly get in the hall because it was so full.

“Others took over the club and that season many of the players who had played left.”

THANKS Victor for those memories and a great photograph. If, like Victor, you have any old Teams of Yesteryear for Green'Un Gold, send them to me: Mike Bacon, 30 Lower Brook Street, Ipswich IP4 1AN. Or

e-mail mike.bacon@archant.co.uk