The Teddy Brookes Trophy

The Teddy Brookes Trophy for matches between Moseley and Northampton was last played for on 14 March, 1997 when Moseley played Northampton in a Courage Clubs Championship match at The Reddings. In a tight game, Northampton squeezed home by 30-27, after Moseley had fought back from being 8-27 down.

Moseley scored tries through Carl Hall, Ian Jones, Darragh O’Mahony and a penalty try, with two conversions and a penalty goal by Andy Binns (yes, the same one!) Northampton’s scored tries through Matt Dawson (2), Jon Phillips and Harvey Thorneycroft (playing in place of Ben Cohen, named in the programme). Alistair Hepher converted two tries as well as scoring a penalty goal and drop goal.

The following is reprinted from the programme for this Moseley v Northampton match:

Teddy (A.E. Brookes) played for Cambridge University and for Northampton between 1934 and 1939, making over 100 appearances. His son, J.E.S. Brookes, who presented the trophy, played for Moseley junior sides and is a member of the Moseley Players Association. We think it was he who put forward the suggestion of a golf tournament, which will be played on July 4 this year at Olton Golf club. He presented the Trophy in appreciation of the friendship between the two clubs.

Just after the war, there used to be a programme on ‘steam radio’ on a Saturday night called Sport in the Midlands in which were accounts of soccer, rugby and other sporting matches and events held that day. Teddy Brookes was one of the contributors and in fact organised the rugby section. That fount of rugby knowledge re Moseley Rugby club, David Cathcart, then Captain of Moseley, took part in a ‘Football round-up’ organised by Teddy on 5 May 1949 on the Midland Home Service in which the captains of the leading Midlands rugby clubs got together to discuss and review the past seasons of their clubs. Peter Cranmer was also one of the presenters – to use the modern term.

David was offered £1 as a fee, but was unable to accept this as it would have infringed his amateur status. To quote from David’s letter to the BBC: “I am very sorry that owing to my amateur status according to the laws of the Rugby Union, I shall be unable to accept my fee. I have not signed the enclosed reply sheets as it appears to me it would be a receipt proving its acceptance. I shall of course be present on Thursday evening as arranged.

It’s all different now, but the trophy remains.

The programme also carried a mention in The President’s message (Peter Woodroofe):

This evening we resurrect the Teddy Brookes Trophy presented for an annual competition between the two clubs. Unfortunately, passage of time and change of officials have cause the trophy, a cup, to lie dormant for many years, but we are now happy to bring it out of hibernation and put it up for competition tonight. We must have been the last to win it, as it was in our own trophy cabinet. This leads one to believe it was last played for in the 1960s or 70s when Moseley’s record against Northampton was a good one. More research will be taking place on this subject.