BLACKWELL COLLIERY COMMEMORATION OF ITS MINERS AND TWO OF ITS FINEST FOOTBALLERS

 

BLACKWELL COLLIERY COMMEMORATION OF ITS MINERS AND TWO OF ITS FINEST FOOTBALLERS

On the afternoon of Thursday 18 April at 1.30pm, Blackwell Colliery will, by unveiling three plaques, be commemorating two of its greatest footballers and seven miners who lost their lives in a mining disaster in 1895.

Blackwell colliers Billy ‘Fatty’ Foulke (1874-1916), a pupil at the local school, and Willie Layton (1875-1944) played for Blackwell Colliery Welfare FC and both later won the top flight title (Division One) and FA Cup with Sheffield United and Sheffield Wednesday respectively with Foulke playing for England and Layton for the Football League. Foulke also represented Derbyshire County Cricket Club. (DCCC)

Plaques in honour of both men will be unveiled at Blackwell Community Centre. Family members will be centrally involved in the ceremony. David Griffin from DCCC also be speaking.

A plaque will also be unveiled at the nearby pit wheel in memory of the 71 colliers known to have been killed at Blackwell Colliery (1872 -1969) and listing the following seven who died very early on Monday 11^th November 1895 in an explosion.

James Fryer

John Gibson

John Jones

James Mee

Joseph Penshaw

Thomas Shaw

William Martin

Attempts are being made to find descendants of these men so as to involve them in the ceremony.

Willie Layton himself was due to be at work on Sunday 10^th/ Monday 11^th but absented himself in order to play a big football match the following day. Layton is the great grandfather of artist Michael Knighton, a Manchester United director between 1989 and 1992, who is paying for the plaques.

A number of events and activities are being organised in the lead up to 17 April.

Two short documentary films have been made on Foulke and Layton and can be viewed at:-

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1k1fcY5vtPo Layton – a tale of tragedy and triumph

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zei3KpirqW0  Foulke

It is hoped to make a third on the seven miners.

More details can be provided by football historian Mark Metcalf

07392 852561 metcalfmc@outlook.com