Herbert Chapman football photographs

I believe William Chapman, Herbert's father, was a Rudge supporter from the time when the club formed in 1889. Although he was employed as a watchmaker, Rudge, like most clubs, drew the vast majority of their support from employees and people living locally. William and his family lived in Thomas Street, literally five minutes walk from the Coventry Cricket Grounds and the Rudge factory. It's possible he had a connection to the Rudge Committee or certainly would have known committee members and club officials living in such a tightly knit community. Herbert was employed at the Rudge factory during World War One and he organised two ladies football teams to represent the works. The charity football matches raised a significant amount of money for the Prisoner of War Fund.

That's pretty impressive research! The cricket ground was the land on which the Technical College was later built. Thomas Street takes its name from St Thomas' Church which was at the southern end, immediately opposite the cricket ground. The land is officially designated for "communal use" only but that has been compromised by the granting of permission to use the former technical college as a commercial hotel.