Mordue Boys - v - Stone Brothers - Hand Ball Alley - Horden (hord0116)

Mordue Boys - v - Stone Brothers - Hand Ball Alley - Horden

Photograph of three men standing behind two men sitting on chairs; all five men are wearing singlets and shorts; the photograph has been identified as The Two Mordue Boys versus The Three Stone Brothers 1914 Horden Hand Ball Alley

Date: 1914

The handball wall was in the grounds at the rear of "The Big Club"

Comment added by John Barry Wood on 08/11/2008 13:44:00

The Mordues in the photograph are on the left Jack Mordue and on the right Mick Mordue (my great grandfather) who was killed at Gallipoli in 1915, so the photo is probably about right. Jack was capped for England football team twice and died in 1938. They were reknowned in the North East for their handball skills and a search on the internet reveals a lot moe information. Too much for me to write about! But heres a quote from the Mordues family tree (currently being updated by my mams cousin, grandson of Jack)... In 'Horden Miners' Mr A. Pratt describes in his own words: "Micky Mordue was on deputy work at Horden Colliery when war broke out. He joined up in August 1914 and went down in Dardanelles in 1915. The other one, Jacky Mordue played football for Sunderland. The Mordues were world famous for their handball playing. The two Mordues played against the three Stones brothers, that was four hands against six hands and that was the only way people would play them. It was a game where a lot of brute strength was required. They would use brute strength with cuteness. They trained before the big match for weeks, hitting the ball against the alley, from one corner to another. I have seen a match go on for six hours. They played it on every street corner and gable-end. If they thought they were good enough they would try for a game on the big alley for money. The players would travel right around. Trapper Charlton, Pauly Tennant, Jacky Cook, Trapper Harkness - all from Horden with the Mordues, and all good players".

Comment added by Paul Reed on 13/10/2008 14:58:00