Lives in Cricket No 20 - Maurice Tompkin

As the summer of 1939 passed, Maurice made no attempt to secure another League club. As a twenty-year-old, he probably felt that he was bound to be called up in the early stages of the war, so what was the point in finding a club he would play for very little? The other advantage was that he could continue playing cricket until the end of the season, whenever that might be. His football career thus lapsed for the time being. Rather later, whilst in India, he played for Bangalore Muslims, as well as for the 38th British General Hospital and for Army representative teams. Bangalore Muslims were a very successful club, the first Indian (as distinct from Services) team to win the prestigious Rovers Cup held annually in Bombay, when they did so in 1937, following this success with more wins in 1947 and 1948. He also played for the Combined Services XI v Muslims in 1943, and for the latter against a touring Combined Services team in April 1945, a side which included several players with experience in English or Scottish top-division football, including Ted Ditchburn, the Spurs and England goalkeeper. He was back in England for the start of the 1945/46 football season, and still registered as a Leicester City player. This was a chaotic football season, with servicemen returning home thick and fast and team selection for away matches handicapped by transport difficulties. Leicester City were no exception, and for the away match against Charlton, they appealed to the crowd for players and two spectators were signed up on the spot and played. On 10 November, Maurice went with Percy to watch Bury play Manchester City at Maine Road, and though they saw Bury lose 4-1, they were obviously not too put off, because later that month Maurice signed for Bury. In that first season after the war, the first two divisions were split north and south; for record purposes, this season’s matches have never been included as part of the regular series. It was a different matter for the FA Cup, where a national competition was played, with a Wembley final and these games are part of the official records. Bury participated in the northern competition, and opponents were a tough collection of the leading teams. Fourteen of the clubs that made up the war-interrupted first division of 1939/40 were amongst them, and eight from the second. There were lots of local derbies, which with petrol rationing and free time at a premium were just what the soccer-starved football public craved. There was considerable discontent amongst professional footballers about the maximum wage regulations then in operation. At this time pay was £8 a week and £4 a match, or about £500 a season, compared with £400 for a full cricket season at Leicestershire and rather more at Yorkshire. The footballers even threatened to strike, and agreement only occurred on 12 November 1945, when the figures were raised to £9 a week and £5 a match. Maurice made his debut against Sheffield Wednesday in early December, and Bury secured a 2-0 victory. The fixture list in this curious season generally meant that each opponent was played home and away in Football winters 37