Duckhouse Ted Image 1 Birmingham City 1947

Description

Shelfield, near Walsall, Staffordshire born centre half Ted Duckhouse was originally a centre forward who began his football career with Shelfield and played for Streetly Works in 1934, Walsall Wood in 1935 and Cannock Chase Colliery in 1936 before joining West Bromwich Albion on amateur forms in 1937, spending 1937-38 on their books without making their first eleven. He signed for First Division club Birmingham in August 1938 and made his Football League debut at Charlton Athletic in October 1938, scoring in a 4-4 draw, and he also scored in a high scoring defeat at Stoke City in January 1939, playing 4 matches as Birmingham suffered relegation. At the start of the following season he played in all three of Birmingham’s matches before the outbreak of the Second World War in September 1939 forced the immediate abandonment of peacetime football.

After the War he returned to St Andrews, by now playing at right back, to help Birmingham to reach the semi final of the first post-war FA Cup, in which they played Derby County, drawing the first match 1-1 at Hillsborough.. The tie went to a replay played at Maine Road, Manchester, and remained goalless after 90 minutes; after five minutes of extra time, Duckhouse broke his leg colliding with Peter Doherty in a vain attempt to stop him scoring the opening goal. In those days there were no substitutes, so Birmingham had to play the remainder of the match with ten men, losing 4-0 to the eventual Cup winners.

Duckworth first played at centre half for Birmingham at the start of the first post-war League season, and scored twice deputising at centre forward, and he missed only 6 matches in their 1947-48 campaign as Birmingham City (their name changed over the War) won the Second Division Championship. He remained a regular until losing his place in September 1949 although he came back into The Blurs’ team during the season run in, however they again suffered relegation.

After 5 goals in 140 appearances for Birmingham he left St Andrews to join Third Division (South) club Northampton Town in August 1950 and missed only one match as The Cobblers struggled at the bottom of the division in the 1950-51 campaign, and he was a regular until January 1952, when he lost his place and he joined non league Rushden Town later in the year after 71 appearances for The Cobblers, Rushden being his last recorded club before his eventual retirement.