Eustace Spindler

[Robbie Johnson's Boots]

One of my favourite parts of our excellent website is "on this day".  I like looking back at some of our early results and wonder about the lives of the players who have pulled on the shirt.  Often there only have initials, or they have common names,  but today I spotted Eustace Spindler, who played 24 games in 1910 / 1911: looking at his number, he probably played Inside or Outside Right.  "There won't be many Eustace Spindlers", I thought, so had a look to see what I could find:

Eustace was born in Maidenhead in 1891, the youngest of nine children, who all had first names beginning with E.  His mother and father were Edwin and Ellen.  He played for us and for Maidenhead Norfolkians and then, at some point before WW1, emigrated to Manitoba in Canada, where he worked as a baker.  When war broke out, he joined the 16th Battalion Canadian Infantry and returned to Europe to fight.  Eustace died of his wounds in Belgium, on 23rd April 1916, just before his 25th birthday and was buried at Lijssenthoek Military Cemetery.

In 1917 his sisters donated the font cover to St Luke's Church in Maidenhead, in his memory: he had been baptised in that font.  It's inscribed with the words "To the Glory of God in loving memory of Eustace L. Spindler who died on active service Easter Day 1916".  The church is still there: I hope the font cover is too.

There's a picture of Eustace here: https://www.veterans.gc.ca/eng/remembrance/memorials/canadian-virtual-war-memorial/detail/432881

I'm going to have a drink to Eustace tonight.  

[Reading Rebel]

Looking at the playing record of Eustace Spindler, in 1910 he played in a 2 legged 2-1 FA Cup defeat to Ebbsfleet United.

Presuming it's the same club I didn't know an Ebbsfleet United existed before Gravesend & Northfleet.

[Nathan]

1 hour ago, Reading Rebel said:

Looking at the playing record of Eustace Spindler, in 1910 he played in a 2 legged 2-1 FA Cup defeat to Ebbsfleet United.

Presuming it's the same club I didn't know an Ebbsfleet United existed before Gravesend & Northfleet.

Looking back through the archive it seems that all our games played against Gravesend & Northfleet are now down as being against Ebbsfleet United. Presumably the archive isn't built for name changes.