Coxhoe’s Sporting History - Handball

Handball or ‘Fives’ in the 19th CenturyHandball was a game very popular in most mining communities in the 19th Century.

It was played with a soft ball, about the size of a tennis ball which was propelled against a gable end or a special court using the players hand as though it was a racquet. The word ‘fives’ was used meaning the fingers were used together as in ‘a bunch of fives’.

The object of the game was to strike the ball against the wall so the opponent could not return it.

Many beer houses had Ball Alleys or Five Courts which were the gable ends of pubs, in some cases with a court marked beside it. Coxhoe was no exception.

The Railway Hotel was one such venue which attracted good crowds and fine players.

Coxhoe’s star was Tom Barker. Tom won the ‘Fives’ World Championship at the Railway Hotel on 21st May 1870.

It is said that he was ‘a huge man with hands like shovels’ and that there were 7000 spectators present.

Now the Tarka Centre.

Coxhoe’s Sporting History - Handball

Barker earned rich takings from playing ‘Fives’ and later in life he bought a brickyard located across the road from the Kicking Cuddy Hotel.

The photograph, kindly donated by Andrew Griffiths , shows Tom Barker (top left) and

family.Team Handball

Team handball became popular in Coxhoe particularly at the Boy’s Brigade at St.

Mary’s Church.

The photograph shows their team in 1960 with Reverend Pateman and included Raymond White, Edward Ayre and Cyril Ashton who became Bishop of Doncaster.

Today handball is still played as a team game with two teams of seven players on the court at any time. There are two 30 minute halves to a game.

The object of the game is to score goals by passing, throwing or dribbling a small leather handball in much the same way as basketball.

Coxhoe’s Sporting History - Handball

Olympic Handball

Men’s outdoor handball was introduced in 1936 at the Summer Olympic Games in Berlin, Germany. The sport was suspended after these games but men’s indoor handball became a full match sport in 1972.

At the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal, Canada the women’s indoor handball event was added. Handball is one of the top-attended Olympic Sports.