This letter is dated 6th April 1934, and was written by the QPR Manager/Secretary to F. Howarth, the Secretary of the Football League. It reads as follows:
Dear Sir –
Re our claim for compensation for our match versus Northampton from that Club, respecting the game on 27th January last, postponed owing to a FA Cup tie, I have pleasure in enclosing herewith our amended claim re this match, and trust this is now in order.
Yours Faithfully,
Michael T. O’Brien
Secretary-Manager
Michael O’Brien was born in Kilcock in Co. Kildare on 10th August 1893. Apparently he hadn’t played soccer until he was 18 after his family had settled in Tyne & Wear. He played for Blyth Spartans before Celtic became interested in him. Failing to make an impression there he moved on to Brentford in December 1914. During the 1st World War he served in both the Royal Navy and the Royal Flying Corps.
He made his debut for the R’s on 28th August 1920 and went on to make 70 1st team appearances before being transferred to Leicester City in 1922. Whilst at Rangers he played for Ireland against Scotland in Belfast on 26th February 1921 and gained a second cap the following year. He also played for a Football League X1 against a British Army side.
After he left QPR he went on to make a total of ten appearances for Ireland and then between 1927 and 1932 played four times for what had become the Irish Free State national team.
He returned to QPR as Manager/Secretary in May 1933. Then in 1935 he became Assistant-Manager at Brentford, but moved on a year later to manage Ipswich Town. He died in September 1940.
Steve Russell
(The letter is from my collection and my sources of reference include Gordon Macey’s book: ‘The Official History of Queen’s Park Rangers’)
This is the first time I have seen my great grandfathers signature! Just doing some research for mick O’Brien’s Granddaughter.