Team seek the story behind their trophy
AFTER finding a war memorial among the rubble of a Waterfront building, a group of sporty builders decided it appropriate to honour one of the veterans.
AFTER finding a war memorial among the rubble of a Waterfront building, a group of sporty builders decided it appropriate to honour one of the veterans.
So the workmen immortalised G Wagstaff by naming their inter-trade football league after him and now they're searching for his descendents to present the trophy to the winning team.
The league started two years ago after a passer by caught sight of the memorial while demolition work was being carried out to the old maltings to make way for the new Regatta Quay development.
Magnus Miles, who works for City Living Developments, said: “We found the memorial when the building was being cleared out. Someone from the British Legion spotted it and immediately recognised what it was.
“We came to the conclusion that it must have displayed the names of people who worked at the malting when it was fully operational and died in the First World War. We needed a name for the football league and Wagstaff sounded old fashioned and distinguished so we chose it.”
The teams represent construction companies City Living, Gallaghers and CME and play their games at Ipswich Wanderers' SEH Sports Ground, on Humber Doucy Lane.
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Apart from a name and the fact that he served with the Third Battalion of the Suffolk Regiment, G Wagstaff remains largely a mystery. Curiosity eventually got the better of the players and now they want to find out more about the man whose name graces the coveted Wagstaff cup.
Mr Miles said: “We've always got something going on every other week. It's not just football we play and the cup is always changing hands.
“We would love to hear from someone who knew Mr Wagstaff and invite them down to join us for the evening and perhaps present the trophy to the champions.”
Regatta Quay facts
The building is going up on the site of the former Paul's Albion Maltings.
The original maltings building, dating from Victorian times, is being incorporated into the new development.
Regatta Quay's first homes should be occupied later this year.
When complete there will be two 14-storey towers, each as high as the silo that was demolished at the start of work.
