Born Stourbridge 8th February 1860 Died November 1960

Joe Bache was a cultured and immenseley talented inside left who was a master of the art of passing, especially angled passes. He was also a very good dribbler who had an eye for goal. He formed a celebrated left wing partnership with Wordsley-born Albert Hall in the Villa side of the early 1900′s – before switching to the left wing himself.

He began with Bewdley Victoria but Villa signed him from Stourbridge in the Birmingham league in 1901 for a fee of £100. He made his debut in a friendly against FC Berlin and his first league game was at Notts County a month later. Joe spent 14 seasons with Villa, scoring 185 goals in 473 games. He scored the first of 8 hat-trick in November 1903 against Newcastle. He eventually succeeded Howard Spencer as Villa captain. The highlights for Villa were 2 FA Cup winners medals and 1 League Championship. He set up Harry Hampton’s first goal in 1905 FA Cup final when his shot was parried to the Villa centre forward after three minutes. He had scored four times in that cup run.

Joe’s England career was prolonged. He began by playing in two Home Internationals in 1904 after making his debut against Wales the season before. He scored on his debut in Portsmouth and followed that with goals at Wrexham and Belfast – 3 games – 3 goals. Although he was not selected for the Scotland game until the next season, he scored the only goal of the gamine in that one. He shot hard and high from a Steve Bloomer cross, a real Black Country goal! 4 games, 3 goals! Joe added two more appearances in 1907 and one more in 1911. So he finished with 4 goals in 7 games, still a very good striking rate.

Joe played 4 wartime matches for Villa but in the summer of 1920 he left to become the player-manager of Mid-Rhondda FC. He later coached Grimsby Town and then the Rott Weiss Club of Frankfurt before returning to Villa Park in 1927 as Villa’s 2nd team coach. Joe was a boilermaker by trade and he ran a pub in Aston when he had given up football. He died aged 80 in November 1960.

Villa Bostin Tee Shirt Available Here

Jack Green wearing a Bostin Tee Shirt, Luke aka iKid and Megan Unwin

So we’ve heard all those World Cup songs over the years.. but now here’s time to here the best from Halesowen in the West Midlands, Luke Beighton is 8 years old. His grandmother wanted to record Luke singing and they were so pleased with the outcome… decided to release it on iTunes. Please support our little local hero by downloading his tune from iTunes at the cost of 79p. COME ON ENGLAND!

The iKid Official Website

It’s getting great viewing figures on youtube. Catch iKid Official on facebook, twitter and youtube!

iKid Official Youtube

SHOUT SHOUT LET IT ALL OUT!

We ran a competition to design a tee to encompass the World Cup and the winner came up with this fabulous design. The feedback on the shirt has been amazing.. so thank you.

So do you fancy getting your hands on our special edition World Cup 2010 tee shirt. If so take a visit to our new website for delivery within 48hrs of order.

You are now able to personalize your tee shirts. So go check it out.

COME ON ENGLAND.. WE NEED THE WIN.. MAKE US PROUD

Bostin St George Tee

Saint George’s Day is on Friday 23rd April 2010.

Saint George is the patron saint of England. He is probably England’s most successful immigrant. Born in a foreign land, welcomed by the English. Associations of honour, bravery, courage and gallantry tie him to England. St George was born in Cappadocia, a region which is now Turkey in 3AD. His parents were Christian and when he grew up he joined the Roman army. He went on to protest over the persecution of Christians and resigned from his military position. He was imprisoned and tortured defending the Christian faith by order of The Emperor of the day, Diocletian. George tore up the Emperor’s order against Christians. This infuriated Diocletian but St George refused to deny his faith. Eventually he was dragged through the streets of Diospolis (now Lydda) in Palestine and beheaded. It’s said that The Emperor’s wife was so impressed by George’s resilience that she became a Christian and that she too was executed for her faith.

He’s also patron saint of soldiers, archers, cavalry and chivalry, farmers and field workers, riders and saddlers, and he helps those suffering from leprosy, plague and syphilis. In recent years he has been adopted as patron saint of Scouts.

The story of St. George and the Dragon dates back to the Middle Ages when the dragon was commonly used to represent evil, so it’s an excellent tale of good triumphing over evil. The image of George most familiar to us today is the saint dressed in a white tunic bedecked with a red cross, astride his stallion, and skewering a dragon as he rescues a fair maiden.

BOSTIN ST GEORGE TEE AVAILABLE HERE

Check out celebrations going on in Birmingham on Saturday 24th April.

Bostin Shamrock Tee

St Patrick’s Day falls on Wednesday 17th April 2010

St. Patrick is the patron saint of Ireland and the Irish. He was born about 389 A.D. in Northern Wales, which at that time may have been part of England or Scotland.

Saint Patrick had an adventurous life. He was captured by pirates at the age of 16. The Irish pirates brought him to Ireland to tend the flocks of a chieftain in Ulster. Six years of slavery made him a devoted Christian. He escaped to France and became a monk. In 432, a vision led him to return to Ireland as a missionary bishop. He brought Christianity to Ireland and taught there for 29 years. He used the shamrock, a 3 leaf clover, (Ireland’s national flower) to explain the Blessed Trinity. St. Patrick founded 365 churches, baptized over 120,000 people and consecrated 450 bishops.

Many tales sprung up about this popular saint. One of the most popular legends was how he charmed all the snakes of Ireland down to the seashore to be drowned by the water. According to some Irish writings, St. Patrick died on March 17, 461 A.D. The anniversary of his death is celebrated as St. Patrick’s Day. It’s interesting to note that the shamrock clover flowers around that time of year.

The first official celebration of St. Patrick’s Day in the United States occurred in Morristown, New Jersey in 1780. It was authorized by George Washington. Today St. Patrick’s Day is celebrated by the Irish as well as many Americans with parades, parties, wearing of green, Irish songs and jigs. People wear green on this day to represent the lushness of Ireland.

Get your Bostin St Patrick’s Day tees here>>