We play the game hoping to Win,
trying to win, determined to Win,
but above all by our play, conduct and sportsmanship
deserving to win.
If we fail we shall not whimper or whine,
but with a cheery smile go forward to
the day when success shall crown our efforts.
When the Club started in 1895 the first secretary was the Rev. W.O. Smith. The club colours were Red and Blue half shirts. At the outbreak of the 1914-18 war it became defunct and it was restarted in 1926 by Harold T. Hooley and since then had made quite a name in local football circles. In the early 1930's the club were called Parliament Street Athletic but reverted back to Methodists after a couple of seasons. During the 1939-45 war, seventy-two of the players in the Football and Cricket Clubs saw service, but despite this the club carried on, mainly because of the great help given by the Royal Army Postal Regiment who were stationed in George Street.
There has always been a strong sporting interest in the church and the football teams won many trophies. Many happy Saturday afternoons were spent at Woodview Sports Ground, Colwick Crossings. It had originally been bought by Mr. H.T. Hooley in 1943 who subsequently leased it to the Parliament Street Methodist Church at a peppercorn rent. After Mr. Hooley died in 1952 the land (seven acres, two roods, seven perches) was conveyed in fee simple from Mr. Leslie Stuart Hooley (and others) to the Trustees of the Parliament Street Methodist Church on 22 February 1955. The price quoted was £1,700. In the late 80's the club folded when Woodview was sold to pay for the new Nottingham Central Methodist mission.
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I was brought up a Methodist and attended Bridgway Hall in the Meadows until I was 14. My Grandfather lived in Snienton and was a regular at Parliament Street Methodist Mission. Sometimes I used to sleep over at his home and on Saturday afternoons my Grandfather would take me to Woodview to see 'Parlo' play football. I used to love going in the clubhouse and look at photographs of all the old teams and the trophies they won. In the 1972-73 season I watched the Red and Blue's become Division 2 Champions of the Notts Alliance, and the season following 1973-74 they were Champions of Division 1. Unfortunately my Grandfather died in the summer of 1974 and due to the re development of the Meadows my family were relocated to Bilborough. It was a long time until I saw the Meths play again.
In 1986 I was Secretary for my works Sunday football team and editing a match day programme. A workmate, Ray Cooper, asked if I was interested in doing a programme for his Saturday club. When I found out it was Parliament Street Methodists FC I jumped at the chance. The ground and Pavillion were as I remembered but the teams were not performing well. The first team were about to be relegated to the bottom Division of the Notts Alliance and the reserves were bottom of their Notts Spartan League Division. The next season 1987-88 was to be the last for the club that was formed in 1895. At the beginning of the season we were not to know the Church was planning to sell Woodview. Both sides were again close to or bottom of their respective Divisions when we heard the news. We were told there was money put aside by the Church to buy land outside of the City, Lambley playing fields was one place being mentioned. News of the loss of Woodview to players and the people involved within the club was devastating. In an end of season meeting in the Ginger Tom public house, where only four people attended, it was reluctantly decided that the club would fold. I still have a terrible feeling in the pit of my stomach when I think I was there at the end of this great football club.
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