Ibis Football club were formally Ibis works Football Club.The name Ibis coming from the initials,IB's, of the former company of Isaac Braithwaite & Sons,laundry machinery engineering works on Shap Rd Kendal,Cumbria.The works football club was started in 1927 in the Milnthorpe & District League,in which they won the Dallam Tower Cup in 1928/29.Season 1930/31 saw them lift the Junior Cup for the first time.Both the football & cricket teams enjoyed the benefits of their own pitch behind the works(where Broombys is situated)

They formed a second team which joined the Westmorland League.In season 1932/33 the club were champions of the Westmorland League,runners up in the Milnthorpe League & winners of the Dallam Tower Cup.Their best season to date however was in 1938/39 when they won the Dallam Tower Cup,the High Sheriffs Cup,the Hospital Cup (now Benevolent Trophy),the Westmorland Knockout Shield and League Championship.The team was disbanded during the war but occasionally scratch teams played against prisoners of war at Grizedale Hull,near Hawkshead.

In 1945 the club was reformed with two teams,the first team in the North Lancashire League & the second team in the Westmorland league.Season 1946/47 was another good season for the club,the 2nd X1 winning the Westmorland League Championship,the High Sheriffs Cup & the Hospital Cup.In season1947/48 the club had over 60 players on its books & still only 2 teams,however the Westmorland League team was relegated to division 2 at the end of the season.1948/49 saw them at the top of division 2 for a swift return to the top flight.

Season 1975/76 saw the first X1 lift the High Sheriffs Cup again.Throughout the 1970s the team competed well in the first & 2nd divisions but in 1980 Isaac Braithwaite & Sons ceased manufacturing & the works closed.A group of people managed to save the Sports & Social Club but sadly the field was sold as building land & Broomby's building merchants was built on the site.This was a devastating blow for both the football & cricket teams,the football team having to play on jubilee fields & cricket moving to Queen Katherine School fields.

These photographs are of relevant interest as I believe they are the last photographs to be taken on the Ibis works field.The two action photos are of Ibis(in yellow)versus Keswick Res. during season 1979/80,unfortunately the same four players are in both pictures,they are(in the centre field photo)P Carradice,P Dixon,J Pearce & F Peruzza.The squad photo is of the same season,and NO the ref wasn't playing for us,however Derek Wightman was a good centre half & played for Kendal Utd where I first started as a senior in 1969/70 after playing for their juniors in the Kent Valley League.

IF ANYONE HAS ANY INFORMATION,PICTURES ETC RELEVANT TO THIS SITE PLEASE CONTACT M DIXON More information coming soon