Spalding history

1878 – Birth in Bridge Street of Frank Pick, dynamic CEO of London Passenger Transport Board and architect of the ‘modern’ typography still used on the Underground today.

1880 – St Paul’s Church in Fulney was built to designs drawn up by Sir George Gilbert Scott, who was a member of the Spalding Gentlemen’s Society – he also designed buildings for Boston, Lincolnshire, Wisbech, Cambridgeshire and other areas.

Perhaps Spalding's most significant impact on the sporting goods arena was when A.G. Spalding decided to manufacture golf balls and equipment in 1884.

The first Spalding Shop was opened in 1885 in New York's most prestigious street: Fifth Avenue.

In 1887 Spalding made the first American football; the following year it manufactured the first American-made tennis balls.

In 1892, Spalding acquired Wright & Ditson and A. J. Reach, both rival sporting goods companies.

In 1893, A.G. Spalding & Brothers purchased the Lamb Knitting Machine Company located in Chicopee Falls, Massachusetts and renamed it the Lamb Manufacturing Company.

It was manufactured by A. G. Spalding & Bros., Chicago, New York & Philadelphia and sold for $1.50 in 1896.

Production of bicycles continued at the Chicopee plant through the latter part of the 19th century, but in 1899 A.G. Ben Spalding sold its bicycle division to a massive trust called the American Bicycle Company which controlled 65% of the bicycle business in the US.

Starting in 1900, Spalding opened clubmaking factories in London and in Fife, Scotland, producing forged iron heads for Spalding clubs sold both in the U.K. and United States Irons made during that time are distinguished by an anvil cleek mark.

The company was already selling golf balls when, in 1905, it became the first in America to offer its own brand of golf clubs.

9, 1915, Point Loma, Calif.), American professional baseball player and sporting-goods manufacturer, who contributed to the development of professional baseball and manufactured gear for many sports played in his day.

1916 – Spalding Arts and Crafts Society was founded by surgeons at the Johnson Hospital in Spalding for recovering soldiers wounded in the First World War.

Spalding Town Council sponsored their first exhibition in 1918.

1921 – Spalding United F.C. was formed.

1941 – In May, during World War II, a stray Luftwaffe bomber dropped its bombs on Spalding, destroying much of Hall Place and causing damage to several businesses.

Spalding produced the well-known "Spaldeen" high-bounce rubber ball, said to be a re-use of defective tennis ball cores, that was sold to city children from 1949.

In 1953 the Baseball Hall of Fame Committee on Baseball Veterans was established.

1958 – The first Spalding Flower Parade took place.

1959 – Closure of M&GN railway ends direct passenger services from Leicester to Great Yarmouth via Bourne, Holbeach, Long Sutton, Sutton Bridge, King’s Lynn, Fakenham and Norwich

1970 – Closure of East Lincolnshire line ends direct rail services to Boston, and through services from Grimsby to London

For the period 1971–77 a special committee inducted nine players from the Negro leagues into the Hall of Fame.

1974 – In April Spalding moves from Holland local authority (based in Boston) to the new South Holland council, based in Spalding.

In baseball, Spalding manufactured the official ball of the major leagues through the 1976 season, using the Reach brand on American League balls and the Spalding trademark on National League balls.

1977 – Location filming for Episodes of BBC TV series Murder Most English starring Anton Rodgers, based on the work of Lincolnshire author Colin Watson.

From 1981, in a partnership with the Toyo Rubber Company of Japan, Spalding designed a series of aftermarket automotive wheels known as the "Message" series.

1982 – Closure of GN&GE ‘Joint Line’ railway to March

Brief biographies of A.G. Spalding can be found in “The Ballplayers,” edited by Mike Shatzkin (New York: Arbor House/William Morrow, 1990; Library of Congress call number GV865.A1 B323 1990) and “Biographical Dictionary of American Sports.

munson, lester. "scorecard: in the middle of two court battles over a billion-dollar market." sports illustrated, 5 august 1991.

Spalding Sports Worldwide's first quarter net sales increased 15.6 percent, reaching $87.4 million, compared to 1997's first quarter net sales of $75.6 million.

"evenflo & spalding holdings corp." edgar online, 10 july 1998. available at http://www.edgar-online.com.

In 2001 they released their Infusion technology, which features a built in micro pump which allows one to add air without a pump or needle.

Spalding furthered their Infusion technology in 2003, when Spalding started manufacturing basketballs with Infusion technology so that users could also release air without a needle.

2008 – Tulip Radio was awarded a full-time broadcasting licence from Ofcom and announced that they will start broadcasting in early 200