Although we have no representation from the Pitching In Southern Football League in the Emirates FA Cup Fourth Round this weekend, I thought it would be interesting to look back on some of the runs made in the competition by current member clubs.
For some reason, the
The First Round saw current Southern League sides Chesham United, St Neots Town, Tamworth, Bedford Town, Poole Town, Nuneaton Borough, Hendon and Lowestoft Town all in the velvet bag for the draw.
Chesham were members of the Athenian League Division One in 66/67 – the Athenian League consisting of three strong divisions in those days.
Football in this country was still on a high at the time, as First Round day on November 26th was less than six months after England had won the World Cup.
Chesham`s run began with a 1-0 win at home to league rivals Wembley in the First Qualifying Round.
The Second Qualifying Round saw the Generals pitched against Athenian League Premier Division side Southall and a thriller ended with a best-of-seven win for Chesham at the Meadow.
Southall`s league rivals Hemel Hempstead Town away posed a really tough test for Chesham, but they triumphed 3-2 after another exciting tie.
In order to get their name in the hat for the First Round, a third Athenian Premier Division team, Leatherhead, stood in the way.
Again, it was an away tie at Fetcham Grove which the Generals came through 2-1.
Hoping for a tie against a Third or Fourth Division side, instead, the First Round draw paired Chesham with Isthmian League side Enfield and it was yet another away game.
It could hardly have been a tougher draw for Chesham as Tom Lawrence`s E`s were the reigning FA Amateur Cup holders and effectively two divisions higher, although the Athenian League was supposed to be on a par at the time.
In the end, Chesham were no match for the hosts, who ran out 6-0 winners.
The following season though saw Chesham reach the final of the FA Amateur Cup, losing 1–0 to Leytonstone at Wembley.
St Neots were members of the United Counties League in 1966/67 and at the time were managed by John Gregory Snr., father of the former Aston Villa, QPR, Derby and England midfielder of the same name who, of course, became a successful manager himself.
St Neots' FA Cup adventure began just a couple of months after England had lifted the World Cup at Wembley.
Eastern Counties League side Ely City were the first opponents in the First Qualifying Round, before wins over UCL rivals Desborough Town away (2-1) and Rushden Town, also away (3-0) earned them a tough Fourth Qualifying Round tie at home to Southern League Division One side Wisbech Town.
But the Saints caused an upset, St Neots triumphed 2-0 to go into the velvet bag for the First Round.
And the draw paired them with Third Division Walsall away at Fellows Park.
The Saints held the full-timers for 80 minutes in front of a crowd of 10,000 before the Saddlers extra fitness probably told as the visitors conceded two goals in the final few minutes.
Tamworth were playing in the West Midlands (Regional) League when they embarked on their FA Cup run of 66/67.
Up first for the Lambs at the First Qualifying Round stage were Midland League side Lockheed Leamington, who were beaten 4-2 at home.
The Second Qualifying Round though paired the Lambs with Southern Premier Division `giants` Worcester City.
However, it wasn`t one of City`s best years – indeed they ended up being relegated at the end of the season, but Tamworth`s 1-0 win at St George`s Lane was still something of an upset.
Southern Division One side Rugby Town were next up for Tamworth away at Butlin Road.
A hard-fought 2-2 draw earned the Lambs a home replay which, again, caused a surprise 2-1 win.
Tamworth who, at this time didn`t have a manager and had a committee select the team, were paired with league rivals Hednesford Town in the Fourth Qualifying Round, but a 1-1 home draw gave the Pitmen the advantage in the replay.
But a fine performance saw the Lambs go through 3-1 at the Cross Keys Ground.
By then they already knew who were awaiting them in the First Round and it was Third Division Gillingham away at the Priestfield Stadium.
It proved a step too far for the West Midlands (Regional) League minnows, who bowed out 4-1, but the Lambs would fare better in the FA Cup in years to come.
Bedford Town, members of the Southern League Premier Division in 1966/67, had already created national headlines with their fantastic cup run the previous season when they reached the Fourth Round before losing at home to Everton (more of that run later).
But to go on another cup run the following season was unusual and included a remarkable First Round tie.
Due to their run in 65/66, the Eagles were exempt until the Fourth Qualifying Round when they were paired with league rivals Romford.
It was a tough draw as Romford would go on to win the Southern League championship at the end of the season.
It didn`t bode well for Bedford when they were rather fortunate escape with a 1-1 draw at the Eyrie.
But they produced a battling performance in the replay and to go through 2-1.
By then they were already aware that they had been drawn to play well-known amateur side Wealdstone in the First Round at Loakes Park.
A 1-1 draw, thanks to a Danny Paton effort earned the Eagles a home replay.
An exciting game at the Eyrie saw David Sturrock save the day for the Eagles with an equaliser from a hotly disputed penalty 2 minutes from the end of extra-time to salvage a 3-3 draw.
On the toss of a coin, Wycombe hosted the second replay, played in driving rain, in which the score finished 1-1 after 90 minutes. However, the referee ruled the pitch unfit for extra-time, and back the teams went to the Eyrie for their fourth meeting, where finally the Eagles triumphed 3-2.
The delayed Second Round tie saw the draw make Bedford travel the relatively short distance to Oxford United`s Manor Ground.
Their former league rivals were now an established Third Division side and in front of a crowd of over 11,000, Ron Fogg earned the Eagles a replay.
A crowd of 11,900 saw Bedford cause an upset in the replay at home, with a Sturrock effort sealing victory.
Another Third Division side, Peterborough United, were up next in the Third Round but this proved a step too far for an understrength Bedford side as a Tommy Watson hat-trick helped the Posh to a crushing 6-2 victory.
The season didn`t end well for Bedford either, as they finished second-from-bottom and were relegated to Division One.
Poole Town and Nuneaton Borough were also Southern Premier Division sides in 1966/67.
Poole`s First Qualifying Round opponents didn`t have far to travel when they arrived at Wimborne Road as it was Western League neighbours Bridport.
And a powerful performance by Eric Webber`s Dolphins saw a comfortable 7-0 win.
It was another Western League neighbour in the Second Qualifying Round but Poole would have to travel this time to Portland United, who put up stern resistance before losing 2-0.
It was yet another Western League neighbour in the Third Qualifying Road stage as Dorchester Town were drawn to travel the short distance to the coast and it was another tough afternoon for Poole, who eventually edged it 1-0.
Amazingly, Poole`s final qualifying round opponents were yet another Western League outfit, but this time it was a Minehead side who were going well in the league and would end up as runners-up and soon to become a Southern League side.
Again, it took only a single goal to separate the teams to earn the Dolphins a place in the First Round draw.
This was as tough as it gets for Poole as this was the Rangers side who won the Third Division title that season and also won the League Cup by beating West Bromwich Albion 3-2 at Wembley.
The R`s included the likes of Rodney Marsh, Les Allen and Roger Morgan in their side and were managed by Alec Stock who, of course, knew all about FA Cup upsets from his days at Yeovil Town.
Poole gave Stock`s side a scare at Loftus Road though before the visitors bowed out of the competition by the odd goal in five.
Nuneaton Borough would go on to enjoy a fine 66/67 season under Dudley Kernick and finish second in the Southern Premier – Poole ended up in 17th.
Their FA Cup adventure began at neighbours Atherstone Town in the First Qualifying Round.
The Adders were members of the West Midlands (Regional) League at the time but, despite taking the lead, were on the wrong end of a 6-1 hammering in which Tony Richards netted a hat-trick.
Midland League Loughborough United were next out of the bag for Boro in the Second Qualifying Round and a crowd of 3,013 at Manor Park saw the Leicestershire minnows prove no match for a powerful attack which saw Richards complete a second successive FA Cup hat-trick and Gerry Sweeney a brace in an 8-2 thrashing.
A much tougher test lay ahead in the next round as it was league rivals Burton Albion away, but a Paul Cutler effort edged Boro through 1-0.
It was into the unknown for a Fourth Qualifying Round trip to Cheshire League side Macclesfield Town at Moss Rose.
A rare Alan Jones goal earned Nuneaton a second chance at Manor Park, where a Norman Ashe brace sealed Boro`s passage into the First Round.
Awaiting Nuneaton at Lower Mead were Isthmian League side Wealdstone, who had won the FA Amateur Cup the previous season at Wembley.
But goals from Richards and Cutler took Nuneaton through to the Second Road where, before a record crowd of 18,000 Boro beat Third Division Swansea Town 2-0 with Tommy Crawley and an own goal causing the upset.
This meant Nuneaton were in the hat for the Third Round for the first time since 1949/50 and their reward was another home tie, this time against Second Division Rotherham United.
The ground crowd record set in the previous round was smashed again as 21,118 saw Cutler salvage a 1-1 draw.
The replay at Millmoor attracted the attention of the national media and an even bigger crowd of almost 23,000 but it also saw the end to Nuneaton`s cup run, thanks to a Les Chappell goal for the Millermen.
Hendon were members of the Isthmian League back in 1966/67 and were still smarting from being beaten 3-1 by league rivals Wealdstone at Wembley in the FA Amateur Cup final at the end of the previous season.
Although Hendon lost the final in front of a 45,000 crowd, they had already been rewarded to automatic entry straight to the FA Cup First Round Proper.
FA competition rules granted the two FA Amateur Cup finalists` exemption from the qualifying rounds of the following season's FA Cup.
The draw paired Hendon against Third Division high-flyers Reading.
Only once before in 1952 against Northampton Town had Hendon entertained a Third Division side in the FA Cup.
But, in front of a crowd of 4,050 and despite the heroics of England Amateur international goalkeeper John Swannell, rated as one of the best outside the Football League, Hendon were beaten 3-1 at Claremont Road, with centre-half John Ashworth netting the Greens` consolation.
Lowestoft Town were members of the Eastern Counties League in 1966/67 and, having turned `semi-pro` in the early 60s, dominated the league, winning the title seven times from 62/63 until 70/71 and finishing second on the two other occasions!
So, when the first three qualifying rounds paired the Trawlerboys with league rivals Gothic, Sudbury Town and then Haverhill Rovers, hopes of a lengthy run were high at Crown Meadow.
And it looked like going that way as Gothic – a Norwich-based side who were members of the Eastern Counties League from 1963 to 1978 – were emphatically seen off 6-0 at home in the First Qualifying Round.
It was a tougher test away at Sudbury before Lowestoft scraped through 2-1 but Haverhill almost pulled off a surprise at Crown Meadow before the hosts grabbed a replay after a 4-4 thriller.
The replay was no less entertaining at Hamlet Croft as the Trawlerboys ran out 6-4 winners!
Next up for Lowestoft was surely a much tougher task as they were paired with well-known Southern League side Kettering Town at Crown Meadow.
The Poppies were not quite the force they had been and had player-manager Steve Gammon in his first season in charge as they looked to get out of Division One.
But they crashed out of the cup as Lowestoft won through 2-1, despite a Ken Gully leveller from the penalty spot, to be in the hat for the First Round.
And that gave them an away tie against Third Division Orient at Brisbane Road.
Orient, whose attack was led by a now veteran former Arsenal star of the 1950`s, Cliff Holton, took the lead in the first half, but Lowestoft were awarded a penalty soon after the break, which they failed to convert.
Orient got a second, but roared on by 1,500 of their fans, Lowestoft snatched one back with not long to go.
The visitors pushed hard for an equaliser, but Orient held out.
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