Looking Back at the Non-League Season of 1952/53

A campaign when the Southern Football League title was won on goal difference.

Non-League football in the 1950s was still largely dominated by amateur clubs.

Indeed, it was two of the more famous names in Pegasus and Walthamstow Avenue that attracted most of the newspaper headlines in 1952/53.

Pegasus, drawn from former Cambridge and Oxford University students, didn`t play in a league but only had outings called `friendlies` other than competing in the FA Amateur Cup.

Walthamstow performed heroically in the FA Cup and went on to win the Isthmian League title.

As for the Southern League, Headington United, now Oxford United, gained their first title by the narrowest of margins which, in those days, was goal average.

A 2-0 win over Hastings United in their final game denied Merthyr Tydfil a fourth successive championship.

Had the title been decided on goal difference back then, Headington would have missed out.

They completed and league and cup `double` with a 4-3 aggregate victory over Weymouth - the extra-time winner being netted by Cyril Toulouse with the second leg at the Manor Ground being watched by an incredible crowd of 10,302.

Toulouse, a former Tottenham Hotspur and Brentford wing-half, went on to play over 150 times for Headington.

Managed by the long-serving Harry Thompson, who was in charge from 1949 until November 1958, Headington finished second the year after and retained the Southern League Cup.

Bedford Town finished in third place but only by two points.

They had former Fulham, Arsenal and England centre-forward Ronnie Rooke as player-manager and attracted big crowds to the old Eyrie ground.

Indeed, their lowest crowd was 4,143, while over 10,000 saw the Boxing Day derby against a Kettering Town side who ended up two points further back in fourth spot.

Managed by Scotsman Bob Calder, the Poppies led the table until the end of March before falling away at the end.

Dartford finished bottom of the table with only 17 points – 12 adrift of second-from-bottom Kidderminster Harriers who, despite that lowly finish, had a decent run in the FA Cup.

In fact, optimism for the FA Cup in 1952/53 was high in Southern League circles as out of the 22 clubs in the league – only 21 were eligible for the FA Cup though as Exeter City reserves were members of the league and only its first team was able to compete in the competition – 15 had made it through to the Fourth Qualifying Round stage, including struggling Dartford and Kidderminster.

The Darts though were beaten 3-0 at home by a Hendon side who would go on to win the Athenian League title.

Kidderminster were held to a 1-1 draw at Aggborough by Birmingham Combination minnows Bedworth Town before winning the replay 2-0 at the Oval.

Yeovil Town, whose big FA Cup triumph came four seasons earlier when, under Alec Stock (right),

they famously knocked out Sunderland before losing 8-0 to Manchester United, edged out league rivals Merthyr 1-0.

Wellington Town were still members of the Cheshire League in 52/53 and they knocked out Worcester City 1-0, while Bedford lost 2-1 at then-Midland League side Peterborough United.

Welsh side Llanelli progressed at the expense of Western League Second Division outfit Ilfracombe Town and Guildford City went through by beating rivals Headington 2-1 at Joseph`s Road.

Tonbridge faced a relatively short trip to Kent League side Folkestone in the Fourth Qualifying Round and shared a 0-0 draw at Cheriton Road.

The replay at Longmead ended in a 4-4 thriller after extra-time.

Folkestone won the toss for the venue for the second replay which Tonbridge finally succeeded in winning 2-0.

The other Kent side, Gravesend & Northfleet, suffered a 4-2 defeat at Plough Lane against then-Isthmian League side Wimbledon, whilst Weymouth inflicted a 5-1 home drubbing on Western League First Division neighbours Dorchester Town.

Chelmsford City were held to a goalless draw at New Writtle Street by Athenian League side Finchley, who comfortably won the replay 3-0.

Hereford United, whose FA Cup glories were yet to come of course, beat Loughborough-based Birmingham League side Brush Sports 1-0, while Bath City eased through 3-0 at then-Western League First Division side Trowbridge Town.

The First Round Proper saw seven Southern League clubs in the velvet bag for the draw.

Bath recorded their first victory over a Football League side in over 20 years when they beat Southend United at Lambridge.

Two goals from Eric Snook saw Bath home in front of a crowd of over 14,000.

Llanelli also progressed by hammering then-Corinthian League side Grays Athletic 5-0 away from home.

Hereford were held to a 0-0 draw at Athenian Leaguers Leyton before winning the replay 3-2 at Edgar Street.

I don`t have the attendance for the original tie, but it would have been interesting as Leyton were at home on the same afternoon as neighbours Leytonstone and Leyton Orient!

However, they were the only three Southern League sides to go through to the Second Round.

Tonbridge battled hard before bowing out 1-0 to Third Division South side Norwich City but not until after a replay at Carrow Road following a 2-2 draw at Longmead.

Weymouth also took a Third Division South side, Colchester United, to a replay after a 1-1 draw on the Dorset coast.

The U`s triumphed 4-0 though at Layer Road.

Guildford were victims of an `upset` when they were held to a 2-2 draw at home by Eastern Counties League outfit Great Yarmouth Town before the Bloaters edged a 1-0 verdict at The Wellesey Recreation Ground.

Kidderminster became Finchley`s second successive Southern League victims, winning 1-0 at Aggborough.

The Second Round draw gave only the Bulls a home tie against Third Division North side Scunthorpe & Lindsey United as they were known until 1958.

Llanelli had to make the long trip to Essex to take on Weymouth`s conquerors Colchester, while Bath also had a lengthy journey to Third Division North Grimsby Town.

Fog in early December 1952 brought the worst football black-out or years in the south and Midlands especially.

Hereford were held to a goalless draw by Scunthorpe and by the time the replay came along, the winners knew they would have a trip to First Division power-houses Sunderland`s Roker Park in the Third Round.

But the Iron edged it 2-1 in the replay.

Bath, under former England full-back Eddie Hapgood (left), battled hard before bowing out 1-0 at Blundell Park against the Mariners, while Llanelli gave Colchester supporters a scare before losing by the odd goal in five at Layer Road.

So, it was the end of the FA Cup road for Southern League clubs, but Walthamstow Avenue, who went on to win the Isthmian League title that year, became the first amateur side to reach the Fourth Round of the competition in almost a quarter of a century when they beat league rivals Wimbledon after a replay in the First Round, came from behind to beat Third Division South side Watford 2-1 in another replay with goals from Ronnie Cairns and Dicky Lucas.

Two more Lucas goals put paid to Third Division North side Stockport County 2-1 in the Third Round in front of a crowd of 9,500 and Avenue pulled out a Fourth Round plumb – Manchester United at Old Trafford!

United, under Matt Busby, were reigning First Division champions but the last non-League club standing put up a heroic display.

United led for most of the game, thanks to a first-half goal from 18-year-old Eddie Lewis, but were unable to add further goals, despite plenty of pressure.

With a quarter-of-an-hour to go, Walthamstow`s cricketing footballer Trevor Bailey was brought down and from the resulting free-kick, Avenue hit a sensational equaliser past Ray Wood from England Amateur international Jim Lewis.

The final whistle sparked emotional scenes with Walthamstow`s Polish goalkeeper Stanislav Gerula being carried shoulder-high from the pitch.

Walthamstow`s decision to switch the replay to Arsenal`s Highbury was vindicated when an amazing crowd of 49,119 packed in for the second installment.

Any hopes Avenue had of causing a massive upset had been shattered by half-time, however, by which time United ped 4-1 with a brace from Jack Rowley and singles from Stan Pearson and Eddie Lewis.

Roger Byrne, one of two players from the side who tragically die in the Munich air disaster (two others in the 1952/53 side, Ray Wood and Johnny Berry survived the crash) added the fifth goal from the penalty spot.

Jim Lewis emphasised his pedigree once more by striking twice more in the replay which Avenue may have lost, but their share of the gate receipts from the two matches amounted to around £4,000 – a tidy sum in those days.

United lost to Everton in the Fifth Round but the final was to be forever called the `Matthews Final` as Blackpool finally helped Stan get his first winners` medal in the 4-3 win over Bolton Wanderers.

The Southern League was classed as being the strongest competition outside the Football League at this time.

The teams were deemed as being `professional` and players could earn more being `part-time` than as full-time pros with Football League clubs where the maximum wage still had a good nine years to run before, in 1961, under the leadership of Fulham player and future TV personality Jimmy Hill, the PFA called its members out on strike.

The aim was to force the Football League and the clubs to abolish the maximum wage – a salary cap in today's parlance - which meant players could be paid no more than £20 a week during the season.

However, players could play in the Southern League for similar money and could often earn extra by being `employed` by a club`s chairman or director – often the `employment` being optional!

So, in non-League football elsewhere in the country, the clubs were mainly `amateur`, although again, players could still receive a decent amount of cash through a variety of expenses!

At the end of the 1952/53 season, FA Cup heroes Walthamstow Avenue won the second of their three Isthmian League titles by a comfortable six-point margin from Bromley, who inflicted a 6-0 hammering on Avenue in April, but proved inconsistent.

Jim Lewis top-scored for the fifth season in a row, his league goals coming in just 14 matches, whilst second top scorer Jim Paris scored his 6 in just two games!

Hendon claimed the first of their three Athenian League titles, having been runners-up three times in the previous five seasons.

Reigning champions Wealdstone had to settle for second this time, while third-placed Southall were also FA Amateur Cup semi-finalists.

Crook Town won the Northern League title – their first championship since 1927.

Bishop Auckland, champions for the previous three seasons, were beaten into second spot this time, but reasserted themselves by winning the next three titles – Crook finishing runners-up on each occasion.

Evenwood Town and Willington both reached the last sixteen of the Amateur Cup.

Macclesfield Town won their first Cheshire League title in 20 years.

The 1951/52 winners Wellington Town just missed out on this occasion, while Rhyl proved doughty cup competitors, winning a second successive Welsh Cup, defeating Third Division North side Chester in the final.

They also reached the First Round of the FA Cup, only to be beaten 4-0 by Bradford City for whom a young Yorkshire cricketer called Brian Close bagged a brace.

Amongst the other champions in 52/53 were Wigan Athletic, who finished on top of the Lancashire Combination for the third time in six seasons as well as winning the Lancashire Challenge Trophy and retaining their Lancashire Combination Cup.

Selby Town won the Yorkshire League for the first time in 17 years and reached the First Round of the FA Cup for the very first time.

Dagenham won the first of their three Delphian League titles, whilst Carshalton Athletic won the first of two successive Corinthian League championships.

Barnstaple Town took their first Western League titles on goal difference, whilst Eastern Counties League champions were Gorleston.