Great FA Trophy Runs of the Past

As it`s FA Trophy weekend, I thought we`d take a look back at some of the best performances by Southern Football League clubs in the competition.

The Trophy has been dominated by the National League clubs in the main in recent years, but there have been some joy for our clubs over the years.

We`ll start at the very beginning 1969/70 – the first year of the competition, which, along with the FA Vase, was basically to eventually replace the old FA Amateur Cup due to the plethora of clubs turning semi-professional at the time.

There were 294 entrants for the very first FA Trophy draw from clubs mainly from the Northern Premier, Southern and Isthmian League clubs, although there were clubs from other leagues such as the Midland and Cheshire leagues.

Telford, who had changed their name from Wellington in the summer, had appointed former Wolves and England star Ron Flowers as their manager in the summer of 1969 – just three years after he had been a member of the World Cup-winning side – rightly and belatedly being awarded an MBE along with Jimmy Greaves in the recent New Year`s Honours List.

Telford began their inaugural Trophy campaign with a Third Qualifying Round tie with a then-Cheshire League Witton Albion side.

There had been two earlier rounds, but the Bucks and Witton were both exempt until the last qualifying stage.

Flowers` (pictured) men sailed through, winning 5-0.

Telford`s side was a good mix of experienced ex-pros like Flowers and his former Wolves team-mate Jimmy Murray and young, up and coming younger players such as Johnny Ray (24), Geoff Croft (23) and 21-year-olds Allan Harris and Paul Coton.

Next up for the Bucks was a trip to Ilkeston Town, then in the Midland League.

And this tricky test was overcome 2-0 to earn a Second Round tie against a powerful Wigan Athletic outfit, who were just coming to the boil in the Northern Premier League – a run which would eventually see them as being elected into the Football League.

Wigan, who finished second at the end of this season and won the league the following year, were beaten 1-0 at the Buck`s Head.

That saw Telford in the hat for the Third Round which paired them with league rivals Romford.

The Essex side had been quite a powerful force in the Southern Premier Division for the previous six seasons, finishing outside the top seven only once and winning the title in 1966/67.

However, they were struggling a bit when Telford travelled down to Brooklands for the tie but were reasonably happy to earn a replay after a 1-1 draw.

The replay at the Buck`s Head saw Flowers` side triumph 2-1 and they already knew that it was to be another league rival, Worcester City, who awaited them in the quarter-final – and away at St George`s Lane.

Worcester were not having a particularly good season in the league but were managed by Flowers` former Wolves colleague Eddie Stuart and had ex-Aston Villa, Torino, Inter Milan and England striker Gerry Hitchens leading their attack.

But the Bucks had too much for City on the day and booked a semi-final spot, courtesy of a 3-1 win.

It was to be yet another Southern League rival in high-flying Chelmsford City, who finished third that season, in the semi-final.

The semi-finals back then were one-legged affairs played on neutral grounds.

It was Swindon Town`s County Ground who hosted the Telford United v Chelmsford City encounter.

Telford held their nerve to win 2-0 and a dream visit to the Twin Towers was booked.

Northern Premier League Macclesfield Town, who had seen off Telford`s league rivals Barnet in their semi-final, would be their opponents.

It was a great year for the Silkmen – in stark contrast to the last year or so - who captured the locals’ imagination by also winning the Northern Premier League.

Their semi-final win over Barnet at the Victoria Ground, then the home of Stoke City, saw just under 8,000 attend a hard-fought 1-0 win.

The first FA Trophy Final on May 2nd, 1970 at Wembley saw 28,000 witness a rather comfortable 2-0 win for Macclesfield, with the second and clinching goal coming from Brian Fidler.

Flowers` side knew they had under-performed and were determined to do better if they got the chance.

Few would have thought it would come so quickly!

In truth, season 1970/71 was a disappointing one in the league for Telford and they finished 17th out of 22.

But the Trophy was a different matter.

Telford were exempt to the First Round where, interestingly, they were drawn at home to Bradford Park Avenue, now in the Northern Premier League and in their first season in non-League football after being voted out of the Football League.

They were a poor outfit, however, and Telford hammered them 6-1.

Next up was Park Avenue`s league rivals South Shields, who were beaten even more convincingly, 7-1 at the Buck`s Head.

A tricky away tie to Southern League Division One side Burton Albion was overcome 2-0 and up next was another awkward trip to West Midlands (Regional) Leaguers Tamworth in the quarter-finals.

The Bucks held the Lambs to a 1-1 draw before making it 22 goals in five FA Trophy ties with another 6-1 hammering.

It was league rivals Yeovil Town, who would go on to become champions, who stood between Telford and a return trip to Wembley.

The semi-final was again on a neutral ground and Telford duly triumphed 3-1 at West Bromwich Albion`s Hawthorns.

Awaiting the Bucks on the hallowed turf this time were Southern Premier rivals Hillingdon Borough.

Former Fulham and England full-back Jim Langley managed Hillingdon, so it was the first final to be held when both managers had been England internationals!

Langley played but this time Flowers was missing and his place was taken by Graham Carr (left), later of course to become a well-known manager in his own right.

However, apart from Brian Hart`s place being taken by Joey Owen, the Telford side was the same as took the field a year earlier.

This time though the Bucks didn`t leave empty-handed as goals from Owen, the prolific Jack Bentley and Micky Fudge edged it, with Boro replying through Eddie Reeve and John Bishop, who scored the opening goal.

Telford weren’t as fortunate as the decade progressed, although they did reach the semi-finals the following year, and, in December 1977, under the the management of England World Cup Final hero Geoff Hurst, they were humbled 4-2 by West Midlands (Regional) League side Hednesford Town in the third qualifying round.

However, the club`s record of five appearances in the final is unequalled and only Scarborough and Woking can match the three occasions the Trophy has been lifted by the Bucks.

Telford, now an established Conference side, featured prominently again in the 1983/84 FA Trophy campaign which was a good one for Southern League clubs.

The introduction of the Alliance Premier League (Conference) in 1979/80 had seen teams from the top division begin to dominate the Trophy competition.

But 83/84 saw seven Southern League clubs battle through to the Second Round and AP Leamington from the APL in 1981/82, reached the quarter-finals.

AP Leamington, Fisher Athletic, Chelmsford City and Welling United from the Southern Premier Division and Aylesbury United, Bromsgrove Rovers and Merthyr Tydfil from the Midland Division made it through to the last 32.

In the First Round, the Brakes` powerful attack of Kim Casey and Cliff Campbell helped them edge out Northern Premier Leaguers Witton Albion away, while Fisher beat league rivals Gloucester City after a replay.

Chelmsford knocked out Barrie Williams` Sutton United at the then-Isthmian Premier club`s Gander Green Lane patch, while Welling beat league rivals Hastings United 2-1 at Park View Road.

Aylesbury caused an upset by winning 1-0 at Mayesbrook Park against Isthmian League Premier Division Barking, and Bromsgrove also produced a surprise by knocking out Northern Premier League outfit South Liverpool 2-1 at the Victoria Ground.

However, pride of place had to go to Merthyr, who beat Eddie McCluskey`s Enfield side 2-0 at Penydarren Park.

Enfield had been Alliance Premier champions the season before and had also won the Trophy in 1981/82 by beating Altrincham at Wembley, so it was a major scalp for Fred Davies` Martyrs.

Merthyr`s reward was another home tie against Graham Allner`s (pictured) emerging Kidderminster Harriers outfit, who were about to become a force in the Conference having come up from the Southern League at the end of the previous season.

Harriers edged it 1-0 to see the end of Merthyr`s run.

Aylesbury`s reward for their shock win was a home draw against another Conference side, Northwich Victoria.

Now managed by former Altrincham legend John King, the Vics had been one of the power forces in the APL`s early days and although they finished seventh at the end of this season and ninth in 84/85, they lost their way rather after that.

However, they did just enough at Buckingham Road in front of just under 1000 to see off the Ducks 1-0.

Fisher were held to a 1-1 draw at Isthmian Division One side Windsor & Eton but triumphed 4-0 in the replay with Paul Shinners in sparking form in attack for a Dockers side who were to finish as runners-up that season.

The other Midland Division side, Bromsgrove, had to get past Isthmian Premier outfit Wycombe Wanderers if they were to make progress and Bobby Hope`s men managed to achieve another upset with a 2-0 win in front of a crowd of 1,195.

Chelmsford faced a tricky test at New Writtle Street against Isthmian Premier side Hendon but sealed a place in round three with a 2-1 win.

As for AP Leamington and Welling – they had been paired together at the Windmill Ground and the hosts secured a comfortable 4-1 win to go through.

So, the Southern League had four representatives in the last 16 of the competition and were guaranteed one side in the quarter-finals as AP Leamington and Chelmsford had been paired together.

The Brakes showed little mercy on their Essex rivals, running out 4-0 winners at the Windmill with Alan Ollis bagging a brace, Cliff Campbell one and an own goal.

However, Jim Watson`s Leamington were the only team to survive from the Southern League that day.

Fisher were beaten by a Jimmy Williams goal for Northern Premier Marine at home, while Bromsgrove`s run came to an end at Conference side Telford, for whom Eddie Hogan and Dean Edwards sealed a place in the last eight for Stan Storton`s side.

The quarter-final draw could have been worse for AP Leamington as they were handed a home tie against a Bangor City side who were struggling in the Conference.

<5> However, it was an unhappy afternoon for the Brakes and their supporters in the 915 crowd as Mark Carter (pictured), who would go on to become one of the best strikers in the league and an England semi-professional international regular, netted a hat-trick as the Citizens hammered their hosts 6-1.

Kevin Westwood, Bruce Urquhart and Jerry Banks added the other City goals, with a Kim Casey effort being scant consolation for the hosts.

If there was to be some solace later the Leamington fans it was that Bangor went on to reach the final, Dave Elliott’s side becoming the first from Wales to play at the Twin Towers since 1927 when Cardiff City beating mighty Arsenal 1-0 in the final of the FA Cup.

Unfortunately for Bangor, their successful cup runs that 83-84 campaign had left them with a huge backlog of league fixtures.

In the two weeks between the FA Trophy semi-final and the final itself, City were forced to play no less than ten league games, five of which were lost, thereby condemning them to relegation back to the Northern Premier League.