Back (from left): Paddy Mullen, Alistair Brack, Stan Round, Ernie Ward, Howard Madley, David MacLaren, Glyn Collins, Alan Wood, Bobby McEwan, John Warrington, John Wood. Front: Bill Jackman (assistant trainer), Gerry Graham, Trevor Peck, Barry Gould, Bill Jones (manager/secretary), Bobby Stephenson, George Bassett, Wilf Grant (trainer)
Although 1967/68 was a championship in the strict sense, it was more a case of City recovering ground lost due to relegation from the Southern League Premier Division the previous season.
Several players, notably Bobby McEwan, George Bassett, Howard Madley, Paddy Mullen and Ally Brack were retained as manager Bill Jones signed players with a reputation for commitment, who could deliver promotion, rather than the veterans who had let him down the previous year.
Into the former category fell Frank Upton and Dave MacLaren, both FA coaches of considerable Football League experience.
A small fee went to Burton Albion for prolific goalscorer Stan Round, flying winger Ernie Ward joined from Lockheed Leamington, and promising striker John Warrington signed from Birmingham City.
A Warwickshire County cricketer, Warrington was joined by another familiar with the summer game, midfielder Bobby Stephenson, a Hampshire wicketkeeper, who was signed for a small fee from Leamington.
Two players were destined to leave for large transfer fees as the season unfolded.
The talented but unsettled Eddie Bailham (pictured) went to Wimbledon for £2,500 in October, and Frank Upton accepted an offer to join Workington - then a Football League club - as player-manager for £1,650 in December.
City spent the Bailham cash wisely, investing in Gerry Graham from Cambridge United.
After a shock defeat by Folkestone in the first home match, City put together what was eventually a 23-match unbeaten run to establish themselves as Southern League Division 0ne title favourites.
The run was only ended by a controversial 1-0 defeat away to fellow championship contenders Kettering Town, when City goalkeeper Dave MacLaren, having gathered a corner, was literally kicked into the net.
With Gerry Graham converted to a centre-forward, City soon put this set back behind them and eventually won the Division One championship with several matches to spare.
Goals flowed from Graham 18, Round 17, Ward 11 and Bailham 10 as City scored 5 goals on no less than six occasions, whilst at the other end, Dave MacLaren kept 17 clean sheets.
To celebrate the championship, there was a vintage car procession and Civic Reception was held by the City Council. Success increased average League gates to 2,089.
In a gruelling season, City also played in a further 30 cup matches.
The FA Cup was marked by a marathon three-game encounter with Halesowen Town, eventually settled by a magical goal from Ernie Ward after leaving Halesowen defenders trailing in an 80-yard run in a second replay at Kidderminster Harriers.
In the next round City, perhaps tired out, lost 4-0 at Stourbridge. It was the biggest disappointment of an otherwise memorable season.
City finished runners-up in the Midland Floodlit Cup with John Warrington scoring 9 goals, but in concentrating on the league, were eliminated early from Worcestershire Senior and Southern League Cup competitions.
At the end of the season, City sold Gerry Graham to Workington for £1,000 and released John Warrington, Bobby Stephenson and reserve keeper Glyn Collins as rebuilding for the renewed challenge of Premier Division football began.
Worcester`s expected title challengers, Kettering Town, duly followed them back up into the Premier Division as runners-up, two points adrift of City and they were joined by another `big` non-League name in Bedford Town and Rugby Town.
Kettering, with player-manager Steve Gammon orchestrating things from midfield, only clinched promotion on the last week of the season in an exciting finale which saw second separated from seventh by just three points.
Gammon had re-built the Poppies in the summer of 1967 after missing out on promotion the previous season.
And a nice blend of experience with former Football League players like Harry Walden, Tony Needham and the manager himself, and a crop of local youngsters such as the Dalby brothers, Barry and John, Kenny Evans, Mick Reed, Mick Goodall and goalkeeper Phil Coe and a promising young full back called Roger Ashby!
The first season back in the Premier Division saw Worcester finish in fifth place and Kettering in ninth, although they did have the consolation of reaching the Third Round of the FA Cup before bowing out in a reply at Rockingham Road to Third Division Bristol Rovers.
(Worcester City FC)
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