tonyd
1st team Player
Posts: 1,496 
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Post by tonyd on Apr 4, 2013 12:24:43 GMT
But back in those days we had Woking, Tooting, Dulwich, Casuals and Kingstonian in the (single division) Isthmian and a rivalry with the top Athenian clubs Redhill, Leatherhead, Walton & Hersham. Incredible, of that group, only Woking are above us, Kingston are one division lower, and all the rest are two divisions below us. The only clubs that are playing now are only one division below us than back in the late sixties are Met Police and the Bobbins (not for much longer).
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DaveF
1st team Player
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Post by DaveF on Apr 4, 2013 12:33:59 GMT
Yes, the whole environment for non-league football was very different in the 60s and early 70s. For a start, there was a distinction between amateur leagues and semi-pro players (eg Southern League). There were "hot beds" of top amateur clubs, including Cheshire and the North-East plus various areas around the South East with, as you say, lots of top sides in Surrey. The SSC was very competitive. Dagenham and Slough were Athenian League clubs but for long periods could have claimed to be amongst the ten strongest amateur sides in England.
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Post by Stewart on Apr 4, 2013 13:37:56 GMT
and often the London Charity Cup (which was the route into the London Challenge Cup) and South Thames Cup. SSC ties were played on Saturdays and the gates were not significantly different to league games. Do you have any idea on the crowds back then? I do remember an old work colleague who had to get to a game early just to get a place on the perimeter fence  |
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DaveF
1st team Player
Posts: 1,726
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Post by DaveF on Apr 4, 2013 15:34:11 GMT
KBB might have a better idea of the numbers, but certainly into 4-figures in the 60s and even 800 or so was common well into the 70s. Of course, going back into the 1950s the gates were generally much higher, especially the derby matches.
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tonyd
1st team Player
Posts: 1,496
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Post by tonyd on Apr 4, 2013 15:41:46 GMT
and often the London Charity Cup (which was the route into the London Challenge Cup) and South Thames Cup. SSC ties were played on Saturdays and the gates were not significantly different to league games. Do you have any idea on the crowds back then? I do remember an old work colleague who had to get to a game early just to get a place on the perimeter fence I have a newspaper clipping about the Leeds match which says that the following Saturday we would be back to the normal 1,200 crowd for the game against Leatherhead. It would be nice if that was normal now! |
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Post by Del on Apr 4, 2013 15:47:37 GMT
I seem to remember regular crowds of 1500 about that time.I had my spot on the perimeter fence by the stand at the GGL end.Toilets to the right now deep in undergrowth!
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markf
Top Performer
Posts: 3,326
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Post by markf on Apr 4, 2013 18:14:02 GMT
The largest home gate I have seen recorded against fellow nl (in this case amateur) opposition was 8,000 for a cup tie in the late 50's against T&M. The Amateur Cup generally produced bigger gates than league matches, especially if the oppo was attractive (a team from the north or one of the class acts of the day).
The 1966 FAC 1st round tie at Bath attracted a crowd of 6,414 - 400 or so from Sutton. Bath's average back then was just over 2,000. The AC sf at Fulham in 1963 only produced a gate of just over 7,000 described as disappointing.
With regards the London Challenge Cup, I believe you had to be finalists in either the Charity or Senior Cups to qualify.
With regards to cup comps entered, in 67/8 U's entered the FAC, AC, SSC, London Senior, L Charity and South Thames Cup. They reached the final of the LCC, SSC and STC, winning the latter two. In all they played 65 competitive matches inc 27 cup ties! The following season they played in the same comps plus the London Chall but played 9 less cup ties bowing out of the LSC & SSC in the 1st round and not completing the STC competition (played the semi in May 1970!!). The team even fit in a Mick Mayes Shield match with Robins - the only thing they won that season.
We'd be playing until June if all that lot was on this season's calendar.
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Post by Duke on Apr 4, 2013 20:41:13 GMT
Godalming 2-1 Met Police
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Millsy
1st team skipper
Posts: 2,246
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Post by Millsy on Apr 4, 2013 21:11:00 GMT
Godalming's winner scored by Adam FOULSER.
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Post by os on Apr 10, 2013 0:43:39 GMT
Are we sure we are playing AFC Wimbledon tomorrow night? They don't seem to mention such a fixture on their website, their next match being on Sat against Exeter City? I know they are a massive club nowadays but I thought it was still a first team fixture?
Do any AFCW fans know they are actually playing a match tomorrow night.
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Post by sallycat on Apr 10, 2013 8:03:54 GMT
An interesting question - perhaps better asked on their forum! ;-)
I'll ask my Womble friends what the interest is like at their end.
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Post by Stewart on Apr 10, 2013 8:58:07 GMT
I was told last night we would get between 100 and 200 AFC fans. I did not think it would be that many!
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Post by sallycat on Apr 10, 2013 9:14:24 GMT
Who told you that?
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Post by Stewart on Apr 10, 2013 9:49:03 GMT
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Post by Stewart on Apr 10, 2013 9:53:44 GMT
Young striker on the mark again in defeatwww.afcwimbledon.co.uk/news/article/under-18s-v-stevenage-759868.aspxPromising striker George Oakley enhanced his growing reputation with another fine goal for Wimbledon Under-18s on Saturday. The Dons youngsters let a 2-0 lead slip to lose 3-2 at Stevenage, but Oakley continued his rich vein of scoring form in the defeat and struck the crossbar with another effort. Wimbledon Academy Manager, Mark Robinson, said: “After the game their manager (George O’Keefe) reckoned George was the best striker they had played against all season and he could not believe he is a first year Under-18. George bullied their defenders for the whole game and his goal was almost a replica of the excellent goal he scored against Peterborough last week. “The boys needed to be together more as a collective group to see the game out at 2-0. At that stage it looked like we would score at any time again, but they got a goal out of nothing and that meant there was a big change in the match. It was a good game and there were a lot of positives to take as we created so many chances.” Mark Robinson decided to rest key players Charlie Fayers, Chace Jacquart and Youssouf Bamba because they will be involved in Thursday night’s first-team fixture when the Dons visit Sutton United in a Surrey Senior Cup semi-final. However, without that trio, it was all going so well up until the hour mark. Khan Williams-Mitchell notched the opener after good work from Tom Beere, who also provided the assist for Oakley’s goal just before the hour. That signalled a spirited Stevenage fightback though and Wimbledon will be aiming to finish their Football League Youth Alliance campaign on a high with just two matches left this season.
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