Those Were The Days; 18th May 1968

[Les1949]

THOSE WERE THE DAYS
18th May 1968

Spartan League

Staines Town 0 Hampton 1 (McCormick, 70’)

Staines Town;-
Peter Archer; W Lynsky, Paul Archer, E Browning, R Watmore, B Thorpe, J Howarth, P Bending, N Warner, C Wheeler, A Carroll.

Hampton;-
Joe Andrews; Alan Earl, Brian Smith, Don Aldridge, Graham Belcher, Ken Merry, Syd Carter, Mickey Garman, Peter Allen (Terry McCormack, 65’), Dave Timberlake, Arthur Rowlands.

Hampton needed to win all of their final games to have the chance to lift the Spartan Lague championship, two of which were against local rivals, Staines Town. Wheeler gave Staines the first chance, but Earl was on hand to clear the danger. Peter Archer then had to make a save from Aldridge. Andrews then made a save from another effort by Wheeler. Two minutes before half time, Staines were awarded a penalty for handball. Wheeler stepped up but Andrews dived to push the ball away saved Wheeler’s follow-up and then dived onto the ball to prevent Bending scoring. McCormick came on to replace Allen who had to leave the pitch with a head injury. With twenty minutes to go a fierce Rowlands shot was only half-held by Archer, McCormick raced in to hit the ball home. Andrews still had work to do as Staines pressed Hampton all the way to the end of the game. Despite remaining unbeaten for the remaining three games, Hampton would end the season as runners-up to Tring Town by a single point (a result of drawing at Molesey on 23rd May).


The Old Historian