Vol 12.19 The London Senior Cup

Non-Hampton & Richmond Borough related posts.
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Les1949
Posts: 418
Joined: Thu Jun 24, 2021 3:59 pm

HAMPTON, AROUND AND ABOUT

Things you may not know, or didn’t know you knew!

No 19 LONDON SENIOR CUP
28 Years Playing Membership of the London FA

Three seasons after gaining Senior Status, Hampton became members of the London Football Association. The club remained playing members from 1962/63 until 1989/90. The London FA was set up in 1882 and is unique in that it is the only Association set up by the Football Association. The London FA covers the area within 12 miles of Charing Cross and overlaps several other FA’s including the Middlesex FA.

During the period of 28 seasons, Hampton also took part in competitions organised by the Middlesex FA, so were playing in two county affiliated cup tournaments at the same time. Fixture congestion was often a problem, assisted in part by the club’s installation of floodlights at the end of 1966/67.

Located as they were on the very edge of the administrative area of the London FA, the club found themselves travelling all over London, from Walton & Hersham, here in the West, Barnet in the North, East Ham United out East and Croydon in the South. The first few years of competition would have seen Hampton playing clubs at a much higher level than Surrey Senior, Spartan & Athenian league sides that they were used to playing against, but, it did show the level of ambition that surrounded the club after its elevation from Junior (Grassroots) Football.

In all, 67 matches were played in the competition with the most successful period during seasons 1986/87 & 1987/88 when the team made it to two Cup Finals. During the majority of the seasons it was often a case of turning up for a game and exiting the competition after 90 minutes – not really surprising given the quality of the opposition.

1964/65 was a highpoint however. In a 1st Round game in 1964/65, Sutton United, of the Isthmian League, were beaten 3-2 at Beveree, Joe Dowling (2) and Lance Wintle seeing off the U’s. The next round wasn’t until February and it took 3 games for Athenian League’s, Barnet to edge past Hampton. A 2-2 draw at Beveree (Johnny Whing & Ken Merry), was followed by a 2-2 draw, after extra time, at Underhill, before Barnet scraped through, 1-0, played at a neutral Wealdstone.

That was as good as it got until the two unsuccessful Cup Appearances in the late 1980s.

The Beavers had to battle their way through 7 matches (including a four-game marathon semi-final against Erith & Belvedere) during the 1986/87 season. Kingstonian were the opposition in a final played at Enfield FC’s Southbury Road ground. Ks won 2-1 in front of a crowd of 527, Malcolm Dickenson scoring the lone reply, from a penalty.


The next season they were back for another final. Just 5 matches this time were required, including a replay win against Bromley in the semi-final. Fisher Athletic, of the Conference, provided the opposition. Hampton & Fisher played out a 1-1 draw, after extra time at Fisher’s ground, John Hales scoring for the Beavers. The replay, at Beveree, went the way of Fisher by a 2-1 scoreline, Ricky Walkes, Hampton’s scorer (who will remain as Hampton’s top scorer in the London Senior Cup, with 7 goals!).

The Beavers would only take part for two more season before consigning their participation to the competition to history.


The Old Historian
Jamie
Posts: 470
Joined: Thu Jan 21, 2021 11:51 am

It's so odd for some of us not knowing what it was like to have multiple replays to decide a winner. It must have been a nightmare for fixture congestion.

1 replay then extra time and then a penalty shoot out, certainly makes a lot more sense.

Hopefully replays will return in next years FA cup.
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