Magpie Miscellany Part 11

The Southall Catastrophe

Transport to an away match does not always go to plan. Any mention of a trip to Torquay will lead to a reminder of the evening match a few years ago when heavy traffic prevented the coach arriving before 8 pm with a 4-1 defeat ensuing. About 20 years ago those sitting on the coach returning from Heybridge were disturbed to see one of the wheels rolling past, which led to a long wait on the hard shoulder for a replacement vehicle with thankfully no one hurt.

Way back in 1898, a Southern League match at Southall, led to a similar tale for the ages. The outward journey was without incident but the “intense heat” led Captain (and Secretary) Stiv Gibbons to decide he would not play and a replacement was found from the Reserves. Maidenhead won the toss and kicked off with the sun at their backs at 4:30 pm before “a large attendance”.

Southall had won both of their opening league matches and, after a combative start, took the lead through Hobson. Maidenhead equalised with a penalty from Edwards after Collyer had been tripped by Reed. The score remained level at half time. 

Just after the hour mark, Hobson scored twice to complete his hat trick. Alf Walton pulled one back but despite a “more skilful exhibition than their heavy opponents”, Maidenhead were to return home empty handed. 

The late finish and the imminent departure of the next train meant everyone was keen to get back to the station as soon as possible as “Southall is not a desirable place to spend an hour… scarcely inviting and possessing no charm for outsiders”.

With the sun still “blazing” there was no desire to walk the mile back to the station. There was a cab at the football ground but this had already been hired. The remaining four Maidenhead players, and referee Mr Scroggs were spotted by a “genial coster” (someone who sold goods from a cart on the street) who saw a chance to “earn a few honest sixpences”. So he offered to drive the five to the station for a tanner (sixpence)  a head. They eagerly jumped on the cart. “The pony was a goer and away the quintette sailed down the street in the seventh heaven of delight”.

They soon passed club mate Walton who accepted the invitation to jump aboard. Unfortunately this proved to be “the final straw. Without warning snap went both of the shafts and up flew the cart”.

The driver was left “clinging to reins and pulling his nag almost on its haunches, while one end of the barrow was in mid air” with the four passengers flying out of it, “landing in and amongst fruit baskets, while apples, pears, nuts and oranges flew about the roadway”.

“Lowman slid gracefully down the chute head first into a basket, legs well up. Walton, having the shortest distance to fall, was soon on his legs and he at once ran to the nag’s head to prevent it from bolting. Meanwhile, Referee Scroggs and the others sorted themselves out from among the fruit and baskets and bags. They had assumed most grotesque postures, men, bags, baskets and fruit being almost inextricably mixed up. Meanwhile, to complete the picture some lively boys improved the occasion by pocketing nuts and apples, making off when the coster regained his equilibrium”.

Fortunately no one was hurt seriously, so whilst the coster tidied up, “his erstwhile passengers hurried to the station on foot, scarcely able to restrain their hilarity”.  They did have a whip round for the coster to help him pay for any damage or loss. 

What quickly became known as the catastrophe was the “principal topic of conversation among Maidenhead footballers” for the next week with local artist Archibald Smith capturing the incident for posterity, which was made available to buy as a print from Queen Street photographer Bert Richardson.

 Sources:

One for Sorrow, Two for Joy, Mark Smith, 2011

Maidenhead Advertiser

 Magpie Miscellany Part 9

Gale at the double

In March 1934, Geoff Gale achieved the miraculous feat of playing two games for Maidenhead United at the same time. 

Initially selected for the Reserves’ trip to Watford British Legion, Gale kicked off for the second string in the outside right position (right wing). The hosts took an early lead but with Gale to the fore, the Magpies pushed hard for an equaliser, and in the 23rd he played in Dibley. The shot was charged down but Gigg was first to the loose ball to score.

Meanwhile the first team had travelled to Letchworth Town for a Spartan League fixture, The Magpies were pushing hard for the title, and had won their last four league matches, having lost just one all season. However they feared the worst when Brook failed to turn up, forcing United to start the match with ten men. Nevertheless Copas put the league leaders in front in the eighth minute, and Day had doubled the score by the quarter hour mark. Letchworth pulled one back by half time and with the sun and wind about to switch to their favour for the second half would have been confident about completing a remontada with a man advantage.

Fortunately, a plan to save the day was well underway. When it became clear that United would be one short, two club officials had set off from Letchworth to Watford by car, a journey of 25 miles. They arrived at the reserve match just as the equaliser hit the back of the net. Gale asked permission from the referee to leave the pitch and jumped into the car to head back to Letchworth. Left with ten men, the Reserves held on until half time, then collapsed in the second half eventually losing 6-1.

Back at Letchworth, Maidenhead held on valiantly to their lead, and appeared to be revitalised when Gale joined them after twenty minutes of the second half. Yet with eight minutes remaining the home team equalised. Maidenhead’s response was to go “all out” for the winner and in the eighty fifth minute, it was inevitably Gale who scored with a “well timed shot” to win the game by the odd goal in five.

Following the match the presence of Gale’s name on the teamsheets of two matches played simultaneously was spotted by the Spartan League registration secretary who assumed an error had been made. The importance of Gale’s contribution was that it maintained United’s winning run, which would stretch ten matches to the end of the season. This meant captain Fred Hampshire could lift the Spartan League title for the third time. Geoff Gale though would remain a fringe player, making only ten appearances and scoring one more goal for the first team.

Sources:

One for Sorrow, Two for Joy, Mark Smith, 2011

Maidenhead Advertiser

 Magpie Miscellany Part 8

Love grows (where my Magpies go)

The move of music online has led to the recent phenomenon of old hits suddenly reappearing in the charts after being brought to the attention of a new audience. This has happened most notably with the Kate Bush track Running Up that Hill after it featured in the Netflix series Stranger Things. 

Earlier this year Tik Tok user Rosemary Blake sparked thousands of plays of Edison Lighthouse’s one hit wonder Love Grows (where my Rosemary goes) when she used it in a video that went viral and inspired thousands of imitations.

52 years earlier the band played at York Road at the height of their fame. Originally known as Greenfield Hammer they changed their name to Edison Lighthouse with songwriter Tony Burrows on lead vocals. Burrows had a midas touch at the time. When Love Grows became the first new number one of the 70s, staying there for five weeks and selling a quarter of a million copies, he also wrote three other top ten hits in early 1970, leaving the band soon after.

By the time they reached York Road in August their line up comprised of George Weyman (drummer, whom the Advertiser kindly informed readers lived at 57 Portlock Road), Stuart Edwards (lead guitar, Cookham Dean), Dave Taylor (bass, Burnham), Ray Dorey (vocals, Windsor) and Malcolm Holland (organ, Windsor).

They came to the football club, not to play a concert, but to train for a charity match in Woking. They were to form part of an Entertainers XI to play a DJs XI to raise money for Guide Dogs for the Blind.

There was no news of the match itself but they remain to the very best of my knowledge the last chart topping band to play York Road.

Sources:

Maidenhead Advertiser

https://www.goldradiouk.com/news/music/edison-lighthouse-love-grows-rosemary-tiktok/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edison_Lighthouse

 Magpie Miscellany Part 7

Saint Slayers

Every year as the leaves fall from the trees, hopes rise that the Magpies can break one of the oldest records in the FA Cup. Since 1887 the club has tried in vain to return to the second round proper of the competition, and with every year that passes the record for the most seasons between second round ties is extended. Our elevation to the peak of Non-League football has in theory made this feat easier with just two wins required but it has only served to highlight our lack of giant killing power. Last season was the thirteenth time the club had fallen at the first round hurdle since that second round 3-2 defeat in November 1886 at the hands of Dulwich.

Six of those ties have been against Football League opposition, but valiant draws at home to Aldershot Town and away at Port Vale notwithstanding, the word cupset is yet to enter the lexicon of the modern Maidenhead fan.

130 years ago however, Maidenhead won away at one of the leading clubs in England. On this day in 1892, a 6-2 win at Chesham Generals set up an “English Cup” Second Qualifying Round tie at St. Marys, the club now known as Southampton. The win at Chesham so delighted the travelling supporters that they, according to the Advertiser’s ‘Trifler’, offered a few shillings to the local band to play ‘See the Conquering Hero Comes’ when the Maidenhead team left the field, an offer which was declined by the musicians.

St. Marys had beaten Newbury 4-1 at the same stage in front of a crowd of “several thousand”. This led Trifler to look ahead to the tie and comment that “the exchequer will stand a little gold lining. Of course they [Maidenhead] don’t expect to win, but they mean to make a good fight of it”.

‘Trifler’ travelled to Southampton with club Secretary W.G. Dance and upon arrival at the Antelope Cricket Ground was greeted by “a strong smell of embrocation, and I found that nearly every Saint was being rubbed with it.” This prompted him to muse “they mean business; we are in for it today”. 

Maidenhead had only nine of the team dressed in red and black. ‘Gus Mead who announced to ‘Trifler’ that “I'll show you something today” was wearing white whilst Street wore his Temperance shirt. The Saints wore their traditional red and white striped shirts. “Netted goals were used and they proved a distinct boon”.

 

Maidenhead won the toss, and unlike games at York Road these days, elected to kick up the slope, due to having the wind in their favour. On the attack from the kick off, Maidenhead soon took the lead in the fifteenth minute with a header from Clark. 

Keeping the hosts on the back foot, Jinny Janes doubled the lead before half time with “beyond doubt the finest piece of play of the day”. 

From a Saints corner, Janes “wriggled the ball clear, and getting through the halves and full backs by the aid of Wilmore, he went away at a terrific pace, with his opponents in pursuit like a pack of hounds, but he gained at every step, and halting in front of goal, gently put the ball in on one side of the terrified goalkeeper, amid prolonged cheering”.

After the break the home team appeared to “have all gone to pieces and were outplayed at every point”. In the 55th minute Janes struck a free kick “which the goalkeeper went on all fours to save, but he failed” and so Maidenhead extended their lead to 3 goals. Two minutes later Janes went on to complete his hat trick and despite the home supporters “appealing in a piteous strain ‘Play up Saints - Do get one’”, Maidenhead ran out surprise 4-0 winners. The crowd of “nearly” three thousand produced estimated gate receipts of £40 (worth £5,648.79 in 2022).

‘Trifler’ then hastened to the telegraph office and at 5:20 pm the news was posted in Messrs Good and Wyatt’s window to a large waiting crowd of Maidonians.

In the following, penultimate, qualifying round, Maidenhead lost 3-0 at Great Marlow. Our oldest local rivals went onto reach the first round proper, losing 3-1 at home to Middlesbrough Ironopolis.

Both Maidenhead and St. Marys, who now added the prefix Southampton, joined the new Southern League in 1894 with contrasting fortunes. Maidenhead struggled in the second division before resigning from the league in 1902. After winning their first Southern League title in 1897, Southampton dropped their historic suffix and went onto win the championship a further five times in the next seven seasons, as well as reaching the FA Cup Final twice in this period. With the Football League based in the north and midlands with the exception of Woolwich Arsenal, it is fair to claim that Southampton were one of the best teams in the country at the turn of the century. Therefore Maidenhead’s win in Hampshire in 1892 must rank as the club’s one bona fide giant killing extraordinaire.

Sources:

Southampton & Hampshire Express 5/11/92

One for Sorrow, Two for Joy, Mark Smith, 2011

Maidenhead Advertiser