Memories from a man who played football when County Durham dominated the FA Amateur Cup

In the 15 years from 1950-1964 the FA Amateur Cup came back to South West Durham on eight occasions. Willington were winners in 1950, Crook Town in 1954, 1959, 1962 and 1964, and Bishop Auckland in 1955, 1956 and 1957. Furthermore in 1950, (Bishop Auckland v Willington) and again in 1954 (Bishop Auckland v Crook Town), South West Durham provided both teams for the Amateur final, incredible.

Sixty years ago, in the 1960-61 season there was a change, both Bishop Auckland and Crook Town fell by the wayside. in the Amateur Cup competition. Crook Town were the first to go, losing 2-0 at Stanley United in a 1st Round replay, Bishop Auckland lost 3-1 at Loughborough Colleges in Round 2.

The West Auckland and Leytonstone teams in the match programme for the 1961 F A Amateur Cup semi-final at Roker Park, Sunderland on Saturday, March 25, 1961

West Auckland became the team that carried the flag for South West Durham. They battled past Penrith in Round 3 after a 1-1 draw at Penrith where the Cumbrian side took the lead when “West” keeper Brian Bowmaker parried Derek Smith’s cross and Albert Clapperton slotted in the rebound, Allen Douglass equalised eight minutes later. The replay at “West” was watched by a crowd of 1,949, Jackie Curtis and Stan Skelton scored for the home side, Robert Watson and Albert Clapperton for Penrith, extra time failed to find a winner. In the second replay at Carlisle ‘West’ won 1-0 with Stan Skelton scoring the winner in the 35th minute.

“West” however, were fighting on two fronts, because they also had the Northern League title in their sights, and hard games brought injuries, which is where Joe Brown came in.

Joe recalled: “I started the season with West Auckland but was transferred to Willington. However, I never played for Willington in the Amateur Cup competition. When the injuries started piling up at ‘West’, Colin Summerson I remember had a broken toe, the club came to see if I would be a guest player for them. I agreed and played in the Amateur Cup quarter-final against Walton and Hersham at home, a game we won 4-1.’

“Colin was still injured for the semi-final at Roker Park against Leytonstone so I played right back in that game. Me and Albert Mendum were ball winners and our coach Johnny Spuhler used to say, ‘When you win the ball get it to Stan, meaning Stan Skelton, because he was our playmaker who passed the ball around well.’

“Colin Summerson had recovered from his broken toe by the time the final at Wembley came along so he returned to the side and I was left out at Wembley. I was bitterly disappointed at the time, but looking back, it would have been awful for Colin to miss the final at Wembley after playing regularly at the start of the season, and playing in the early rounds of the competition.’

The West Auckland FC players celebrate in the dressing room after beating Leytonstone 3-1 (Douglass 1, Skelton 2) in the semi-final of the FA Amateur Cup, at Roker Park, on Saturday, March 25, 1961

“When all the excitement was over I returned to Willington and we played ‘West’ at home near the end of the season. They beat us 6-0. I think Dickie Dowson was playing for Willington then. The same thing happened to him at Crook. He played for Crook in the quarter-final and semi-final of the Amateur Cup but was left out for the final.’

“I did return to West Auckland to play for them again, but also played locally for Escomb, Bakelite and Cockfield.”

Eighty-nine-year-old Sonny Douthwaite, who lives very close to Joe in St Helen's, has fond memories of the semi-final against Leytonstone at Roker Park, for entirely different reasons, he backed the winner of the Grand National.

He said: “My cousin was Syd Douthwaite, the secretary of West Auckland Football Club and landlord of the Eden Arms pub in the village. I served West Auckland and St Helens as a district and county councillor for 26 years. Our group did not use a special supporters bus, or the train, to get to Roker Park for the semi-final, we went by public transport. It was the day of the Grand National and I had backed a grey horse called Nicholas Silver at a big price. One of our group had a radio and I was able to listen to the commentary of the race, and hear the commentator call Nicholas Silver the winner. I’m afraid that is my main memory of the day, but we were all over the moon that ‘West’ had won.”

Thanks this week to Joe Brown, Dave Kidd, Michael Burke, plus Geoff and Barbara Wood, from the Durham Amateur Football Trust.