70 YEARS AGO
NO matter who you are, where you live, or who you support, you have to admit that the 1954 FA Amateur Cup final between Bishop Auckland and Crook Town, played in front of 100,000 fans at Wembley, was one helluva football match.
Legendary BBC commentator Kenneth Wolstenholme called it "the best two hours of sport in 1954", and who are we to argue with Wolstenholme?
Geographically, the two clubs were separated by just five miles, but the game at Wembley, and the replays at St James’s Park, Newcastle, and Ayresome Park, Middlesbrough, were even closer.
Nearly 200,000 fans watched the three games, a record for a cup final in England.
The game lasted 330 minutes, the longest Amateur Cup final on record.
Nine goals were scored, five of them by Crook, three by their centre forward Kenny Harrison, which enabled the “black and ambers” to eventually win this marathon final.
At Wembley, there was nothing between the two teams at Wembley as, after extra time, the game ended 2-2. This scoreline was repeated at St James’s Park in the first replay, until a single goal, scored by schoolteacher Harrison, separated the noisy neighbours at the third attempt at Ayresome Park.
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But True Blue supporters will argue that their side scored a good goal in that second replay, when Ray Oliver headed into the net early in the game, but referee Alf Bond blew for a foul by him on the Crook skipper Bobby Davison.
There was loads of brainpower on the pitch which might explain the intelligent and attractive football. Eight players were either schoolteachers or would work in education later in their lives: Harry Sharratt, Dave Marshall, Ron Fryer, and Bobby Hardisty, for Bishop Auckland, Bert Steward, John Taylor, Ron Thompson and Ken Harrison for Crook Town.
There was also loads of class, as 11 players involved in the game were current amateur internationals or would later win amateur international caps: Sharratt, Fryer, Tommy Stewart, Hardisty, Corbett Cresswell, Oliver and Seamus O'Connell for Bishop Auckland, Bobby Davison, John Taylor, Harrison and Jimmy McMillan for Crook.
Keeping to class, eight players had played in the Football League or would go on to turn professional: Sharratt, Hardisty, Cresswell, Jackie Major, Barrie Wilkinson, and O'Connell for Bishop Auckland and Fred Jarrie and Ken Williamson for Crook.
Indeed, only six months after the final, O'Connell, the Bishop inside left, made his debut for Chelsea in Division 1 against Manchester United. He had failed to score against Crook Town in the three games of the final, but was able to hit three goals against United, who had Ray Wood in goal, Bill Foulkes at right back and Duncan Edwards at left half. That must say a lot about the standard of the players in the Crook Town defence.
In the weeks running up to the final, Crook enlisted the help of Newcastle United player Joe Harvey who met them at St James's for training and talks. Centre half and skipper Davison said that the running they did with Harvey was so intense he couldn't walk downstairs the next morning and had to slide down on his backside because the muscles in the back of his legs were so tight and sore.
However, Jimmy McMillan said the only tactical help they received from the Newcastle player was: "If you are winning, and there is not much time left, hit the ball towards their corner flags."
At Wembley, Nimmins broke a shin bone in the first five minutes and left the game. Then, after 20 minutes, the Crook inside left Williamson hobbled off with a knee injury but did return to stand on the wing and be of nuisance value if nothing else.
Bishop took an early lead when an O'Connell free kick landed at the feet of Dixon who shot past Jarrie, but Crook were soon level when a left foot shot by their inside right, Thompson, squirmed under Sharratt's body.
Oliver restored the Bishop lead before half time before Appleby equalised again for Crook in the second half.
No goals in extra time so it was off to St James’s Park nine days later where two goals from Harrison put the Black and Ambers 2-0 ahead after only four minutes, a lead they held until the interval. Bishop, though, would not be denied and two goals from Cullercoats lifeboatman Oliver meant both teams had to go to Ayresome Park for the third instalment of this exciting final.
In Middlesbrough, Bishop number 9 Oliver had a goal ruled out after only 10 minutes for a foul on Davison before Harrison shot past Sharratt on 40 minutes to put Crook ahead. In the second half Crook never looked like losing their one goal advantage.
A bus brought the victorious players home to Crook that evening. There are stories of unpleasant things being flung at it from the terraced houses as it went down Newton Cap bank on the edge of Bishop Auckland, but the scenes when it arrived in Crook at 10pm were joyous.
The Crook Church Lads Brigade, led by Roy Spence, had the thrill of leading the team bus to the club’s Millfield ground where there were more than 15,000 people.
Club president Bill Parkin said: "It was certainly a grand reception the townspeople gave us, the whole town went wild."
Crook Town players Tommy Riley, Jimmy McMillan, Bert Steward, Eddie Appleby, John Coxon, Ken Harrison, Fred Jarrie, John Taylor, Bill Jeffs, Ron Thompson and Bobby Davison holding Cup celebrate after beating Bishop Auckland 1-0 in the re-replay
- To celebrate the 70th anniversary of the 1954 FA Amateur Cup Final between Bishop Auckland and Crook Town, John Phelan is giving an illustrated talk at Darlington library on Friday, April 19 from 2.30pm. He show photographs and film footage of the match. The cost is £3 and booking is required. To book, go to www2.darlington.gov.uk or, for details, call 01325-349630
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