Erith & Belvedere               1          Dudley 75

London Caledonians        1          Noble 60

FA Amateur Cup semi-final, 15 March 1924 (at Ilford, att 8,200)

Erith & Belvedere               0

London Caledonians        0

Replay, 22 March 1924 (at Crystal Palace, att 10,000)

Erith & Belvedere               3          Dudley 27, Beckford 44, McKee 70

London Caledonians        1          Sloan 25

2nd replay, 27 March 1924 (at Stamford Bridge, att 10,000)

 

Continuing the series counting down the 100 most memorable games in our history.  Today, a three-match epic for a massive prize.

 

In only our second season in existence, the Deres recorded a massive achievement.And no summary I could write of the Amateur Cup run could match the verve of this account from the local paper.

 

AMATEUR CUP FINALISTS

 

What has taken the Erith and Belvedere team into the final of the Amateur Cup?In view of the club’s victories this season over Slough, Esh Winning, Royal Marines, Botwell Mission and now London Caledonians, it is interesting to take a glance back at these matches and try to spot Erith’s winning factors.

 

I have seen all the matches played by the club in the FA Amateur Cup, and right through the series one or two facts have impressed themselves on the mind.

 

Take the matches against the RMLI.At Chatham on January 19th, in weather unusually rough, the Erith team did exceedingly well to draw.Early in the game they had five players injured, and before the match ended in extra-time three others were crocked – yet they held on and forced a replay.

 

On their own ground on January 26th Erith easily defeated the Marines, giving a display then which led many of us to fancy them for the final.In that match they were on top practically throughout the game, and literally cantered home on a pitch which was deep in mud and water.

 

Before that, on January 5th, at Park View, Belvedere, the club knocked out the Spartan League leaders, Slough, by 5-3.That match will always be remembered for the return of Billy Swayne.That day he played at centre-half in place of Dudley, and it was to his credit that Slough’s crack forwards were held.In this game Erith were twice in arrears, the score at half-time being 2-3; yet in the last half-hour they were better than ever and simply over-ran the Slough defence.

 

The match against Esh Winning on February 16th is the only one in the series where the Deres failed to reproduce their best form.The ground then was in a clinging state, and with the northern team of much inferior class, the match was but a shadow of the others.Still, Erith won comfortably, their goalkeeper only having to stop two or three shots.

 

When Erith and Belvedere were drawn against Botwell Mission away in the fourth round, many critics would not hear of further progress by the local club.Botwell, the famous team that had won match after match and forced Brentford to replay in the English Cup!Botwell, the team with such wonderful forwards!

 

Erith and Belvedere met them on March 1st at Hayes, and we almost laughed when we remembered the way London writers had cracked up the Mission.Why, they were made to look like a junior team, for after getting three goals, Erith “played” with them and were never seriously troubled.

 

Just then we find a change in the criticism of these London football writers, and people began to sit up and take notice.Then it became known that Erith were the only team to defeat Charlton and Chatham in the Kent League up to that stage, and it was said that surely the victories of this team can no longer be termed flukes.

 

“But,” said those self-same critics, “the Kentish men are drawn against London Caledonians, the holders, and one of the top amateur teams in the country.” It was written then in these columns that the Erith players were confident of success, and this confidence was held right through the great struggles with the Caleys.

 

 

In the first match of the semi-final round, at Ilford, it was freely admitted that the Caleys were lucky to draw.True, they scored first, but after Erith had equalised the Scots’ goal was bombarded.Good football was played in this game, and the form of the Deres came as a great surprise to many.

 

Then the match at Crystal Palace.Here the football was not so good, and no goals were scored; yet Erith had sufficient of the play to give one a good lead for the replay.In that match it was often a case of only the strength of the Caledonian defence, plus good fortune, which kept the ball out of the net.

 

 

Now we come to the third meeting of the teams, at Chelsea on Thursday.At last the superiority of the locals is admitted, and at last some wonderful team work and a good demonstration of Kent football is rewarded.Erith won by 3-1, and again the Caleys scored first.

 

Slough scored first, the Marines scored first, and in two matches the London Caledonians did the same.Enough to make Clapton ponder, this habit of Erith and Belvedere of lulling opponents into over-confidence and then rudely awakening them.

 

Last Thurdsay, C Brown, the promising youngster from the Reserves, took the place of Albert Marks (ill),and apart from his one mistake when he allowed Sloan to score, Brown did very well indeed.The whole team seemed imbued with a great determination, and I was specially pleased to see Stan Hillier return to form.He got through enough work for two men, one minute going back to defend and the next giving Beckford a delightful pass.The passing – first-time, most of it – by Erith’s forwards was too much for even the Caleys’ defence.

 

Sloan got his goal after 25 minutes, sending the ball into the far corner of the net after receiving from Noble, who had drawn the defence.Two minutes later Gooch placed a corner-kick perfectly that Dudley easily headed in to equalise.

 

Just before half-time Gooch again obliged with a corner-kick; McKee diverted it towards goal.Yates shot hard and true, Murray just managed to fist the ball out, but Beckford dashed in to meet it, and netted with a great shot.Thus for the first time in the three matches Erith led by a goal.

 

In the second half Erith easily held their men, with their own forwards always dangerous.The Caleys became a disorganised team, with only Noble capable of threatening danger.When Gooch, the irrepressible, cleverly forced another corner, he again placed the ball to Dudley’s head, and McKee completed the movement with a quick burst between two opponents and a shot which crashed the ball past Murray.

 

To the finish Erith were easily masters of the Scots, and proved worthy opponents for Clapton in the final.

 

And now for the final tomorrow (Saturday) on Millwall FC ground.Will the Kentish game prove superior to the Isthmian once again?Clapton have some famous forwards, including V Gibbons, who has played for West Ham, and Stanley Earle, who has appeared for the Arsenal.It should prove a great final, and one in which both sets of defences will be well-tried.

 

The secret of Erith’s success, to my mind, is their team work.Each man understands the others, and unless Clapton can find a way to upset that team work, combined with the open, fast game, Erith will become possessors of the premier amateur trophy.

 

I need not say that the team will have adequate support tomorrow, for that can be taken for granted.If they win, Erith will be “alive” tomorrow night when the lads come home.

 

Team for the second replay:

Cyril “Taffy” Evans; Bob Evans, “Tug” Wilson; Albert Marks, Billy Dudley, Billy Swayne; Ernie Gooch, Reg McKee, Harry Yates, Stan Hillier, Billy Beckford.

 

That Amateur Cup run in full: the final will feature later in the series.

            CLAPTON                                         DERES

1          IPSWICH                               4-1      SLOUGH                                           5-3

2          SOUTHALL                           3-0      Royal Marines (Chatham)              2-2aet

                                                                    ROYAL MARINES (Chatham)            4-1

3          R MARINES (Portsmouth)  6-1      ESH WINNING                                 1-0

QF       Northampton Nomads         4-2      Botwell Mission                                3-0

SF       Chilton Colliery                     3-0      London Caledonians (at Ilford)      1-1aet

(at Darlington)                                            London Cal (at Crystal Palace)          0-0aet

                                                                   London Cal (at Stamford Bridge)           3-1