Cockfield                  4          Davison 6, 70, Richardson 20, Coatsworth 35

Erith & Belvedere   0           

FA Amateur Cup quarter-final, 3 March 1923

 

Continuing the series counting down the 100 most memorable games in our history.  Today, the game from our first season that still ranks as our longest away trip ever. 

 

Our first Amateur Cup campaign began in the 1st qualifying round with a 9-0 win at Orpington in only our 6th game ever, which remains our biggest cup away win. Three more qualifying rounds followed – winning 2-1 at Bostall Heath, 1-0 in a replay v Artillery College after a 1-1 draw, and 2-1 at Dover United after a 3-3 home draw.  The 1st round tie at Woking was abandoned at 1-1 due to fog after 87 minutes; the rearranged game ended 1-1 again, before Deres won the home replay 6-1.  In the second round a single goal saw off Swindon Victoria, who had lost the 1921 Final 4-2 to Bishop Auckland.  The third round was a classic 4-3 home win v Clapton.

 

So to the quarter-final and an awfully big adventure.  “The team left Belvedere station on Friday afternoon, and were given a hearty sendoff.  They spent the night in Darlington, and on Saturday morning were shown round the Darlington FC ground by two directors of the club.  After the match they were entertained by Alf Common, the old Arsenal player, who is a Darlington director.”  Local reporter George Forster sent the following account of the game, a gem of 1920s journalistic style:

 

COCKFIELD’S CUP CONQUEST 

 

Even in Darlington, where Erith and Belvedere players stayed overnight on Friday, little is known of the Cockfield club – or at least little was known prior to the commencement of the present season.  The eleven connected with the mining village has, however, set people talking by reason of its sterling cup-fighting powers, which have not been confined to games contested on home soil.

 

Favoured with wonderfully fine weather were the contestants and spectators of the fourth-round tie of the English Amateur Cup on Saturday, when Erith and Belvedere met the “Fellmen”.  The village itself only has a population of two or three thousand, but in this part of the country the hardy pitmen think little of walking several miles to witness a good football match.  The estimated attendance reached almost three thousand.  Some enthusiasts – players amongst them – had journeyed sixteen miles by train or car in order to be present.

 

Early in the game one could not help but be impressed by the seeming awkwardness of some of the visiting defenders, and this failure to settle down in the early stages led to tactical blunders which to some extent took the bite out of Erith, and subsequently cost the side the match.  It would be unfair to criticise the Kentish team, but there certainly was indifferent play on the left of their defensive section when Norman Richardson (centre-forward) was allowed to middle the ball after Hooper had been harassing the defence. Richardson’s discreet cross, after six minutes’ play, gave Davison a golden opportunity, which was readily accepted.  On a level ground one would hardly have expected a success such as this.

 

The second goal, which was credited to Richardson, was the outcome of good work on the part of the player.  He received a favourable pass and tricked two or three opponents in very little room before making his final effort.  No one could attempt to criticise or minimise the merit of this series of moves, for the homesters’ calculations here proved too much for Erith’s middle and rear line men.  It was a good goal.

 

All the play was by no means in the Erith goalmouth.  The visiting forwards, good in midfield, showed commendable enterprise through the medium of Wheaton, whose swinging passes sent Makepeace away in full cry.  It was unfortunate that the last-named player should have met with an early injury.  The third goal was credited to young Kenneth Coatsworth, inside-left.  Greenland and Hooper got the better of their positional play with the left rearguard, and Coatsworth took the chance.

 

All this time, between the intervals of one-sided goalscoring, the “E and B’s” had been by no means idle, but their midfield play, however sparkling it may have been at times, rarely gave promise of successful culmination.  There was an occasion when the odds on the visitors’ scoring was about ten to one.  I think it would be Gooch who made a grand effort, and although several players were in his vicinity he retained possession of the ball in the goalmouth, and his final drive just passed the upright.  A very near shave, and a good try.

 

The second half saw Erith in the ascendancy very early, and the outside-right’s activity promised work for Chambers in the home goal.  But effective spoiling on the part of  Cockfield’s middle men took the sting out of the visitors’ attacks, and the stubborn work of M Wilson, Walker and J E Wilson was perhaps the outstanding feature of the afternoon.  A fourth goal accrued when Davison took advantage of a weak clearance on the part of a defender and converging to goal, deftly placed the ball out of reach of the advancing Heath and into the net.

 

Thus ended the scoring, and interest flagged towards the close.  Wheaton was wide of the mark with commendable efforts, but after their uphill fight, there was now little vigour forthcoming from the centre-forward’s confederates.  Erith and Belvedere are deserving of every sympathy, and I might say that they will have full measure of it from their vanquishers.  The good feeling shown by the Erith and Belvedere folks – players and officials – was indeed manly, and it would be a good thing if all those who had been relegated to under-dog for the day were to accept the inevitable so well.  One cannot but express the hope that the cup interest which has waxed so strong at Erith during the present season will be more fully maintained next year.  (Mr Forster adds that Erith were not opposed to a village team, but to the cream of Durham County football talent.  None of the team live in Cockfield.)

 

Deres: W Heath; J Clark, Tug Wilson; Charlie Fuller, Billy Swayne, A Chard; H Scott, Ernie Gooch, Stan Wheaton, Stan Hillier, Harry Makepeace.

 

As any football fan will know, Alf Common, who hosted the team after the game, was the first player ever to be transferred for £1000 (from Sunderland to Middlesbrough in 1905). 

 

Cockfield went on to lose 4-2 to Evesham Town in the semi-final at Bishop Auckland.  Evesham lost 2-1 to London Caledonians in the final at Crystal Palace.