Erith & Belvedere                    0       

Crook Colliery Welfare            2        Weaks 15, 60

FA Amateur Cup 3rd round replay, 19 February 1949

 

Continuing the series counting down the 100 most memorable games in our history.  Today, the Amateur Cup tie that attracted the Deres’ record home attendance, a record that looks safe for a few years yet.

 

This was where the post-war boom in football attendances peaked, at least locally.  The previous Saturday the Deres had played in Crook, which in 1949 was an 11-hour journey.  The team left on the Friday afternoon with an overnight stop on the way, while supporters’ coaches left at 9pm.  Roy Newstead equalised just before half-time and put Deres ahead in extra-time, only to be pegged back for a 2-2 draw.  On 19 February the replay took place at Park View, and it was packed out.

 

DERES’ DISAPPOINTING DISPLAY

WELL BEATEN AT HOME IN CUP REPLAY

- FA Secretary at Park View

 

Erith and Belvedere flattered only to deceive, and were deservedly beaten 2-0 by Crook Colliery Welfare in the FA Amateur Cup replay at Belvedere on Saturday.

 

There was just one period of 15 minutes in the first half, when the home forwards had all the play yet failed to score, and just before the interval Bower sent a penalty kick straight to the Crook goalkeeper.  Late in the game Erith forwards again had opportunities, but got in each other’s way.

 

The attendance was 5,573, including the FA Secretary, Sir Stanley Rous [later the President of FIFA from 1961 to 1974].

 

The first really dangerous move came when Newstead raced away on the home left and swung the ball across the Crook area, Paris dashing up, but just a second too late to connect with it squarely.  Soon after this Nairn cleared a shot from Ansell dead on the goal-line, with his goalkeeper out of position.  Crook broke away, Dodds taking the ball down the left, then lifting it for Weaks to head into the net.  Then came the period when the home forwards should have made victory certain.  Hesitation and weak shooting were their failings, and except for one header from Paris, Jarrie, in the Crook goal, was barely troubled.

 

Lockey, at outside-left, was a dangerous raider for the visitors and Chicken led his line well, especially after the interval when these two repeatedly had the home defence in a tangle.  The only home defender who played up to form was McCullough, at left-half, and he, in doing the work of three men, played himself to a standstill.

 

Erith forwards had a brief spell during which Paris took a forward pass from Bower with his head, but Jarrie had no difficulty in getting to it, and Gurr turned in a low drive from McCullough, but again Jarrie was alert.

 

Crook’s second goal was a disaster for Erith.  From a free-kick in the Crook area the ball went to Chicken, who flicked it with his head to Weaks, who raced between the wide open Erith defence and scored.

 

From this setback Erith never recovered, and although they were putting plenty of energy and speed in their play, their movements all had the stamp of desperation rather than any calculated plan.  Once McCullough cleverly beat three men before putting the ball forward to Newstead, but the left-winger was forced away from goal by Copeland and sent the ball over the back line.  In other attacks Paris and Gurr got in each other’s way while Ansell and Pain were rarely in the picture, the ball seldom coming their way.  On the other hand Chicken led the Crook line well and, supported by scheming centre-half Swan, his movements had calm confidence that contrasted vividly with the scrambling of the home team.

 

There could be no doubt that the better team won, but it was the haphazard play of Erith rather than the ability of Crook which knocked the home team out.

 

Erith and Belvedere: Lew Collins; Eddie Payne, Bill Phelps; Bill Bowers, Arthur Warboys, John McCullough; Vic Ansell, C Pain, Jim Paris, Harold Gurr, Roy Newstead.

 

 

Crook Colliery Welfare went on to beat Marine (Crosby) 3-2 in the quarter-final before losing 3-0 to Romford in the semi-final at Upton Park.  Romford lost the Final by 1-0 to Bromley, led by once and future Dere Charlie Fuller.  It was the first Amateur Cup Final to be played at Wembley, and attracted a crowd of just over 94,000.  I was lucky enough to meet Charlie Fuller at the reunion for the Deres’ 75th anniversary celebrations, and he told me he still got the same tingle watching the teams walk out on Cup Final day as he had in 1949.