Erith & Belvedere   4          Hillier 20, Wheaton 65, 73, Gooch 70

Clapton                     3          Gibbins 30, Metcalfe 83, Bryant 85

FA Amateur Cup 3rd round, 17 February 1923

 

Continuing the series counting down the 100 most memorable games in our history.  Today, an epic match which took us to a national quarter-final in our first ever season.

 

The Deres’ first season of existence saw us finish a modest 12th of 17 in the Kent League, which featured a number of semi-professional clubs.  Among our amateur peers, however, we had an FA Amateur Cup run which brought the new club wide renown, never more so than in this match.  The run began with a game we’ve already covered in this series, the 9-0 win at Orpington in our sixth ever match which remains our record cup away win.  In the rest of the qualifying rounds we beat Bostall Heath 2-1 away, Artillery College 1-0 in a home replay after a 1-1 draw, and Dover Athletic 2-1 away after a 3-3 draw.  The first round proper saw us beat Woking 6-1 after two 1-1 draws, and in the second round we beat Swindon Victoria (finalists in 1920-21) 1‑0 at home.  So to the last-16 tie, and powerful London opposition.

 

THE LAST EIGHT – KEEN STRUGGLE IN ENGLISH AMATEUR CUP

 

Last Friday I asked a keen student of amateur football which was the best team left in the FA Amateur Cup, and he, without hesitation, named Clapton.  That Isthmian League team visited Belvedere on Saturday in the third round of the competition proper, and the result of a hard and thrilling game was a victory for Erith and Belvedere by 4-3.  On such form the chances of the local team reaching the final should be very rosy.

 

After the match on Saturday I heard several “supporters” of Erith say that the better team had lost, but I have no patience with such opinions.  Had Colar been in the Erith goal Clapton’s score would not have reached three.  In that period of the second half when Erith scored three good goals the Clapton defence was helpless.  True, the visitors made a splendid rally in the last 15 minutes, and scored two goals in two minutes, but Erith were good value for the odd goal victory.

 

The attendance, nearly 3,000, was a record for the ground, the next best being the 2,885 for the Bromley match.

 

It was hoped that V Colar would be fit enough to play, but at the last minute Heath was included; otherwise Erith were at full strength.  Clapton had their best side out, including several Essex County men.  Teams:

 

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

Clapton: T Mason; H McIntyre and W Adams; C Williams, W Bryant and C Cable; A Ryley, S Earle, R Metcalf, V Gibbins and A Barber.

Referee: Mr G Newbury of Watford.

 

The turf was holding, and the new ball soon became heavy.  Both goals were visited in turn, Gooch and Scott for Erith and Earle and Gibbins for Clapton being prominent.  When the visitors attacked on the left Wilson slipped, and Barber had a clear run but shot wide.  A hot shot from Earle passed a yard outside.  Erith rallied and Wheaton, taking a pass from Makepeace, beat McIntyre, and then shot wide.  Gibbons next tested Heath with a hard drive from 25 yards; this was stopped by the goalkeeper, but he could not hold the ball, and was fortunate to get it away.  After twenty minutes Hillier took up a centre from Makepeace, and put the ball into the net with a careful shot. (1-0).

 

Soon afterwards Wheaton had a chance to score when Makepeace squared the ball along the ground, but the new centre-forward hesitated and was robbed.  Clapton got away with some neat passes, and Gibbins sent in a surprise shot which defeated Heath and found the corner of the net. (1-1)

 

For the remaining fifteen minutes of the first half honours were even, the play continuing fast and interesting.  Wilson was injured when Earle drove the ball against him, but he resumed after attention.

 

Those of us who have followed the fortunes of Erith and Belvedere anticipated pressure by them in the second half, and were not disappointed.  Clapton attacked on the resumption, and Metcalfe was fouled by Clark.  From the kick Fuller conceded a corner which was cleared.  Wheaton was injured when he stopped a hefty kick by Adams, but was only off for a minute.  After a dangerous situation had been saved by Chard, Erith took the game in hand. Continued pressure was made, the Clapton defence having a gruelling time through the smart work of the home forwards.  Fuller sent a shot dropping into the goal, and Mason could only tip the ball over, Wilson coming up and shooting wide from the flag kick.

 

At length Makepeace and Hillier tied up the Clapton defence with some dazzling combination.  The winger, when expected to centre, passed back to Hillier, and he sent in a stinger; Mason stopped the ball, but could not gather it and Wheaton dashed in and scored. (2-1)

 

Clapton replied with a strong attack, but found the defence sound.  Makepeace and Hillier again got going, and when the former sent the ball up the wing Wheaton took it along and centred, and as Mason shaped to save Gooch came along and scored, hitting the ball a fraction of time before Mason could reach it. (3-1)  25 minutes of the second half had now gone, the last two goals coming in the space of five minutes.

 

From the kick-off Ryley got away, but Chard caught him up and the winger sent behind.  Another run up the Erith left wing resulted in Makepeace sending the ball across, and Wheaton, beating McIntyre close in, scored the fourth for Erith three minutes after the third.

 

Leading 4-1, Erith slackened down and appeared to concentrate too much on defence.  Ryley beat Chard and Swayne in a brilliant run, and Heath fell with the ball under him.  The Clapton forwards sportingly stood off while the goalkeeper got up and cleared.  After 38 minutes Metcalfe scored for Clapton after some close passing. (4-2)

 

Clapton now played with increased zeal, and in another two minutes had further reduced the lead.  A free-kick was given against Fuller by the touchline; Adams sent the ball to the centre, Swayne headed it to the feet of Earle, and he shot.  Heath stopped the ball, but Bryant dashed in and scored.

 

For the last five minutes Clapton tried their utmost to equalise, but were unable to score again, and Erith thus won the hardest game seen on the ground this season.

 

For Clapton the famous Stanley Earle was always in the picture, but he was often compelled to part with the ball prematurely.  Bryant, at centre-half, was their best player, and the other two halves were good.  Williams, however, could not hold the Erith left wing in the second half.  Mason should have saved at least one of the goals, but he seemed afraid to leave his goal.

 

For Erith, Wilson again played a wonderful game, never putting a foot wrong after the first ten minutes.  Clark was a bit wild at times, but played a strong game later in the match.  Chard for the most part had the measure of Ryley; Swayne was always doing good things, and Fuller, although sometimes wandering, was good enough.  Scott and Gooch were best in the first half, while Hillier and Makepeace took their chances in the second, their wing play being great.  Wheaton did well after the first half-hour, and was certainly the best man seen at centre-forward for Erith.  He was always dangerous when the ball was in front of him, and the way in which he took the outside-left position and centred for Gooch to score was brilliant.  Heath in goal did his best, but is weak in anticipation.  He did well enough otherwise.

 

Of the other seven games in the Amateur Cup, six were decided, only Southall and Ilford making a draw.  St Albans defeated Barking, and London Caledonians knocked out Summerstown, in the South; while among the Northern League teams Cockfield defeated Esh Winning, Eston United accounted for Stockton, and Evesham Town beat Crook Town.  In four of the games only one goal separated the teams, in the drawn game one each was scored, and in the other match the score was 4-1.

 

Many of the London papers gave chief prominence to the Erith match, and they were practically unanimous in their praise of the locals.  With luck Erith should reach the final on Saturday’s form, but the draw has not favoured them, as in the next round they have to visit Cockfield.

============================

 

In the quarter-final Deres went out 4-0 at Cockfield, as covered earlier in this series.  Cockfield lost 4-2 to Evesham Town in the semi-final at Bishop Auckland, and Evesham lost 2-1 to London Caledonians in the final at Crystal Palace on 21 April 1923.  Both the Amateur Cup and London Caledonians will feature prominently in this series later on.

 

Stanley Earle was “famous” for having made his amateur international debut and signed for Arsenal that season.  He went on to join West Ham in 1924 and scored 58 goals in 273 games for the Hammers in an eight-year career.  Vivian Gibbins scored 58 in 129 games for West Ham, played twice for England’s full team as an amateur in 1924-25, and the entrance to Clapton’s Old Spotted Dog ground is named after him.