Ware                          1          ? 32

Erith & Belvedere   7          Street 15, Jones 18, 38, 60, Greatorex pen 25,

McAlpine 83, 88      

Athenian League Division 1, 16 August 1969

 

Continuing the series counting down the 100 most memorable games in our history.  Today, our best ever opening-day result, on what was a red-letter day for music.

 

This was our first game of the 1969-70 season, and we were off to Hertfordshire.  Back in south-east London, while our match was going on, the Beckenham Free Festival was in full swing, featuring singer-songwriters including Toni Visconti, Bridget St John, Keith Christmas and (the organiser, headline act and local resident) David Bowie.  Over in New York State, not long after the final whistle, the second day of the Woodstock Festival kicked off, including Santana, the Grateful Dead, Janis Joplin, Sly and the Family Stone and The Who.

But for Deres fans, Ware was the place to be.

David Bowie plays Beckenham.

 

DERES’ STORMING START INSPIRED BY JONES

 

Deres made a flying start to the season with a great 7-1 win at Ware last Saturday, the home team providing only moderate opposition.

 

Deres made the most of their chances but they will play better than this later on and score fewer goals. Graham Jones was the inspiration, full of running throughout and scoring three goals to encourage young Nobby McAlpine to score two for himself in the final eight minutes.

 

The pick of last season’s defenders were Keith Gurr, Roger Dent and Brendan Greatorex, whose display was a steadying influence.  Glyn Danks and Kevin Everitt effectively cleared their lines and new left-wing Peter Clarke and John Pugh had a quiet game, as did Chris Street and Gary Cooper.

 

The first goal came after 15 mins, from a corner by McAlpine, Street crashing the ball high into the net.  Three minutes later Jones worked the ball over the goal area to shoot under the falling keeper.

 

Another seven minutes brought a penalty which Greatorex hammered in after Jones had been badly hacked down on the back line after a great run.

 

In the 32nd minute Ware pulled a goal back from a second shot after a corner, before Everitt could get back to his line.

 

Another fine run by Jones put McAlpine in possession but his shot was rather luckily blocked.  After 38 minutes Deres went into a 4-1 lead as Cooper lifted a Jones pass over the keeper’s head for Jones to run the ball in.

 

The second half opened with Deres’ defence at sixes and sevens but Ware shot wide from three yards, and this was almost their last chance.  Ware lost their inside-left, carried off after colliding with another Ware man.

 

Jones gently hooked the ball under the bar for number five from a corner by Pugh, and Deres were now playing fine football.  They swarmed round the Ware goal for McAlpine to score two goals in the last eight minutes, after good work by Cooper and Jones.

 

Jones’ last chance of a goal in the last minute was foiled by the keeper blocking his shot by the post.

 

Deres: Kevin Everitt; Glyn Danks, Brendan Greatorex; Roger Dent, Keith Gurr, Chris Street; Graham Jones, Nobby McAlpine, Gary Cooper, Peter Clarke, John Pugh.

 

 

It was to be a good season, with the Deres finishing in 3rd place in the Athenian League first division and winning the Kent Amateur Cup.  Meanwhile the club had offered the use of Park View, Belvedere, on Sundays to a local junior side called Welling United.  Wonder what happened to them?