Programmes and moving pictures: Woking v Ilford, 1958

On April 12th 1958, seventy one thousand people crowded into Wembley Stadium to watch two Isthmian League sides, Woking and Ilford, compete for the FA Amateur Cup.

Woking lined up as follows:

John Burley- goalkeeper- a toolmaker who had played at every level for the club.
Ron Ellerby- right back- worked in public health and had been with the club for eleven years.
Geoff Parsons- left back- another toolmaker who had been with the club for seven years.
James Collingwood- right half- a Physical Training Instructor with the Royal Engineers.
Ken Turner- centre-half and a Water Board Inspector, who had played for the FA XI and had previously played for Wokingham and Maidenhead United.
Ernest Clancy- left half- another ex-Wokingham player and a painter and decorator.
Roy Littlejohn- outside right- an architect who had played for the England Amateur side and for Great Britain, and had previously been with Portsmouth, Bournemouth and Oxford City.
John Hebdon- inside right- a fairly recent arrival from Dulwich Hamlet and an aircraft inspector.
Charles Mortimore- centre forward and captain- previously of Aldershot.
Geoff Hamm- inside left- a clerk, and an England international.
Reg Stratton- outside left- only eighteen and joined the club straight from school.

Michael Jacob, forward or wing half, was the reserve.

Ilford lined up as follows:

Paddy Gibbins- goalkeeper- joined the club from school and in his ninth season.
Gus Simmons- right back- a foreman carpenter who has been with the club since 1949.
Eric Cross- left back- England international, aeronautical angineer, formerly played for Aldershot and Bournemouth.
Josh Sharod-right half, an engineer, formerly played for Clapton, Romford and Rainham Town.
Alan Whittall- centre half and captain. Had just completed the milestone of two hundred matches for the club.
Henry Dodkins- left half and England Amateur captain. Joined the club from school.
Danny Durston- left half, eighteen years old and only made his debut in December.
Terry Taylor- outside right- a company buyer and a former Tottenham Hotspur Junior.
Dicky Winch- centre forward- started life as a goalkeeper! Previously played for Hayes and Barking.
Bill Butler- inside left- a bank clerk who scored thirty four goals in the previous season and had previously played for Romford, Brentwood, Dagenham and Walthamstow Avenue.
Sid Castle- outside left- a former paratrooper who previously played for Leyton and Woodford Town.

Colin Elsworthy, a right half, and Arthur Sewell, an inside left who formerly played for Bishop Auckland and Shildon in the Northern League, were the reserves.

Woking had won the league match between the two, played on November 23rd, by three goals to nil. Here, courtesy of Cardinal Tales, are highlights of the match:

As you can see above, they were to repeat the outcome from the league match at Wembley, opening the scoring through Stratton and, despite Ilford pressure, doubling that lead when the same player made it two. John Hebden got their third to clinch their first ever Amateur Cup success.

It was to be their last, too, but they did win the FA Trophy in 1994, 1995 and 1997, as well as being losing finalists in 2006. Grays Athletic fans will remember that one!

Ilford had lifted the Cup in 1929 and 1930, and were to be losing finalists again in 1974.