Football Programmes of Yesteryear No. 3: Leytonstone v Wimbledon, 1963-64

Those who complain about advertisements making up most of the contents of their football programmes will probably hate this example from the 1963-64 season, from a match played on October 5th between Leytonstone and Wimbledon. But there is a good reason why we’ve chosen to feature it.

The 1963-64 season turned out to be Wimbledon’s last in the Isthmian League before they turned professional. It was also the year of their eighth- and of course, final- Isthmian League title. Which club previously held the record for the most title wins? Leytonstone.

Wimbledon at this point were also the FA Amateur Cup holders. They defeated Sutton United in the 1962-63 Final- but who had they defeated in the Semi-Final? Of course, Leytonstone- and this was the first time the sides had met since that eventful match, which had finished 2-1 to the Dons.

The two sides who turned out at Granleigh Road, then, knew each other well- which perhaps explains why the match ended as a 1-1 draw.

The participants

Leytonstone FC were, by their standards, going through a period in the doldrums at this point of their history. The last of their seven Isthmian League triumphs was as far back as 1952, a season in which they’d recorded their third successive title win and their fifth in six seasons. Although they’d managed a second place and two third place finishes in the intervening years, and three FA Amateur Cup Semi-Final defeats, their supporters were rather starved of success by previous standards.

They lined up as follows:

D. Griffin, I. Wilkinson, R. Wood, R. Hill, J. Allen, D. Clarke, B. Yeend, K. Gray, D. Hearn, N. Strover, C. Bristow.

Ken Gray, their number eight, had recently made his debut for the England Amateur Side in an Amateur Home International Championship match in Northern Ireland. Played at the Belfast Oval, he scored the England goal in a 2-1 defeat; and would score in their next match too- a three-three draw against Wales in November, played in Bangor. He went on to win twenty eight international caps in total.

The Stones went on to win the Isthmian League again in 1965-66, equalling Wimbledon’s record once more, and also won the FA Amateur Cup in 1968, defeating Chesham United 1-0 at Wembley in the Final. Clubs moaning about fixture congestion might like to be reminded that on the way to that Final they Leytonstone had to play Enfield three times before the two could be separated in the Quarter Final, and Sutton United twice in the Semi-Final! That was- apart from a victory in the Essex Thamesside Senior Trophy in 1973- the end of their success, and they went on to merge with Ilford in 1979, before the conjoined club became Redbridge Forest- which later merged with Dagenham to become Dagenham and Redbridge.

Wimbledon lined up as follows:

M. Kelly, J, Martin, D. Willis, R. Ardrey, R. Law, E. Murphy, B. Keats, L. Brown, J. Wallis, G. Hamm, N. Williams.

The England captain in both of the international matches already mentioned was a mainstay of the Wimbledon side, John Martin, and the team against Northern Ireland also featured the Dons Bobby Ardrey and club captain Roy Law. It sadly didn’t feature striker Brian Martin, who had broken a leg playing for Great Britain in an Olympic Qualification Match against Iceland, coincidentally played at Wimbledon’s stadium on Plough Lane.

Goalkeeper Mike Kelly had started his career at Chelsea, and later left the Dons to play for Queens Park Rangers, Birmingham City and in the USA for Minnesota Kicks. He went on to become the Assistant Manager at Fulham, West Bromwich Albion and Crystal Palace before becoming the goalkeeping coach for England and Switzerland. He then joined Roy Hodgson as goalkeeping coach at Fulham and Liverpool.

At the end of this season the Dons became a professional club. The excellent historicaldons.com website takes up the story:

‘…behind the scenes Wimbledon officials had been gearing up the club for a move that would shock football's amateur hierarchy. They had decided the time was right to 'Join The Professionals.' One vacancy had arisen in the Southern League, Division One, as a result of Clacton Town's intended resignation, and Wimbledon applied.

It all hinged on a special meeting, called for May 11, which was open for all members to discuss the issue and then vote on it. There were over 200 present to hear club chairman Sydney Black's address and he left them in no doubt whatsoever over his intentions. He would walk out on the club if they decided to stay amateur.

The nine man management committee had already announced they would resign as well if the vote went against. Roy Law, club captain, chose his words carefully. The team would stay together, whether amateur or professional, he said. There was, in the end, no doubt. Of the 200 plus present, just 24 voted against and the proposal to turn professional was carried.

Romford duly proposed Wimbledon for the vacant spot, with Guildford City the seconders. And at the Southern League's annual meeting of June 6, 1964, the Dons were duly voted into the League's First Division. Four days later, on June 10, 15 Wimbledon players signed professional forms.’

They became members of the Football League in 1977-78, and of course attained promotion to the First Division in 1985-86, later going on to win the FA Cup in 1988 before the story unravelled in 2004 with the club being moved to Milton Keynes. Of course, that gave us the opportunity to later welcome AFC Wimbledon into the fold, which was a silver lining of sorts!

The programme

Four pages, three pence, and twenty-seven advertisements if we include the one from the Stratford Express popped in between the two teams! Leytonstone describe the fixture as their ‘most attractive home fixture of the season,’ and describe the opposition as ‘star-studded,’ before bemoaning their previous two fixtures, both of which ended in defeat- four-nil against Woking and two-nil against Sutton United. And don’t forget the Children’s Xmas Party in the Club Room on December 13th!

The Britannia, where Chris and Maud Smith- and their bulldog Brit- waited to welcome you for luncheons and for hot & cold snacks, apparently closed its doors for the last time in 2006, after being open since 1872. It was later demolished, and we believe the site now houses a gym. We understand that the former site of Winwood Coaches Ltd is now the Sleeping Beauty Hotel, but the only advertisers who still seem to be in business are Mattessons Sausages and British Railways. Although Ford still make cars, the Walthamstow Motor Co seems to be no more, unless you know different.

The season

Wimbledon, as mentioned, ended the season as champions- six points ahead of second place Hendon, eight in front of third place Kingstonian. They went out of the FA Cup in the Second Round against Bath City, and exited the FA Amateur Cup in the Third Round at the hands of Enfield.

Leytonstone finished a lowly twelfth, twenty four points behind the Dons and one place ahead of Wycombe Wanderers. They departed the FA Cup in the First Qualifying Round against Hendon.