Football Programmes of Yesteryear No. 5: Tooting & Mitcham United v Bournemouth & Boscombe Athletic, FA Cup First Round, November 1958

In the Spring of 1958, Tooting & Mitcham United had won their first ever Isthmian League title, finishing the 57-58 season four points above second place Wycombe Wanderers. They’d won twenty of their thirty matches, losing just four, and scored seventy nine goals in total. Their home record was phenomenal- they were invincible at Sandy Lane, putting seven past Clapton, scoring six against local rivals Dulwich Hamlet, and five against Leytonstone, Romford and St Albans City. Their home record read P15, W15, D1, L0. Only Wycombe had escaped defeat.

The 1958-59 season saw them fail to hold onto their title, as they finished in sixth place whilst Wimbledon took the crown. The reason for their fall from grace? Perhaps it was the fixture congestion that built up because of an FA Cup run which saw them play nine matches, defeat Football League opposition twice, and reach the Third Round- where they, to use the vernacular from Jeff Brooks fabulous book on the subject, ‘Woz Robbed!” We’ll get to that robbery in a moment, but we’re going to look particularly at their First Round match against Bournemouth and Boscombe Athletic FC.

The participants

The Terrors had already played five matches to get to this stage of the competition. They started their campaign by travelling to another Isthmian League side, Bromley- FA Amateur Cup winners ten years earlier- and after a draw they brought their opponents back to Sandy Lane and walloped them five-one. The next round saw them host Redhill, of the Athenian League, and defeat them seven-one; revenge against the side who had removed them from the competition during the previous season.

In the Third Qualifying Round Sutton United, Athenian League Champions, were the hosts- were beaten seven-one, and the final Qualifying Round saw them host Horsham, who at this point were in the Corinthian League, and defeat them four-nil. So as their next opponents, from Dorset and Football League Division Three, arrived at Sandy Lane, they knew that the Terrors had so far scored twenty six FA Cup goals and conceded five. They might have been a Football League side, but they must have known they were going to face a real contest. If they didn’t, they were tactfully reminded of the fact in the ‘Random Notes’ which decorated the front and back pages of the programme, which also reminded supporters to get their books of Christmas Draw tickets from Wally Snow to take advantage of some ‘unusually good prizes,’ and thanked Tring’s of Mitcham for loaning the club the records that the assembled throng were about to hear.

Bournemouth and Boscombe Athletic FC isn’t a name that trips readily off the tongue these days, but you’ll recognise their descendants, as they are currently in the FA Premier League. The side that visited Mitcham in November 1958 played their matches in the same Dean Court stadium- although you wouldn’t recognise it given the amount of redevelopment that has gone on since- that the likes of Nathan Ake, Harry Wilson, Ryan Fraser, Josh King and Callum Wilson bestride today.

Members of the Football League since 1923, the 1958-59 season saw them playing in a Division Three that was no longer regionalised- a change which took place that season. In the previous campaign they’d finished ninth in Division Three South, and the teams in the top half of the North and South Divisions had gone on to form a national Division Three, whilst those in the bottom half were placed in Division Four. They were to remain in Division Three until relegation in 1970, and changed their name to AFC Bournemouth in 1971.

Tooting & Mitcham United lined up for kick off at 2.15 PM- remember, we weren’t yet floodlit- as follows, under manager George Dring and in front of a crowd of nine thousand, seven hundred and eight seven:

W. Pearson, G. Edwards, N. Pilgrim, G. Holden, B. Bennett, E. Murphy, A. Granger, A. Viney, P. Hasty, A. Slade, D. Flanagan. They played in their still-traditional black and white.

Bournemouth & Boscome Athletic lined up as follows:

T. Godwin, M. Lyons, R. Thomas, J. Arnott, I. Brown, P. Gledstone, G. Dowsett, R. Bolton, T. Southern, M. Burgess, J. Flood. They played in red.

The match:

We’ll let Jeff Brooks take up the story:

‘…three minutes from halftime, came an unforgettable moment. Denzil Flanagan making heavily built Mike Lyons look like a novice, juggled the ball through and slipped it to Hasty. The centre- forward overran the ball but quickly clipped it back to unmarked Viney, who let fly with a shot that left Godwin groping the air. There was silence – then jubilant roar.

Tooting & Mitcham Utd v Bournemouth & Boscombe Athletic- the teams

We heard that roar again – exactly three minutes after the interval. Tooting scored again, almost unbelievably and Viney must take all the credit for this. He took a short pass from Grainger, side- stepped two towering defenders and slipped a tame shot past diving Godwin.

The came 25 minutes that Wally Pearson will never forget. From all angles shots were pounded at him. But, he dived, punched and snatched like he has never done before. One drive from right-half Joe Brown did beat him – but it smacked against a post. But Pearson couldn’t hold out for ever and it was no surprise when from a neat movement, Southern, who had swapped wings presented leader Burgess with a simple goal.

Now for the fireworks, we thought. They came but again it was Tooting who lit the blue paper. Grainger made the pass and Slade, running tirelessly into the penalty area, raised his foot and wham! – Tooting had beaten Bournemouth. Bravo, United!’

In the next round Northampton Town arrived at Sandy Lane. The Cobblers were in Football League Division Four, and they put up a harder fight than the previous visitors, losing two-one on a foggy afternoon in Mitcham- the fog made worse by the smoke from a nearby bonfire, the resulting loss of visibility almost seeing the match abandoned. Ten thousand, two hundred people turned up to watch as their heroes battled back from a goal down to win the tie, Viney and Hasty with the goals.

The Third Round brought with it the robbery that Tooting and Mitcham supporters of a certain vintage- or perhaps those who have read Jeff’s book- still talk about today. The Terrors were drawn against Division One side Nottingham Forest, who were the seventh best team in the country as they travelled to Sandy Lane. Fourteen thousand, two hundred people turned up, and they saw the hosts take a two-nil lead by half time. An own goal shortly after the break saw Forest get back into the match, and then- that robbery! Twelve minutes to go, and Terrors defender Ted Murphy felt the ball smack off his chest- he had the red mark to prove it- but the referee pointed to the spot. Even Forest’s penalty taker, Billy Gray, felt that it wasn’t a penalty- but he scored nonetheless, and the match ended in a two-two draw.

The replay, played at the City Ground after two postponements, saw the Terrors lose three-nil.

The programme

Black and White, four pages, and at a cost of three pence, the programme contains twenty five adverts, the Isthmian League Tables, and some ‘Random Notes’- we’ve photographed it all so that you can read it at your leisure. Looking at the advertisements, The Foresters Arms in Tooting still exists, although these days it’s called The Antelope for reasons as yet unexplained, whilst the Cricketers was knocked down in 2010- but perhaps you can buy your Canada Dry in the King’s Arms, advertising in between the two teams, which still overlooks Fair Green. It might be slightly more difficult to get Ben Truman Pale Ale, but the Truman’s Brewing Company still exists; but sadly the Barclays Brewing Company, who had merged with Courage, saw their stout disappear from the world in the 1970’s so you’ll have to stick to Guinness.

In the following decade the Wimbledon Palais, which was advertising its professional wrestling, would host such pop luminaries as The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, The Who, Pink Floyd, The Kinks, Otis Redding and Little Richard; the Fab Four playing at the height of their fame in 1963 to three thousand adoring fans. It eventually became a furniture store before being torn down entirely.

The season- and beyond

As already mentioned, the Terrors were to end the season in sixth place, but they did win the title again the following season. They’ve never won it since.

In the Cup, locals might remember First Round matches against Gravesend and Northfleet in 1963, and against Crystal Palace in 1975, but their best ever run was in 1975-76, when they defeated St Albans City, Stevenage Athletic, Addlestone, Southall and Ealing Borough, Romford, Leatherhead, and Swindon Town before getting to the Fourth Round, where they lost three-one at Bradford City.

Bournemouth ended their ‘first’ Division Three season in twelfth place. They reached the Championship in 2013-14 and the Premier League in 2015-16. They reached the Fifth Round of the FA Cup in 1988-89, eventually losing to Manchester United after a replay, and got to the same stage in 2015-16, losing to Everton.

We’ve made great use of Jeff Brooks fabulous book, ‘We Woz Robbed In ’59,’ in our research for this article. If you’re a Terrors fan or a visitor to Imperial Fields you can buy it directly from the club for a tenner- and you should, it’s excellent- or for £14.90 including postage and packing you can buy it directly from Jeff, and you should get in touch with him at brooksjeff18@aol.com to find out more.