Programmes and moving pictures: Wycombe Wanderers v Bishop Auckland, 1957

Wycombe Wanderers won the 1955-56 Isthmian League title at a canter. These were the days of a fifteen team Isthmian League, with only two points for a win, yet the Chairboys ended the season a full twelve points ahead of second placed Bromley, scoring almost three goals a game and with far and away the best defensive record in the League, too. Could they go on and win the 1956-57 title too? It turned out they could, but with more difficulty- only a last day win over Corinthian-Casuals secured them the crown, with Woking in second place.

Isthmian League sides also had a wonderful FA Amateur Cup competition, Wanderers leading the way. Five of our sides- Wanderers, Ilford, Kingstonian, Tooting & Mitcham United and Corinthian-Casuals made it to the Quarter Finals, and- of course- four of them were drawn against each other.

The K’s were the only one to escape familiar opponents, but went out to Hayes one-nil in a replay after a one-one draw in the original fixture.

Ilford and Wycombe Wanderers also needed a replay after a three-three draw in Essex, and Wanderers came away from that two-nil victors, whilst Corinthian-Casuals travelled to Tooting & Mitcham United and showed cup form which belied their league form (they ended up applying for re-election), coming away with a three-one victory.

So then there were two, and once more they were drawn together, as Casuals and Wanderers went up the Arsenal, meeting in their Semi-Final at Highbury. Wanderers went into this match at the opposite end of the table from their opponents, and this time favouritism was no burden, as they emerged four-two winners.

Awaiting them in the Final at Wembley were those Northern powerhouses Bishop Auckland. Wanderers would have been within their rights to give an involuntary shudder at the prospect, as the sides had already met twice in the Amateur Cup, Bishop defeating them at the Semi-Final stage in 1950 and 1955. Would it be third time lucky?

One interesting footnote is that both clubs played in kits which were a mixture of light blue and dark blue- indeed, Bishop were known as the Two Blues. For this final both changed their strips, Bishop playing in black and white, Wanderers in red and white. Not that you can tell from our video, which is in black and white!

The Final took place on April 13th 1957, and ninety thousand people turned up to watch. There was no doubt that the side from the North East were favourites. They were also the holders, and indeed were going for three in a row, having defeated Corinthian-Casuals and Hendon in the previous two finals. They’d also been losing finalists in 1950, 51 and 54. This was their eighteenth appearance in the Final, and one more win would mean they had lifted the trophy ten times.

Wanderers had previously won the competition in 1931, their only final appearance.

Bishop Auckland lined up as follows:

Harry Sharratt, Dave Marshall, Bert Childs, Bob Thursby, Corbet Creswell, Jim Nimmins, Warren Bradley, Derek Lewin, Billy Russell, Bobby Hardisty, Benny Edwards

Bobby Hardisty is a contender for the title of the greatest footballer never to turn professional, and retired at the end of this season. This was his sixth Wembley Final, and he’d also played for Great Britain in three Olympic Games. But there is another story to tell about Hardisty, one which is of particular interest to all football fans.

After the 1958 Munich Disaster, Manchester United manager Matt Busby, still in his hospital bed, instructed his Assistant Jimmy Murphy to call his friend Bob Hardisty and get him to come and help. Hardisty immediately came out of retirement to join United as an Amateur, and brought with him his former team mates Derek Lewin- who worked in Manchester- and right winger Warren Bradley, who lived in Cheshire. All three made their United debuts for the Reserve Team in front of ten thousand people, and Bradley went on to sign professionally at Old Trafford, scoring twenty goals and becoming the only player to ever win both Amateur and Full International caps for England in the same season.

Not even in the squad due to injury was Seamus O’Connell, who had been a Football League Champion with Chelsea only two years previously.

Wycombe Wanderers lined up as follows:

Dennis Syrett, Freddy Lawson, Frank Westley, Geoff Truett, Michael Wicks, Jimmy Truett, Len Worley, Cliff Trott, Paul Bates, Jackie Tomlin, Frank Smith

Keeper Syrett had been an amateur with both Charlton Athletic and Watford, whilst Lawson had been on similar terms at Arsenal and Brentford. Westley had been an amateur with Tottenham Hotspur, whilst the first of the Truett brothers was currently an amateur at Crystal Palace. Worley was also an amateur at Charlton, whilst Smith had played against today’s opponents many times in the Northern League for Consett and Evenwood, and had previously been an amateur with Newcastle United.

The match ended three-one to Bishop Auckland, and you can watch the highlights below. Billy Russell put the favourites ahead in the fifteenth minute, and although Frank Smith equalised against the run of play, Lewin restored the Bishop advantage and Bradley rounded off the victory nineteen minutes from time. But rather than write a detailed match report, if you look below you’ll see the report taken directly from the Official FA Year Book of 1957-58- albeit with a little damage where two pages got stuck together!