More woe for Lockheed 50 years ago

Lockheed’s poor start to the season in October 1972 continued.  ‘The gloom deepened at the Windmill Ground this week when Lockheed lost their last chance of salvaging something from their disastrous season.   For Lockheed – holders of the Birmingham Senior Cup – crashed out of this season’s competition with a 4-0 defeat at Rugby Town.  

Now with three-quarters of the season still to play, Brakes face the daunting prospect of being out of the FA Cup; out of the FA Trophy; out of the Southern League Cup; out of the running for promotion.   It’s a catalogue of catastrophe.  They are nine points adrift of the leaders of the Southern League First Division North, have gone nine matches without a win, and lost six in succession.  

So what’s gone wrong?  At the start of the season manager Geoff Coleman reckoned he had assembled the strongest squad since he took over at the Windmill.  And he thought that the team had matured sufficiently for him to introduce a more adventurous policy.   But some of his senior players failed to produce their true form, defeat followed defeat and confidence drained away.    

Though the Brakes showed more fight in their games against Ilkeston Town and Gloucester City, they were unable to halt the slide. There are undoubtedly some talented players at Lockheed, but now they face the uphill task of learning to believe in themselves again.’

For the away match to Gloucester City Coleman brought in former Atherstone men Roger Hambridge and John Moreton.   ‘Gloucester City, struggling second from bottom and in the heart of a domestic upheaval, seemed to present a likely opportunity for at least a point for Lockheed.  But at the interval the visitors were trailing by two goals.  Gloucester’s intentions were made known in the opening minute when centre forward Stevens picked up a good ball from Bird only to have his shot blocked.   

Lockheed hit back immediately with shots by Whitlock and Sweeney but the keeper Miles dealt comfortably with both.  Bowden was called on three times in as many minutes to save Lockheed’s goal.  Bowden cleared a shot from Stevens but in the 31^st minute Gloucester went ahead.  Corr took up a pass from Hargreaves and lined up for a centre to Stevens and squeezed the ball past keeper King to give Gloucester the lead.  In the 46^th minute Corr made all the running and beat two men in the penalty area before slipping through the ball that Hargreaves slipped in.’   Keith Jones scored for Brakes in the 74^th minute but the final result was 2-1.

House hunters were told to ‘expect to pay more £2,750 more (£29,000 in today’s prices) for an average three bedroom semi-detached house in the Leamington, Warwick and Kenilworth areas than they would in Coventry.  And in the more exclusive detached range, with five bedrooms or more, the difference would be as much as £30,000 (£318,000).   Figures put the average price of a three bedroom semi in Coventry at £6,500 (£68,600), £1,500 more than the Midland average.  But in the Leamington, Warwick and Kenilworth areas the same semi averaged £9,250 (£97,700).  Detached homes with five bedrooms or more in Coventry were listed at £15,000 (£158,300), compared with up to £45,000 (£475,000) in Leamington.’  However, a three bedroom semi  in Nuneaton would set you back just £5,800 (£61,200).