It all kicks off at FA Cup match

Fifty years ago the build up to the first round FA Cup tie between AP Leamington and Southend United continued.   Having just moved to Leamington, I was relaxing in my newly acquired masionette. 

The game began to attract national attention.   The Daily Mirror reported: ‘Southend will be taking nothing for granted when they travel to take on Southern League strugglers AP Leamington on Saturday.  For the part-timers, who have battled through four rounds to reach the first round proper for the first time, point proudly to the fact they are reserving their best form for the cup matches.  Southend manager Andrew Rowley said: “We will spend the week hammering home to the players to give everything they have.  Complacency can lead to disaster – and we can only blame ourselves if we lose.”’

The Coventry Evening Telegraph stated: ‘Minimise mistakes and assert pressure from the “off” – these will be AP Leamington’s tactics for tomorrow’s historic FA Cup tie against Southend United at the Windmill Ground.   But manager Jimmy Knox has also told players to “enjoy” themselves.  “Let Southend do the worrying,” he said today. 

Knox felt that complacency on Southend’s part was unavoidable.  ‘Knox named his side at last night‘s training session and there are no surprises: Garrett, Brendon, Taylor, Griffiths, Brown, Boot, Scriggins, Lee, Stewart, keeley, Talbot.  Sub: Brady.  Southend are almost certain to be without skipper Dave Elliott, who has been troubled by a thigh strain, and Rowley is expected to name the team that have taken three points from their last two Division III matches.   Webster, Dove, Moody, B. Worthington, Love, Taylor, Ford, Bruce, Guthrie, Silvester, Sub: D. Worthington.   Tickets will be on sale at the turnstiles.  AP are hoping for a 3,000 crowd.’

Memories from 50 years ago can be blurred, but I seem to remember being stopped by a Southend supporter in The Parade after a morning coffee at Bailey’s café and being asked where the ground was.  I did give him the right directions, but I think that he was suspicious.  

When our programme editor Paul Edwards contacted a Southend supporters’ forum for their memories, all they could remember was the fighting.   The crowd was reported as 2,400, fewer than AP were hoping for.  17 arrests were made, 13 adults and four juveniles.  ‘They were all local people who were arrested towards the end of the game said Supt. William Selwyn of Leamington Police.  Supt. Selwyn said that charges had been made under the Public Order Act.’  This was more than the five arrested at Coventry City’s match with Arsenal on the same day and six outside Nuneaton Borough’s FA Cup clash.