Battle of the Spas off

A frozen pitch has led to the cancellation of today's game against Buxton, so let's go back to a sunny August 2000 when the revival of the Brakes was under way:

Will local government changes hit stadium plans?

Brakes Trust has asked if the proposed local government reorganisation might lead to further delays in the proposed new stadium.   The leader of Warwickshire CC has proposed a unitary authority for the county with elections delayed until 2027.

For its part the Government might prefer a combined Coventry and Warwickshire authority headed by an elected mayor (not a leader and cabinet as Warwickshire proposes).

Either way the disappearance of the district council might lead to a less favourable political environment for a stadium as projects would be assessed on a county wide basis.

Any proposals will have to go out for consultation and may not be in place until 2028.

Brakes came close to getting a draw (and a replay) in the FA Cup

All the excitement about Leamington’s November 1974 FA Cup tie against Southend United ended in something of an anti-climax.    As the Sunday Express reported under the headline ‘A Fright for Southend’:  ‘Southend claimed their expected victory – but what a fight Leamington put up.  The lowly Southern League side fought back brilliantly after trailing 2-0 at the interval and skipper Steve Lee reduced the arrears seven minutes from time. In the last minute the Southend goal bore a charmed life.

Chris Guthrie, Southend’s £100,000 rated striker [just short of £1m in today’s prices] hammered the first goal after 15 minutes and 20 minutes later Peter Silvester headed a simple header.  But Southend were so lucky in those incredible final minutes.’

The Coventry Evening Telegraph commented: ‘For an hour Leamington failed to make a game of it, overawed and “frozen” by the occasion, and Southend’s two goal lead was established with clinical efficiency.   But the home players eventually got the message – Southend were ordinary folk indeed – and drawing on fresh reserves of energy they plugged away to produce a fabulous heart-stopping finish.

Steve Lee’s 83^rd minute goal brought the game to life and during an incredible late fling Brakes came agonisingly close to snatching a draw.   Three times in a matter of seconds full back Bob Worthington hacked shots from Tony Bowden, Doug Griffiths and Adrian Stewart off the line and Mick Keeley followed up by clipping a shot inches over after brilliantly working a clear opening.  How the ball did not cross the line during those breath-taking minutes I will never know.  But it stayed out and Brakes were forced to pay the penalty for that colourless first hour.  

They were heroes all, however, and despite Arthur Rowley’s uncharitable opinion that it was “easy” Southend knew they had been in a game – they were as good as dead at the finish as the part-timers took control.  Home centre half Roger Brown, classy left back Dennis Taylor and winger Ivor Talbot were as good as anything Southend had to offer and watching managers Ken Furphy (Sheffield United) and Harry Haslam (Luton Town) were genuinely impressed.  But the whole side warrant praise for giving the 2,600 crowd a battle royal. ‘

Then it was back to the league with a bottom of the table clash at Bury Town.    ‘It was Leamington who settled down to look the more dangerous side and worried the home defence with a series of attacks.  Talbot looked particularly dangerous and set up Leamington’s first chance, but Keeley’s shot was blocked.   Both sides played some neat football going forward, but the final pass was missing. Bury had to wait until the 35^th minute before they tested goalkeeper Garratt.’  Half time 0-0.

 Brakes lost 1-0 and ‘On the evidence of this defeat it is not difficult to see why AP Leamington are languishing near the foot of the Southern League first division table.  They have scored just nine goals in 12 league games this season, and they rarely looked adding to that total in this match.  For much of the match, particularly the first half, they looked the more positive side.  Bury exerted more pressure after the break’ and Leamington ‘were all at sea’ when they scored the winning goal.

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.

 

50 years go the press made fun of the Brakes

The local press ran feature articles on AP Leamington in the build up to the 1974 first round cup tie against Southend United, in part using it as an opportunity to create some ‘humour’ for their readers at the expense of the Brakes.  ‘It’s a sad fact of life that Leamington’s premier soccer team owes more to bingo for its existence than the game of Association Football.   For AP’s bingo sessions each week attract crowds six times bigger than that which occupies the Windmill ground terraces on Saturday afternoons.  There is a joke that the club should change its name to AP Bingo FC – but it is one they are more than happy to live with, since the major part of their business comes from the twice weekly “eyes down” nights at the Automotive Products works canteens.

 In any case, non-league clubs like AP have developed thick skins for protection against local wits, whose bumper fun books draw heavily on that source.   Although the name of the game’s the game, you will have gathered that the brand of football served up most weeks on TV bears little resemblance to the real world down among the non-Leaguers. 

 It’s a world where committeemen take the gate money; the hon. sec’s wife serves the tea; and the vice-chairman sells the tote tickets.  All this is done in the forlorn hope that maybe an extra half a dozen spectators will venture into the ground for the next home match.    This will at least help to swell a gate money which wouldn’t keep your average First Division club in a week’s supply of Moet Chandon.   AP are part of this harsh world where the size of the bingo crowd is more important than the number of fans on the terraces.

Moments of glory come all too rarely, so that is why AP are making the most of Saturday’s home tie with Southend United.   There is already talk of AP beating their opponents and heady suggestions that they could reach the Third Round, when the First and Second Division clubs join in.   But in reality they are just hoping for a crowd of about 3,000 – 2,750 more than average [?] – and that the lads put up a good show.

This is the biggest thing that’s happened at the Windmill Ground – particularly when you consider that the largest crowds the club has had to cope with were the 800 to 1,000 throngs they used to get when they were in the West Midlands League.   Vice-chairman Len Thomas was disappointed that there will be seating accommodation for only 400 in the main stand – a plea to erect a temporary stand at the Windmill End had to be scrapped because there was not enough room.  

The fact that the toilet facilities may be stretched to the limit if 3,000 turn up has also concerned the committee.   But now their application for a better tent licence has been turned down, the problem has to some extent been relieved.  [sic]   The police have put a crowd limit of 6,000 on the Windmill Ground – and that has caused some sniggers in Leamington – not noted for being one of the more fanatical soccer districts in the country.    The game has also been made all ticket, causing further hilarity.’   They interviewed the landlord of the Windmill who complained that a Corby supporter had broken a stool, ‘the start of something the townspeople of Leamington may have to learn to live with if their soccer club goes on to greater things.’

Cup hope and heartache for Brakes

Brakes faced Corby Town at home in November 1974 in the FA Cup and ‘Mick Keeley repaid his transfer fee in full by scoring the only goal of this absorbing duel.    Keeley’s, AP’s most expensing signing when tempted from Nuneaton Borough struck after 20 minutes – and Brakes are through to the FA Cup proper for the first time.  It was fitting that Keeley should score the winning goal for he was the superb performer on a day when Brakes made history before a 935 Windmill crowd.

 At the end, manager Jimmy Knox joyfully punched the air in an impromptu victory salute.   The gesture was borne out of relief as well as regard for his battlers, for Corby’s youngsters had fought all the way to emerge with considerable credit.   They played with 10 men for the last 20 minutes when star striker Jimmy Clough was stretchered off only seconds after Chorley had introduced their substitute.   When Clough went Corby’s hopes of snatching the game from AP’s grasp died and the home side settled down to make sur e of a fanous victory.

 And it was a deserved victory.   For all Corby’s inventiveness, they were unable to make much impact against Brakes’ redoubtable back four.  In fact, they were allowed only one clear chance and Dave Garrett denied them with a fabulous save from Clough’s close range effort.    But Brakes forged several openings and with better finishing could have clinched an emphatic success.   Mickey Boot missed from the penalty spot after Keeley had been tipped over in the 10^th minute – his low shot striking a post.   The midfield man made amends for his blunder, however, when his perfectly weighted chip enabled Keeley to volley the ball home with ruthless ease for a goal worthy of the occasion.’

‘Humble Brereton sent AP crashing out of the F.A. Trophy with a deserved success at the Windmill on Saturday.  And the two Southend United “spies” must have returned to Essex convinced there is no way Brakes can spring a surprise when the two sides clash in the F.A. Cup in a fortnight.   For this was AP.at their rock bottom worst,  a poor side lacking ideas and enthusiasm, Brereton, struggling members of the West Midlands League, must have been amazed by AP’s limp performance. 

Gone was the pride and application that had seen Corby off only seven days before and in its place was insipid approach play and shaky defence.   The visitors took the lead after 34 minutes when Bobby Fox fastened on to a loose back pass and turned in a centre which gave Jimmy Blompton the simplest of headers. 

But Brakes were on terms within a minute as Ivor Talbot turned and smacked home a first time shot from Steve Low’s corner – winger Talbot’s eighth goal of the season.    Social’s more solid players continued to win most tackles and generally remain in control and their winning goal after 33 minutes was reward for their efforts.   It came from the head of full back Dennis Taylor who was unable to prevent a low cross from bouncing off his leg and into the net.

Cup triumph and league disappointment

In October1974 ‘Both players and officials at the Windmill are in high spirits after an exciting win over Worcester City.   That victory takes Brakes into the last qualifying round of the FA Cup for only the second time in twelve years.   They were even happier after they heard the news that luck had again stayed on their side and given them the benefit of home advantage against Corby Town in the fourth round. 

AP really seem to have clicked in knock-out competitions – but manager Jimmy Knox is fully aware that cup success is simply the icing on the cake.   So tomorrow, it’s back to the bread and butter of league soccer – and Leamington face a stiff test away to league leaders Bedford Town. Knox know that a better league position is vitally important for the Brakes  He said on Tuesday evening as his players went through a special training session:

“At the end of the day it’s the team’s consistency throughout forty odd games that will count.   Tonight, the cup has been mentioned only once.  We will start thinking about it again after next Tuesday.” The players themselves seem to be in fine fettle.   If they can reproduce some of the cup form that has brought fifteen goals in six knock-out matches – as opposed to the less convincing statistics of seven goals in seven league games – then they should have little to fear.  Knox has only twelve professionals to choose from for tomorrow’s way game.  

Midfield man Dave Scriggens was sent to bed by the doctor earlier in the week and was considered “very doubtful” for the match.   Micky Boot must come into the reckoning, and Knox now has the choice of two keepers.  Dave Jones was back in training this week after being out for a month with a broken finger but after Garratt’s excellent performance on Saturday it looks as if he may to wait on the sidelines.’

‘Playing in the third qualifying round of the FA Cup, Brakes pulled through a sticky first 20 minutes to send mighty Worcester City sliding out with a magnificent display of attacking soccer.  Jimmy Knox said that the lads would go out and attack and that’s what they did.   The writing was on the wall for City as long ago as the previous Tuesday when Brakes hammered Redditch 4-0 in the FA Trophy.   That was a great performance, and Brakes had just as big an appetite for goals on Saturday.   

On this form, AP ought to have a far bigger following than they do at present.  They need it, and fully deserve it.    However, it was not all plain sailing for the home side.  The visitors took the lead after nine minutes, ace striker Martin slamming home a great 20-yard drive that saw Garratt helpless.’ Brakes levelled through an own goal created after Adrian Stewart rounded a couple of City defenders.  Dave Garratt ‘made two first class saves that kept Brakes’ hopes alive.’  Adrian Stewart scored the winning goal, lobbing the ball over the advancing keeper in the 71^st minute.   Unfortunately, Brakes lost 2-0 to league leaders Bedford.   Based on their first half performance, a draw looked possible, but Bedford scored twice in the second half.