1960/1-goals galore, at both ends

The summer of 1960 brought another crop of new signings but these proved to be one of the most undistinguished intakes on record. Rooke’s leading recruit was Leslie Stubbs, a very experienced inside-forward who had started and ended his Football League career with his home-town club, Southend, but had won a First Division championship medal with Chelsea in 1955; he was soon made captain, marking the end of Bob Craig’s long tenure of the job, but was unable on his own to spark his nondescript colleagues into anything inspired. Peter Smith, a wing-half from Gillingham, did his best and John Mills, a tall centre-half from Rhyl, finally ousted Craig after five seasons when the faithful servant’s pace and fitness began to dwindle. Joe Short, a tiny winger from St Neots via Lincoln, was always popular on the terraces but too lightweight to get far against the giant backs of the period. Of the players who made their debuts in the opening match, a 3-4 home defeat by a much quicker Romford side (despite a Hukin hat-trick), one, Terry Bolton from Manchester United, never appeared again and another, Carlo Nastri (Crystal Palace) only did so twice. Brian Whitby (from Luton) proved a more reliable right-winger although he too lacked a strong physique.

Three long-serving players seen here in the pre-season trial match at the Eyrie in August 1960; Tony Hawksworth gathers the ball watched by Bob Craig, extreme left in distance, and Gordon Hepple (no 3). For Craig and Hepple this would be their final season, but Hawksworth continued until 1964/5. Craig had captained the championship-winning side of 1958/9, while Hepple had appeared in goal for the first team in an emergency at Hastings only a few months before this picture was taken. In the distance to Craig’s left is George Fenn, who would be on the move to Tonbridge soon into the season.

Photograph courtesy and copyright of the Worcester News.

Worcester’s Sid Nicholls heads goalwards in the league encounter at St George’s Lane on the second Saturday of the 1960/1 season. Tony Hawksworth (right) saved this effort, watched by Bob Craig (centre) and Denis Howe, but Worcester still won 3-1 before a 3,400 crowd as Bedford started the season with three successive defeats. After a few more matches Craig was to drop back to right-back and then, after the FA Cup defeat by King’s Lynn in October, he lost his place for good. Howe, a very experienced and classy defender who had come from Aldershot in 1959 via West Ham, Darlington and Southend, had been a regular in his first season but struggled with injuries in his second.

Three defeats in the first three league matches, including a six-goal thumping at Weymouth, were followed by a revival of sorts, with a 5-0 home win against newly-promoted Folkestone, but an exit from the League Cup against relegated Kettering, a 1-1 draw at amateurs Barking in the East Anglian Cup and then successive league defeats by Gravesend and Yeovil took the Eagles into the FA Cup in an undistinguished lower-mid table position. By now Howe was out injured, Hawksworth had been temporarily dropped in goal, Craig was playing right-back and a short-lived triallist, Dick Pearson, was in the attack; it was a largely unrecognisable side and against King’s Lynn in the FA Cup on 22 October they were dumped out 1-4 on a miserably wet day before only 2,966, the lowest FA Cup crowd anyone could remember at The Eyrie, after being a goal up. It was Bob Craig’s last home first team appearance and his last but one of all; he had seen many better times than this. Only Terry Murray now remained in the first team of Tim Kelly’s old guard-Hawksworth, Brittan and Robinson were still around but in the reserves. The following week only 1,500 turned up, although they did see a fighting draw against a much stronger Chelmsford side.

Arthur Hukin in typical mode, challenging King’s Lynn keeper Mick Manning in the fourth qualifying round FA Cup tie at The Eyrie on 22 October 1960, with Joe Short in the background. Hukin had given the team an early lead but a dire defensive display saw four second half goals conceded without further reply. On a damp day, only 2,996 people turned up, the lowest FA Cup gate anyone could remember.

Spectators appear to have deserted the Eyrie in this scene from an entertaining 3-3 draw with Chelmsford on 29 October 1960, and the turnout of 1,538 was one of the smallest for years for the first home match after the FA Cup exit. Bedford were in the relegation zone at the time but fought back well to turn a 0-1 deficit into a 1-2 lead before being held to a single point by the eventual runners-up. Here Tony Hawksworth turns a shot by Chelmsford winger Les Brown (far right) over the bar, with Gordon Hepple (left) and David Coney (2) looking on. This was to be the last of Hepple’s 108 senior appearances, and it was also one of the earliest of 220 by Coney, who eventually became club captain under Reg Smith.

Things slowly improved, and one or two new names started to appear which promised better, and showed that now Rooke was unable to afford to throw money at older ex-Football League players he could sometimes spot useful youngsters; two Essex amateur products, full-back David Coney and left-winger Ronnie Southgate, started to catch the eye. A more typical Rooke signing who was past his best but still good for a few goals was Peter Cleland, a Scots striker who had played for years for Cheltenham but lived within a stone’s throw of The Eyrie. With the experienced promptings of Stubbs and the marksmanship of Hukin enough results were cobbled together to avert any serious threat of relegation. Notable successes were the 2-1 Christmas defeat of the eventual champions, Oxford (Headington as was), a 4-0 mastering of the old champions, Bath, on a storm-drenched day in late January, and a remarkable 6-4 win against Cambridge City a month later. Goals were plentiful at both ends, including an extraordinary 5-5 draw at Romford in December.

Les Stubbs (right) goes close with a header from a left wing cross against Gravesend at The Eyrie on 12 November 1960 but visiting keeper Paull punched clear. Stubbs scored two of the goals in a welcome 5-1 success-the first win for six weeks- as Bedford started to recover from a bad run to reach mid-table safety. He had won a First division championship medal with Chelsea in 1955 and Ronnie Rooke looked to him to supply some experience and class after Duquemin’s departure, but although he took on the captaincy for a time and scored 25 goals in senior matches, he was clearly past his prime and returned to his earliest club, Great Wakering Rovers in Essex, at the end of the season.

The improvement continued with a 3-1 win against Guildford on 10 December 1960. Here Guildford keeper Eric Gill is about to gather a cross under challenge from Arthur Hukin (right) with defenders Skingley and Taylor flanking him, while Peter Cleland (left) and Les Stubbs wait for an opening. Hukin and Stubbs got two of the goals and “Joe” Short the third.

One of the better performances of another ordinary season came on 28 January 1961, when the reigning champions, Bath City, were defeated 4-0 on a very wet and windy afternoon. Here Bath goalkeeper Ian Black has just turned a Bedford shot round a post watched by Peter Cleland (left), and Bath’s right-back, Tony Book, whose career would enjoy a late flowering when he captained Manchester City to the old First Division title in 1968 and the FA Cup a year later (having moved there via Plymouth with Malcolm Allison, who had his first experience of management at Bath a few years later). Book’s tackle on Joe Short in the 25th minute led to a hotly disputed penalty from which Les Stubbs gave Bedford the lead. The miserable weather kept the crowd down to 1,941 but they saw a stirring effort with further goals from Stubbs, Hukin and an own goal.

The visit to Yeovil on 4 March produced the same aggregate score but all ten goals were at the “wrong” end in a horrible mauling, equalling the club’s worst Southern League defeat, although the team were reduced to ten men early on when Cleland was injured, and even the ten included Rooke, a few months short of his 50th birthday, who had to include himself when Mills missed his train. But it made little odds in the end , with the team finishing in ninth place, two places lower than the year before, scoring 94 goals but conceding 97. Whatever else you could say about the season, it wasn’t dull.

Another afternoon of heavy downpours failed to deter a crowd of over 3,000 on 25 February 1961 for the local derby against Cambridge City, which produced ten goals, perhaps assisted by defensive errors in the heavy conditions. The Eagles shaded this exciting affair 6-4; 4-1 up at half-time, they were pulled back to 5-4 before a late effort from Brian Whitby made the points secure. Here Cambridge keeper Wilson saves at the feet of Peter Cleland, with Les Stubbs nearby and defender Jeff Suddards standing guard. Cleland had lived in Bedford for some years, though playing for Cheltenham, with a short interlude in league football with Norwich, and Fred Stansfield had almost signed him as far back as 1954. There were regular rumours that he was on the way to Bedford before Ronnie Rooke finally bagged him in the autumn of 1960. By then, however, he was probably past his best, managing only eight goals in 25 starts (including one in this match), and was released at the end of the season. At the River End the tea hut has found a few patrons on a bleak day.

Photograph by kind permission of the Essex Chronicle

Tony Hawksworth (in cap) prepares to save from Chelmsford’s prolific striker, Tony Butcher (far left), at New Writtle Street in March 1961, the other Bedford defenders being John Mills (left) and David Coney. Butcher scored Chelmsford’s goal in the 1-1 draw and this may be the prelude to it. Mills, a tall and confident defender from North Wales, had displaced Bob Craig earlier in the season, while Coney, signed as an amateur from Dagenham, was to hold won a regular spot for the next four seasons, captaining the side in the 1963/4 FA Cup run.

Peter Cleland was off target with this header in the home match with Tonbridge on 8 April 1961, as the season wound its way to a nondescript finish with a 1-0 win. Other Bedford forwards are (left to right) Arthur Hukin, “Joe” Short and Les Stubbs, and in goal for Tonbridge is the long-serving Tommy Bickerstaff, who later managed Cambridge City.

At the season’s end supporters said goodbye to Craig, Murray, Brittan, Hepple, Howe and Robinson, leaving only Hawksworth and Thompson of the championship-winning team still on the books. Stubbs and Cleland were also released- despite being popular and effective they were probably relatively expensive-and Peter Smith preferred to move nearer home, joining Margate. Once again the manager would have to rebuild. The average attendance was 2,499, down another 700, an inevitable response to an indifferent and inconsistent season. The next major ground project, floodlighting, was now well under way, but did the club have the support to make the investment worthwhile?

To continue the story go to 1961/2 -Smith saves the day

For full results and teams go to Results and teams, 1950-67

This is the team that beat Wisbech 1-0 in the final home game of an undistinguished season on 22 April 1961.

Back row: Ronnie Rooke (manager), Harry Collins and Bill Manning (Directors), Peter Cleland (injured), Peter Smith, David Coney, Tony Hawksworth, John Mills, Colin Brittan, Alan Thompson, Reg Cornelius (Secretary), Charles Gallie (Director), Tommy Ruff (Trainer).

Front Row: Gordon Bruce (Director), Brian Whitby, Arthur Hukin, Leslie Stubbs, Terry Murray, “Joe” Short, Ted Ashdown (Chairman), Jim House (Director).

This was the last time supporters were able to see Brittan and Murray, two of the remaining 1958/9 championship team, who both left a few weeks later along with former captain Bob Craig, by now no longer in the first team, leaving Hawksworth and Thompson as the last survivors.

LEAGUE TABLES 1960-1961

Premier Division

1. Oxford United 42 27 10 5 104 43 64

2. Chelmsford City 42 23 11 8 91 55 57

3. Yeovil Town 42 23 9 10 109 54 55

4. Hereford United 42 21 10 11 83 67 52

5. Weymouth 42 21 9 12 78 63 51

6. Bath City 42 18 14 10 74 52 50

7. Cambridge City 42 16 12 14 101 71 44

8. Wellington Town 42 17 9 16 66 68 43

9. Bedford Town 42 18 7 17 94 97 43

10. Folkestone Town 42 18 7 17 75 86 43

11. King’s Lynn 42 13 16 13 68 66 42

12. Worcester City 42 15 11 16 69 69 41

13. Clacton Town 42 15 11 16 82 83 41

14. Romford 42 13 15 14 66 69 41

15. Guildford City 42 14 11 17 65 62 39

16. Tonbridge 42 16 6 20 79 85 38

17. Cheltenham Town 42 15 7 20 81 81 37

18. Gravesend & Northfleet 42 15 7 20 75 101 37

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

19. Dartford 42 13 11 18 57 90 37

20. Hastings United 42 8 9 25 60 100 25

21. Wisbech Town 42 9 6 27 58 112 24

22. Boston United 42 6 8 28 62 123 20

First Division

1. Kettering Town 40 26 7 7 100 55 59

2. Cambridge United 40 25 5 10 100 53 55

3. Bexleyheath & Welling 40 22 8 10 93 46 52

4. Merthyr Tydfil 40 23 6 11 88 65 52

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

5. Sittingbourne 40 21 10 9 77 63 52

6. Hinckley Athletic 40 17 13 10 74 59 47

7. Ramsgate Athletic 40 19 7 14 77 56 45

8. Rugby Town 40 18 9 13 89 71 45

9. Corby Town 40 16 10 14 82 73 42

10. Poole Town 40 18 5 17 71 65 41

11. Barry Town 40 16 9 15 65 74 41

12. Yiewsley 40 17 7 16 65 76 41

13. Trowbridge Town 40 14 10 16 71 73 38

14. Ashford Town 40 14 8 18 61 67 36

15. Margate 40 11 12 17 62 75 34

16. Dover 40 12 7 21 67 74 31

17. Canterbury City 40 10 10 20 52 75 30

18. Nuneaton Borough 40 11 7 22 60 91 29

19. Burton Albion 40 12 4 24 63 85 28

20. Tunbridge Wells United 40 8 5 27 56 115 21

21. Gloucester City 40 7 7 26 40 102 21

Boston United resigned at the end of the season and joined the Central Alliance.
Only Dartford, Hastings United and Wisbech Town were relegated, but the top four clubs in Division One were all promoted.