A Look Into Histories

A LOOK INTO HISTORY TWO HUNDRED AND FORTY TWO

DORCHESTER TOWN LAST GAME AT THE AVENUE

Our Match Programme is for a historical memory for Dorchester Town FC, the Dorset club founded in 1880 and now in the Southern League Premier South. It is for the very last match at their old Avenue ground on 28th April 1990 and is v Chelmsford City. Although quite bulky page wise, virtually all are for adverts thus a disappointing read. The project had been a dream dating back five years and the old ground dating from October 5th 1929, would become a Tesco store but with an iconic frontage and the new Avenue would be on the other side of the store’s complex opening in time for the new season.

The season 1989-90 found Dover Athletic to be champions but they lost out on promotion to the Football Conference to Bath City the runners up on ground issues. Dorchester Town ended up 13th and Chelmsford in 18th place just one above relegation.

Chelmsford City were managed by George Borg and one of the players, Billy Goldstone had previously been with East Ham United and Woodford Town. At the time the league was called the Beazer Homes League but that company were bought out by Persimmon Homes in 2001. As for former “Magpies” players, probably the most famous was Graham Roberts of Tottenham Hotspur and England.

Back to the Programme, priced 50p and two pages were written by the Manager and the Chairman respectively followed by Midas International of London who were instrumental in the new development of Tesco and I can only assume were connected with the building of Leslie Field at Burnham On Crouch as readers who are familiar with Burnham Ramblers will be interested to learn that their own stand was based on the new Dorchester one at the Avenue. The teams were in the centre, a League table, previous results, Chelmsford history and pen pictures making nine pages and 29 of adverts !