A Look Into Histories

A LOOK INTO HISTORY TWO HUNDRED AND SIXTY

WIMBLEDON FC FIRST HOME MATCH IN FOOTBALL LEAGUE

Wimbledon FC had been champions of the Southern League for the past three seasons in 1977 but when it came to re-election had not fared at all well and only received 4 votes in 1975 and 3 in 1976 but at the F A Agm in 1977 all went well securing 27 votes and banishing Workington with only 21 to non league football. The major contrast in fortunes after their final Southernue season was Minehead securing second place but are now in the 8th tier of football. Wimbledon had a renowned Amateur career winning the F A Amateur Cup and riding high in the Isthmian League and became Members of the Southern League in 1964 when they played Poole Town in their first game,

The very first game was a Football League Cup tie at Gillingham on 13th August 1977 and in the 15p colour programme two pages were dedicated to Wimbledon and their players thus giving fans the chance to see who the new boys were. With the second leg being on 16th August there was no chance of a match report but the 1st leg score was a creditable 1-1 draw seeing as Gillingham were Division Three, 4,782 attended.

Our Match Programme is for that second leg v Gillingham on Tuesday 16th August in front of 3,868 and the Dons won 3 1 thanks to goals from Dave Bassett, Roger Connell and Billy Holmes. Priced 15p there was the Allen Batsford column looking forward to their first ever Football League season, more Chat and Photos on the Ambitions Released, two pages on Gillingham, ticket prices, travel arrangements to Torquay and a brilliant complete results from the previous Southern League season including their London Senior Cup success and the interesting note of the home and away matches v Minehead ending up 1-0 to the Dons. If it had been the reverse would Minehead have been League contenders. I very much doubt it as having been to the ground myself, it didn’t even have perimeter fencing or, other than a grandstand, acceptable infrastructure.

Of the players involved that day the most interesting for the Essex Senior League was the inclusion of Danny Westwood , a signing from QPR but whose career started with Billericay Town where he was an important part of their ESL success.

At the end of that first 1977-78 season, Watford were champions, 11 points ahead of Southend United with Wimbledon 13th and Southport not re-elected, Wigan Athletic joining in their place. On 25th October Wimbledon met Dartford in the Southern League Champions v Cup Winners game carried over from 1976-77 and won 3-2.