A Look Into Histories

A LOOK INTO HISTORY TWO HUNDRED AND SEVENTY TWO

LONDON BOYS V GLASGOW BOYS 1957

Our Match Programme is a Chelsea FC publication in the normal blue and white with Stamford Bridge on the front cover for London Boys v Glasgow Boys on Monday 8th April 1957 priced 3d and was the very first in the long series of Boys Matches to be played under floodlights. The age limit for boys was under 16 on September 1st 1956. A full editorial on the inside front cover mentioned the game being the 40th of the series and noted some stars that had appeared previously but arguably the most famous of all was in this actual match, Robert “Bobby” Moore of Leyton. At left-back was John Sanchez from Wood Green who had already appeared for England Boys and also a Youth International along with John Cartwright, against Luxembourg. Just out of interest a lad who was too old for this game was also in the side v Luxembourg – Jimmy Greaves.

The line-ups were on the inside of the back cover and both teams played in their traditional colours, white shirts of Corinthians and the black and white of Queens Park, the two clubs that were the original sponsors of schools football in London and Glasgow. The actual back cover gave Chelsea’s Fixtures and Results for 1956-57 in which they finished 13th of 22 clubs plus same for the Reserves in the Football Combination where they finished 2nd to Tottenham Hotspur in a huge 42 match season. The Youth team were advertised as being in the South East Counties League Cup Semi-Final at 11am on 13th April.
A band played before the match and at the interval from the Junior Leaders Company, Royal Army Service Corps and reminded readers that they could join at 15! The result was a 1-1 draw.
There were a few matches in the Football League that night and stand out were Division Three South, Coventry 2 0 Newport County and Division Three North, Tranmere Rovers 2 2 Darlington (Old). In Division One, Aston Villa drew 2 2 with Sunderland.