On This Day January 19th

By Michelle Dorling

19th January 1963

Admittedly this is way before the formation of the Essex Senior League but, as we clear the paths of ice and snow please forgive me a break from our own historic dates for this personal memory from 62 years ago.

I was 15 and a schoolboy at Bearsden Academy in Dunbartonshire, the family having moved up from Southgate. Unlike many folk in the UK I had already become used to snow and ice at that time of the year, in fact, in December 1961 our removal van had been stuck in snow on Wetherby Moor, West Yorkshire meaning that we stayed in a hotel for three nights before accessing our new house.

The love of Football soon made friendships and even a Programme shop was opened by Jim, a budding entrepreneur and Hibs fanatic during breaks in the common room. Frequent trips to Glasgow grounds were made such as Partick, Celtic, Clyde, Rangers and Third Lanark. Dumbarton was limited as they didn’t issue programmes! All this made possible thanks to a very lucrative paper round.

Moving to the season 1962/63 and on December 12th the first flurry of snow appeared followed by a heavy fall on December 26th and then, horrors, it never stopped and soon the country was at a complete standstill with all of the UK both snow and ice bound.

The sea froze at Herne Bay and a car was driven over the Thames at Oxford. The weekend of January 19th 1963 was quoted as the 'Blackest day in British Football' with 54 games postponed and the worst in Scotland since 8th February 1958.

In England, just six games survived with two more, at Hull City and Charlton Athletic abandoned. Those games were, in Division 1, Aston Villa 0 0 Blackburn Rovers, Tottenham Hotspur 2 0 Blackpool (Jimmy Greaves got both), Wolves 0 0 Sheffield United. In Division 2, Bury 0 3 Norwich City, Plymouth Argyle 0 2 Newcastle United and in Division 4, Oldham Athletic 4 0 Lincoln City.

Back home in Glasgow on January 19th, the game between Celtic and Raith Rovers was postponed at 10.30am with Parkhead looking like a skating rink but Raith were on their way by train from Kirkcaldy though they were able to halt the train at Linlithgow and return home where the only Reserve game on the day was played, v Celtic Reserves, who had a very young Bobby Lennox of 1968 European glory in their side. So, that meant just two games survived, one, a Scottish Cup Round One in the Borders, Gala Fairydean, who beat Keith 4-0 thanks to volunteers clearing the pitch all night and stoking braziers.

Just 5 Amateur games remained but my friend Nigel with whom I would normally attend any Hearts game when in the area, had our beady eyes on the one League game surviving and again this was due to a brilliant ground staff and volunteers who completely cleared the pitch at Douglas Park, Hamilton so that it was described as 'looking like it was in summer!'

Added to this positivity was the news that no Hamilton Accies game had been called off all season so to Glasgow Central we ventured and by train then joined what turned out to be an 8,000 attendance to see them play Morton, fortunately the opposition having only travelled the short distance from Greenock. The four page flimsy programme, priced 3d, that I still have, together with my notes on the day saw that Johnny Divers had signed at noon from Clyde but all to no avail as Joe Mclaughlin of Morton scored the only goal in the 50th minute and we also savoured a rare opportunity to 'run on the pitch' at the end.

This was a great day out and plenty to talk about at school on the Monday morning and a memory every year the weather conjures up a cold snap!

Rob Errington
League President & Historian

Where next?

FLANAGAN'S FILES IT MAY BE FEEEZING OUT BUT SIXTY YEARS AGO FOOTBALL REALLY DID FREEZE TO A HALT
White Ensign v Erith & Belvedere FA Vase 4th Round - Erith & Belvedere prevail on spot-kicks after tight battle with Ensign

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