The Last Time...

As three of the four remaining teams have already experienced playing in a semi final, I thought it a good opportunity to stroll down memory lane and revisit the last time they made it to this stage.

As Comets Sports are the ‘odd one out’, I’ve decided to include the memorable details of the first Berkhamsted league team to reach the last four, namely Gossoms End.

Northampton Duke of York
Duke of York blazed their way to the 2002-03 semi finals, with some pretty impressive results, the first one being a 3-0 win at Celtic SC (Luton) in the first round.

Celtic SC were members of the North Home Counties league, whose teams regularly made it to the latter stages during the early 2000’s, so this made the result even more impressive.

2001 quarter finalists Biggleswade received a 5-1 footballing lesson on their own ground in round 2, whilst Essex based Lea Bridge Rangers were dispatched 3-0 in round 3.

Quested were humbled 6-1 in the last 16 and experienced Sunday Cup campaigners Reading Irish were beaten 3-0 in the quarter finals, to set up a mouth watering semi final against St Joseph’s from Luton.

However, this tie never materialised, as St Joseph’s were removed from the competition for fielding an ineligible player, so the team they had beaten 3-1 in the quarter finals, Travellers from Birmingham, were granted a reprieve and faced Duke of York in the semi final at Solihull Borough.

Despite the absence of Sunday Cup legends St Joseph’s, both teams served up a feast of football and with just 15 minutes remaining, it appeared that Travellers were on their way to Anfield, as they lead 2-0.

A brace from James Westley and a Russell Dunkley goal 3 minutes from time completely changed the game in favour of the Northampton side. The excitement was yet to end, however, as, amazingly, Travellers restored parity in the final minute to force extra time!

A further goal from Dunkley and a 114th minute strike from Steve Jelley was enough to finally overcome a spirited display from Travellers and send Duke of York to the final.

A crowd of 2,203 saw Duke of York clinch the title by beating local boys Allerton 3-1, courtesy of another Russell Dunkley brace and a goal from sub Paul Edgeworth.

Paddock
Paddock’s 2007/08 Sunday Cup got off to a flying start when they beat former finalists Albion Sports 3-1 in the first round.

Heywood Irish Centre were thrashed 6-1 in round 2 and the previous season’s semi finalists, Barrys, were put to the sword in round 3, as Paddock ran out 4-1 winners.

Silsden were Paddock’s third Yorkshire conquest in round 4, when they lost 2-1, in a tie that was played in Liverpool, following two postponements in West Yorkshire.

An emphatic 4-0 win over Club Lewsey at Skelmersdale in the quarter final, set up a semi final meeting against 2006 champions Hetton Lyons at Marine.

Two goals from Adam Johnston gave the Durham side a 2-0 half time lead and Paddock’s task became that much harder, when they were reduced to 10 men, for a second bookable offence.

The final that year was an all Durham affair, with Hetton Lyons gaining revenge for 2nd round defeat the previous season, by beating Coundon Con Club at Anfield.

Oyster Martyrs
A few weeks before Duke of York beat Celtic SC (Luton) in the first round in the 2002/03 season, a certain 16 year old boy watched the Croxteth derby between former winners Lobster and Oyster. A few weeks later, he would score the match-winning goal that would end Premiership champions Arsenal’s 30 match unbeaten run.

However, it was Lobster that Wayne Rooney had come to support, not Oyster, as this is where his family loyalties lay at the time.

By the 2008/09 season, the Rooney’s has swopped their allegiances to Oyster and it was their first round result that propelled them in to the limelight, as they recorded an impressive 7-4 victory over former winners Nicosia.

After disposing of local rivals Ford Motors in the 2nd round, Oyster were drawn at home against Coundon Con Club, who were bidding to reach a third successive final, in only their third season in the Sunday Cup!

Oyster ended Coundon’s bid with a 3-1 victory that earned the Scouse side a trip to Lincolnshire, to face Magnet Tavern. A hard fought 2-1 win set up another home tie against strong opposition in the form of Witton Park Rose and Crown, who were making their Sunday Cup debut that season.

Another close game saw Oyster edge past the Durham side and in to the semi final, where they would meet the exotically named Fforde Grene Brazil from Leeds!

The game was played in blustery conditions at Nethermoor Park, the home of Guiseley, which after the Yorkshire team’s successes in the FA Vase and FA Trophy in the 1990’s, achieved the rare feat of hosting a semi final in three different FA competitions.

I remember this game well and unfortunately, the strong winds that day put pay to any chances of watching a classic game

A brace from midfielder Ian Latham and a goal from Thomas Rooney proved to be enough to see off Leeds-based Fforde Grene.

Oyster took the lead just after the half-hour mark when Ian Latham’s 25 yard strike gave the home goalkeeper no chance. Fforde’s equalised on the stroke of half time when Craig Harding headed home a left wing cross.

The Martyrs were back in front 10 minutes after the restart. Fforde didn’t clear a free-kick properly and the ball fell nicely to Latham who calmly slotted home.
Ten minutes later it was 3-1 as Thomas Rooney finished clinically from close range.

Luis De Melo netted from the edge of the area late on but to set up a nervy finale but Fforde Grene couldn’t find an equaliser and Oyster went through to the final, where they played Nottingham side Scots Grey, who accounted for Hetton Lyons in the quarter final.

Scots Grey beat Oyster in a great advert for the high standard that teams who play in the Sunday Cup are capable of reaching.

Gossoms End
Berkhamsted league outfit were one of eleven sides to receive a bye in the first round of the 2004/05 season, which was the last season that the FA handed out multiples byes. The FA decided to restrict exemptions to the finalists from the previous season, from 2005/06.

Rainham Sports were swept aside in the 2nd round and this was followed up with an impressive 2-0 away win at St Joseph’s (Luton) in round 3.

A 2-1 win was enough to end 2002 quarter finalists Lebeq Tavern Courage’s hopes of progressing and another 2-1 home win, this time against Casino in round 5, set up a tough semi final against experienced Sunday Cup campaigners Canada Edinburgh Park from the Liverpool Business Houses league at Burscough.

Despite the late withdrawal of key defender Paul Aldridge, who played in the 2001 FA Vase final for Berkhamsted Town, Gossoms End began the game brightly but conceded two goals in a nightmare two minute spell at the end of the first half, as they struggled to contain Canada’s strike trio of Adam Williams, Tony Grey and man of the match Lee Spike, who between them, scored all of Canada’s four goals.

An Albion Sports victory in the other semi final at Marine, set up the prosect of a great final at Anfield. However, later that week, the FA confirmed that they had received a protest from Gossoms End regarding Canada’s Tony Grey, who was a non-contract player for Bangor City in the League of Wales.

In order to play for Canada, Grey would have needed International Clearance from the FA, which had not been obtained. The FA Sunday Cup Sub-Committee upheld the protest and Canada were removed from the competition for fielding an ineligible player!

The big question here is how did a team from Berkhamsted know that a player with a Liverpool Sunday team did not have International Clearance? Both teams admitted to knowing very little about each other, when interviewed before the semi final, so how did all this come about?

Well, the story at the time was that Burscough had attempted to sign the player before he signed for Bangor and being a local lad, they were only too aware of him and decided to tip Gossoms End off about him, so they could protest to the FA.

Lady luck smiled on the Hertfordshire side in the final, when a complete fluke of a goal won them the Sunday Cup.