ON THIS DAY: 05 March – Shankly’s return to Brunton Park & double over Brentford

Reds have played in the university cities of Oxford and Cambridge, met English, Scottish and Welsh opposition at Borough Park, been on the receiving end of hat-tricks and won and lost matches in equal measure on the 5^th March in years gone by…….

1955   Carlisle United (away) 4-0   This was Reds best Football League win at Brunton Park and a triumphant return for Bill Shankly against the team he played for and managed earlier in his career.

Jimmy Dailey scored twice in this game with his 12^th and 13^th goals of another productive campaign and was joined on the score sheet by fellow Scot, Jackie Bertolini, and Ernie Whittle the latter bagging his 12^th of the season too.

Workington finished the season in 8^th, Barrow were down in 17^th spot and United a lowly 20^th!

1960   Walsall (away) 2-2   The Saddlers would eventually clinch the Fourth Division Championship and, considering their comfortable 3-0 win at Borough Park earlier in the season, Reds were delighted to collect a point in the return.

Frank Kirkup scored twice that day in front of a near 11,000 crowd at Fellows Park.

1966   Oxford United (away) 2-0   We came up against Ron Atkinson the player on this occasion in what was our first and only win at the old Manor Ground.  It completed a quick-fire league double over Arthur Turner’s side.

It was also a double for Billy Griffin who scored in both home and away matches with Ken Oliver also on target.

1969   Brentford (home) 1-0   It was Wednesday night football for our midweek fix in those days with kick-off at the earlier 7.15pm slot.  By ‘twenty-past-seven’, Reds were already one goal to the good thanks to a 3^rd minute strike from the versatile John Ogilvie who was operating as a centre forward at the time.  It proved to be the winner and completed a league double for Reds.

1973   Mansfield Town (away) 0-4   Mansfield had a good home record but, even so, this was shock to the system as George Aitken’s troops were going well before crumbling to our heaviest defeat of the season. 

Who suggested having a ‘Stag –do’ on a Monday night?

1976   Southport (away) 1-2   It was Friday night football at Haig Avenue but another loss, unfortunately.  Keith Galley scored twice for the home side which proved enough to guarantee victory with Dave Murray’s well taken reply merely a consolation.

Tough times for both clubs – Reds finished at the very bottom of the Football League – 92^nd, Southport five points better off in 91^st!

1977   Cambridge United (away) 1-4   This was a second successive 4-1 reverse at the Abbey Stadium with Ron Atkinson’s slick side on their way to the Fourth Division title.  Jim Hall helped himself to a hat-trick that afternoon with Mally Moore netting Reds sole reply.

If it was of any consolation to our boys, Cambridge had scored four goals at home on five other occasions and managed five against our ‘bottom two buddies’, Southport.

1983   Gainsborough Trinity (away) 4-3   At the sixth attempt, Reds managed a first away win over Trinity in a seven goal thriller at the Northolme.  Jimmy Snee left the ground with the match ball after scoring a hat-trick but it was in vain and four individual scorers ensured the visitors returned to Cumbria with the points.

John Smith converted our first from the penalty spot with Graham Gill, Martin Harris and Wayne Harrison also finding the back of the net.  Four great servants for WAFC it has to be said.

1988   Bangor City (home) 0-1   Reds had gone into this NPL clash fielding an unchanged side – the first time that had happened all season – but it didn’t alter the outcome.  The team deserved a point at the very least but City grabbed the match winner in the second half.

1991   Irlam Town (away) 1-0   Graeme Nicholson’s sixteenth minute winner secured a third successive victory at Irlam’s Silver Street ground yet, despite completing a double over them, they finished higher than us in the final table!

1994   Eastwood Town (home) 2-1   Graham Caton was an absentee but for a good reason – he was playing a trial match for Bury Reserves.  Replacing him in the Workington line-up was Jason Prins who had joined us from neighbours, Carlisle United.

Goals from Paddy Atkinson and Martin Henderson helped us overcome the struggling Nottingham side.

2002   Gretna (home) 0-2  Dubbed the ‘Royal Mail’ derby because of the six postal workers involved, Reds failed to deliver as Gretna stamped their authority on proceedings.  Even one of the assistant referees had been delivering letters on the morning of the match.

The Black & Whites named a host of former Workington players in their team two of whom, Mark Dobie and Lee Hoolickin, scored the second half goals to frank the victory.

2011   Hinckley United (away) 2-1   This game was goalless at half time but, by the 47^th minute it was 1-1.  The hosts gifted Gareth Arnison the opener seconds after the restart but then responded with an immediate equaliser.

Arni bagged his second of the afternoon, and the winner, when he volleyed home in the 65^th minute.

Reds finished a solid 11^th in Blue Square Bet North that season, the Leicestershire outfit 15^th.

2012   Hyde (away) 0-4   Our Conference North record at Ewen Fields had been excellent until this point with this romp Hyde’s first success against us in seven meetings.  They were on course to win the league and did so comfortably in the end.

Monday night football didn’t agree with us once again and, as had been the case at Mansfield thirty nine years earlier, we shipped four goals!

2016   Grantham Town (home) 1-1   Reds were on course for a scrappy one goal win until they handed the visitors a 94^th minute lifeline.  A needless, conceded penalty enabled them to level matters from the spot and guess which was the more vibrant dressing room after the final whistle?

Scott Allison had opened the scoring earlier.

2019   Farsley Celtic (away) 0-2   The team sheet had to be changed minutes before kick-off due to the late arrival of Jason Walker and Niall Cowperthwaite who had travelled by car.

Dean Botherston, who replaced Walker in the starting XI, came closest to scoring for Reds but he saw one effort hit the post and another well parried by the ‘keeper. Other than that, it was plain sailing for Celtic and two first half goals earned them three points without the need to break sweat!