On this day – 09 December
Reflecting on a typical, old fashioned FA Cup tie involving the Reds on the 9th December, 1967………..
Imagine the scene – a Weardside League club reaches the First Round proper of the FA Cup for the first and only time in their history and draws a 4,000 crowd for the visit of struggling Football League outfit, Workington.
Ryhope Colliery Welfare Football Club had scored seventeen goals on their way to the First Round, knocking out Evenwood Town, Stanley United, Durham City and Bishop Auckland in the process.
Snow covered the frozen playing surface and the match probably wouldn’t have been played nowadays – not ideal for Reds with the majority of the big crowd baying for blood or, at the very least, a giant killing.
It was a tough, hard fought battle but Workington, wearing a sky blue outfit, avoided the banana skin and came away from the Sunderland area with a welcome 1-0 victory. Tommy Spratt scored the match winner.
