On this day – 13 April
A look back through the archives to see what was happening to Reds on the 13th April in previous years…….
It was a rather special day for Gareth Arnison (pictured) seven years ago today. That was when he scored his 100th competitive goal for Reds and, as well as reaching a noteworthy personal milestone, his routine finish via a Jonny Wright assist helped us to a 3-1 victory at Corby Town.
An own-goal had given us an early lead which was doubled with a well taken Jacob Hazel lob. Town reduced the arrears, then had a man sent off, so were forced to play the final hour a man down.
Gareth, who had scored his 99th goal the previous week at Borough Park, netted on the hour to complete a straightforward victory. His century of goals consisted of 77 in Conference North, 1 in the play-offs, 6 in the FA Cup, 8 in the FA Trophy and 8 in the Cumberland Cup.
In contrast to Arni’s memorable day, Eddie Holliday (inset) scored his first Workington goal on this corresponding day in 1968. The former Middlesbrough, Sheffield Wednesday and Hereford United player, who had won three England caps during his Boro days, scored for Reds in a 2-1 defeat at Hartlepools United.
Reds should have been on duty at Dunston today, of course, but back in 1938 they were just thirteen miles down the road at South Shields playing in the North Eastern League Challenge Cup Final. Not such a good day, though, with the players returning with runners-up medals following a 1-0 defeat.
They had also played in the NELCC semi-finals both in 1931 and 1935 with Sunderland Reserves the opposition each time at Lonsdale Park.
In 1931 we lost 1-0 in front of a 4,000 crowd but, four years later, won 2-1 with the gate recorded as 3,081.
Reds didn’t play many Football League matches on this day but Southport were our opponents in 1957 and 1963. We won the former 2-0 at Borough Park with Jackie Bertolini and Ken Chisholm sharing the goals. However, six years later, we travelled to Haig Avenue and were on the receiving end of a 6-3 score-line. Jonny Haasz (2) and Mike Commons had done their bit at one end of the pitch but defensive frailties proved costly.
Back to the non-league era, and an equal measure of success and disappointment to reflect upon.
It was certainly disappointment, if not despair, twelve months ago when Gainsborough Trinity won 2-0 to maintain our long-running, losing sequence on home soil.
We were also heading towards relegation in 1998 and a 1-0 reverse at Netherfield certainly didn’t help. Indeed, the intervention of a male streaker was noted as one of the game’s highlights!
The most recent success at Borough Park was eighteen years ago when Marc Green converted a penalty and substitute, Barry Irving, netted to help obtain a 2-1 win against Spennymoor United.
There was a Borough Park first ten years ago when Reds were playing Hyde United in Conference North. Hyde’s twin brothers, Scott and David McNiven, were sent off in separate incidents becoming the first siblings to be shown red in the same game.
David, who played for Workington a few years later, had scored in the 2-2 draw with Jonny Wright and Kyle May on target for us.
