On this day – 27 November
A look through the archives to see what was happening to Reds on the 27th November in previous years…….
During our twenty six seasons in the Football League, we met Watford fourteen times and it was on this day in 1965 that we recorded our one and only victory at Vicarage Road (above).
Ken Furphy was into his first full season as Watford manager and obviously knew the bulk of the Reds team he had left twelve months earlier.
Nevertheless, we emerged 2-1 winners on the day with Ken Oliver, a former Watford player, scoring Workington’s opener. Jimmy Moran netted our second goal via the penalty spot.
Reds would go on to complete a league double over Watford, in our best season in the Third Division, with the final table listing Reds in 5th position and Watford further down in 12th.
We have visited South Wales twice at this time of year with mixed results.
A 1971trip to Newport County proved successful with Reds maintaining their decent record at Somerton Park with a 1-0 victory. Dave Helliwell was our hero that day, scoring the match winning goal.
But we finished second best on the longer journey to Swansea City in 1976, crashing to a 4-0 defeat.
Swans legend, Alan Curtis, now President of the club, scored one of the goals against Reds’ deputy ‘keeper, Graham Monkhouse.
Thirty years ago, Borough Park hosted a NPL Challenge Cup tie with First Division Reds taking on Premier side, Chorley.
The visitors dominated the first half but couldn’t turn territorial advantage into goals. And it proved costly with Reds improving sufficiently after the interval to grab a surprise winner – a fine headed goal from Graham Caton (pictured).
Reds were on FA Trophy duty in 1999 and the draw paired us with Bilston Town of the Dr. Martens (Western Division) League. Bilston twice went in front but first Barry Irving and then Paul Stewart (inset) equalised with well taken goals. It was Stewart’s final goal in a Workington shirt – his fifteenth overall!
