BOROUGH PARK MEMORIES: The FA Trophy
- 20 hours ago
- 4 min read
As the ‘Old Lady’ nears the end of an existence spanning nearly eighty-nine years, we have reminisced on some wonderful happenings from the Workington AFC archives.
Over recent weeks, we have reflected on great occasions, various competitions, winning trophies, players, plus facts and figures etc. – and this chapter recalls our adventures in the FA Trophy at Borough Park.
As a competition for the senior non-league clubs (now restricted to those playing at steps 1 to 4), we have only participated in the Trophy since 1977-78 and, since our inaugural campaign in the Northern Premier League, we have competed in all but one tournament (1998-99) when our status determined we played in the FA Vase.
The first Trophy game at Borough Park was staged on 14 January, 1978 when over 600 fans turned out for the visit of Altrincham – an opponent who were making a second visit of the season to Borough Park. Earlier in the campaign, we had emerged 2-1 winners against ‘Alty’ to register our very first NPL victory.
There would be no repeat of the scoreline, on this occasion, as the match finished goalless against the team who would progress all the way to Wembley and lift the cup a few months later.
Representing Reds on that Saturday afternoon forty-eight years ago were:
Gerard Fisher, Mike Leng, Kenny Wallace, Barry Endean, Ian Johnston, Bobby Brown, John Martin, David Wilson, Keith Skillen, Neil McDonald, Barry Donaghy and Ian Hodgson.
The following season, we did score our first goals in the competition with Walter Gillott credited with Workington’s maiden goal in the Trophy at Borough Park. More recently, of course, Steven Rigg (with his brace against Bamber Bridge last season) had the satisfaction of netting our last ever Trophy goal at the ground.
A home win in the competition eluded us until the ’81-82 season and, then, we emerged 3-1 winners against Droylsden with Martin Harris (2) and Barry Diamond sharing the goals.
Four goals in some of those early Trophy encounters was classed as a high scoring game but, in 1985, we were treated to a classic with Reds overcoming Brandon United by the odd goal in nine! It was a real ding-dong battle against the County Durham outfit with our heroes taking the lead, for the first time, with the ninth goal of the afternoon to win 5-4!
Brandon returned to Borough Park two years later and knocked us out (0-3).
We weren’t blessed with too many goals in the early Borough Park encounters and penalties were conspicuous only by their absence. That was until Northallerton Town visited us in the early weeks of the 91-92 season.
Reds were awarded three penalties in that game – two in the first half, one in the second. Graham Caton converted the first two, confidently, but spurned the chance of making club history by blasting his third spot-kick over the bar!
Attendances for the early rounds were often less than our league average and the crowd of 646, for the Altrincham match back in 1978, remained our best in the competition until the 99-00 season.
Then, we were hit by ‘cup fever’ and home ties against Burton Albion (1,041), Worksop Town (1,029) and Kettering Town (1,643) drew four-figure attendances in consecutive rounds.
The win against Worksop Town that season was regarded as a ‘giant-killing’ feat because The Tigers were then in the division above us. But, more often than not, it was Reds getting dumped out of the competition by lower-ranked opposition.
Another unwanted ‘first’ at HQ was a penalty shoot-out defeat at the hands of Rocester in a Tuesday night replay. We had drawn 2-2 but then lost 4-3 on penalties and, for the record, Will Varty, Graham Goulding and Glenn Murray converted from twelve yards but Lee Armstrong and Rob Ennis failed from the spot.
Workington’s best wins in the competition at home have been in recent years versus Glossop North End (5-1) and Newcastle Town (5-0), both in replays incidentally, whilst the biggest home defeats have been suffered against Bamber Bridge (2-5) and Gateshead (2-4).
Long distance travellers have included Braintree Town and Weston-super-Mare, both of whom travelled on the day for Tuesday night replays, and Bromley who got here after making two coach journeys and the London to Carlisle bit by train.
The 2017-18 campaign was memorable and included home wins over Witton Albion (4-0), Glossop North End (5-1), Hartlepool United (1-0) and Weston-super-Mare (2-1).
The cherished victory over Hartlepool is, arguably, our best ‘scalp’ in the Trophy at home as they were National League at the time and we were NPL Premier Division, two steps below.
It was decided by a great goal too with Scott Allison netting in style at the Town End after a sublime assist from Nathan Waterston.
From Altrincham to Wrexham and numerous clubs in between, we have welcomed fifty-two different teams to west Cumbria in the Trophy and have recorded twenty-six wins in that time.
Reds have scored 90 Trophy goals at Borough Park with Scott Allison (7), Gareth Arnison, Graham Gill and Steven Rigg (5 each), Billy Gilmour and Phil McLuckie (4 each) all making valuable contributions.
