BOROUGH PARK MEMORIES: The first Football League game

Following our election to the Football League in early June, 1951, the Workington supporters eagerly awaited the publication of the fixture list for Reds’ inaugural season in the Third Division North.

Chesterfield became the first visiting team to play at Borough Park in what was Reds’ second fixture of the new season.  They had lost 3-1 at Halifax Town in their maiden Football League outing, but the disappointment of that opening day loss was quickly forgotten as the excitement intensified ahead of the Wednesday evening encounter against a team who had been relegated from the Second Division.

The Mayor meets the Reds team prior to the first FL game at Borough Park.

In front of an 11,000 attendance, Workington emerged 3-1 winners in what was, quite literally, a red-letter day for the club.

Chesterfield had actually opened the scoring, when Len Hainsworth put through his own goal, but the home crowd were soon rejoicing as Danny McDowall wrote himself into the history books by scoring Reds’ first Football League goal at Borough Park.  The former Glasgow Celtic player added a second before the end with local lad, Ted Cushin, netting in between.

The Workington line-up for that historic fixture, including seven Englishmen and four Scots, was: Archie McIndewar, Kenny Wallace, Len Hainsworth, Bob Rooney, Bob McAlone, Matt Andrew, Edward Cushin, Danny McDowall, Chris Simmonds, John Maxfield and Andy Mullen.