Today I'm going back to 42 years to 1979 and York City's FA Cup tie against Mossley at Bootham Crescent. The programme featured is yet another one in the series of poor efforts that was given away free of charge at the turnstiles and was simply a single sheet of paper folded over a couple of times. That said, anything is better than nothing when it comes to obtaining a souvenir programme from a match attended and, these days, the option not to produce a paper programme at all is increasingly the norm for a number of clubs. It's Covid19 that's to blame see? Only that doesn't explain why some clubs make the effort and manage to produce. I'm still waiting for some club official somewhere to blame Brexit, immigrants or the Nazis. It's surely just a matter of time?
Mossley are based in Greater Manchester and their Seel Park ground is on my list of grounds that I've not yet visited but would like to. They're based in an area where it's almost impossible to throw a rock without hitting a football club. Within just 12 miles you can find Manchester City, Rochdale, Oldham Athletic, Ashton United, Curzon Ashton, Stalybridge Celtic, Hyde United, Glossop North End and FC United of Manchester and that doesn't include clubs that are small enough to enter the FA Vase. How teams can make ends meet when there's such localised competition for gate receipts and sponsorship is beyond me. Oh, and don't throw rocks at football clubs or you'll get arrested!
In 1979, Mossley's reward for reaching Round One was a trip to York to face a side that included former Leeds United and Scotland star Peter Lorimer in it's ranks. Mossley had already put paid to the hopes and dreams of Fleetwood Town, Macclesfield Town after a Replay, Winsford United and then Goole Town to secure the opportunity of playing one of the "Big Boys", a Football League club, in the First Round. Many fancied Mossley's chances but when keeper John Fitton was ruled out by injury his understudy Tommy Cavanagh had an absolute nightmare and, despite looking the better side for much of the game, Mossley lost 5-2 in front of a bumper FA Cup crowd of 3,872.
York would go on to face bitter rivals Bury at Gigg Lane in the Second Round but, after coming away with a goalless draw, City failed to make home advantage count in the Replay and crashed out of the Cup 0-2. Bury had one heck of a Cup-run that season and made it all the way to the Fifth Round playing Liverpool at Anfield before exiting the competition. West Ham United won the Cup that season beating Arsenal (yay!) in the Final at Wembley.
CRB Match No. 64
Comments
Post a Comment