Aldershot Echoes 1966-7
| Aldershot Squad 1966 - 67 |
Back : Smith (Secretary/Manager), Walden, Walker, Renwick, Jeffreys, Godfrey, Williams, Howarth, Rafferty, Dawes, Newman, Conner (Trainer)
Middle : Dadley, Davies, Bone, Maloy, Campbell, McAnearney (Captain), Howfield, Dodson, Kearns, Smith, Dean
Inset : Walton, Manktelow
With thanks to Mark Elliott's site http://www.shots2692.co.uk/ for this, and all the pictures
English League football in 1966 had just enjoyed the ultimate advertisement, a fantastic World Cup staged up and down the country, with the hosts triumphant. It was widely hoped England's status as World Champions would provide domestic football interest with a shot in the arm; attendances had been in decline since the start of the 1950s. Aldershot had ended the 1966 season a mediocre 18th in Division Four. Worryingly Shots' had averaged their lowest ever attendances - 3,825.
Manager Dave Smith, in his eighth season at the helm had a largely settled squad, Jack Howarth had signed from Swindon Town the previous season and top-scored with 15 goals. New signings were the two Ronnies, Rafferty from Hull and winger Walton from Carlisle. Keeper David Jones was released after 208 appearances, his replacement Tony Godfrey had been signed in December but unable to play until March due to illness with jaundice. After two seasons full back Phil Gunter (86+8) was released and joined Guildford City.
Hartlepool United were the first opponents, a 1-1 draw was played in front of 3,590 fans, just 200 more than the final crowd of the previous season. A draw at Halifax, a 3-1 home win over Brentford (in front of 5,583) and a two-legged League Cup victory over Luton was followed by a 1-0 loss at Southport on 9 September. This ended a run of 15 unbeaten games for the Shots dating back to 23 March. Shots were back on track winning at Newport then at home to Barnsley to suggest a promotion push was possible. Disappointingly they crashed 4-0 at Luton in their next match, with Rafferty sent off for retaliation.
High-flying Southport were at The Rec on 28 September, Shots supporters and management were so far pleased with the quality of football being played, and the blend of youth and experience Smith had gathered together. A fairly typical Aldershot line-up for the first part of the season; Godfrey, Walden, Renwick, McAnearney, Walker, Dawes, Walton, Maloy, Rafferty, Kearns, Dodson; blew away the visitors 4-1, Rafferty bagged a hat-trick, taking his total to six goals in as many games, with Kearns also scoring. The crowd was healthy for a Wednesday evening at 4,479. Rochdale were soundly beaten 4-0 the following Saturday taking Shots up to fifth place.
Two defeats followed before Jack Howarth was recalled to the team and he scored on his return, Shots first in a 3-0 win against Chester. Rafferty was dropped for the next match, at Tranmere, having failed to score since his Southport treble. Maloy was Shots second red card of the season in the 2-2 draw at Prenton Park. Shots lacked any sort of consistency throughout October and November and drifted towards mid table, although gates were consistently around the 5,000 mark.
The FA Cup drew the biggest gate of the season to The Rec on 26 November, Division Three Torquay United the first round visitors. Howarth and Kearns scored Shots goals in a 2-1 win which set up an eagerly awaited second round clash with Reading, while in the League Shots' Christmas double with Southend United proved entertaining.
| Jack Howarth scores the first against Torquay in the FA Cup |
Forward George O'Brien was signed from Leyton Orient on Boxing Day morning and went straight into the starting line-up alongside Howarth and Kearns. Shots highest League gate of the season, 5,985, were entertained with a 5-2 win against the Shrimpers. O'Brien scored on his debut, further goals coming from Walton Howarth and a Kearns brace. The next day Southend turned the tables winning 4-0. Whilst two goals down O'Brien had been pulled down by the keeper but Tommy McAnearney missed the penalty.
A 1-0 home defeat to Halifax on New Years Eve was to be followed by the Reading FA Cup match, but severe weather conditions meant the tie was twice postponed. The first match of 1967 for Shots was the visit of Newport County on 14 January. Shots warmed up for the cup in perfect style, running up their biggest win of the season, 5-0, with Howarth's first hat-trick for the club, and further goals from Walton and Burton .
Shots were slightly above mid-table in the League as they entertained Reading in the FA Cup Third Round. After severe weather conditions had seen the tie twice postponed the local rivals faced each other at The Rec on Monday 16th January 1967. Recent signing George O'Brien was cup-tied with Rafferty deputising. On wet, heavy ground Jack Howarth scored the only goal of the game in front of what was at the time a record attendance of 16,801 and record gate receipts of £3,300. Aldershot's line-up was Godfrey, Walden, Renwick , McAnearney, Walker, Dawes, Walton, Rafferty, Howarth, Kearns and Burton.
| Howarth again to knock out Reading |
After a goalless draw at Barnsley, before 10,105 the largest League crowd Shots played before that season, Brighton visited in the FA Cup Fourth Round. Shots line-up was the same as for their Third Round match but another goalless draw the outcome, with 12,208 spectators. An unchanged side went out 3-1 at the Goldstone Ground. Whilst Shots bounced back in the League winning 4-1 against Luton two defeats followed and realistic hopes of promotion ebbed away.
| Goalless against Brighton - Shots lost the replay |
As the season wound down Kearns found his scoring boots with a run of 6 goals in 7 games, but O'Brien didn't score in eleven nor Howarth in twelve. In March manager Dave Smith, after nearly eight seasons at the helm, moved sideways the post of general manager/secretary. Thirty-four year old Tom McAnearney took over as manager. A run of just two defeats in the last eleven matches boosted Shots into the top half of the table, the final home fixture against Chesterfield drew 3,569 through the gate, just 21 less than the opening day fixture.
How do you follow a World Cup win? Alf Ramsey's answer was clearly "consistency". England played a further three matches in 1966, European Championship wins in Northern Ireland (2-0) and home to Wales (5-1) and a goalless friendly draw with Czechoslovakia. What is remarkable is the eleven players used in all three matches were the exact eleven that had played in the World Cup win against Germany - Banks, Cohen, Wilson, Stiles, J Charlton, Moore, Ball, Hunt, Peters, Hurst, B Charlton
Shots used only 20 players all season. Godfrey and Walker were ever present in all competitions, McAnearney missed only the defeat at Barrow, and Dawes was absent just twice. Jack Howarth scored 22 goals in 47 league and cup matches and was player of the season; Kearns scored 16 and Walton 10. A final position of tenth with 18 wins, 12 draws and 16 defeats placed Shots 10 points off promotion and 11 points away from re-election. Howfield, Maloy, Dodson and Davies were all released.
Elsewhere, World Champions England's long unbeaten run came to an end on 14 April 1967. Making their first team change since the World Cup Final - Jimmy Greaves replacing Martin Peters - Scotland beat them 3-2 at Wembley in a European Championship Qualifier. However England won their group and went onto finish third at the 1968 European Championship. The post-World Cup attendance boom increased crowds to the highest aggregate in nine years, a 6.2% increase on the previous season. This boom was felt only in Division One, experiencing a 14% rise, whilst attendances in Divisions Two and Four fell. Whilst Shots form was erratic the football was clearly more pleasing to spectators as the club's crowds rose a sharp 17.2% to a 4,483 average. This rise was on the back of their lowest ever average in 65/6 season.
Tottenham Hotspur beat Chelsea 2-1 in the FA Cup Final, Bayern Munich won by a single goal against Rangers in the European Cup Final. Northern clubs dominated in Shots' division, Stockport, Southport, Barrow and Tranmere the promoted sides. Manchester United were Football League champions, fours points ahead of Nottingham Forest and Spurs. Aston Villa and Blackpool were relegated, replaced by Coventry City for their first top-flight season and Wolves. QPR won Division Three with 12 more points than Middlesbrough; they also beat West Brom 3-2 in the League Cup Final.
With grateful thanks to Martin Gooday for generously giving his permission to reproduce this series.
