ROGER CONNELL'S last-minute goal broke the hearts of his former club at Wembley – but it was the feat achieved at the other end of the pitch which helped Walton & Hersham earn a place in the history books.
Allen Batsford's side lifted the Amateur Cup without conceding a single goal – a record which can never be beaten. The Surrey side saw off Sutton United, Leeds & Carnegie, St Albans City then both Spennymoor United and Highgate United after replays to reach the Twin Towers in the penultimate Amateur Cup competition.
“Not to concede a goal throughout the whole of the competition was a phenomenal feat,” a proud Connell recalled.
“We were, of course, very good defensively and if you are good in defence it gives the midfield and forwards a lot more confidence. We knew that our defence would hardly let us down. Richard Teale did very well for us in goal as did Chris Lambert and Dave Donaldson in central defence.
“I was always under the impression that if you had a very good central defender, a very good midfielder and a very good striker you can build the team around those three.”
With that solid rearguard in place, it was down to England amateur international striker Connell –who scored twice in a 4-0 semi-final victory over Highgate – to put the seal on victory with an 89th-minute winner.
And he had no mixed feelings whatsoever about sending his former club spinning to defeat on the showpiece occasion in front of 43,000 fans.
“Previous to being at Walton I had played for Slough until Tommy Lawrence took over as manager and he didn't particularly want me, so I left and went to Walton & Hersham,” he added.
“And to score a goal against them was brilliant. I remember the ball came in from the left hand side, it was knocked out to me just short of the 18-yard line.
“I just thought I was going to hit it first time which I did and it beat Ian Wolstenholme, hit the edge of the post and went in.
“After the game had finished I walked over to the Slough supporters and I clapped my hands at them and thought I was going to get booed.
“But they were very good and clapped and cheered back. I didn't think that they wanted me to leave anyway but I didn't really have a choice.
“I didn't have a point to prove. I played because I liked the game and always wanted to win.”
Seven members of that Walton side later moved with Batsford to play for Wimbledon, helping the club to the Southern League title and winning promotion to the Football League.
And even as a team of part-timers at Walton, this was a side that had all the hallmarks of an early Crazy Gang.
Connell explained: “A lot of teams were pretty cautious of us because we were fairly physical in the way that we played, we were very fit. We used to put the fear into teams before we even started the game. We didn't have a great deal of skill but had a will to win, fitness and above all else character which you need.
“We won the Southern League at Wimbledon three years running and then got elected into the Football League.”
Back row from left to right:
1. Gerry De'ath: The assistant coach now runs a number of successful building and property developing businesses.
2. Chris Lambert: A former manager of a timber yard, he now lives in Aldershot having worked as a driving instructor for over 30 years.
3. Richard Teale: The goalkeeper became assistant manager of Staines Town while running his own building company in Egham, Surrey.
4. David Worby: He is now living in Carshalton Beeches, Surrey and works in the insurance industry after training as a motor mechanic.
5. Keiron Somers: An Ireland amateur international striker, he is now retired and living in Camberley, Surrey.
6. Dave Donaldson: He managed Tooting & Mitcham while working as a senior systems executive for British Airways. He now splits his time between Ascot and the USA.
7. Colin Woffinden: He lives in Rottingdean, Brighton and works as a tiler having run successful property developing businesses.
8. Billy Edwards: After becoming player-manager at Tooting & Mitcham, Leatherhead and Dulwich Hamlet, he was a policeman for 18 years and now lives in West Sussex.
9. Dave Morris: A structural engineer, who set up a hugely successful business and now splits his time between homes in Windsor and the USA.
10. Owen Harris: He continues to run his own physiotherapy practice, Clinic 21, in Surbiton, Surrey.
Front row from left to right:
11. Bobby Wingate: Having spent many years working as a telephone engineer, he is now a part-time painter and decorator in Farnborough, Hants.
12. Roy Thomas: He managed Harlow and ran a heating and ventilating factory in Milton Keynes. He now works on the betting exchanges.
13. Dave Bassett: Has held a host of management and coaching posts since being appointed Dons boss in 1981. He now works in the media.
14. Allen Batsford: Managed Dulwich Hamlet, Hillingdon Borough and Wealdstone before becoming youth development officer at Millwall. He died in December 2009.
15. Roger Connell: He is now a mini-cab driver living in North London. Taught English in Barcelona for 12 years and then became a postman in Camden.
16. Willie Smith: An England amateur international lives in Stockwell, still works as a printer and was also assistant manager at Kingstonian.
17. Clive Foskett: He is now living in Hampshire and built a career in the publishing industry.
