TUNBRIDGE Wells United's FA Cup Run 1961-62 is being remembered in a new book.
In the Autumn of 1961 Tunbridge Wells United enjoyed a successful run in the FA Cup which was only ended when they were beaten away by Aldershot who were at the time leaders of the Fourth Division in the first round proper.
What makes this achievement all the more remarkable is that Tunbridge Wells United had not won a single game in Southern League Division One that season and yet they triumphed in the four preliminary rounds of FA Cup, three of which were away from home.
The most impressive of the four victories was beating Tonbridge, who were in the Southern League Premier at the time in front of 3000 fans at the Angel Ground.
The FA Cup run started on September 9th 1961 with a home win against Maidstone United at Eridge Road and was ended two months later at Aldershot.
Long time Tunbridge Wells supporter Richard Walsh, who grew up locally and attended each of the FA Cup matches has produced a 68 page book to commemorate this feat – the last time that the club has reached this stage of the competition.
In researching the book, the author spoke to all of the five players who remained alive from the FA Cup run, which is now sadly four.
The second part contains match reports and pictures from each of the games and in the final section each of the remaining players share their recollections of this memorable FA Cup run.
Last Saturday Alan Back who played in every game in the run returned to the Culverden Stadium for first time since the 1960's to help to launch a book that has been written about the FA Cup run of 1961. Back started his career with Charlton Athletic where he played as an amateur before moving to Tunbridge Wells where Gordon Hurst was then the manager.
During the time that he spent at Culverden Stadium on Saturday afternoon many fans remembered Alan Back and enjoyed talking about that special cup run back in 1961.
Another former player who was present on Saturday was Bullet Barden who played for Tunbridge Wells United Reserves and appeared in the pre-season match with Back.
A bonus was watching Tunbridge Wells FC triumph over Roffey in the first round of the FA Vase on penalties. Tunbridge Wells United FC FA Cup Run 1961-2 by Richard Walsh is available priced £5 plus £1.50 postage and packing from richardwalshscoop1@gmail.com
