Fifty-five years ago Ilkeston Town travelled to the Moat Ground to take on Gresley Rovers in the new ‘Non League Trophy” as the Football Post coined it. It is now known as the FA Trophy. Ilkeston were in the Midland League and Gresley Rovers were unbeaten in the supposedly inferior East Midlands Regional League.
The teams were:
Gresley Rovers – Slaney, McDonnell, Page, Fitchett, King, Greaves, Michell, Cowlishaw, Liddle, Tomas and Fairbrother sub Duggins.
Ilkeston Town – Treharne, Jones, Agnew, Thompson, Tunstall, Wyld, Brown A, Norris, Shrewsbury, Coleman and Rann Sub McAndrew.
Ilkeston started the game strongly and had the best of the early exchanges and had Gresley on the back foot. Norris nissed a good chances for the Robins but Cowlishaw forced Treharne to make a good save just before the break. The Moatmen got back into the game into the second half and it was Ilkeston’s turn to defend in a strong wind which made fluent play difficult for both sides. On eighty-five minutes Ilkeston got their reward when Alan Brown scored with a header from a Thompson free-kick to win the game and secure the Robins journey in the FA Trophy.
In the next round drew at home to Prestatyn from North Wales and played the replay which was also drawn at Witton Albion due to Prestatyn lack of floodlights. The Manor Ground did not have either and the third game was played at Northwich Victoria with Ilkeston winning 3-1 through two goals from Shrewsbury and one from Brown. In the next round Ilkeston defeated Sandbach Ramblers before taking on Telford United in front of 607 fans. Telford were a strong side and were too good for Ilkeston running out 2-0 winners with goals from Bentley and Harris. Telford went on to reach the final but lost to Macclesfield Town. Interestingly all the teams that Ilkeston played in the first year of the FA Trophy all at some time went out of existence as did Macclesfield Town the winners and Ilkeston Town themselves. Meanwhile in the Midland League Ilkeston finished a disappointing seventh with Alfreton Town the runaway leaders at the top.
In the Football League Nottingham Forest drew 2-2 with Tottenham Hotspur with Rees and Moore scoring for Forest and Greaves and Pearce getting the Tottenham goals. Derby County were well beaten 4-0 by Arsenal in their first season back in the First Division under Brian Clough. Everton were six points clear at the top and were
still there at the end of the season to secure the title. Elsewhere Nottingham Schoolboys took on Derby Schoolboys and won 2-1. Derby included future Derby County player Steve Powell and Notts included future Robin Bert Bowery. Mansfield Town A were beaten 4-0 by Birmingham City A with a very young Trevor Francis
getting one of the goals. Nottingham Forest A beat Thorneywood Athletic 4-0 in the FA Youth Cup with future Robin Graham Collier getting two of the goals and a youthful John Robertson also getting on the scoresheet.
This website piece is written by John Shiels