C O M M E N T S
/  H I G H L I G H T S

CL

Position 5th out of 14

FAC

3q

Margate

1-3

AC

4q

Redhill

1-2

LC/MS

1st

Maidenhead United

0-1

SSC

QF

Tooting & Mitcham

0-2

Home
Ground:

West Street, Ewell

Club Colours

Light and Dark Blue

President

Alderman G.C.A.Mann JP

Chairman

Derek Carpenter

v-c Peter Carpenter

Secretary

John Mitchell 26 Cox Lane  (Ewell 7841)

Asst and Press Sec Bill Carpenter

Treasurer

J.Blott 10 Hookfield, Epsom. Tel: Epsom 1876

Asst Bill Inkpen

Manager

Doug Whitehead former Scottish International
appointed for start of season

Had previously played for and coached Kingstonian, and was
a member of their 1933 Amateur Cup winning side. He scored two

goals in the
semi and two more in the final replay. Kingstonian legend who allegedly
scored 90 goals in a season.

Selection
Committee abolished for this season, and Whitehead has sole charge.

Committee: as
elected at AGM

W Mansey, Grant Sherman, LR Stapeley, Norman
Carpenter, J Rose, Fred Chitty,

A Bradley, E Armstrong, C Dunk, George Tarran

PTI

Bob Jones

Trainer

Les Fielder

Supporters
Club

WC Taylor - Secretary

Major changes
to Committee this year after bottom place finish last year. New Chair,
Secretary, and Treasurer

Secretary
Ernest Fletcher resigned after 5 years for personal reasons.

All four
Carpenters are brothers, and are also known for their lack of hair! Derek is
the new Chairman.

According to Ray Chenery in 2007, he went to school with
Derek, so he would have been about 31 at this time. Peter was older, but

died
recently, as did future Secretary Bill, although this is not totally
confirmed, as Geoff Porter saw him, and he was in a bad

way a few
years back - Bill didn't recognise Geoff. Would be approaching 90 now if he
was still around (2005).

Bill Carpenter
lived in the Stoneleigh area in recent years, and was Mayor of the Borough at
one point..

Bill Carpenter
died in 2003 aged 89.

Hounslow leave
league, reducing it to 14 teams

June 55
Statement provided for impending AGM by Sec: Ernest Fletcher, and Chair:
F.M.Stewart

They advised
that training had not been well supported by either first team or reserve
players.

17/6/55 Club
Dinner at Granada Restaurant A Coward and WE Kilbourn are guests (Sec &
Chair of Corinthian League)

Dinner was
organised by Grant Sherman and L Stapeley. Harry Hawke (ex-Sec) and EC
Norrington (SCFA Sec) also present.

AGM 20/6/55.
Venue unknown. This saw many changes.

Epsom were
enforced to apply for re election last year for the first time. Bernard Wales
was ever present, and Bill Nuth

only missed
one game. Club captain Ernie Watkins was back to form too, but the league
position meant that the club

lost money on
the season £189.19s.1d Cup receipts were down from £715 to £406 (not really
surprising though as

club had made
SSC Final in 1954) League gate receipts down by £217 on 53/54. Programmes
also sold £15 less.

Also, no
donation from Supporters Club this year, where last year saw £50 donated.

Ernest
Fletcher resigned but surprisingly appeared as Corinthian League Match &
Press Secretary in August.

He was
replaced by John Mitchell who lived in Cox Lane, Ewell, and had been West
Ewell Athletic's Secretary. West

Ewell were
Epsom's nursery club at this time.

Ernie Watkins
also asked about voting rights for the players. He, Ray Chenery and Bob Crane
were allowed to vote.

After all the
League troubles, Epsom had a dinner to celebrate winning the Surrey Senior
Shield last year.

President
Alderman G.C.A.Mann spoke as an "unbounded optimist" and thought
they would improve and "go from

strength to
strength". Spectators were asked to support the club, or go elsewhere,
as apparently support wasn't always

provided. He
also gently chided the players for not wearing a uniform necktie "so
that we can tell that you are the players"

He finished
by saying that "next year we are going to be near the top of the
Corinthian League". He wasn't too far wrong.

Ernest
Fletcher traced the history of the club and spoke of the club's fine conduct
record.

Councillor
R.C.Mitchell, Mayor of Epsom & Ewell also spoke, along with H.G.Sherman
and L Stapeley who regretted

the poor level
of support last season.

Sid Bristow
and Bill Townsend with 30 and 35 years service respectively are made
life-members at AGM.

June 55
Reported that ex-Epsom player John Hoy may have to give up football, as he
had damaged a ligament in his knee.

As it turned
out he was even ok to start the season for Leatherhead, but he did have
cartilage removed in Dec 55.

Ron Ruffell
leaves for Leatherhead as he can't get a regular place at Epsom.

Ray Fillery
leaves Tooting & M for Maidstone. Dave stays originally then leaves too.
Both win Cor Lge championship with

Maidstone. Ray
got his first Surrey cap in Nov 53.

1/7/55 Epsom Herald reports that Mr L.Stapeley is the
driving force behind many of the good things at the club, despite not
currently

being on the
Committee.

July 55 Sutton & District League Handbook no longer
has former Epsom Secretary Sid Basford as a life vice-president. I assume

that he must
have died at some point in 1954/55 season.

July 55 Gordon
Hurst decides to retire temporarily for a year for personal reasons. He was a
Durham County player

that had
joined from Leytonstone in Jan 54.

It was also
rumoured that 9 or 10 top class players that were well known in Amateur
circles had signed for Epsom

Club kept
names very secretive until public trial. "Wait and see" Training
started on 12/7/55 on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

The first
trial does not have a programme produced because of the secrecy surrounding
the new players.

This was the
beginning of the Whitehead revolution.

Epsom
introduce a season ticket for the first time at 16s for ground only or 27s 6d
for ground and enclosure.

Club
membership is 1 shilling, with supporters club membership at 2 shillings.
Reference to the football club offices being

adjacent to
the dressing rooms.

Epsom receive
bye in FA Cup. Leatherhead not accepted into competition.

Aug 55 Nonsuch
Bowmen formed. Used Epsom's ground on occasions during early 60's.

Aug 55 Bill
Whittaker is now coach at Carshalton Athletic.

Aug 55 Gordon
Cairns leaves Carshalton for Walton & Hersham.

Banstead
Athletic almost forced to fold due to astronomical rent increase at Merland
Rise.

Eventually
re-negotiated and still there to this day. Epsom would share there for 17
years from 1993-2010.

13/8/55 Public
Trial Proceeds split between SCFA Benevolent Fund and an Old Peoples Home in
Epsom.

200 spectators
at the trials

Manager Doug
Whitehead also taking private trials.

New players
include Ted Day from Kingstonian, Ted Murphy (21), Johnny Berry (23), Ray
Colfar (19), all from West Ham "A"

and all would
go on to have success. Colfar would succeed with Crystal Palace, Guildford
City and Cambridge United.

Terry Bates
(19) from Wolves, Dave Hermitage (21) from Surbiton Town, Jorgen Sorensen
previously guested

for Epsom on a number of occasions. Hermitage would go on
to have much success with Sutton, playing in their Amateur Cup

Final against
Murphy in 1963 and eventually becoming Secretary and then Chairman of Sutton.

Other players included Brian Woolins a centre-forward at
Reading University, Fred Hanmore a keeper also with Charlton Athletic as

an Amateur, Albert Streeter a centre forward, Ken Ambrose
(Surbiton Town) a centre-half, Vic Gough an outside right from Banstead.

Bates is in
the Army and is stationed at the Civil Service depot in Epsom.

Also, Norman
Ambrose (Kingstonian), Dennis Arbuckle, Charles Hewlett, Johnny Blunden,
Derek Roshier (25)(Redhill), Stan

Williams (A
team), Ralph Cooper (Banstead Athletic), and Derek Guppy (Surbiton).

Jim Langley is believed to hae joined another club while
Charlie Mutimer's working hours have changed and he can no longer commit.

According to Geoff Porter, Doug Whitehead brought in Dave
Hermitage , and did more ball work as a manager, but less running

than Pat Lynch. He was a school board officer, and also
brought in Ted Murphy, who would go on to play at Wembley in 1963 for

Wimbledon,
against Dave Hermitage's Sutton team in the Amateur Cup final.

Murphy also
played for Tooting & Mitcham against Nottingham Forest in 1958/59 when
they drew and lost the replay

to the
eventual winners. Murphy scored at both ends in this game, firstly from 35
yards to put Tooting 2-0 up but he also sent

an easy back
pass back through the keeper to let Forest back in to the match which
finished 2-2.

Dave Hermitage
would go on to become Sutton United's Chairman and died of cancer aged 70 in
mid 90's.

John Berry
would go on to manage Molesey in the future.

Jan Sorensen
used to live in Spring Street. Not sure where though.

Ray Colfar
was spotted by Geoff Porter a few years later, while he was working as a
policeman, but Colfar was in court on a

shoplifting
charge! He was related to future player Brian Jenkins by marriage according
to Geoff. Ray died in 2020 aged 85.

Aug 55 Fred
Aldred trainer for a number of seasons leaves for Sutton. Had previously been
with Carshalton Athletic.

20/8/55 7 new
players against Slough on opening day. Only Watkins, Nuth, Wales and Porter
remained from last season

27/8/55 Ted
Day getting married. Unavailable. Gordon Sanders takes his place.

27/8/55 Ernie
Watkins hits the bar from 40 yards. Grays are beaten 2-0 and it could have
been six, say papers.

27/8/55 When
Doug Whitehead took over, he said his aim was to get 2 first class inside
forwards, and build his team around

them. They
were Johnny Berry and Dave Hermitage.

Aug 55 Mention of Dennis Dodd occasionally guesting for
Epsom in the early 50's. Played once in May 51. Now with Carsh Ath.

Sept 55 Tony
Skipper (23) joins from Lowestoft as he is coming to live locally. Makes only
appearance on 10/9/55

3/9/55
Reference in programme to a magazine "Sporting Record" with a
spotlight on Epsom by Sidney Norman. This was a

weekly
magazine and this edition was released on 30th August. Norman is also
"Pangloss" of the News Chronicle.

3/9/55 Epsom dominate yet lose to a late goal in League
Cup v Maidenhead - 85 minutes. Murphy was injured 2nd half. Passenger.

Sept 55 Ted Day (22) leaves for Finchley then returns
after playing once. Is a 22 year old wine salesman. Advised by Herald as only
21

a few weeks
later when he returns.

Sept 55 Gordon
Cairns joins from Walton. Previously with Carshalton, and only at Walton
briefly.

Bobby Musto
loses place to Gordon Cairns so leaves for Sutton.

Sept 55
Bernard Pickard is at Hawkers Athletic this season.

10/9/55 Epsom
have a bye in the FA Cup so visit Beckenham for a friendly, winning 5-1.

10/9/55
George Clarke makes debut in goal after a couple of games with the reserves.
Previously with Surbiton Town. Also rep

honours for
Surrey Senior League. Also saved penalty for reserves in debut v Yiewsley on
27/8/55.

10/9/55 Epsom
were 1-0 down in this friendly at Beckenham until a 25 yard Berry equaliser
on 40 minutes. Eventually won 5-1

10/9/55
Beckenham were "not so friendly" and were a bit robust. Whitehead
had told the players not to take it too seriously in

the first
half, but at half time, he told them to go out and win it, which they did.

17/9/55
Supporters Membership advised in programme as 2s.

Also mentions
that the gate has averaged 1,000 for the first three matches, This goes up
after Dorking FAC which was 4,160!

17/9/55
Herald says that Epsom used to be known as a one man team, (Watkins). On this
performance, it is still the case!

Sept 55 Bill
Whittaker is promoted to Chief Coach of Surrey FA, which runs side by side
with his Carshalton job.

24/9/55 A "disappointing crowd" as a "small
gate" of 1,600 is recorded. Herald said "over 1400". Dover
apparently brought no supporters.

24/9/55 Epsom Herald reports that "Geoff Porter, by
his great display last week has assured himself of a first team place for
some time"

and "He
may prove the finest goalkeeper Epsom have had" He would only play four
more matches for the club though.

Sept 55
Bernard Pickard is at Hawkers

Oct 55 Fred
Looseley is at Farncombe

Oct 55 John
Hoy is at Leatherhead although has a twisted knee and will be out until
January 1956.

1/10/55
programme states that the Dover game saw the best football since the war at
West Street. W3-2

1/10/55 Epsom
are drawn at Surbiton Town but the match is switched to West Street for a
better gate.

1/10/55 Six
goals scored in last 18 minutes. Ted Murphy was a passenger in this game, but
still scored from 25 yards. Jan

Sorensen
scored three goals including a penalty but he also had a mispen, while
Hermitage scored four goals himself.

1/10/55 Epsom
scouts (how many did they need?) witness Banstead v Dorking AC tie. Dorking
say they will bring 1,500 to

2,000 supporters for FA Cup tie at Epsom. Crowd is quoted
at 4,000 plus, with about 1,000 from Dorking. D & L Ad says 4,160

although it
says that Dorking fans made up nearly half of the crowd.

Fred Chitty
scouts this game and says Epsom have nothing to fear and will win 5-1. In the
end, won 3-2!

1/10/55 Dave
Hermitage told his wife "I will score three today" but got 4
instead in a 10-0 win over his old club Surbiton Town.

"Not a
very friendly way to treat your old club". We were drawn away but game
was switched to West Street.

Oct 55
Supporters club advise jumble sale on 28/10/55. Also regular whist drives
starting again on Fridays from 14/10/55,

with admission
at 1s  6d. Jumble sale is eventually on
26/11/55 at Foresters Hall.

Oct 55 the supporters club even operates an insurance
policy for supporters in case they are injured travelling to or watching a
game!

It's a good
scheme and an official told the Epsom Herald that they almost wished someone
would break a leg so everyone

would see how
good the scheme is!

Programme v
Dorking advises that we have the best team here since the war. Hard to
disagree with that one!

Oct 55 Future
player Johnny Blizzard (24) joins Sutton from Hayes.

Oct 55 Ex
Epsom player Brian Moffatt expected to be returning to Epsom with Margate for
FA Cup tie. Played in 1947 says

papers, but it
was 48/49 and 49/50 only. Fairly regular player in 49/50. Only 7 apps in
48/49.

8/10/55 1,000
Dorking fans bring Epsom High Street to a standstill on their way home from
the FA Cup match

Gate described
as the biggest for about 5 seasons against Dorking. It would never reach that
figure again.

Actually
confirmed in D & L Advertiser as Epsom's second biggest post war gate.
This must have been following the

Kingstonian
FAC tie in 48/49. Average gates since the war have averaged just under 1,000
says the Epsom Herald.

8/10/55 Epsom
beat Dorking 3-2 in front of 4,160 which was the biggest gate ever for a
Dorking match, and Epsom's second

biggest gate
ever, after Kingstonian in 49/50. Almost half were Dorking supporters though.

Oct 55
Reference to Bernard Wales liking to dribble with the ball, but sometimes
loses it, and the crowd give him a hard time.

However, he
doesn't listen and has come to the same conclusion as the Herald writer
"that a large section of the West Street

crowd know
little about the game"

15/10/55
Charlie Mutimer in goal for Devas in AC. Played well. Sorensen missed last
minute penalty so a replay was required.

We were drawn
away for the first tie but the game was switched to West Street.

Oct 55 Gordon
Cairns (27) wife Beryl has 4th child. Son Paul.

Oct 55 Ron
Webb joins from Bromley. Does not stay long before leaving for Carshalton
Athletic.

Oct 55 Don
Butler joins from Bromley. Previously with Redhill and Carshalton Athletic.

Oct 55 Future
player Peter Scott makes debut for Leatherhead. Living in Ewell at the time.

Oct 55
Tooting & M release future player Tommy Kerner. Had previously had spells
at Bromley and Kingstonian and played

well in
Tooting's FA Cup tie with Brighton a few years previously.

22/10/55
Epsom dominate, but lose to Margate due to two Porter errors. He would never
play again for the first team.

According to Geoff Porter, he actually came down awkwardly
in the first half, and actually chipped a bone in his thumb. He told

Doug Whitehead that he was having trouble, and trainer
Fred Aldred, but they said that he just had to get on with it. As a result,
he

could hardly
hold a ball by the end of the game. The press were very harsh on him, but the
players appeared to be too.

Geoff then
decided that it was time to do something different, and joined the Police
force, playing for Met Police for a while

afterwards.
He says it was the best decision he ever made. A lucky break! Geoff still has
a lump on his thumb knuckle!

He and his wife had been living with Gordon Tillyer's aunt
in one room for about four years, but the new job enabled him to move.

24/10/55
Supporters Club have Open meeting at club house 8pm to increase membership.

29/10/55
Reference to Gordon Cairns being "the cleverest centre forward Epsom
have had in years"

Nov 55 Future
player manager Tony Williams is playing for Carshalton Athletic.

Nov 55 future
player Peter Scott makes debut for Leatherhead. Lives in West Ewell.

5/11/55
ex-player Bernard Canham plays for Malden Town v Epsom. Eventually returned
to Epsom but did not reach 1st team.

12/11/55
Ruislip Manor were Brentford's nursery side. Epsom defeat them 3-1 in the
Amateur Cup.

Nov 55 George
Clarke and Bill Blazey selected for Corinthian League Reserve side v Isthmian
Lge @ Woking on 26/11/55.

Clarke had
also previously represented the Surrey Senior League.

12/11/55
"Bill Nuth has no rivals for the position of keenest man in the
team" says Advertiser v Ruislip.

12/11/55
Epsom Supporters Club had to turn people away from their Dinner Dance that
evening as it was exceeding the

maximum permitted attendance. Ernie Watkins and Doug
Whitehead were both in attendance. Tickets 7s double and 4s single

for event at
the Granada Restaurant.

13/11/55 Jan Sorensen is now father of a 3rd son,
presumably future player Mick. My records show a date of birth for Mick of
13/11/56,

so I am
assuming for now that record was a year out!

Nov 55 Gordon
Tillyer leaves club for Wimbledon.

Tickets being
sold for coaches to the Amateur Cup tie at Redhill on Saturday 19/11 p.m. and
Sunday 20/11 from 10-12.

Mention of
Aquarius F.C. who play on a covered up reservoir in Honor Oak. Players come
from the Metropolitan Water Board.

Nov 55 ex
player and future manager Tommy Rochester offers to coach Ashtead F.C.

19/11/55 Over
confidence and peculiar refereeing cost Epsom at Tilbury.

Nov 55 refernce in Epsom Herald to Ted Murphy "there
is little class about Murphy, only a determination to give of his best for 90
minutes.

A strong rugged player who does his best to justify
people's faith in him. Ted Day on the other hand is a player of class who can
feed

the forwards
with delicately pushed passes. He is also very fast.

Nov 55 Gordon
Cairns returns to Carshalton. Apparently didn't settle at either Walton or
Epsom. Offered to play for Epsom in

AC v Redhill before leaving, but club turned the offer
down and Bill Blazey (22) was promoted to the first team in his first season

in Senior
football. Blazey was a pay clerk with a tobacco firm and lived in Raynes
Park.

26/11/55 Future player George Mitchell is injured for
Redhill and was off the field for 20 minutes. Future player Billy French also

played v
Epsom that day. Attendance was approx 4,000 and Redhill won a tight game 2-1.
Surrey Mirror confirms 3,609.

Nov 55 An
"Epsom supporter" writes in to complain about the critical
reporting of the Redhill game.

Dec 55 Doug Whitehead's view on Cairns was "If Cairns
had not played well it would have been disheartening to the rest of the
team.

They would have thought that as he was leaving, he was not
trying." This is responded to by the Herald who advised that clearly the
rest

of the team
were not considered knowledgeable enough to know when a player is not trying.

Dec 55 Gordon
Tillyer at Wimbledon

3/12/55
Programme states that supporters club are offering tickets for Bertram Mils
Circus at Olympia on Thurs 26/1/56.

Tickets are
15s , with seats at 12s 6d and 10s 6d, 8s and 6d, 7s, 6s, and 5s with
children at half price, plus coach at 3s 6d.

3/12/55 Bill
Blazey plays the game of his life v Maidstone and scores two in a 5-0 win.

Epsom Herald
says that "John Berry is the best left half Epsom have had since the
war".

Dec 55 Bob
Reynolds (31) joins from Bromley. Rep Honours: Kent. Formerly with Hounslow.

Dec 55 Herald also now says that Don Butler is the best
keeper Epsom have had since the war, despite being impressed with Geoff
Porter

only back in
September! Apparently he is much sounder although Porter had more brilliance.

10/12/55 Don
Butler knocked out temporarily while saving a shot at point blank range.
Murphy also scored from 30 yards out.

Butler is
ex-Carshalton Ath, Redhill and Bromley and is more agile than Porter, who
could be brilliant, but a little erratic.

Dec 55 Dave
Fillery signs Amateur forms with Chelsea. Both brothers live at Lillian Road,
Mitcham.

Both players
are at Maidstone having formerly been at Tooting & Mitcham.

Dec 55 Bernard
Smith and Gordon Cairns are now at Carshalton.

Dec 55 Bob
Crane and Ron Ballard now playing for Carsh Res v Epsom, while Bernard Smith,
Ivor Hughes and Cairns play for

their first
team v Epsom. Cairns scores. Don Butler and Ron Webb ex-Carshalton players v
their old side.

17/12/55 87th
minute equaliser for Edgware D 1-1

Dec 55 Papers say Epsom are good but inconsistent. Ernie
Watkins still prefers playing at left-half where he isn't as good as Ted

Day, and he
fell from grace in the eyes of the supporters by playing there.

24/12/55 Prog
18 + 19 + 20 all have same programme notes for xmas matches, but different
team line ups.

Programme
advises that they are accepting bookings for coaches to Tooting on 7/1/56
fare 2s 9d leaving Spring Hotel at 1.20

and Epsom
station at 1.15. Coaches also being run to Carshalton on 27/12/55.

26/12/55 Peter
Smith HT for Carshalton Athletic as they win 5-0 at Colston Avenue.

27/12/55 Dave Hermitage and Ron Webb dropped for this
game. Hermitage watched the game from the stand. During the game

a cross was
cleared by Ernie Watkins on to the post. For some reason he then headed in
the rebound for an o.g.!!

Cairns scored twice v Epsom while Bernard Smith was a
passenger for 2nd half. Butler was knocked out again for the 4th goal.

31/12/55 Jan
Sorensen pulls muscle. Passenger.

Coach load of supporters went to Eastbourne. Also
reference to Ted Murphy being very popular and keeps team mates laughing

on the coach.

Eastbourne
scored after 30 seconds. Don Butler also saved a penalty in the second half.

Jan 56 Johnny
Hitchcock mentioned as a previous Epsom junior. A policeman in Sutton.

Jan 56 Ron
Ruffell leaves Leatherhead for Dorking.

Ray Colfar (19) selected for Surrey v London University on
8/2/56 First player since Bill Cutter. Dave Hermitage picked as reserve.

7/1/56 Very
foggy day. Epsom play well, but not well enough and lose 0-2 to Tooting &
Mitcham.

Future players
Paddy Hasty, Malcolm Robbins and Trevor Hall are in the Tooting line up.

Jan 56 Bill
Nuth is the most underrated player at Epsom. Dependable. "A hard
uncomprimising footballer".

Jan 56 Brian
Jobson is at Dorking

Jan 56 New
member of Committee is Dennis Yonge. Brother in law of all four Carpenters!

14/1/56 Both
Fillerys play v Epsom. Ray scores.

Jan 56 Doug
Whitehead speaks highly of his new find Brian Jenkins before his debut.

21/1/56 Brian
Jenkins (20) makes his debut for club. Currently requiring leave from RAF
while he is stationed in Norfolk on

National Service. Lives in Teddington and was discovered
by club playing for Sunday side Teddington Gremlins in Bushey Park.

Jan 56 reference in Epsom Herald to Bernard Wales being
only 22 and Ted Day being 21. Bill Purkiss is "only just out of his
teens".

21/1/56 2nd
dance of season at Granada Restaurant, Epsom. Tickets 7s for two. Also
supporters club enquiring about interest

for England v
Scotland Amateur International on 24/3/56. Tickets 5s seating and 2s
standing. Coach 3s 6d.

Club berets
also for sale at 4s 9d! Dance wasn't as well supported as they had hoped.

21/1/56
Apparently the crowd was "very poor" for this game according to a
future programme.

28/1/56 Former keeper Ken Elbrow now playing for Met
Police with Roy Dymott. Brian Perkins unavailable for this match due to

calls from the
RAF. However, we still beat Yiewsley 4-1 with a Colfar hat trick.

Jan 56 Future
manager Bill Kennedy is at Kingstonian this season. Picture
of him + team in 8/2/56 WEDS Surrey Comet

Jan 56 Dave
Hermitage chosen as Reserve for Surrey v London University at Kingstonian on
08/02/56.

Jan 56 former
player John Hoy is at Leatherhead

Jan 56 former
player Bill Wiles is at Farncombe.

Jan 56 Bobby
Smith and G.Votier join from Beddington Corner.

Jan 56 Mention
of Bernard Wales being unavailable as he was a plumber, and was busy during
the cold snap.

4/2/56 Peter
Osborne came in for Wales as Epsom defeat Grays Athletic 5-1 and was very
good.

Feb 56 Limited
press coverage due to industrial dispute at the time.

4/2/56 Grays prog refers to how the match with Epsom Town
in the late 20's was one of the highlights of their league programme.

4/2/56 Jan
Sorensen plays against Grays but rushes off straight after as his new son
(Mick) is in hospital with pneumonia!

11/2/56
Worthing (H) is p-p for either snow or a frozen pitch, or both.

18/2/56 Prog
issued for Tilbury (H)(L) but postponed. Number 25 - Prog Y

25/2/56
Yiewsley scored in "the very first seconds" v Epsom.

3/3/56 Ray
Colfar and Dave Hermitage both selected for Corinthian League v Navy this
day. The game is played at Maidstone

United's
London Road Ground, and has Colfar listed as B.Colfar. Prog Y.

3/3/56 Reduced programme - printing dispute. Continues for
a few weeks, and programmes no longer numbered from
then.

Edgware player
heard to say "we wuz robbed" but Edgware & District Post says
that Edgware were just very poor.

Local
Printing Dispute wipes out most papers for March 56. However, other papers
are ok in Edgware and Uxbridge.

10/3/56
Colfar injured 1st half and requires hospital treatment. 10 men. Jenkins goal
on 51 minutes defeats Uxbridge at home.

Mar 56 Norman Ambrose (27) joins. Previously with
Kingstonian and Surbiton But he's been with reserves for much of the season.

Mar 56 Michael
Byrne at 24 the older brother of future England International Johnny Byrne is
at Carshalton.

17/3/56 HT 0-0
v Erith, but goals after 49 and 72 minutes from Jenkins and Berry give Epsom
the win.

Ray Colfar
& Dave Hermitage selected to represent the Corinthian League v Isthmian
League at Edgware 11/4/56

24/3/56 Gordon
Tillyer debut for Wimbledon at Oxford City.

Apr 56 Fred
Stenning still playing at Vickers - has 39 goals

Apr 56 Johnny
Blizzard leaves Sutton for Sheppey.

Apr 56 Peter
Wood is at Kingstonian

Apr 56 Future player Sid Law plays for Tottenham v Palace
(presume res or 'A') Due to sign Amateur forms soon. Currently with

Worcester
Park.

Apr 56 Paper
attributes recent good form (19 points from 11 games) to Brian Jenkins
joining in January.

Only problem
has been accommodating all his relatives who want to watch him!

2/4/56 Lew
Tucker to get married says prog.

2/4/56 Epsom
win 2-1 at Worthing despite a Bernard Wales mispen.

7/4/56 Ted
Murphy gets hat trick v Erith & B, then dropped for Chesham game. Norman
Ambrose gets one plus o.g., not

two, as
originally advised.

14/4/56 and
21/4/56 Jim Morris father of Graham plays in goal for Chesham at Epsom.

14/4/56
"Miserably small crowd" says an Epsom official to the papers at the
match. - See picture in archive.

14/4/56 Berry
scores from rebound after an Ernie Watkins free kick from 30 yards had hit
the bar.

Apr 56 George
Mitchell (26) joins from Sheppey, having been at Redhill earlier in the
season. Comes straight into side for

Chesham trip
as Ernie Watkins can't get time off, and plays for reserves instead. Mitchell
was a lift mechanic from Putney.

21/4/56 Epsom
lose to bottom placed Chesham 1-0. Ground was bone dry and "the ball was
somewhat mis-shapen"!

Apr 56 Epsom
apply for Athenian League but Carshalton Athletic get the space, despite
finishing lower this season.

It was
"following a custom that's now several years old" They only got
re-elected to Corinthian League this year.

Unfortunately, facilities just aren't good enough though.
Reference to a few weeks ago when one of the conveniences was closed

for sanitary reasons. It apparently is unlikely to reopen.
Where was this one. Presume not the one at the top of the hill, was there

one further down the ground? There was one near the grand
stand. Dressing rooms are also poor, but these will be upgraded soon.

Epsom had guaranteed floodlighting and new dressing rooms
if they got elected. Poles were already in place for lighting which

came next
year, as did the dressing rooms that would then remain until 1993.

Sutton win regional division of Met Police National
championships. Epsom players Roy Dymott and Ken Elbrow both play for them

with Dymott scoring 73 of the 83 goals that year.
Ex-keeper Elbrow played regularly on the pitch and scored last week for them!

April 56
Worcester Park granted permission for stand holding 250. Still exists in 2021
although hard to get 250 in it!

April 56 Epsom devise a "lucky programme" scheme
with the winners getting an FA Cup final ticket, but no one came forward to

claim them.
Programme numbers were 310 and 328 in Chesham 14/4/56 programme.

Cup Final
tickets were being offered by touts this season at £10 each it was said.

25/4/56
Leatherhead are the visitors for a challenge match. Ron Ruffell plays for
Leatherhead. Epsom win 1-0.

25/4/56 The game is refereed by former Epsom player and
future top class linesman Charlie Holliday. Fee 20s and 1s expenses.

28/4/56 No
game for Epsom.

30/4/56 On
the way to Maidenhead, the players were crossing Kingston Bridge, and George
Mitchell had his bag searched by

detectives.
Mistaken identity. Bob Reynolds unavailable for this match due to work
commitments.

Maidenhead
contained many guest players in both end of season matches v Epsom.
Maidenhead were reported as playing

out the season
in the first match. Even the ball provided was poor "dubious shape and
content" Ref was erratic too.

It was
replaced in the second half. Maidenhead had clear shouts for three penalties
but didn't get them. Epsom won 5-1.

Only half a
dozen supporters are at the game. 2 Penalty appeals are against Watkins for
handball. Reardon (Slough) a guest,

scores
Maidenhead's goal.

May 56 Tommy
Rochester is at Ashtead

2/5/56 Final
of Epsom & Ewell League Cup between Tweeddale OB and Sutton Common played
at Epsom

Bernard Wales
and Dave Hermitage selected for Corinthian League v Delphian League at
Wembley on 2/5/56. Hermitage was

unable to play
but Wales played well in a 5-3 win. Prog = Y.

2/5/56 Epsom
are 3-0 up v Slough, but after a penalty, Slough fight back to 3-2. Two goals
for Sorensen.

2/5/56 Pat
Lynch All Star XI play Wingate FC this day at Hall Lane, Hendon. Prog - Y

3/5/56 a
rejuvenated Maidenhead side win at Epsom. Epsom's only League defeat of 1956.
They did not lose a league game

at home again
until 30/4/57.

5/5/56 Kick
off 6.45 to avoid FA Cup Final TV coverage. Prog advises that Bill Nuth was
ever present this year. Printed before

the Slough
game though, so may still have missed this or Maidenhead (H)

Programme also refers to a good season but "it is a
little disheartening at times to get a crowd of less that 1,000 from a
borough

as big as
Epsom & Ewell"!

May 56 Slough Centre play their last ever game at Belfast
Avenue. Originally Slough Utd, and met Epsom Town in Cor League.

May 56 Herald says that "Epsom must be prepared for
the day when this great player (Watkins) decides to retire from the game

although this
may not be for two or three seasons" Actually would go onto play for
another 12 seasons!!

Reserves:

Corinthian League Reserve Division

Position

5th out of 14

Res Manager

Fred Chitty

Fred was a former player and also a plumber and
advertised in the programme in 55/56

Neale Trophy

2nd

Yiewsley

0-3

Epsom 3141

SIC

5q

Sutton United

2-7

SICC

2nd

Sutton Common

0-1

20/8/55 Lost
7-2 at Slough on opening day after being 2-0 up. Very hot day.

27/8/55 George Clarke debut. Joined from Surbiton Town and
has played for Surrey Senior League. Made a pensave at Yiewsley

on his debut
but we still lost 4-1 there.

3/9/55 Albert
Streeter scores HT at Erith & B in Neale Trophy. Any relation to HS
Streeter from the mid twenties?

10/9/55 Programme refers to Derek Roshier playing this day
for the reserves in the unusual position of centre half. Normally a full

back but did
well and may play there again against Leatherhead.

17/9/55 Programme Line Up for this match: Geoff Porter,
Ken Allan, Tony Skipper, Norman Ambrose, Derek Roshier, Ken Ambrose

Gordon
Tillyer, Albert Streeter, Bill Blazey, Brian Pell, Johnny Blunden

17/9/55
Blunden scores all 4 goals v Leatherhead in SIC. Eric Dukelow and Len Lowder
play for Leatherhead in this game.

24/9/55
Reserves get a 3-3 draw at Grays Athletic with Bill Blazey scoring twice and
Streeter getting the other.

Sutton
Advertiser says Hayes scored one of Blazey's goals. Check Herald

1/10/55 No
game for Reserves this day.

8/10/55 Bill Blazey scores seven v Woodside Albion in SIC.
Woodside played in Shirley and had beaten Epsom Old Grammarians

Prog must be
wrong though as Norman didn't join the club until March according to my notes
above.

15/10/55
Programme Line Up for this match: George Clarke, Ted Day, C.Prime, Peter
Osborne. Lew Tucker, Ken Ambrose

Gordon
Tillyer, Norman Ambrose, Johnny Weaving, Brian Hayes, Johnny Blunden

22/10/55 Ron
Webb debut. Formerly with Bromley and Carshalton Athletic.

29/10/55 Jock
Forbes produced an "extremely good display" against Worcester Park
as we win 2-0 in SIC says programme.

5/11/55 No
game for Reserve Team.

12/11/55
Maidstone are defeated 5-1 and Epsom have a very strong forward line now.

3/12/55 No
game for Reserve Team.

17/12/55 John Weaving scores 4 at home to Grays Athletic
in 6-1 win. Programme advises the other scores as Tony Bates and

Norman Ambrose
but I think it was Terry Bates.

24/12/55
Programme Line Up for this match: George Clarke, Bob Reynolds, Ken Ambrose,
Dave "Jock" Forbes, Lew Tucker,

Bill Purkiss,
Charlie Hewlett, Terry Bates, Johnny Weaving, Norman Ambrose, Johnny
Hitchcock

24/12/55 Danny
Coughlin playing for Sutton Res. Former Junior and brief first teamer at
Epsom.

Colin Tong says that he played and scored in this match
but the papers say John Weaving got two. I believe Colin so will amend.

In fact Colin
tells me that the ball came to him from Weaving.

26/12/55
Future player Norman Dearlove plays for Carshalton Reserves v Epsom. Living
at Vernon Road.

Dec/Jan Prog
H(21) was issued for either Worthing 31/12 or Sutton Common 7/1 or Tilbury
14/1. The others were not issued

according to
prog numbers.

21/1/56 Prog says that Ken Allan, Johny Hitchcock, and
Bill Blazey all had to pull out while Bill Purkiss was called up as a reserve

for the first
team this day. We are then hammered 5-0 at Maidenhead United.

11/2/56
Worthing (A) is p-p. Frozen / snow.

18/2/56 Three new players take the field against Worthing.
Bobby Smith (c-f), who joined from Beddington Corner, Don Burgess

centre-half
from Carshalton Athletic, and Bob Staines an outside right who had one game
for the A Team and scored a HT but

not clear who it was against. My records said this match
was on 25/02/56 but it was played the Saturday before. Confirmed by

Worthing
Herald.

10/3/56
Originally due to travel to Erith & Belvedere this day but game changed
and we visited Uxbridge instead, winning 3-1.

30/3/56 Programme Line Up for this match: Ray Watkins,
Dave "Jock" Forbes, Ken Ambrose, Bill Purkiss, Lew Tucker, Ted
Murphy,

Bob Staines
(listed as J.Staines), Norman Ambrose, Johnny Weaving, G.Hastings, Johnny
Hitchcock

30/3/56 Lew
Tucker missing as he got married on Easter Monday. However Easter Monday was
2/4/56 so not clear if he

missed the
Monday or all Easter games.

2/4/56 Gordon
Sanders returns from injury for this game as we defeat Maidstone Reserves 3-0
at West Street.

7/4/56 No game
for Reserves.

14/4/56 Programme Line Up for this match: George Clarke,
Gordon Sanders, Ken Ambrose, Peter Osborne, Dave "Jock" Forbes,

Ted Murphy,
Bob Staines, Bill Purkiss, Johnny Weaving, Brian Hayes, Johnny Hitchcock

21/4/56
Entire defensive line plays well as Edgware are defeated 5-0 at West Street.
All played well says programme.

23/4/56 Ernie Watkins couldn't get time off from work to
get to Chesham United so asked to play for the Reserves as long as he

wasn't displacing someone else. As it was Ken Ambrose
travelled as a first team reserve so there was a space. We still lost 2-1
at

Carshalton
Athletic.

28/4/56
Programme Line Up for this match: George Clarke, Dave "Jock"
Forbes, Ken Ambrose, Peter Osborne, Lew Tucker,

Bill Purkiss,
Terry Morcomb, Brian Hayes, Johnny Weaving, Ted Murphy, Johnny Hitchcock

28/4/56
Uxbridge are defeated 2-1 at West Street.

'A' Team:
Surrey Combination

Position:

2nd out of 9 (says prog but no final table)

'A' team
Manager

Ron Gibbs

LC

F

Woking

3-4

SJC

4q

Crescent Rovers

3-4

24/9/55
Beddington Corner Reserves are beaten 2-0 but
Epsom Herald says 2-1. Check!

1/10/55 Epsom
draw 1-1 at Kingstonian with our goal coming from
former K's player Peter Osborne. Would go on to reach first team.

8/10/55 two
players didn't show for the A team so we had a
Reserve and Mick Simmonds also played at centre half as we beat

Walton &
Hersham 3-0 at home.

22/10/55 A
goal down with three minutes to play, but won 6-5 v Kingstonian in League
Cup.

29/10/55
Carshalton (A) is not played. Game cancelled by Carshalton Athletic.

5/11/55 A rare
goal from a left back as Payne gets one of our nine against Sutton
Corinthians Reserves.

24/12/55
Walton (A) is p-p. Probably Epsom's request as some A team players played for
the Reserves against Sutton.

31/12/55
Molesey (H) is p-p.

14/1/56 Epsom
lose 5-1 at Woking.

21/01/56 No
game for the A team.

28/1/56 Epsom
calculated 5-2 win at Banstead Athletic this day.

11/2/56 @
Poulter Park

25/2/56 Woking
(H) is p-p.

3/3/56
Probable date for a 3-0 home defeat v Wimbledon. It could be a week later but
the indications lead me to 3rd March.

17/3/56 Woking
are beaten 7-0 at West Street in a match that followed the first team.

17/3/56inc League table produced showing 13 of 16 games
played. GD doesn't tally and there are variations in reported results.

The Herald
has us down as beating Woking 9-0 (not 7-0), and Carshalton Ath 6-2 (not 6-3)
and losing to Sutton 1-4 (not 1-3).

It is likely
one or two of these are actually correct.

I think Woking was 7-0 as the programme refers to Bob
Smith scoring 13 of our last 22 goals in three games v Woking, Kingstonian,

and Banstead
Athletic which ties up with the results being 7-0, 12-0 and 3-1 (aet).

31/3/56
despite Epsom being down to ten men for almost all of extra time, Banstead
are defeated 3-1 in LC SF.

7/4/56 5.15
k.o. after Erith & Belvedere first team game at West Street.

7/4/56 We
defeated Molesey this day according to the match programmes but the score is
unknown. Some players are listed.

14/4/56 final
league game at Walton. This match was drawn and handed the title to Woking.

'A' team reach final of Surrey Combination League Cup for
second year in succession. They lost 4-3 to Woking 'A'. K.O. 5.30pm

after leading
3-1 with 15 minutes left. Stan Williams put the ball on the head of Charlie
Hewlett who Stan believes scored two

of the goals.
Colin Tong, who I met with Stan in 2011 also played in this match. Stan
Williams would leave for Worcester

Park in 1956.

28/4/56 Bobby
Smith, Charlie Hewlett and Carr are selected for the Combination League v
Sutton & District League this day.

Players listed are Brian Woolins, Vic Gough, Peter
Osborne, Mick Simmons, Charlie Hewlett, Terry Bates, Duley, Stan Williams,

Payne,
Hartshorn, Carr, Bobby Smith, Bob Murray

5/5/56
Programme advises that Bob Murray has not missed a game for the A team this
season and that we are runners up.