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

SSL

2nd out of 16

FAC

1q

Wimbledon

1-5

AC

1q

Ulysses

0-1

SSC

2q

Kew Assoc

1-2

LC

Winners

Malden Town

2-1

SSCC

SF

Malden Town

1-3

SCC

2nd

Egham Town

0-5

Home
Ground:

West Street, Ewell

Mike Christie resigned as Chairman 13/6/73. Had
also been Secretary and Manager in recent years.

Chairman

Graham Peacock

New Chairman

Treasurer

Jim Ward

New Treasurer

Peter Henry Spittles (27) resigned as Manager
for personal reasons.

Was convicted of receiving a stolen TV set in
June 73. Fined £50. 2 Previous convictions.

Apparently marched out of a Committee meeting
by police on one occasion!

Had been doing the job since March 73 when
Christie resigned

Manager

Pat O'Connell

New Manager in July 73.

Trainer Eamonn Mulligan

Secretary

Dick Murray

Ian Grant had been Acting Secretary.

New Secretary
from 20/2/74 Stan Bailey - was Fixture Secretary. Murray remained on
Committee

Bailey's phone
number was 01 934 2052.

AGM announces
that club lost £151 last year. This AGM was 13/6/73 but another was called in
October.

David Manning
elected to committee. The rest elected en bloc.

Club not
re-elected to the Athenian League. 2 appeals failed including one at the F.A.
on 05/07/73

May 73 Reference in Suburban League minutes to a press
report advising Epsom were to join the Suburban League but that no

official application had been made and no action was
taken. However, Epsom and Ewell were represented at the Suburban League

meeting
on  Thursday 31/05/73. It would have
been their first team that joined the league.

31/05/73 Epsom were recommended for acceptance after being
proposed by Leatherhead and seconded by Corinthian Casuals

with the hope
that the club's facilities would be brought up to league standard

28/06/73 AGM Epsom are accepted into Suburban League and
was propsed by Walton Casuals and seconded by Leatherhead.

Unanimously
accepted along with Bromley, Horsham, Feltham and Molesey.

Suburban League Minutes on 30/08/73 report that Epsom had
withdrawn as they had been accepted into the Surrey Senior

League. Epsom
were fined £20 for withdrawing with their £10 subscription being retained.

Epsom had
already been drawn to play Dulwich Hamlet in the League Cup

26/6/73 Epsom
represented by Graham Peacock and Ian Grant applied for membership of SSL.
They were proposed

by Whyteleafe
and seconded by BAC Weybridge and carried unanimously.

June 73 Trevor
Wales joins the club.

I met Trevor
Wales at his house in Ewell. He is approaching his 69th birthday on 1st Dec
2011

and advises as
follows:

Played for
Surrey Schools before signing for Charlton Athletic Youth team, then called
the Robins. He then joined the

staff for two
years and signed pro for them but never played for the First team. In 1961
the maximum wage was

abolished and
he was given a free transfer. He joined Sheppey United for two years and
played a couple of

games for
Folkestone. He then returned home to Epsom and played in Intermediate
football for Epsom Spartans

in the Sutton
& District League before joining Ashtead in the Surrey Senior League. As
a permit player he was unable

to play in
Leagues like the Isthmian League, yet was allowed in the Sutton &
District!

He was also
connected with Dorchester, the Morden Sunday League team run by Mick Christie
and he was going to

join Epsom
& Ewell because of his connection, joining before Pat O'Connell. I had
originally thought Pat brought him

in but this
was not the case. In fact Trevor struggled to remember Pat's name, describing
him as the taxi driver, which

I thought was
a surprise, seeing as Trevor was his captain.

As Trevor
joined, so Mick Christie departed, and Trevor has no idea what happened to
him. He and his wife Christine

hadn't seen
him for years.

Mick Christie
lived on the London Road, just on the left past the Organ Inn. I was under
the impression that he lived

on the
Kingston Road, but maybe he has done both. Trevor used to live near him in
Ewell Downs Way.

In August
1977 there were rumours about a new Captain being brought in and Trevor asked
Pat to let him know what

was happening
but he didn't. so he walked out, and apart from a visit to Chessington, he
retired soon afterwards.

Trevor said
that there wasn't a lot of social between the players it was very much just
the football.

He also
advises that keeper Terry Self is now living in Yorkshire as of 2011 but his
mum is still in Epsom, so returns

occasionally.
He also advises that Pat O'Connell used to live in Windmill Lane, Epsom, near
Alexandra Rec, and that

occasional
Reserve player but mostly scout for the Blues Ted Buxton used to work at
Smithfield Market and went on

to become an
England scout under Terry Venables in the 90s and at Euro 96.

July 73 Pat
O'Connell appointed manager. Had been coach at Wimbledon Reserves.

Pat O'Connell
is alive and well and living on Boxhill in June 2007 aged 70. He came to the
club after being approached

by Dick Varey.
Varey and Ray Bloye were v-c and owner of Matthews Holdings, a butchers, and
Pat was

recommended for the job by Ron Harris and
Fred Callaghan. He was interviewed by Ray and Dick and offered the job.

Matthews
would eventually be sold out to Goodhews but the freehold of the ground was
retained and then purchased

a year or two
later it appears by Ian Grant and Dave Ellins.

Graham
Peacock had been brought in by Ray Bloye along with Ian Grant. Peacock was
described as a bright lad by

Pat, but a
little dark and sinister. He would eventually resign as Chairman a few years
later and went to work in

Cyprus for a
few years. He drove a triumph dolomite.

Pat referred
to Ray Bloye as the nice guy and Dick Varey as the hatchet man in the
company. They made him

general
manager with the brief of dealing with everything at the club, and on a
salary. However he never really got

to see the
finances until in 1982 Ian and Dave (and Peter Smith) told him that the money
was being cut. This led

directly to
his resignation in Feb 82.

Pat's playing
career started as a ground staff boy at Fulham aged 16, and he remained there
until he was 28. His

first manager
was Bill Dodgin senior. He then had a year at Crystal Palace under George
Petchey and Bert Head

before
leaving to join Bobby Robson at Vancouver Royals, although Robson did not
stay long, and he was replaced

by Pat's
boyhood hero Ferenc Puskas. He learnt a lot from him, although he did
describe him as a gypsy who would

pinch
anything if he could, despite being very rich by this time. He then returned
to Brentwood where the club folded

soon after in
a "business" deal that saw the ground built on. He then went to
Dover, both of these clubs whilst doing

"the
knowledge". He then went to Wimbledon where he graduated into Reserve
Team and Youth Team management.

He was Manager
of Wimbledon in 1972/73.

He also
taught for 25 years at Spencer Park School, Trinity Road, Wandsworth, where a
young future player

Les Peck went
to school. Pat either got started or finished his coaching badges at 24 which
was gained under the

watchful eyes
of Dave Sexton and Ron Greenwood. Occasionally Pat would speak to Sexton for
guidance.

Pat says that
the best players he played with were Johnny Haynes and Alan Mullery, both at
Fulham.

Pat broke his
collar bone twice during his professional career. The first time they put his
sling on the wrong arm, and

the second
time, he knew he had done it, and asked his people to cut the shirt off him,
but they refused as they

only had
eleven shirts!

Puskas had
joined Vancouver directly from Real Madrid when he was 41.

July 73 Peter
Spittles was sacked by the club by telephone from Graham Peacock. Spittles
was very angry.

Suburban
League had accepted them, but the Surrey Senior also accepted them, so they
went there instead.

Willie Bennet
(18)t, Tommy Tuite, and Tony Reeves all played for Wimbledon's first X1 last
year (72/73)

Other new
players are: Barry Gunter (18) (Wimbledon), John Frewing, Trevor Wales, Tommy
Smith, Ken Woodbridge

Johnny Eales
chose not to rejoin

July 73 Peter
Spittles writes open letter explaining how he doesn't think things will work
out, but he is then criticised by

former player
Ian Kilpatrick who says that they should give the new man a chance.

1/6/73
Clubhouse broken into, even the telephone was stolen!

17/6/73 E
& E FC v Showbiz Cricket team at West Street Att 700 - Prog Y

Peter Osgood,
Ian Hutchinson, and Ron Harris played, while Dave Dee, Leapy Lee, and Dario
Gradi possibles.

Former player
John McNaught is playing for Dorking this season.

Glyn O.B. v
Glyn School. Keith Spears, Shaun Smyth, Ian Kilpatrick, Dave Butcher all
played for O.B. Martyn

Spong for
school 17/6/73 Celebrity Cricket Match. Showbiz XI v Epsom & Ewell All
Stars. Prog Yc.

Aug 73
Training lights purchased from Selhurst Park.

20/8/73 Over
400 watched Crystal Palace come to West Street and win 4-0. Best gate for
several years.

6/9/73 Trevor
Wales and Pat O'Connell are registered with SSL as permit players. Wales
(Charlton), O'Connell (Dover).

8/9/73
Sheerwater (A) p-p as their pitch is not available yet.

Sheerwater had
a double booking on the Athletics track at their ground. No action taken by
league.

15/9/73
future player Gerry O'Rourke plays + scores for Chelmsford against old team
Wimbledon at Plough Lane.

Future player
Tommy McCready is still at Wimbledon and probably plays v Epsom on 15/9/73 in
FAC.

He is in the
programme line up along with soon to be famous keeper Dickie Guy.

Colin Rose
injured and then flu, and misses game on 22/9/73. Tommy Smith injured leg and
out for a while.

No result
sheet received by the SSL and Epsom were fined £1 even though it was an FA
Cup match.

Sept 73 Peter
Spittles writes in to complain that the new manager is losing players. A bit
of an unpleasant letter.

29/9/73 Player
Profile - Barry Gunter. Age 18 5ft 10. Centre Half. Weight 12st 3lbs. Went to
Spencer Park

School, and
played with West Ham Juniors and Millwall, and joined Cray Wanderers and then
Wimbledon.

Player
Profile - Willie Bennett. Age 18 5ft 11. Full Back. Weight 10st 8lbs. Went to
Garth School, Morden,

and
represented Surrey Schoolboys. Joined Charlton Athletic as a junior and then
Wimbledon. Both joined

Epsom &
Ewell this season.

Sept 73 Dave
Argent leaves club for Chessington United.

Dave Rainham
has disappeared, and no-one knows where he is except for Spittles letter
saying he had left the club.

He had been
dropped after a few games at the start of the season. Appears next at
Molesey.

Oct 73 Barry
Jones joins from Tooting & Mitcham.

Oct 73 Mick
Mancini, brother of Terry signed for club

6/10/73 Game
with Chobham is 2-2 after 90 minutes, and no goals are scored in extra time.

Late start 6
minutes. Epsom fined 75p.

13/10/73 Future Combined Counties League Vice-President
Tony Ford ran the line in this League match at home to Sheerwater.

20/10/73 Dave
Ritman put Epsom out of SSC with Kew Association aet, then signed for Epsom!

Pat O'Connell
described him as a left wing teacher, but says that he is now as Conservative
as they come!

Wales and
O'Connell classed as 'permit' players and are unable to play against Ulysses
(AC) or Kew (SSC)

13/10/73
Player Profile - Tony (Tiger) Reeves. Age 18 5ft 5 and 10stone. Played for
Bloomfield School, and

represented
Kent Schoolboys. Joined Penhill Standard then Wimbledon.

Player
Profile - John Frewing. Age 18 Height 5ft 10. Weight 11st 7lbs. Played for
Croydon and Surrey Schools

and joined
Crystal Palace. Played for Surrey Under 17's and then Bromley. Both the above
joined this season.

29/10/73 AGM
8pm at Clubhouse. Officer positions were confirmed in a meeting lasting 25
minutes.

Nov 73 Keith
Knight (17) signed from Brentford. Had played for Wimbledon's first team last
season.

3/11/73 Tuite
HT v Whyteleafe in 5-1 win.

7/11/73 Coach
leaves 5.45 for Woking. Another Tuite HT knocks Woking out of the SCC 3-1 at
Kingfield.

Game was a
home tie but Epsom didn't have floodlights so it was switched.

Nov 73 Future
player Dave Dyer is with Birmingham City and playing regularly in the
Reserves. Recently had a

England Youth
Trial. Joined Birmingham from Ashtead where he made his first team debut aged
14.

22/11/73 Terry
McCormack transfers from Epsom to Chessington.

Nov 73 Micky
Dunne had left for Dorking at the end of the 1972/73 season but returns now.

24/11/73 Home
defeat by Frimley Green two weeks after winning there 3-0. An off day L1-0.

6/12/73 Epsom
& Ewell win the Glyn OB's 5 a side tournament this evening.  5-4 over Ashtead after trailing 4-1 at HT.

Players were
Gerry Fowler, Alan Webb, Willie Bennett, Tommy Tuite, Trevor Wales. O'Connell
was sub.

Dec 73
following a theft, the Reserves will now wear all red and first team all
blue.

22/12/73 Epsom
defeat Worplesdon 6-2. Micky Dunne scored four and was then sent off after 87
minutes!

The referees
name was also M.Dunne!

Micky was
suspended for 7 days and fined £1.

Jan 74 Epsom
apply for Suburban League and Athenian League.

12/1/74
Chessington Utd (H) 2-0. Two from Dave Ritman.

12/1/74 future
player Barry Denman sent off playing for Redhill v Walton & Hersham in
the SSC.

Suburban League minutes dated 17/01/74 advise that Epsom
have applied for the Suburban League again but their application is

held in
abeyance "pending clarification of their league status". No
application would be discussed at the 1974 AGM.

Jan 74 Brian
Kidwell leaves for Chessington United. Transfer granted 29/1/74.

Jan 74 Barry
Denman is at Redhill

19/1/74 A
late Talmage solo goal knocks Westfield out of the Charity Cup 2-1 in this
replay which had finished a

2-2 draw aet
two weeks earlier.

26/1/74
Trevor Lee scores for Cobham v Epsom in a 3-3 SSL draw. Another future player
Steve Jones also plays..

29/1/74 Stan
Bailey attends SSL meeting on Epsom's behalf for the first time.

Feb 74 Wayne
Lewis is at Malden Town along with Glenister

2/2/74 Epsom
win 2-0 at Frimley Green but have to play again tomorrow and lose 5-0 at home
to Egham in SSC.

3/2/74 This
game was played on a Sunday. Graham Hemphrey broke his nose. Out four weeks.
O'Connell sent off.

3/2/74
Programme advises the resignation of Dick Murray for business commitments.
Stan Bailey takes over.

9/2/74 Late
postponement on Saturday 11am v Malden Town in Charity Cup.

Mar 74 Alan
Morton is at Maidstone United

9/3/74 Dave
Ritman unavailable as he is going in for an operation. O'Connell still out
with an injured back.

Epsom are held
3-3 by Malden Town aet in Charity Cup SF.

14/3/74 Pat
O'Connell announces his retirement, but plays again on April 2nd. He was also
suspended

7 days for his
sending off v Egham.

16/3/74 Alan
Webb missing as he is best man at his brothers wedding. Epsom scrape home 3-2
v Chobham.

Game kicked
off 9 minutes late. Chobham fined 75p.

23/3/74
Following last week's League Cup win, Epsom win easily 4-0 at Chobham in a
League match.

23/3/74 Late
result sheet. Fined £1 but not sure which club was fined.

24/3/74 Pat
O'Connell calls players in for Sunday training to avoid them getting injured
playing Sunday football.

26/3/74
Unfortunately Malden Town end the Charity Cup run with a 2-1 result at Manor
Park in this SF replay.

30/3/74 Trevor
Lee plays for Cobham against Epsom

Apr 74 Glyn
Howells is at Frimley Green

Apr 74 Les
Peck is at Tooting & Mitcham United

2/4/74 Epsom
lose 2-1 at Lion Sports in SSL. An early goal and Fowler error after Epsom
had equalised.

6/4/74 Match
postponed due to an SSL representative game at BAC Weybridge v South Wales
League. Prog Y.

BAC Weybridge
used to be Vickers, and probably Vickers Armstrong too, playing at King's
Head Lane, Byfleet.

Trevor Wales
and Tommy Tuite were selected for the game. Tuite scored in a 2-1 defeat.

O'Connell
also selected but injured. Future player Trevor Lee (Cobham) also played.
Dave Argent was a reserve.

6/4/74 Buffet
Disco at Bourne Hall. Tickets £1.50.

11/4/74
reported Application for Athenian League is unsuccessful, as Egham, Epping
and Willesden got in instead.

13/4/74 2
matches at West Street today. 2-0 win v V.Water and 3-0 win v Worplesdon
Reserves. 2pm and 4.30 k.o.

16/4/74 Epsom
win 3-2 at Chessington. Tuite got two and Ritman got the other but also
mispen.

20/4/74 Epsom
win 2-1 at Wandsworth thanks to a Colin Rose goal in extra time. Tuite had
got the first.

21/4/74 Youth
finals held at West Street for U11 and U12 games with more the following
Sunday 28/4/74.

23/4/74 Graham
Peacock attends SSL meeting in place of Stan Bailey.

23/4/74 Three
days after winning there, Epsom lost 1-0 at Wandsworth in SSL.

27/4/74 First
and Reserve matches v Chobham the same day at West Street. Reserves on after
first team game.

It was Epsom's
fourth win over Chobham this season. W 2-0 with two Dave Ritman goals.

30/4/74
Westfield (A) p-p as League Cup Final was the next day.

May 74 Tommy McCready becomes a free agent at the age of
29 as Wimbledon forget to renew his contract. It didn't affect

Wimbledon too
badly though following the Batsford exodus from Walton & Hersham to
Wimbledon that summer.

1/5/74
Winners of Surrey Senior League Cup 2-1aet v Malden Town @ Walton &
Hersham. Malden Town

were very
tired. First 45 minutes was poor with "mistimed passes and frustrating
mistakes" but Epsom

got on top
towards the 80 minute mark, and stayed there.

First cup win
since 1960.Game was goalless after 90 minutes, but Alan Webb and then Colin
Rose scored

before a late
reply from Malden Town.

1/5/74 Former
player Brian Glenister booked for throwing the ball at Tuite in extra time.

Future player
Jeff Hunn at Kingstonian res this season.

4/5/74 K.O.
6.30 v Lion Sports so it doesn't clash with F.A.Cup Final.

Graham
Hemphrey's 150th appearance says paper. He was a former Cornwall Youth
player.

11/5/74 Epsom
lose an away match v Malden Town 2-1 despite it being played at West Street.

14/5/74 Last
minute Tuite equaliser against Champions Westfield. Epsom finish runners up.

17/5/74 Annual
Dinner Dance at Winstons in Cheam Village. £2.50 each.

26/5/74
Walton & Hersham manager Allen Batsford leaves for Wimbledon. Beginning
of Wimbledon success story.

Club announces
support of Epsom & Ewell Boys League Founded 1973. Ground to be used for
cup finals.

Also
reference to Sutton Utd President John (J.J.) Goossens, who was a founder
member of the club in 1898. Is

one of the
founders of the Sutton & District League in 1920. Must have been well
into his 90's by now.

Reserves:

Surrey Senior League Reserve Division

Manager:

Arthur Evans

Position

3rd out of 16

SSLC

F

Malden Town

0-1

SIC

3q

Egham Town

1-2

Epsom receive
bye in 1q of Surrey Intermediate Cup

4/9/73 Epsom
led with a penalty at Worplesdon, but lost 2-1.

8/9/73 Many of
first team play in 6-0 win over Frimley in SSL Reserves Section at West
Street.

This was the
first day that Pat O'Connell and Trevor Wales wore an Epsom shirt.

Game kicked
off 15 minutes late. Frimley fined 75p.

29/9/73 Res win 1-0 at Westfield. Trevor Wales plays and
Kelvin Gregory scored. HT 0-0. Game appears to have been brought

forward from
20/10/73.

6/10/73 Late
result sheet Epsom v Malden Town. Fined £2.

27/10/73 Dave
Stagg pensave v Merstham at 3-0 up in 1st half. HT 3-0. Gregory scored 4 and
Jones got the other.

Oct 73 Steve
Sands suspended 28 days for sending off in Leatherhead League for Longmead.

10/11/73
Keith Knight (17) makes debut for reserves. Joined from Brentford. Calculated
1-0 loss v Lion Sports.

17/11/73 Epsom
are 7 minutes late at Frimley. Fined 75p.

24/11/73 No
game for Reserves.

22/12/73 Lost
1-0 at Wandsworth who were unbeaten.

5/1/74
Virginia Water (H)(L) p-p. Virginia Water could not raise a team, says
programme.

Programme
says that this may happen again on 12/1/74. It does. It was due to the three
day week at the time in

the first
case, but it was waterlogged on 12/1.

Programme actually advises that the game was meant to be
Chobham (H) not Virginia Water on 5/1/74 which seems more

likely. Check!

12/1/74
Virginia Water (A)(L) p-p. Eventually played on 16/3/74.

13/1/74
Clubhouse opens on Sunday between 12 and 2pm. Prices also reduced.

9/2/74 Horley
(A)(L) p-p

16/2/74 Epsom
defeat Chessington United 4-2 with future player Steve Percival playing for
them.

23/2/74 Epsom
Reserves win 11-0 v Frimley Green in League Cup first round. No referee
marking. Fined 50p.

@28/2/74 Table
says Pd 18 W9 D3 L6 F46 A24. Correct.

2/3/74 BAC led
1-0 but Epsom drew 1-1. Both goals were own goals!

9/3/74 Scrappy
game at Sheerwater ends in a 1-1 draw.

16/3/74 HT for
Micky Owen in 2nd half, as Res win 6-2 at Virginia Water after trailing 1-2
at half time.

30/3/74 Lion
Sports Reserves are defeated 4-0 with two from Kelvin Gregory.

Table s/b Pld
22 W11 D5 L6 F58 A28.

4/4/74 A Dave Wilson note in his scrapbook says the Reserves lost
2-0 at Malden Town.

However the programme advises that we lost 3-1. It doesn't provide
a scorer though, and Dave's note also provides the

team line up with no scorer mentioned so I think it was still 2-0
and will stick with this fro now.

6/4/74 A
Kelvin Gregory goal was all Epsom had to show after missing a hatful of
chances. 1-1 draw v Wandsworth.

11/4/74 A
Dave Wilson note in his scrapbook says the Reserves won 2-0 at Chessington
United this day with

goals from
Gregory and Lyons

13/4/74 2
matches at West Street today. 2-0 win v V.Water and 3-0 win v Worplesdon
Reserves. 2pm and 4.30 k.o.

There was no
linesman for the reserve game apparently, and Epsom were fined £1.

20/4/74 Epsom
draw 0-0 with Horley Town - No extra time is played by accident. Replay
required.

24/4/74
Surrey Intermediate League (West) 2-1 Surrey Senior League Reserve Section.
Kelvin Gregory scored for

SSL and Jeff
Lyons and Bobby Walker also played. Game at Godalming.

25/4/74 A
Dave Wilson note in his scrapbook says the Reserves beat Virginia Water 2-1
with two goals from Jones.

27/4/74 First
and Reserve matches v Chobham the same day at West Street. Reserves on after
first team game.

Reserves won
2-0 with goals from Tommy Smith and Billy Martin.

2/5/74 Easy
6-0 win for Epsom over Merstham Res. HT 2-0 and six different scorers.

13/5/74 Final League game of season for Reserves saw a 1-1
draw at Horley according to a Dave Wilson scrapbook note.

Was due to be
played on 7/5/74. Brunning scored for Reserves.

23/5/74
Reserves lose Cup Final 1-0 to Malden Town in a Final played at Merland Rise.

Final Table
says F-A is 76-32 but s/b 75-33. Still doesn't balance! See 4/4/74. This may
be where the variance is.

Friendlies

Score

Prog?

07/08/1973

Leatherhead XI

H

4-0

Rose (2), Tuite, Greenaway

11/08/1973

Sheerwater

H

2-0

Webb, Rose

HT 1-0

18/08/1973

Malden Town

A

1-0

Tuite

HT 0-0

18/08/1973

Youth Centre 21

H

2-0

Sands, Thompson

RES

20/08/1973

Crystal Palace

H

0-4

Y

HT 0-1

Att >400

22/08/1973

Chessington United

H

0-0

25/08/1973

Raynes Park Rovers

H

4-1

26/09/1973

Molesey

A

4-2

was 2-0 down at one point.

01/01/1974

Corinthian Casuals

H

1-1

Gregory

HT 0-0