Wisbech v March down the years
1957: The GER Ground at March was certainly not for the faint-hearted on October 26 as March Town and Wisbech Town met in a FA Cup third qualifying round match.
Officials at March Town were unhappy that the Wisbech manager Oscar Hold had called the game off the previous Saturday due to a ‘flu epidemic’ hitting the club.
March manager Martin Reagan said that Wisbech Reserves and A team played – the Fenmen could have picked a team from those players.
Add to that the Hares had knocked the Fenmen out of the competition, deservedly so, in three their last four meetings, and many supporters classed March as a ‘bogey’ team.
From the very start it was obvious that the Hares were going to give their opponents a hard fight, and for 16 minutes they had an equal share of the game and shared the chances.
Bobby Langton and Jesse Pye, so often prominent in combining well in other games, only had one real move up to this point, but it was the latter who was well positioned when from a ball into the penalty area, a defender sent the ball straight back to Johnny Downie who was quick to send it back for the ex-international to beat Valentine with a hard shot.
Seven minutes elapsed before March got on back on level terms. Martin Reagan made a brilliant run down the right, beating Ray Robson on the way, before sending over a high ball which Wally Beach converted.
Wisbech made an all-out attack in the opening minutes of the second half, and March conceded two corners before Grant cleared. The half was only 11 minutes old though when Tot Leverton scored what turned out to be the winning goal.
Langton sent over a low cross and, as Downie’s first attempt at goal was blocked, the right-winger ran in to beat Valentine as he connected with the rebound.
The Midland League side were by no means having their own way, and as the game progressed, March achieved a greater prominence. Paul Todd headed just over, and minutes later he shot on the turn – a shot which, if a little to the left or right, would have meant an equaliser. As it was it went with cannonball force straight at Bryan Harvey.
Four corners in the last 15 minutes showed that March were still searching hard for that second goal, but it just didn’t come. And Wisbech went through by 2-1 to play Hounslow in the next round. The attendance was 4,450.
Henry Adamson
The wing-half was born in Kelty, Scotland on January 7, 1922 and died in Dunfermline on May 23, 1997.
He could be described as the unsung hero of Oscar Hold’s greatest-ever Wisbech team, as his work-rate was second to none.
Started playing for Jeanfield Swifts, where he gained a Scottish junior international cap.
In August 1946 he joined Notts County and was an ever-present in County’s Division Three Southern Section championship side of season 1949/50.
He played a total of 249 games, scoring five goals. A consistent player throughout his career, he joined Gainsborough Trinity in 1956 and, when Oscar Hold left that club to become manager of Wisbech, Adamson was his first signing for the Fenmen.
In his four seasons with Wisbech, he played 184 games, scoring seven goals.
He worked for the Notts Evening Post for 24 years and even played for the works team in his fifties.
1964: Once again it was March v Wisbech at the GER ground in the FA Cup first qualifying round on September 5 and in front of 970 spectators the Fenmen
expended no more energy than was necessary in disposing of a gallant but inexperienced Hares’ side 3-1.
Had they not been given two gift goals, however, the Fenmen might have had to pull out all the stops, for the Eastern Counties League side fought doggedly for every ball and looked dangerous in breakaways.
But the fact that Wisbech put in 23 shots to their opponents’ nine tells the story of a game which did nothing to rekindle memories of the past epic FA Cup battles between the two clubs.
It took an unfortunate own goal from March defender Maxwell to open the scoring in the 12th minute and a few minutes later Tony Bird took a free-kick just outside the March penalty area and keeper Bill Strickle just failed to stop the ball crossing the line.
After 53 minutes, Parrish put March back in the game with a chance, but four minutes later the ever-dangerous Gordon Turner settled the issue when he beat the hesitant Strickle in a race for a bouncing through ball.
Gordon Turner
Gordon was a legend at Luton Town, where he made his debut in December 1950, in a 4–1 defeat at Coventry City, playing in midfield. However, the following season, he was given the opportunity to play up front and soon began scoring many goals, including a hat-trick in his fourth game.
Over the next few seasons, Turner developed into Luton’s star player – he scored 32 goals during the 1954–55 season to secure top flight football at Kenilworth Road for the first time, and continued to help Luton hold their own in the First Division.
Turner’s last Football League match came on April 25, 1964, as Luton beat Watford 2–1 at Kenilworth Road. By his final game, he had scored 243 league goals for the club, and 276 in all competitions. Both of these figures stand as club records.
He was then signed, aged 34, by Wisbech Town manager Jesse Pye in July 1964 and played 33 games and scored 22 goals before moving to play for Kettering Town.
Unfortunately he contracted motor neurone disease when he was 41, and died in 1976 at 46 years of age.
1981: On October 17, Fenland Park was the venue for yet another FA Cup encounter between the Fenmen and the Hares, this time a third qualifying round tie. In a hard-fought
encounter, the scores were level at half-time with no goals having been scored but four minutes into the second half the Fenmen took the lead. Running onto a cross from Jamie Brighty, Phil Ward was stopped in his tracks by March keeper John Gilson and Roy McManus converted the resultant penalty.
Fourteen minutes later Ward put the Fenmen two goals ahead with a 25 yard shot that beat the keeper.
Clayton Brownlow pulled a goal back for the Hares on 73 minutes and his team pressed for the equaliser, but the Wisbech defence held firm and the match ended in a 2-1 win for the Fenmen.
Phil Ward
A well-respected player and manager for the Fenmen, Phil signed from Kings Lynn at the start of season 1981/82 and played in nine consecutive seasons and then really struggled with a knee injury. Made his final appearance in season 1993/94. Phil made a total of 488 appearances and scored 29 goals.
He took over as caretaker-manager in February 1988 to the end of the season and then took over as player-manager up to the end of the following season in which the club reached the quarter-final stage of the FA Vase, losing 1-0 away at Tamworth.
He was also on the board of directors for a while, and also took over running the reserve and youth sides.
2011: It was billed as the biggest Fenland derby for 30 years and a massive crowd of 1,109 turned up for this preliminary round FA Cup tie at the GER on September 3.
Early exchanges were even, but Wisbech began to look the team most likely to score first and the breakthrough came after 25 minutes when Chris Bacon shot and his the ball cannoned off a defender for Liam Nimmo to score from close range.
The March equaliser came five minutes later when a foul by Lewis Thompson on Luke Pepper presented the Hares with a free kick from 20 yards out and Pepper produced an exquisite shot into the far corner of the net.
Without the doubt the first 45 minutes offered the best of the action and the second half was really lacking in too much quality football as the players became frustrated and the yellow cards came out, the game ending 1-1.
After the match, March manager Brett Whaley said: “I am disappointed because I felt we could have won the game late on in the second half when we opened up the Wisbech defence.”
Fenmen manager Steve Appleby was far from pleased and said: “It was a poor performance and we lacked the passion for what was a FA Cup local derby in front of a big crowd.”
Wisbech won the replay the following Tuesday 3-2.
Chris Bacon
Very popular player for the Fenmen, he signed following his release from Kings Lynn Town in July 2011. Previous clubs included Dereham Town, Mildenhall Town and Grantham.
He played in Australia in 2009 for Sunshine Coast Fire in the Queensland State League.
Record for Wisbech Town: 106 appearances plus 12 as sub and 75 goals
In season 2013/14 he played for Canterbury United and then Christchurch United in New Zealand.
In season 2015/16 he came back to the Fenmen and then joined Mildenhall Town.
Before leaving the club in the same season he scored a wonder goal in October against Peterborough Northern Star and this was selected as number two in a Dream Goal competition organised by Sky Television.
Previously...
This day in history – April 29
This day in history – April 22
This day in history – April 15