Skip to main content

Just when they thought it was all over ...

While 21st century Premier Division players complain about Christmas fixtures curtailing their party going, in 1952 Swindon Town travelled to St. James's Park, Exeter on Boxing Day, with a return match at the County Ground the following day.

In front of a crowd of 13,620 it looked like Town was in for another defeat when the home team scored after 28 minutes. Under pressure from an all out attack by Exeter, Swindon goalie Sam Burton made a series of brilliant saves while centre half George (Garth) Hudson executed some timely interceptions.

And just when they thought it was all over, Jimmy Bain scored followed by a goal from Terry Ryder in the closing minutes of play, making Swindon the first team to win at St James's Park that season.

A victorious Town returned to the County Ground to do it all over again the following day, however the match looked in doubt when Swindon woke up to a heavy blanket of fog. The game eventually went ahead although at times spectators found it almost impossible to follow the ball or to identify the players.

In an evenly matched first half the score stood at 1-1. The second half opened with an early goal from Exeter and a swift reply from Swindon. The Town went on to dominate the game, beating Exeter 5-2 with goals from William Millar, Terry Ryder, Ray Betteridge and Jimmy Bain who scored twice.

While the fog obscured much of the play, the Advertiser reporter named Ryder as one of the shining lights in Town's victory, writing that "he swung across a stream of excellent centres, several of which might have brought more goals."

The Christmas fixtures saw Town earn four points, rising four positions in the Southern League, but sadly the end of the season had them finishing in 18th place. Having been in the bottom nine for three successive seasons, Louis Page said goodbye to the County Ground after eight years as manager while the holiday match hero Terry Ryder moved on to King's Lynn.

Pictured - Terry Ryder (top) Louis Page (bottom)
Labels:

Comments

  1. AnonymousMarch 20, 2015 at 3:03 PM

    There is an error in this report. Swindon left the Southern League when the third division of the Football League was formed back in 1921. Those matches against Exeter City were in the Football League Division 3 South. I was present at the second one. I remember most of the players mentioned (not Ryder though) and, on two different occasions, saw Jimmy Bain score direct from a corner kick, something I don't remember ever seeing or even hearing of being done since by anyone.

    Jim Fisher - Swindonian now "in exile" in Luton

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Frances BevanAugust 12, 2015 at 2:20 AM

      Sorry Jim - got my football terminology wrong. Thanks for sorting it out.

      Delete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

My neck of the woods

Did you know that our neck of the woods was once just that - part of a wood, a very big wood? And not just any old wood but a Royal forest no less - Braydon Forest. The origins of Braydon Forest date back to the 9th century and a belt of woodland stretching from the Thame Valley to the Vale of Blackmore and known to the Saxons as Sealwudu. The Saxon lords were pretty easy going, it would appear, and then along came the Normans with their system of forest law, courts and officialdom. Braydon became a royal forest by 1135 and in the 13th century it contained an area of some 46 square miles. The forest bounds included not only woodland but fields of arable, meadow and pasture and even villages such as those of Lydiard Tregoze, Lydiard Millicent and Purton. In 1256, during the reign of Henry III the king gave Robert Tregoze 3 bucks and 8 does from Braydon to restock his park at Lydiard Tregoze and in 1270 John Tregoze obtained a royal licence to 'inclose and impark' his woo...
Post a Comment
Read more

Commercial Road

What a difference a few months make.  For too long the dark empty windows of number 66-68 have stared out forlornly at the busy traffic along Commercial Road, but not any more.   Today the windows shine brightly with the arrival of the Prospect Charity Shop selling a wide range of good quality items from books to comfy sofas to curl up on and lamps to read them by. For more than thirty years the Prospect Hospice in Wroughton has provided specialist end of life care.  Today this service is also available at the Great Western Hospital and to people in their own homes. The Prospect Hospice is close to the hearts of the people of Swindon, particularly Swindon Society member Martin Vandervelde who has cycled many thousands of miles, raising more than £90,000 for the charity. Construction along Commercial Road dates from around 1890 with local builders Joseph Ponting, James Hinton, Charles Williams and Joseph Williams quickly getting in on the act. Today Co...
1 comment
Read more

Edith New - Swindon Suffragette

In 1906 the suffragette campaign entered its most violent phase. Over 500 women had been imprisoned by 1909 and right up there among the militant activists was a Swindon schoolteacher. Edith Bessie New was born 17th March, 1877 at 24 North Street, Swindon, the fourth of Frederic and Isabelle New's five children. Frederic worked as a railway clerk at the GWR Works and Isabelle was a music teacher. An assistant mistress at Queenstown Infant School from 1899-1901, Edith subsequently left her Swindon home to teach in the deprived areas of Deptford and Lewisham. It was after hearing the charismatic Emmeline Pankhurst speak at a meeting in Trafalgar Square that Edith joined the Women's Social and Political Union. In February 1907 a deputation of suffragettes marched on the House of Commons in protest at the omission of votes for women from the King's speech. What had begun as a peaceful demonstration ended in a violent confrontation with police. Edith was among those arr...
2 comments
Read more