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Only County Visit:	Saturday 11th November 1978
Competition:	Football League Division 4 – (Tier 4)
Result:	Wimbledon 2 – 0 Stockport County
Attendance:	3,177
Away Trip:	8
Away Day:	8
County Line-up	1 Mike Rogan; 2 Andy Thorpe; 3 John Rutter; 4 Ken Fogarty; 5 Terry Park; 6 Paul Edwards; 7 Phil Henson; 8 George Armstrong; (12 Carl Halford); 9 Les Bradd; 10 Mike Summerbee; 11 Stuart Lee
Manager:	Mike Summerbee
County Visits:	1

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HARRY BECK LEADS ME ASTRAY

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Looking back over nearly 40 years it’s difficult to think of a Club that came from nowhere; achieved so much and then were so royally shafted that only a handful of years separated an FA Cup triumph from having to restart effectively in parks football.  Sat here writing in October 2016, it’s with some satisfaction that the reborn Club now sits higher in the league hierarchy than the cuckoos who moved the nest 80 miles up the M1.  A curse on Winkleman and that plastic abomination he’s created.  May they fall into oblivion.  But there’ll be more on that later when the National Hockey Stadium and Stadium MK appear on the horizon.

What do I recall about that visit?  Firstly, finding the place.  Not trusting the car it had been on a Stockport – London train.  Off at Euston, down the escalator into the Tube.  Now which station?  One of the great innovations for footballing travellers has been the proliferation of Ground Guides in the last 20 years or so – an absolute boon, and when satnav is thrown into the equation, the old tried and trusted modus operandi of getting somewhere in the vicinity and looking for the floodlights has been consigned to history. 

But this was 1978 – none of that stuff, definitely no Google, and being a relatively naïve traveller, the Tube was a mystery to be explored. Studying Harry Beck’s famous Underground Map my eyes were drawn to a station called Wimbledon.  It sounded favourite – after all it can’t be too far away from Plough Lane.  Ticket booked, a journey of 40 minutes or so with a change at Victoria. Settled back, no doubt finishing off the papers procured at Edgeley Station hours before, and counting the 16 stops after Victoria.

As journey’s end approached it pulled to a stop at Wimbledon Park.  Oh for the gift of hindsight!  Alighting there would have left a 10 minute stroll to Plough Lane.  One station further down the line was Wimbledon.  Aptly named maybe but about 3 times as far to the ground, and time was pressing.  And negotiating the exact location would be dependent on helpful locals.  Fortunately they recognised a traveller in need, and the precise directions proffered meant that Plough Lane appeared shortly after 2.50, leaving just enough time to get in; acquire a much needed brew and settle down for the game.

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This was Wimbledon’s second year in the League, having won the re-election race 18 months previously, thereby consigning Workington to a place in non-league from which they have never returned.  The ground was undoubtedly non-league, but for all that was a reasonably neat enclosure. 

Plenty of blue and yellow paint adorning the stands and crush barriers. A decent “home” end, with a covered terrace along the far touchline from the main stand, and an open end for the pleasure of visitors.  A row of electricity pylons stood guard keeping an eye on errant away fans.  My late arrival had consigned me to the Main Stand – a bit dark and gloomy; rows of wooden bench seating, above which was clearly a roost for the local pigeon population.  It necessitated a bit of a clean-up before taking one’s seat!  (Archive footage taken in 1979 a year after my only visit)

The name Wimbledon may conjure up images of strawberries and cream; tranquillity; the lush green of the Centre Court and an air of gentility.  This certainly didn’t extend the couple of miles in the direction of Plough Lane.   But, for me it was a “proper” football ground.

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The game was entirely un-noteworthy, but the half time break left the opportunity of extracting from a kindly soul at the tea bar the location of the nearest Tube Station. On my explanation that I’d come via Wimbledon I was quickly put right, and told that the aforementioned Wimbledon Park was the place to head for. And the man was right – I was heading back towards Euston within 15 minutes of referee Saville drawing proceedings to a close.

With little to recall from the game, a look back at the programme drew out a couple of pointers to the future. The Crazy Gang was years in the future but already ensconced at Plough Lane was a founder member. Alan Cork led the line for the Dons, and at the time of the game was an ever present that season. Indeed 2 days after that heartbreaking evening at Old Trafford 3 months previously Wimbledon had visited EP and took the points back South. Cork had notched in that game. It was their second visit to the North West that week. As with County a game at a Division 1 club was their reward for success in the 1st round of the League Cup. County had lost in controversial circumstances. Wimbledon had suffered as well, with Everton putting them to the sword to the tune of 8-0.

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Manager at Plough Lane was Dario Gradi where he had been in charge for just under a year – his first managerial post. Perhaps there was a little indicator of things to come, as 5 months after my one and only trip to Plough Lane he took the Dons to promotion. A brief spell at Palace followed before he settled into a long career at Crewe where his ability to identify talent saw him make the Railwaymen relatively successful, and at the same time develop players who moved onto the highest level.

So that was it.  Not at that point could Wimbledon’s rise; fall and subsequent shafting ever have been foreseen.  A fairytale story of aspiration; determination and achievement.  And then a reflection of the parlous state of English football where a money-man can appear and destroy the traditions and history built up over a century or more.  Football authorities have much about which to be embarrassed, but it is difficult to think of a darker episode than the treatment of Wimbledon – they should hang their heads in shame.

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Oh, by the way, we lost 2-0!!  The win took the Dons to the top of the table and by season’s end they had maintained their charge, seeing them promoted in 4^th place.  It was the first step on a journey which was to see them in the top Division and FA Cup winners in due course.  For County it was to be another season of mid-table mediocrity……

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On my sole trip Plough Lane looked very much like the clip in this video. Its taken from the Vale Tarci You Tube Channel from “Demolished Football Stadiums”

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October 2016

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VISITS

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Day	Date	Competition	Tier / Round	Opponents	Res	F	A	Crowd	Away Day
Sat	11/11/78	Football League Division 4	Tier 4	Wimbledon	L	0	2	3,177	8

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ON MY JOURNEY WITH COUNTY AROUND 180 GROUNDS

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Previously – COUNTY GROUND (NORTHAMPTON) Next stop – VALE PARK