THE 2017-18 Spartan South Midlands League Division 1 title winners set a new Southall club record of seven straight wins at the start of the season.
Having found the late, great and much missed Geoff Harrison’s jottings on this subject from the 2005-06 season, when the club managed 8 straight wins, it was found that the previous best in this regard was 5 straight wins.
Unfortunately for Frank Gill and his team, things unravelled massively behind the scenes during season 2005-06 for Southall Football Club and they were subsequently expelled from the Combined Counties League and their playing record was expunged.
This left the achievement of 5 straight wins of the sides from 1912-13, 1952-53 and 1959-60 back at the top of the pile until the outstanding performances of 2017-18.
Here are the details of those record-breaking seasons.
1912-13
Back Row: J King, EH Lambert, HS Austin, E Haynes (GK), T Nelhams, J Connor, W Warren. Middle Row: C Wallis, J Cuff (Asst. Sec.), AB Willis, W Syms (Capt.), T Ballard, F Burton, S Cuff. Front Row: J Osborn (Treasurer), W Harrison (Trainer), S Stacey, J Beach, J Chapman, B Ives, H Stone, JT Jacobs (Hon. Sec.).
Having started with 5 straight wins, Southall went on to become champions of the Great Western Suburban League that season with a record of Played 20 Won 14 Drew 3 Lost 3 For 53 Against 22 Points 31, 5 points clear of 2nd placed 19th Royal Hussars.
The winning sequence was as follows: Wycombe Wanderers away won 2-1, Staines home won 4-1, Windsor & Eton away won 3-2, Marlow home won 3-0 & Maiden- head home won 3-2. This run was ended with the away match v. 3rd Battalion Coldstream Guards, in a 60 minute match due to a late kick-off and bad light when they suffered a 4-2 reverse.
They had a decent FA Cup run this season too; having seen off Maidenhead (3-2), West London Old Boys (1-0), Uxbridge (6-0) & Kingston-on-Thames (3-0), before being drawn away to Football League Division 2 side Glossop in the 5th Qualifying round. The Pro side proved too strong for the Amateurs, triumphing by eleven goals to one, which is still Southall’s record cup defeat.
This was only equalled as recently as 2001 at home to Uxbridge in the same competition and by the same scoreline, the latter also doubling up as Southall’s record home defeat.
There were further cup exploits this season in the local competitions as the club reached the semi-finals of the Middlesex Charity Cup, losing out to Hampstead Town after a replay and were Runners Up in the West Middlesex Cup, Uxbridge (them again!) winning the Final 1-0 at the ra- ther industrial sounding Steel Barrel Works Ground in Uxbridge.
1952-53
By 1952-53 Southall were a well established Athenian League side, having won the title way back in 1926- 27. The first 5 league games for 1952-53 were as follows:
30/08/1952 v Cambridge City (H): Won 1-0 - Line up: Bennett, Prior, Mills, Wenlock, Merry, Sloane, Berryman, Way, Parker, Heckman, Simpson. Scorer: Simpson
03/09/1952 v Walton & Hersham (A): Won 2-0 - Line up unknown. Scorers: Berryman, Heckman.
05/09/1952 v Tooting & Mitcham United (H): Won 2-0 - Line up: Bennett, Prior, Hardy, Mears, Merry, Sloane, Simpson, Way, Parker, Heckman, Reynolds. Scorers: Mears, Parker.
20/09/1952 v Hitchin Town (A): Won 2-0 - Line up: Bennett, Mills, Hardy, Mears, Battie, Sloane, Wenlock, Way, Parker, Heckman, Reynolds. Scorer: Parker 2.
27/09/1952 v Redhill (A): Won 4-0 - Line up: Bennett, Mills, Hardy, Mears, Battie, Shapero, Wenlock, Way, Parker, Heckman, Reynolds. Scorers: Way, Parker, Heckman, Reynolds.
The next league game was against Barnet at Western Road, where the visitors decided to spoil things by winning 1-0, the first league goal against and first league defeat for the ‘all. Southall eventually finished 3rd that season, behind Wealdstone and Champions Hendon.
That same season Southall also reached the Semi-Finals of the FA Amateur Cup, only going out at that late stage after a replay against the Varsity side Pegasus at Craven Cottage 2-1, having drawn the first game 1-1 at Highbury and having been controver- sially denied a late penalty in the first game.
Pegasus went on to win the final against Harwich & Parkeston by six goals to nil at Wembley. A few weeks later Southall also suffered defeat at the same stage of the Middlesex Senior Cup against Finchley, also after a replay. A momentous season that ulti- mately saw precious little in the way of silverware.
1959-60
Back Row: R Hudson, K Merry, F Wilson, J Adamson, M Reynolds, P Walsh. Front Row: T Chinnery, J Davies, T Bright, G Underwood, T Prior, P Austin.
On to 1959-60 and still in the Athenian League the opening 5 games were as follows:
22/08/1959 v Carshalton Athletic (A): Won 7-0 - Line up: Adamson, Prior, Short, Walsh, Wilson, Austin, Underwood, Ilsley, Merry, Bright, Reynolds. Scorers: Merry 4, Ilsley 2, Underwood.
26/08/1959 v Wealdstone (A): Won 2-1 - Line Up: Adamson, Prior, Short, Walsh, Wilson, Palmer, Under- wood, Ilsley, Merry, Bright, Reynolds. Scorers: Merry, Reynolds.
29/08/1959 v Hounslow Town (H): Won 6-1 - Line up: Adamson, Prior, Short, Walsh, Wilson, Austin, Underwood, Ilsley, Merry, Bright, Reynolds. Scorers: Bright 2, Ilsley 2, Underwood, Merry.
05/09/1959 v Hitchin Town (A): Won 2-1 - Line up: Adamson, Prior, Short, Walsh, Wilson, Austin, Under- wood, Ilsley, Merry, Bright, Burke. Scorers: Ilsley, Bright.
09/09/1959 v Leyton (H): Won 2-0 - Line up: Adamson, Prior, Short, Walsh, Wilson, Austin, Underwood, Sulman, Merry, Ilsley, Burke. Scorers: Sulman, Merry.
Once again Barnet were the party poopers in the following league match, leaving Western Road the victors by 2 goals to one. There then followed another good run in the Amateur Cup where, having seen off Worthing (2-1), Finchley (1-1, 2-2, 3-3, 4-1) and Tooting & Mitcham United (1-1, 1-0), Southall finally succumbed in the 4th Round at Western Road to Enfield by the only goal of the game in front of a crowd of 6,500. Southall’s league season stuttered somewhat after their bright start and they finished up in 7th place in the final reckoning.
2005-06
Frank Gill – Managing to smile during troubled times
Frank Gill’s reign as Southall manager was a controversial one to say the very least; both he and his play- ers far too often getting into hot water with the officialdom of the Combined Counties League. Things didn’t auger well behind the scenes either at Southall for 2005-06 with Geoff Harrison resigning as Club Secre- tary before a ball had been kicked.
Whilst most of the players at this time were lacking somewhat in terms of discipline and self-control they were undoubtedly talented and started the Combined Counties Premier season like a house on fire.
Their first 8 league games were as follows:
13/08/2005 v Ash United (H): Won 1-0 - Scorer: Johnson (pen).
17/08/2005 v Reading Town (H): Won 1-0 - Scorer: S O’Sullivan.
20/08/2005 v Chessington & Hook United (A): Won 3-2 - Scorers: D O’Sullivan, Worrall, Fisher.
23/08/2005 v Mole Valley Predators (A): Won 3-1 - Scorers: Dixon 2, Worrall.
29/08/2005 v Raynes Park Vale (A): Won 3-0 - Scorers: D O’Sullivan 2, Moses.
03/09/2005 v Chipstead (H): Won 3-2 - Scorers: L Dussard, Worrall, Robinson.
28/09/2005 v Westfield (H): Won 4-2 - Scorers: D O’Sullivan 2, E Dussard, Fisher.
01/10/2005 v North Greenford United (A): Won 2-1 - Scorers: S O’Sullivan (pen), D O’Sullivan.
A magnificent start and a new club record by 3 clear games. The next league fixture was away to Cove, where traffic congestion meant that the Southall players arrived very shortly before kick-off. Cove took full advantage of the away side’s misfortune, racing into a 2 goal lead by half time. Southall were much im- proved after the break and 2 penalties from Leon Dussard salvaged a draw but not the 100% record.
Due to maladministration Southall eventually found themselves suspended, then expelled from the Combined Counties League before the season’s end. Consequently, their league record was expunged along with their record breaking sequence of 8 straight wins. These unhappy events heralded demotion to the Middlesex County Football League where the club languished for several seasons.
2017-18
So, the record is now 7 straight wins from the beginning of a season, held by the 2017-18 season’s Spartan South Midlands League Division 1 Champions.
Their superb start was as follows:
12/08/2017 v Bedford (A): Won 7-1 - Line up: Mullane, Lewis, Rhone, Hope, Dicker, Langa, Pink, Louth, Shennan, Senior, Bennett. Subs: Brown (for Rhone), Harewood (for Senior), Chaudry (for Shennan). Scorers: Bennett 3, Senior, Louth, Hope, Harewood.
16/08/2017 v Hatfield Town (H): Won 2-0 - Line up: Mullane, Lewis, Rhone, Hope, Dicker, Langa, Mark, Louth, Shennan, Harewood, Bennett. Subs: Senior (for Bennett), Chaudry (for Shennan), Pink (for Hare- wood). Scorers: Harewood, Mark.
26/08/2017 v Hatfield Town (A): Won 4-3 - Line up: Mullane, Lewis, Rhone, Hope, Gradwell, Dicker, Mark, Louth, McLeish, Harewood, Bennett. Subs: Brown (for Hope), Fernandes (for Harewood). Scorers: Rhone 3 (1 pen), Mark.
02/09/2017 v London Lions (H): Won 5-0 - Line up: Mullane, Lewis, Rhone, Hope, Gradwell, Langa, Mark, Louth, McLeish, Shennan, Bennett. Subs: Pink (for Shennan), Howell (for Mark), Page (for Gradwell). Scorers: Shennan, Own Goal, Louth, McLeish, Hope (pen).
16/09/2017 v St Neots Town Reserves (A): Won 8-1 - Line up: Mullane, Langa, Louth, Hope, Page, Gradwell, Lewis, Brown, McLeish, Shennan, Bennett. Subs: Harewood (for McLeish), Chaudry (for Hope), Pink (for Langa). Scorers: Bennett, Page, McLeish 2, Harewood, Shennan, Pink, Chaudry.
23/09/2017 v Harefield United (H): Won 3-2 - Line up: Mullane, Lewis, Rhone, Hope, Page, Gradwell, Harewood, Louth McLeish, Shennan, Bennett. Subs: Senior (for Gradwell), Pink (for Shennan), Ward (for McLeish). Scorers: Page, McLeish 2.
30/09/2017 v Codicote (H): Won 7-1 - Line up: Mullane, Lewis, Hopla, Hope, Page, Gradwell, Pink, Louth, McLeish, Senior, Bennett. Subs: Mark (for Pink), Harewood (for Senior), Ward (for Lewis). Scorers: Hope (pen), McLeish 3, Page 3 (1pen).
All good things come to an end and in the next match, away to Baldock Town, Anthony Page’s early goal gave Southall a half time lead. Baldock got a 2nd half equaliser and the game finished 1-1. It feels fitting that Baldock were the ones to end the 100% start as they were the only team to mount a sustained challenge to Southall’s Championship ambitions. Fortunately, Southall managed to keep them at bay to win their first league title for 91 years.
So, belated congratulations to all involved in the 2017-18 record breaking run, especially to the players still in and around the club, namely: Rory Mullane, Ryan Hope, Perry Dicker, Gary Senior, Jack Bennett, Darreon Mark, Louis Dailey, Adam Louth, Aaron McLeish and Kieron Gradwell.
It’s not often records are broken at clubs with as long a history as Southall’s, so well done again lads, a fine achievement.
Lenny Mainwaring