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

SSL

Not completed

Surr= ey Combination

Position 1st out of 9

CHAMPIONS!

FAC

Not completed

SSC

2nd

Nunhead

1-3

SEAS= ON SUSPENDED FOR WORLD WAR II - Declared 3rd September 1939

Eps= om Town entered the Surrey Combination instead, which appeared at short notice, a= nd started on 2/12/39.

Home Ground:

West Street, Ewell

25/= 5/39 AGM of Surrey Senior League at Three Fishes Hotel in Kingston. Cranleigh have resigned, but Cobham, who

had= resigned, wish to be reinstated, as do Guildford, and they are. Epsom Town, and Eps= om Manor are both accepted.

Not= sure whether Venners are still in League. There is no talk of them leaving at = this point, but seeing as they moved to

Eps= om to get a senior ground, it is presumed that they drifted back to Intermediate football. Hersham may leave for <= /td>

Athe= nian League it is reported, but they are not accepted, and eventually join the London League instead.

May= 39 Cobham and Cobham Avorians deny talk of a merger, and Cobham remain in SSL at th= eir own ground. However

late= r this year they fold or hibernate, and Avorians come in to the Surrey Combination instead.

June= 39 It is reported that the Committee are keen on reforming a Reserve Team, but this doesn't happen.

Thi= s is because of the formation of a new team, Epsom Town. They are separate to Epsom F.= C. but will share West

Stre= et on alternate Saturdays.

Jun= e 39 Attempts to form a "real" Surrey County League are proposed at Walton's Annual Dinner. Proposed to include

Epso= m, Walton, Carshalton and Hersham.

Aug= 39 Sort of AGM for Epsom Town, with Charles Pettett as President, and Stephen King as Chairman, W Challis as

Sec= retary + Phil Parr as Treasurer. Dick Wilson is to lead the side as captain, and i= t is expected that his younger brother

T.W= ilson will also play. Scard (Worthing) will join (teacher in Ewell). First League ma= tch is on 2/9/39 v Godalming in SSL.

The= Selection Committee comprises Reg Marlow and Bill Dayman. Dayman gave his services = when he heard of the

Town= revival, as Pettett calls it.

The= y were due to be at home to Leyland Motors on 9th Sept and at Egham on 16th Sept. Th= ey were drawn at home to

Ban= stead Hospital in the Amateur Cup but would have to play away on 23rd Sept, as Epsom Town are at home that day.

Secr= etary WH Challis' address is Windy ridge, Mill Road, Epsom.

Clu= b colours will be a white shirt with a broad blue band across the chest bordered by narrower bands of dark blue, and =

navy= shorts with light blue vertical stripes!!

Aug= 39 Prospects for Epsom Town: Nearly 50 applications. First trial was 15/8 and another trial is planned for 19/8.

Dick= Wilson has Jackie Collins, younger brother of Geoff, Scard (Worthing) and Ham (Bexley Res).

Aug= 39 opening fixtures in SSL included West Norwood v Met Police, and Brookwood MH v Ep= som Manor. For 2nd Sept.

Aug= 39 Amateur Cup draw has Epsom v Reigate Priory with Epsom Town v Banstead Hospital b= oth at home in Group 17.

The = winners of Epsom F.C.s game would be at home to Cobham or Venners Sports in the next round.

19/= 8/39 Instead of a Probables v Possibles trial, it was a sort of Epsom FC v Epsom Town trial, which Epsom won 7-1. It

was= a hot day, even for cricket said the papers! Fred Stenning got a HT whilst Solly and Curtis were amongst the scorers.

Pap= er says that Dick Wilson's team showed promise with his brother T Wilson and four other youngsters, including RWF

Mun= ns (Chelmsford Res) Ham, H Eason, J Dodswell. Also Williamson and Billy Neave (ex Dagenham g/k) played. Ham

was= replaced at HT by WH Haines, while TG Temlett played well, while Welch replaced Bywat= er, and VE Curd replaced

Dod= swell. Probables: Welch, Baker, J Bruce, Billy Heal, Bryn Evans. Tommy Rochester= , HE Hook, Basil Solly, Fred

Ste= nning, Jimmy Jones, AF Curtis. Possibles: WJ Neave, A Williamson, JE Morgan, H Easton,= J Dodswell, D Wilson,

Bywa= ter, Ham, RWF Munns, TG Temlett, T Wilson.

21/= 8/39 Further trial for Epsom Town with further new players inc Purdie (19) 6ft 2in and over 12st. goalkeeper who came

fro= m a local Carshalton postal team. Outside left Lloyd came from a junior team in Twickenham. Don Butcher came from

Wan= dgas, and played at left back. Would become an Epsom regular after the war. Wandgas were a London League

Div= ision 1 team. Roy Marlow also played in this trial, despite having left Epsom for Sutton, while WH "Bronk" Challis

was= at left back, but wouldn't play regularly, as he was getting on a bit by now. Fur= ther trial planned for 26/8 after Epsom's

game= with Eton Manor.

2/9= /39 Epsom Town opened (and closed) their Surrey Senior League campaign with a 2-1 w= in over Godalming at West St.

Eps= om were the better team, despite having to play with ten men for most of the game, af= ter G Clayton injured his

car= tilage. Dick Wilson was also unable to play, but Temlett was very good, and scored a second half penalty, to go with

Jack= ie Collins first half strike, while Godalming got a consolation at 2-0.

A programme was produced for this game, which was the first and probably last ever produced until 1945/46 by Epsom Town.

Cha= rles Pettett writes in the programme as Bert Pettett. Must have been Herbert Charles Pettett. It was "Today I have the

plea= sure of introducing the new Epsom Town team for your approval and support."<= /td>

FAC= XPR was also this day, but neither Epsom side were expected to play until 16/9 in first qualifying round. Obviously,

this= never happened, as the Cup was abandoned after the imminent declaration of war.=

3/9/= 39 World War II declared. All competitions suspended.

15/= 9/39 reported at this time that Charles Pettett was now Chairman of Epsom Town= FC, and stated that the Town

club= hopes to continue, as only 4 call ups so far.

23/9= /39 Epsom FC decide to close down for the duration of the war.

4/11/39 Erith & Belvedere draw 1-1 with Sutton Uni= ted in the opening match of the South Eastern Combination. Epsom Town

woul= d join it next season. In the Sutton side were David Wesley, Bobby Gill and Basil Solly.

Hers= ham apply, but are not accepted, and join Surrey Combination instead.

24/= 11/39 Epsom Town are named as one of the 14 teams in the Surrey Combination and match= es are due to begin on

16t= h December. However, only 9 teams actually start the league. Charles Pettett is credi= ted with having a lot to do with

the = league's formation. The trophy and medals are to be presented by E Cox (vice-presi= dent of Hersham).

Per= mit players will be allowed, and there will be no registration, but clubs are duty bo= und to notify other clubs if a player

dec= ides to change teams. It is therefore possible for a pro to play for Epsom one we= ek, and against them, the next!

The= League was suggested by the Joint Leagues Board, comprising Athenian, Isthmian, Spar= tan and London, and was

ori= ginally to be called the Surrey Emergency League. League formed on 19/11/39 at Coronation Club, Kingston.

Fix= ture list is to be completed on 26th November. Much work is required at the ground as = the groundsman was released

fro= m his duties after the declaration, and the grass was long and thick! The dressing roo= ms have damage, and some

win= dows were broken, probably by young boys. Kingstonians are reported as being worse = off as their ground has been

taken over by the ARP and dressing roo= ms converted into decontamination quarters!! They do not start the season.

Hersham had offered the use oft heir ground to Kingsto= nian but the offer wasn't taken up. Venners were one of the expected 14 clubs.=

It h= as been confirmed that the Trustees of the ground have agreed for it to be let to Epsom Town.

2/12/39 Opening fixtures in Surrey Combination this day saw Vickers beat Walton by 5 goals, + Hersham beat Woking 3-1.

For= mer Epsom player T Pierce is playing for Walton this day, while Harry Payton and Bi= ll Ruffell are with Hersham.

Dec= 39 J Youdale and Lionel Hanton playing for Dorking Sports in 5-2 win over Mr S Denyer's XI at the Dorking Sports

Gro= und, which was in Meadowbank. (Earliest reference). Future wartime player Alan Redman also at Dorking Sports.

9/1= 2/39 Epsom Town were unlucky not to win their opening fixture, as a deflection led t= o a Walton equaliser. Town were

str= ongest on the left, and Tommy Rochester played his usual intelligent game at right half. Epsom were a goal down after

10 = minutes, but Tommy Dunne equalised after good work from J.Osborne, who got the second before HT. Both sides tired

in t= he second half, and there was an exciting ending with many half chances in the clos= ing minutes.

T P= ierce and Harry Payton are now playing for Epsom, so Pierce played with Walton last week, and against them now!

Dec = 39 Comet states that there are few grounds as chilly and depressing as Nunhead in = bad weather!

15/= 12/39 reported from "a Langley Vale supporter of some 15 years standing&qu= ot; congratulating Charles Pettett on sticking to

his = guns. "All local supporters will voice their thanks that Saturday afternoon football is again available".

Dec = 39 Syd Faggetter is at Redhill in SEC this year. Later on though is playing for Leyland Motors!

Mano= r Hospital and Long Grove Hospital and St Ebba's (was Ewell Mental Hospital) all pla= ying friendlies still.

Also Leatherhead Hospital Shield still continuing through the war, although it would end in 1946. Even the Sutton &

Dist= rict are operational this season, although split into two regional groups.

16/= 12/39 A good 6-1 win over Vickers saw an inspiring debut at West Street. A good game w= hich deserved the support of

a larger crowd. Even heavy wet ground failed to deter = the players. Williams got the first two after work by Bill Ruffell. HT 2-1.

Goa= ls from Rochester and Osborne in the first five minutes of the second half put the result beyond doubt. Then J Beasley

scor= ed from 40 yards and Ruffell got the last one.

Surrey Advertiser says Ruffell got two and Osborne did= n't score but it was an away team report so will stick with what I have.

23/1= 2/39 No game for first team. They were meant to travel to Cobham, but the blackout sto= pped this.

Cob= ham Avorians play this season at "The Fairmile, Cobham". No connection to Co= bham FC, although some players were

Cobh= am players. Connected to Cobham Avorians Cricket Club.

26/12/39 Game abandoned v Cobham Avorians after 5 minu= tes of the second half with the score 1-1. due to "intense blackness

des= cending on the ground". It had been an even game up to this point, although Cob= ham had scored after 8 minutes and

Mitc= henson had missed a penalty (WIDE) in 1st half at 0-1. Just before HT Osborne equali= sed.

Bry= n Evans played for Cobham this day. The match started late and it was agreed to p= lay only 40 minutes each way.

30/= 12/39 Epsom beat Walton on Thames 2-0. Most attractive football but attendances remain below 1,000. Play has

meri= ted three times that amount. Paper headline says "Poor support at Epsom". Walton had ten men for first 40

min= utes until secretary P.Tomlin came on to make up the 11. Epsom had 75% of play. Osbo= rne has scored in all of

Eps= om's matches so far. Rochester scored a penalty in first five minutes. This match was = only 35 minutes each way.

Fut= ure England Olympic squad player Jack Neale plays for Walton this day, after being wi= th Hersham. Would still play

occasionally for both! According to Surrey Herald a programme was issued as the paper refers to notes decribing a beautiful day

when= it was snow covered!

Dec = 39 Abandoned match with Cobham will be replayed this week 6/1/40

30/1= 2/39 West Norwood are still in existence and win at Carshalton Athletic in London Senior Cup.

6/1= /40 conditions not ideal but the game is played this time. Rochester scored a penalty after 5 minutes and Fred

Ste= nning and Bryn Evans were playing for Cobham. Both ex-Epsom players. Epsom dominated 2nd half but scored just

the= once through Osborne. Ruffell had a poor match, missing chance after chance and cancelling out a Williams goal

thr= ough an offside. Herald is kinder to Ruffell than Comet was, calling him "brilliant" as was Bryn Evans. C Farringdon did

well= in goal "an entirely satisfactory substitute" for Strudwick. A goal in = each half as Epsom win 2-0.

Jan= 40 reference to WJ Keeling's shop at 15 High St, Epsom. He is a house furnis= her and was father of Fred and Harold.

13/= 1/40 Epsom lose their unbeaten record in friendly at Sutton. Basil Solly, Bobby Gill= and Maurice Gill playing for Sutton.

Sol= ly played a large part in all three goals. Epsom have two professionals in their side, Mitchenson and Osborne, but

man= y others were away. Ruffell was working, while Williams was on holiday in Wales. Despite this Tommy Rochester

play= ed well in "a grand game".

Jan = 40 SSC draw v Vickers Armstrong (H) to be played on 10/2/40. Already beaten VA on 16/12/39 6-1.

20/= 1/40 Epsom are 0-0 at home to Woking at HT and Woking scored first after 55 minutes,= but Epsom replied with five.

It = was a small attendance sees "a sparkling game" with Woking edging the first half. The Beasley equaliser gave Epsom <= /span>

hear= t. Herald says that not once have Epsom failed to put on an attractive game this season.

27/= 1/40 No game. Sutton had a game postponed for bad weather, but it's not clear whe= ther Epsom had one planned.

Man= y games were postponed this day with only 7 starting in England & Scotland accordi= ng to the Times. One of those was

aban= doned. Only 6 were played at Amateur level.

3/2/= 40 Epsom unable to fulfil their match v Leyland Motors this day. Not sure what happened here yet.

3/2= /40 Very likely it was weather reelated as only one match played in the entire cou= ntry and that was in Plymouth!

10/= 2/40 A Williams hat trick sees Epsom record a comfortable win over Vickers in the SSC. Advertiser says Osborne

sco= res again, and has scored in every single competitive match this season so far. Howe= ver, Herald looks more accurate,

and= says Williams got a HT and Bill Ruffell the other two. Williams scored after 30 minutes, HT 1-0, but 58 minutes was

1-1= . Williams scored again two minutes later, = and got a third soon after, while Ruffell got the last two against J Beby, the

ex-L= eicester City goal keeper.

10/= 2/40 Tom Ogle made his debut, and papers refer to there only being 14 players in E= psom Town's ranks. Tom had

play= ed briefly in the mid-thirties for Epsom FC.

Pap= ers say that ex-player Fred Stenning was playing for Vickers "He has not improved". He was actually playing

for = Cobham in January, and played v Epsom on 6/1/40.

10/= 2/40 Wimbledon defeat Walton on Thames 15-2 in SSC1!! Other games: Redhill 6-0 Carshalton Ath, Guildford 6-0

Cobh= am Av, T&M 2-2 Met Police a.e.t., Hersham 0-1 Sutton United. Woking & Nunhead byes?

17/2= /40 home game v Camberley & Y postponed.

24/= 2/40 Bill Dellow (Croydon) is referee for a SJC 2 tie between Leatherhead United and Trojan Sports at Fetcham Grove

won 4-2 by Trojan who were a car making factory. A fut= ure Secretary of the Southern League who would name the League Cup after him.=

24/2= /40 Epsom let a two goal lead slip against Camberley & Yorktown and draw 2-2.

App= arently Camberley & Yorktown did not play at Krooner Park this season. As it = was requisitioned for the war effort.

Play= ed at Camberley Recreation Ground instead.

Wil= liams had taken the lead for Epsom after a dribble and shot from an acute angle aft= er 40 minutes which went in the top

rig= ht corner of the net. Harry Payton got the second after 55 minutes. Camberley's equali= ser was "a miracle of a goal" with

a fl= ying full length header by Stockley. Ives got their first goal.

2/3= /40 "The best game before the best gate was won by the better team" Nunhead win 3-1 in SSC. Nunhead had 4

Amat= eur Internationals & Henley who was a schoolboy international on Arsenal's books.

Tomm= y Rochester returned at centre forward, but had no success, and Beasley's goal was a = late consolation.

2/3/40 Other results in SSC Met Police 0-4 T&M (replay) 2nd Round: Wimbledon 5-2 Redhill, Woking 2-0 Sutton and presumab= ly

Guil= dford v T&M to come in remaining qf.

2/3/= 40 EL Gould came in for JR Mitchenson. Both Rochester and Ruffell hit the post.

2/3/= 40 Wimbledon defeat Redhill 5-2 in front of 1,200 at Plough Lane in SSC.

9/3= /40 Epsom led 3-2 at HT but lose 4-3. Fred Stenning scores for Vickers, after start= ing the season with Epsom.

9/3= /40 Strudwick injured his hand and was off for half an hour with Pierce deputising, but they scored the winner during

the= time he was off the field. Herald calls it "Epsom's unlucky day". 1-0 down after 2 minutes, but 3-1 up after 30, and 3-2

at = HT. Then Strudwick injured himself after making a save, as the forward lunged in a= fter the ball to get it over the line.

T P= ierce went in goal instead, and when Strudwick returned, it was on the wing as a passenger. At 3-4 down, Epsom

near= ly saved it. FG Bacon played for Epsom (debut) (Barnet and Southall), while Osborne is "deteriorating".

9/3/40 Reigate Boys defeat Epsom Boys 5-0 at Reigate Priory in Hood Shield Regional Final. No future Epsom players in the line= up.

9/3/= 40 Sid Faggetter scored four for Leyland v Woking

16/= 3/40 Epsom losing 2-1 at HT despite going downhill, yet turned it around in 2nd half= and won 4-2 v Hersham.

Refe= rence to T Gillick playing and scoring for Hersham, who had previously played for Ew= ell and Stoneleigh

C Fa= rringdon played well in Strudwick's absence, although Payton and Ogle were not as = good as usual.

16/= 3/40 reference to Goblin Sports playing Ashtead in Sutton & District Leagu= e at Gibraltar Rec, Ewell. They later play

at C= ourt Rec in another home match.

22/= 3/40 Epsom had 80% of the play v Guildford City Reserves, but failed to score in 1st half, and lost 1-0 after a more

eve= n 2nd half. Ruffell was the main culprit, and admitted as much afterwards. Goal was in 47th minute. Osborne and

Will= iams were better this week.

23/3/40 Woking travel to Guildford for the first leg of the Surrey Combination Cup and play the second leg on 27th April, losing<= span style=3D'mso-spacerun:yes'>

0-3 = and 1-3. This was just a two team event even though it was called a League Cup!

25/= 3/40 Easter Monday saw Guildford City field their full first team in front of the lar= gest gate of the season so far at

Wes= t Street. Guildford C narrowly won the match. Not helped by a leg injury to Bill Ruffell in mid second half which =

ren= dered him "less effective". Herald says C Farringdon is "a find"= ;. Epsom were 1-0 down after 20 minutes, but Gould

equa= lised after 47, but lost, with Williams hitting the post right near the end.

30/= 3/40 Sid Faggetter, previously with Redhill, and future Redhill player, and Epsom player coach in 49/50 scores all

fou= r goals for Leyland Motors at Kingston after Epsom had taken an early 2-0 lead. Tom O= gle injured hip. Passenger.

Thi= s was Epsom's third straight defeat, and they were 2-0 down after 10 minutes. T= hey got it back to 2-2 after 48 minutes,

and= had a shot by Williams held by the keeper over the line, but the referee was not up = with the play and didn't allow it.

The= score was 2-3 at the time. The referee was Mr A Horwood, who had taken charge of the Clapton Orient v Epsom Town

matc= h back in 1933/34.

30/3= /40 T&M 3-1 Guildford City in SSC 2 (QF).

6/4= /40 Wonderful "sparkling" game of football with Woking which was won 3-2. In the first half saw the best football seen

all season in the Combination. 2 new p= layers played - Lawlor (Dartford) and Mackay from Camberley. Mackay only

pla= yed once though before returning to Camberley, so may have been a guest player. He replaced C Farringdon, who has

now= joined the army. Woking had some famous names from Fulham, Abbott, Griffiths and Pri= ce. Lawlor scored after 4

min= utes of debut, but it was 1-1 two minutes later. Williams put Epsom 2-1 up with "a marvellous shot", but HT was 2-2.

Bea= sley beat three players before passing to Lawlor who did the same, and passed for Ruffell to score an easy winner <= /td>

afte= r 75 minutes.

13/4/40 Worcester Park v Fetcham OB @ Epsom in Final of Sutton & Cheam Hospital Cup. W Park won 4-3. A second ball

was= required when a first ball was impaled on a corrugated iron fence. This match was followed by the Junior Hospital Cup

Fin= al where Cuddington beat Epsom Spartans 5-0. K.O. 6pm after the earlier match at 3= .30. There was a fair crowd and

larg= e number of ladies present for the Worcester Park v Fetcham game

Apri= l 40 reference to Basil Solly, Bobby Gill and brother Maurice Gill playing for Sutton.

13/= 4/40 Williams for Epsom and Miller for Cobham both injured towards the close of the first half which ended 0-0, but

Both= became passengers. Game was uninspiring say papers, even though it was 5-0.

Eps= om scored five v Cobham Avorians in 2nd half. Game was played at Cobham Recreation ground pre-Anvil Lane days.

Epso= m were well on top, even in the first half. Gregory had a great game in goal for Cobh= am.

20/= 4/40 A decisive and well merited win, and an entertaining and keenly fought game, which was goalless at HT. Ruffell

did= well, and Epsom played a new outside right in T Wingrove. CV George and RE Mackay b= oth played for Camberley.

Osb= orne scored after 50 minutes and Ruffell got the second after 58. Epsom should have scored more, but their shooting

was= too high.. Herald says H Hall, not S Hall. It is possible that H Hall was also H How= e, who played in the next match.

20/4= /40 SSC SF T&M 3-1 Nunhead @ Wimbledon.

27/4= /40 Last league game ever played by Hersham was at Mole House v Epsom. Epsom won 5= -0.

The= first half was very even, with Hersham perhaps just on top. "Strudwick has play= ed many excellent games for Epsom, <= /td>

but= never one to surpass his performance at Hersham on Saturday". HT was 2-0 to Ep= som. Herald refers to Drysdale as

J Dr= ysdale, not F Drysdale, yet Comet calls him F Drysdale in same match. I will go with = J.

Late= st Surrey Combination Table is in Surrey Comet on 1/5/40.

10/= 5/40 reported that Epsom will play Sutton in a return friendly on 13/5/40. Eps= om requested that all four ex-Epsom =

play= ers are included, Maurice Gill, Bobby Gill, David Wesley and Basil Solly.

11/= 5/40 Epsom beat Leyland Motors 3-1 to become Champions of the Surrey Combination. Attendance was not up to

exp= ectations though. They went behind early to another Sid Faggetter goal, but equalis= ed quickly through Ruffell.

Club= captain Ruffell got another before half time, and Lawlor got the third three minu= tes from time.

Epso= m had scored the most goals and had the least number scored against them.

Her= ald reported a tired end of season feeling, even though it was a title winning match. = The second half saw "considerable

bad feeling". Lawlor's third as he "headed a perfect goal from a we= ll judged Burns corner kick"

Herald also comments on how the gates have met expenses with the exception of the rent and rates on the ground and "part of = the

programme charges". Although a programme was prod= uced for the opening SSL match I assumed they had stopped once war was

decl= ared. Keep looking!

11/5= /40 Wimbledon 2-2 Woking - SSC SF @ Dulwich. To replay 18/5/40 at Guildford.<= /td>

13/5= /40 Friendly with Sutton United cancelled due to the war situation.

18/5= /40 Wimbledon 3-1 Woking - SSC SF at Guildford.

25/= 5/40 Wimbledon 3-1 Tooting & Mitcham - SSC F. Played at Wimbledon FC. Competition would not restart until 1943/44.

June= 40 Elected to South Eastern Combination.