Page 34 - Bath City v Winchester City - Saturday 3 October - FA Cup

LOOKING BACK

time since the famous meeting with Bolton back in
January 1964. The reward for a Paul Bodin hat-trick
against Slough in the 4th Qualifying Round and wins
at Chelmsford and Welling in the 1st and 2nd Rounds
respectively, was an unglamorous 3rd Round tie at
Mansfield. City found themselves a goal down early
on and never recovered, eventually losing 4-0 in front
of a crowd of just over 5000.
City’s attempt to regain their place in the top level of
non-league football at the first attempt saw them start
the 1988/89 season with a new manager in ex-Bristol
Rovers player Harold Jarman and championship
winning goalkeeper Ken Allen back between the posts.
Sadly, neither of them stuck around very long, Ken not
playing again after breaking a leg at Dorchester at the
end of September and Harold Jarman being replaced
by Les Alderman a couple of weeks later.
Les Alderman’s spell as manager only lasted four
months, but he did see City to the 2nd Round of the
Paul Bodin netted a stunning strike as City held Bristol City at Ashton Gate in the FA Cup again, a controversial 3-2 defeat at Welling
1985/86 season. denying them a 3rd Round tie at home to Blackburn
Rovers. He was replaced by Jeff Evans, who steered
Last season I looked back at the 1979/80 season, City away from what at one stage looked like it might
City’s first in the Alliance Premier League as it was be a second successive relegation, to eventually finish
then. This time I am moving forward 10 years to when, in 9th place in a season when no fewer than 41
following relegation at the end of 1987/88, City players appeared in the black and white stripes. One
looked to regain their place at the top level of non- of those players was Paul Randall, whom Jeff Evans
league football at the second attempt. Before doing so signed from Yeovil for £3000. Paul scored 6 goals in
though, I thought it might be interesting to take a quick 8 games towards the end of that season, just a taster
look at the seasons in between. of what was to follow in partnership with leading
Having flirted with relegation towards the end of scorer John Freegard.
that first season, I think it is fair to say that City then In the next programme, I will start my look back
established themselves at that level, achieving a at the 1989/90 season in which George Rooney
highest finish of 4th in 1984/85 with the lowest they was manager and City played 69 games across 7
finished being 12th in 1981/82 and 1985/86 before competitions.
20th place in 1987/88 saw them heading back to the
Southern League (the Beazer Homes League as it was LES BINGHAM
badged in those days).
The 1985/86 season saw City get beyond the FA
Cup qualifying stage for the first time since they played
Plymouth during the championship winning season, a
run which started in the 1st Qualifying Round against
Taunton, before finally coming to end with a 1-0 2nd
Round defeat at Peterborough. The following season
saw City start in the 4th Qualifying Round with a
2-1 win at home to Yeovil, followed by a 3-2 1st
Round victory over visitors Aylesbury, which earned
a 2nd Round tie against Bristol City at Ashton Gate.
Paul Bodin’s goal in that game to earn a replay has
become a thing of legend along with Richard Bourne’s
at Weymouth and Tyler Harvey’s against Weston! The
replay also at Ashton Gate three days later was a
bridge too far for City though, as they went down 3-0.
Ironically, the relegation season of 1987/88, in which
only nine league games out of forty two were won
and City never got above 19th in the table, saw them
go one better and reach the 3rd Round for the first

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