Page 14 - Raynes Park Vale v Guildford City

roar City onto a famous 2-1 victory. A finally on 12 February 1974 amidst
further 8,774 saw City fall narrowly to emotional scenes, the last match was
Newport County in the Second Round, played on the old ground in front of
and unbeknown at the time the glory 625 fans. The season was seen out by
days at Josephs road were over. Inex- playing at other club’s grounds. Iron-
plicably the following season Guild- ically the Josephs Road stadium sat
ford struggled throughout the cam- untouched until 1978. Eschewing of-
paign and finishing bottom of the pile fers of land for a ground in Guildford,
they suffered their first relegation. the board of directors opted instead to
1971-1976 amalgamate with Dorking FC and play
Guildford City spent two seasons in at that clubs Meadowbank stadium.
the Southern League Division One, The move lasted two full seasons with
the second level. In the 1970-71 City Dorking & Guildford finishing bottom
regained their seat at the top table by of the Premier Division in the first year
winning the Division One champi- and 15th in Division One in the sec-
onship by four points from Merthyr ond. City fans had thought the move
Tydfil. Les Burns and the evergreen a sell-out and many refused to attend
Southern League Challenge Cup winners Tony Burge scored 42 league goals in Dorking. With poor form also, the
between them. Promotion had been attendances were disappointing. In
Dave Barrett who had signed after Na- them. The 1965-66 league season was gained but off of the pitch financial season three the rug was finally pulled
tional service in Aldershot, had estab- disappointing but in 1966-67 City re- problems were worsening. There was on the club after just 15 matches of the
lished himself a first-class striker and covered to finish sixth in an incredibly still time for two big FA Cup matches, 1976-77 season.
scored 22 league goals. The following tight league where they were only four both away from home. In 1971-72, in THE WILDERNESS YEARS
season City were again in a champi- points off of the top side. A second a cup run that started in the first qual- A public meeting in the town had raised
onship race although they eventually Southern League Cup win was howev- ifying round, City reached the first a considerable sum of money that
finished fourth. However, Nuneaton er achieved by defeating Barnet over round proper where they faced fellow could be used in the right circumstanc-
Borough were beaten over two-legs two legs. Southern League side Dover. City won es to assist in resurrecting the City. Af-
to clinch the Southern League Cup for A memorable FA Cup run in a replay and were drawn away to ter the failure at Dorking, an attempt

the first time. In 1963-64 City finished In 1967-68 Guildford embarked upon Shrewsbury Town in the second round. to resurrect the club via a Guildford &
fourth, with Dave Barrett contributing a memorable FA Cup run. In the First A train was chartered to take the trav- Worplesdon side was thwarted by in-
24 league goals. In 1964-65 the club Round City were drawn away to Brent- elling City fans, but despite a memo- adequate playing facilities at both the
were again perilously close to lifting ford and were leading 2-1 when the tie rable goal from Terry Dyson City lost University and Worplesdon’s Recre-
the Southern League title. City finished was abandoned due to a snowstorm. 2-1. The following season City visited ation Ground. Council promises of a
as runners-up to Weymouth by two The teams reassembled days later and Watford in the First-Round proper. In a replacement ground at Slyfield came to
points but were undone during Decem- again Guildford stepped up achieving a cracking cup-tie Watford advanced to nothing. During the 1980’s there were
ber when they failed to win one of their 2-2 draw. The replay at Joseph’s Road the next round 4-2. several attempts to re-kindle interest in
five matches. In a memorable strike on a Monday in December saw a clas- The rug was finally pulled a re-birth of the club. The Guildford
partnership Dave Barrett and John Ste- sic FA Cup tie under the lights. 7,289 Off of the pitch the Josephs Road City Appeals Committee still existe-
vens scored 43 league goals between fans crammed into Josephs Road to ground had been sold in 1969. and dand in 1996 Continued...