Page 29 - Bath City v Dulwich Hamlet - Tuesday 24 November 2020 - VNLS

REMEMBERING 1983/84

Bath City had finished in a respectable 10th netted a hat trick at St Georges Lane in a 4-2
place in the 1982/83 Alliance Premier win at Worcester City, it was City`s sixth win in
League table and went into their fifth season seven matches. Manager Bobby Jones scooped
at that level in good spirits. Manager Bobby the manager of the month award for January.
Jones had been given a full time contract Bangor City ended Trophy hopes with a last
from June and pre-season signings included minute goal before more misery struck when
former Cheltenham Town and Gloucester City Dave Singleton broke his leg against Gateshead
striker Jimmy Gough as well as Steve Grapes, putting him out of action for 12 months. Gerry
a winger from Torquay United. In reverse Pearson signed from Weymouth along with
stalwart, Jimmy Jenkins was released along Micky Adams from Bristol Rovers as Jones
with Wayne Hughes and Gerry Byrne as Jones shaped tinkered with his squad. Home form was good and
his squad. Scarborough were thrashed 4-1 in March, thanks to
Pre-season saw an attractive array of friendlies against a Garry Smith treble and this began a seven match
Football League opposition with a notable victory over unbeaten run that pushed City into the top six. Just
old friends Bristol Rovers, where Keith Brown was on two points from the final three games couldn’t detract
target in a 1-0 win and a 2-2 draw with Birmingham from a positive season although it ended in sadness as
City where Dave Singleton netted twice. Graham Day became the second City player to break
Brown was also on target on the opening day this his leg as Dagenham won 1-0 at Twerton on the final
time in a losing cause as City were beaten 3-1 at day.
Dagenham. They bounced back three days later with Dave Mogg was awarded the player-of-the-year award
a 3-0 home win over newly promoted Kidderminster, and a third Somerset Premier Cup was won in four
where new winger Steve Grapes bagged a brace. years, thanks to a two-legged success over Clevedon
Defender Jeff Sherwood returned following a spell at Town. City`s final 6th place finish was their highest
Bristol Rovers and he would be needed to shore up since joining the Alliance as was their number of wins
a backline that conceded six goals in successive 3-2 (17) and goals scored (60).
away defeats at Telford and Northwich.
It had been a poor start for City, who went nine ADAM MATRAVERS
games without a win following the win over
Kidderminster, before two Dave Singleton Alliance Premier League Final League Table 1983/84
goals gave them a 2-1 win at Frickley. By this
time Southern League side Merthyr Tydfil had Pos Name Pld W D L GF GA Pts
knocked City out of the FA Cup with a 1-0 1 Maidstone United 42 23 13 6 71 34 70
win at Twerton and there were calls for Jones
to go as City floundered near the bottom of 2 Nuneaton Borough 42 24 11 7 70 40 69
the table. 3 Altrincham 42 23 9 10 64 39 65
Two draws and a defeat followed as autumn 4 Wealdstone 42 21 14 7 75 36 62
proved a challenging time and Jones reacted
by letting Shaun Penny join Dorchester 5 Runcorn 42 20 13 9 61 45 62
Town as he signed 21-year-old winger Dave 6 Bath City 42 17 12 13 60 48 53
Payne from local side Robinsons. It would 7 Northwich Victoria 42 16 14 12 54 47 51
be City`s local rivals that would give the
season a boost as they saw off Weymouth 8 Worcester City 42 15 13 14 64 55 49
in November, thanks to Garry Smith`s goal, 9 Barnet 42 16 10 16 55 58 49
and backed it up a week later by winning
2-0 at Huish Park where Ricky Chandler and 10 Kidderminster Harriers 42 14 14 14 54 61 49
Peter Aitken found the net. They couldn’t 11 Telford United 42 17 11 14 50 58 49
replicate the derby success in the Bob Lord
Trophy as Yeovil gained revenge with an 12 Frickley Athletic 42 17 10 15 68 56 48
aggregate victory but Christmas brought 13 Scarborough 42 14 16 12 52 55 48
goals and wins as the City fans were given 14 Enfield 42 14 9 19 61 58 43
something to cheer.
Dave Payne netted his first City goals in a 5-1 15 Weymouth 42 13 8 21 54 65 42
hammering of struggling Bangor City a week 16 Gateshead 42 12 13 17 59 73 42
before Christmas while Trowbridge Town 17 Boston United 42 13 12 17 66 80 41
were beaten at Frome Road on Boxing Day.
The return game with the Wiltshire side was 18 Dagenham 42 14 8 20 57 69 40
won a week later and Weymouth were also 19 Kettering Town 42 12 9 21 53 67 37
downed as City completed league doubles
over their rivals. Isthmian Leaguers Croydon 20 Yeovil Town 42 12 8 22 55 77 35
were seen off 6-0 following a dour 0-0 draw 21 Bangor City 42 10 6 26 54 82 29
in the first game and, when Dave Singleton 22 Trowbridge Town 42 5 7 30 33 87 19

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