CUP-TIE PRODUCES USUAL UPSETS

Press, Volume CIV, Issue 30934, 15 December 1965, Page 19

CUP-TIE PRODUCES USUAL UPSETS

(By

BRIAN SCOVELL

BECAUSE each team having to plough through 42 matches, the English League soccer programme is the longest, if not the most tedious, of any football competition in the world. That is why everyone looks forward to little tit-bits like the FA. Cup to lighten the load. Last week (December 4) it was the second round of the cup, the round the little clubs have to win through if they are to go into the draw against the first division giants. Every year throws up two or three nonLeague clubs who confound form. The latest in this long line of pocket-sized heroes is Hertford, the southern league dub who beat Millwall, runaway leaders of the third division, 1-0. The non-league dubs are made up of old league players who still want to make money out of a name that is no longer supported by a good pair of legs. Players like Arsenal’s 1952 cup final star, R. Daniel, now 37, but still kicking away at centrehalf in the Hertford side.

These Cup rounds are full of stories of former players having a few minutes of glory to put them back in the public eye and the hero of this particular tie was 25-year-old centre-forward, R. Fogg. Quite ironic because he is a Cockney and is waiting to start a job in London’s docks.

Millwall are the Cockney side of London and most of their supporters work in the docks!

Fogg scored the goal that ruined millions of football coupons and now he wants a home draw against Spurs or Arsenal, the nearest dubs to his front door. In the League it is Liverpool still galloping strongly out in front in the first division, ft beat Chelsea 1-0 (a common score, it seems) in a match that both managers, Scotsmen T. Docherty and B. Shankly, described as “ruthless.”

The 8.8. C. showed this match in their “match of the day” series and it was difficult to see why the managers should use the word ruthless when everything appeared to be so mild-man-nered. But reporters who went to the game say that the tackling was often vicious and two players had their names taken. None of this appeared in the film on the 8.8. C. Could it be that the 8.8. C. are editing these matches to present the best light? That is my impression. Last week English clubs sides won in Europe again, emphasising that at club level our teams are among the best in the world. Man-

Chester United beat the East Germans, Vorwaerts in the European Cup, West Ham beat the Greek Cup holders, Olympiakos on aggregate, Liverpool took a 3-1 lead over Standard Liege and Chelsea and Leeds beat Weiner Austria and Leipzig respectively in the InterCities Fairs Cup. The night before. Arsenal recaptured some of their former glory by beating Moscow Dynamo. Dynamo are still remembered nostalgically as the team that came to Britain in 1945 and beat Cardiff 10-0, Arsenal 4-3 and drew with Rangers 2-2 A good fortnight all round for English clubs ... except for Millwall!