GORDON Brown continues his look back at l954.

In days when wingers were wingers, Harry Bennett was out on his own.

He became a star with Stockton Heath in the Mid-Cheshire League, but before that he was sending over crosses for Golborne United in the Warrington League of a standard that would have today's Premiership amazed.

He had been playing regularly with one of Everton's junior teams, but for United's trip to Moss Lane, Risley, to play Daten, who were fighting against relegation, he returned to the Golborne side at outside-right and Stoke City trialist half back Maloney was also named.

The score finished 3-2 in United's favour, the visitors netting three goals without reply in the first half.

But after the break it was all Daten, who pulled two back.

Both teams played good football in the first 45 minutes, Golborne taking the lead when a good cross shot to Ratcliffe was deflected into goal by by an opposing full back.

United added a second when Tipping broke through and fired wide of the goalkeeper, and the team added to their lead soon afterwards when a Daten full back slipped, leaving Ratcliffe with a clear run.

After the interval, Daten were the more impressive side, but could not finish.

They reduced the arrears from a penalty, conceded by Lomas, who brought the ball down with his foot only for it to rebound onto his hand.

In the closing minutes, the Atom men added a second when the ball was deflected by a Golborne defender to put the visiting centre forward on-side.

Golborne were now gearing up for their next match at home to the all-powerful ICI (Alkali) Reserves from Northwich, who sometimes included a sprinkling of first teamers from the Mid-Cheshire League.

Bennett was in a provisional team pending a call-up by neighbouring Crompton's Recs, who had just transferred from the Liverpool County Combination to the Lancashire Combination, and for whom former Golborne player Ashcroft was by now a regular.

Harbens, the Golborne silk mill, were an extremely sports-conscious firm, with soccer taking pride of place to such an extent that they had their own inter-departmental tournament as did many other local companies of the day. One such match I reported on was CS Engineers beating Staff 4-0.

Season l954/55 was the one when I pledged myself to try and watch every round of the FA Cup.

I succeeded with the preliminary and qualifying rounds and the two proper rounds.

My travels took me to Earlestown, Prescot Cables, an Altrincham v Stalybridge Celtic replay, Flint Town United and Wigan Athletic.

The Prescot team were outstanding, but it was the Wigan team, entering at the fourth qualifying round, that stole the limelight.

In that round, they beat a plucky Burscough Rangers, then in the Liverpool County Combination, 2-l at a packed Springfield Park. Goalkeepers Hurst (Burscough) and Sharrock (Wigan) together with Wigan outfield players Heggie, Mycock, Banks and Campbell were outstanding.

So Wigan were through to the first round proper, where I saw them beat Scarborough 3-0 in another home tie.

In the second round, Hastings United were overcome 3-l, the visitors scoring from a penalty and I well remember their goalkeeper throwing a piece of mud over his shoulder for good luck as his teammate stepped up to take the kick.

Then came the third round and a fourth successive home draw.

I could not get a ticket - it was all ticket - for love nor money.

For Latics had been drawn against the mighty Newcastle United with Jackie Milburn, Bobby Mitchell, Bob Stokoe, who lived in the Warrington area for a few years, skipper Jimmy Scoular and other household names.

Wigan had known nothing like it post-war. There was so much interest even all the Press could not be accommodated in the normal Press box, and makeshift "boxes" like ship's hammocks, had to be provided.

Somethinbg like 30,000 spectators were allowed to witness the match and Wigan held Newcastle to a 3-3 draw.

The replay was at St James' Park. Newcastle won 3-2 and went on in l955 to lift the cup for the third time in five years.

But both Newcastle and Wigan knew they had been in a tie.

In my freelancing with the Warrington Examiner I used to "pick up" reports of Hayfield Boys' Club, one of a series of Woolston teams carrying the name of Hayfield, named after the road near the pitch, which was the original home of Hayfield Rovers and then Hayfield Athletic.

Hayfield Boys' Club, however, had difficulty in obtaining use of the traditional pitch and one of my snippets ran: "Hayfield Boys' Club, Warrington Sunday Schools League members, are still playing on Morley Common, Walton.

"This Woolston side are unable to get a ground nearer home, but are hoping to do so before the end of this season."

Golborne United lost their final Warrington league match of the season when beaten 3-2 by Stockton Heath at Legh Street and with the curtain down on another league season, United started preparing for the closed season during which they intended to add l2 yards to their pitch.

But although Golborne's league season had finished, competition had not finished by any means.

United entered the popular Earlestown AFC Medals Competition, but were beaten in the first round, 3-l at Neil's Foundry.

Golborne showed signs of good, constructive football in the first half, although the ball was difficult to control on a bumpy Vista Park pitch. Tipping grazed the cross-bar with a grand shot and followeing further attacks on the Foundary goal, Golborne took the lead when Tipping crossed the ball to Dobson in a good central position to score.

With an interval lead of l-0, United seemed to ease off and within a few minutes, Neil's equalised when the right wing beat Topping and crossed the ball to the centre-forward.

Jack Boardman, later to star for Heath in the Mid-Cheshire League, was there for Golborne, but he was unable to get his head to the ball for a clearance and knocked it down with his hands. From the resultant penalty, the worst happened for United.

Foundry increased their lead when the right wing broke through the defence for an easy goal.

The same player later intercepted a short pass from Tipping to Mills and after working his way through cleverly pulled the ball back to his inside forward, who scored with a first time shot.

Cup matches were things that attracted interest as league seasons either shot or tailed off and Croft did well for that side of Warrington by winning the Starkie Cup, beating Irlam and Cadishead 3-2 in the final before 90 of their fans and around as many from Irlam at the British Aluminium Ground.

Ray Warburton put Croft ahead from a Tommy Taylor cross and Warburton got another to give Croft a 2-0 interval lead.

Irlam struck back through McCullom. Cyril Ingham scored a clever goal for Croft, but Irlam revisited to reduce the arrears. Croft's defence held out, Mason at centre forward giving a polished display.

More about l954 next time.