The Isthmian League (Part 1) 1964-1971

At the end of the 1963/64 season the Isthmian League champions, Wimbledon, took the decision to turn professional and joined the Southern League.  That left a vacancy in southern England’s top amateur competition. 7 clubs applied but only 3, Barnet, Finchley and Wealdstone were put forward on which member clubs could vote. Wealdstone gained the most votes and thus began an initial (7 years) stay in the Isthmian League for the club.

The team fielded for the first match in the new league, a home 2-1 victory over Tooting & Mitcham United, differed in only 1 position from the line up for the final league game of the Athenian League, with Clive Jones at centre forward instead of Matt Farrell.

The club spent 7 seasons in its first spell as members of the Isthmian League playing 266 matches, winning 118, drawing 57 and losing 91, in the process scoring 506 and conceding 410 goals.

During this period the club finally established itself as a major force in amateur football. Now competing in the top amateur league in the south of England, the club won the FA Amateur Cup in 1966 and reached the semi-final of the same competition 2 years later in 1968.

Wealdstone were now regularly fielding amateur international players – Charlie Townsend, Hughie Lindsay and John Ashworth for England and Alan Phillips for Wales, as well as non-internationals who were nevertheless highly regarded senior amateur players of the day.

Wealdstone were one of the first clubs to erect floodlights and by the time of its entry into the Isthmian League evening floodlit games had become standard practice.

Defender Eddie Dillsworth was a rarity in English 1960s football, a black player. Born in Sierra Leone, he was signed by Wealdstone in 1964 from Fulham and remained with the club for 3 years before enjoying a highly successful semi-professional career at, amongst others, Chelmsford City.

In 1965 the club reached the 1st Round Proper of the FA Cup for the first time since 1949, losing 3-1 to Millwall at the Old Den. One of Millwall’s scorers on the day was Micky Brown who later signed for Wealdstone in 1971 as part of the club’s first semi-professional squad.

By 1970 the club was finding it difficult to attract the cream of the amateur players which may have influenced it in applying in 1971 to join an expanded Southern League and in the process moving to semi-professional status.

• Charlie Townsend and Hugh Lindsay represented Wealdstone in both the Athenian and Isthmian Leagues. Between 1957 and 1954, Charlie played 248 games in the Athenian League and scored 33 goals. Hughie, in just over 2 seasons, played 97 games in the Athenian League and scored 57 goals.
• Micky Doyle and Bernie Bremer played for 1 season (1963/64) while the club remained in the Athenian League, Micky making 26 appearances and Bernie 19 appearances, scoring 5 goals.

Author Mick Fishman

[22062022]

Results and Match Reports (season by season) can be viewed by clicking on the link (s) below:-