LeamingtonFC.co.uk - Long Eaton United

Ahead of our first visit to Grange Park since April 1971, we look back over our previous meetings with Long Eaton United....

Long Eaton United were regular opponents for Brakes back in our Midland Counties League days - 1963 to 1971 to be precise. Below is a resumé of our sixteen games from that time. We have listed line ups for both teams where we were able to find them.

31/08/63 Long Eaton United 1 Lockheed Leamington 1

Our first ever meeting came at Grange Park, three games into the 1963/64 season, our first in the MCL. It finished all square; Watson scoring on 79 minutes, only for Syd Hall to equalise immediately.

Long Eaton United: Taylor: Cooper. Martin: Hutchby, Neilson, Gee, Jordan, Poplar, Watson, Hanson, Blount.

Lockheed Leamington: Woodward, Lane, Coleman, R Bradley, Hancock, B Bradley, Hall, Shorthose, Jepson, Straw, Ward.

Long Eaton Advertiser - 06/09/63

Coventry Evening Telegraph - 02/09/63

18/01/64 Lockheed Leamington 4 Long Eaton United 1

In the return fixture on January 18th 1964, Long Eaton were leading the table, but were described in the Leamington Spa Courier as ‘disappointing’, as they went two goals down before half time as Roy Bradley and Syd Hall scored for Lockheed. The visiting Blues pulled one back through Poplar from the penalty spot, but Barry Shorthose and Cyril Parry added further Leamington goals in the final ten minutes to leave them well beaten.

Brakes would finish the season in third place, Long Eaton ten points behind in eighth.

Lockheed Leamington: Woodward: Coleman, Lane, R. Bradley, Hancocks, Davis, Ward, Parry, Jepson, Shorthose,

Long Eaton United: Taylor, Cooper, Martin, Hutchby, Nielson, Gee, Cresswell, Poplar, Watson, Jordan, Blount.

Coventry Evening Telegraph - 20/01/64

Football Post (Nottingham) - 18/01/64

09/01/65 Lockheed Leamington 3 Long Eaton United 1

In 1964/65 Brakes would win the title in just their second season in the league. The first meeting with the Stripes, as they were called in The Long Eaton Advertiser (A forgotten nickname perhaps?), came in January in Leamington, and had to be played on the Lower Sports Ground pitch on the Lockheed factory grounds as The Windmill Ground pitch was waterlogged. Ray Holmes and Barry Shorthose scored in the opening half an hour before Birkbeck pulled one back four minutes later. Syd Hall scored a third for Leamington in the second half.

Lockheed Leamington: Crosby, Coleman, Hancocks, Davis, Connolley, Knox, Ward, Shorthose, Holmes, Marriott, Hall.

Long Eaton United: Taylor, Cooper, Martin, Gee, Hafiord, Valiance, Brown, Watson, Birkbeck, Nightingale, Blount.

Long Eaton Advertiser - 15/01/65

27/02/65 Long Eaton United 2 Lockheed Leamington 3

The return came six games later at the end of February, the match reporter in the Long Eaton Advertiser believing that an early missed chance by Clive Burton for the home side ‘turned the match in favour of Lockheed, who played football worthy of their placing in the league.’ Jimmy Knox scored from a free kick two minutes later. Syd Hall then converted a 25th minute penalty, and Ray Holmes added a third ten minutes before half time. Two in two minutes for Burton midway through the second half made the scoreline more respectable.

Long Eaton United: Taylor, Cooper, Martin, Hutchby, Neilson, Valiance, Jordan, Birkbeck, Burton, Brown, Blount.

Lockheed Leamington: Crosby, Hancocks, Lane, Davis, Connolley, Knox, Ward, Parry, Holmes, Marriott, Hall.

Long Eaton Advertiser - 05/03/65

Coventry Evening Telegraph - 01/03/65

With Brakes finishing as Champions, Long Eaton finished in eighth position for a second consecutive season.

28/02/66 Lockheed Leamington 7 Long Eaton United 1

1965/66 saw the biggest win for either side to date in the first meeting; Brakes winning 7-1 on a Monday evening at The Windmill Ground. Six first half goals from Ray Holmes (3), Barry Shorthose (2) and Jimmy Knox and Syd Hall. The visitors did not give up however, and the second half was a different story, but they were unable to reduce the deficit, as Alan Brown’s 35th minute consolation was cancelled out by the league’s top scorer Holmes.

Lockheed Leamington: Crosby, Lockton, Hancocks, Davis, Haines, Jones, Ward, Knox, Holmes, Shorthose, Hall.

Long Eaton United: Rhodes, Gee, Martin, Hutchby, Raiford, Valiance, Brown, Upton, Burton, Nightingale, Blount.

Coventry Evening Telegraph - 01/03/66

Long Eaton Advertiser - 04/03/66

29/03/66 Long Eaton United 3 Lockheed Leamington 2

Long Eaton gained a modicum of revenge for that humbling in the return fixture as they recorded a first ever victory over Leamington, winning 3-2 against the league leaders despite having been beaten 10-2 by Ilkeston Town in their previous game. Ernie Ward had opened the scoring after 20 minutes but the hosts levelled seven minutes into the second half from the penalty spot through Tony Hutchby. They quickly moved in front when Burton headed past Crosby from Brown’s cross. Holmes equalised for Lockheed but Brown scored the winner when Jordan’s cross was headed on by Nightingale for him to head past Crosby.

Long Eaton United: Taylor; Gee, Cooper, Hutchby, Halford, Upton, Smith, Jordan, Burton, Nightingale, Brown.

Lockheed Leamington: Crosby, Lockton, Hancocks, Knox, Haines, Jones, Ward, Parry, Holmes, Wilson, Hall.

Brakes lost their momentum after this, and slipped to a final position of fifth, while Long Eaton finished in 19th place.

Long Eaton Advertiser - 01/04/66

The 1966/67 season saw the first meeting between the two sides take place at Grange Park, where they shared six goals. Ray Holmes scored in the opening minute but Dennis Alexander levelled things up within three. Holmes scored again before half time, Geoff Skellington drawing Long Eaton level on 65 minutes before Bill Salmon put Brakes back in front, only for Alan Nightingale to put the home side on terms once more in the last five minutes.

Lockheed Leamington: Crosby, Richards, Brewerton, Cox, Haines, Shorthose, Ward, Salmon, Holmes, Morrow, Hall.

12/09/66 Long Eaton United 3 Lockheed Leamington 3

21/10/66 Lockheed Leamington 2 Long Eaton United 1

The return fixture in Warwickshire took place on a Friday evening, with Brakes edging it 2-1. Both local newspapers declared that a draw would have been a fair result. Long Eaton had the better of the first half, and went ahead when Charlie Govan scored on the turn.

Ray Holmes equalised early in the second half, and Syd Hall struck the winner inside the final 15 minutes.

Lockheed Leamington: Crosby, Richards, Jones, Cox, Haines, Shorthose, Ward, Salmon, Holmes, Morrow, Hall.

Coventry Evening Telegraph - 22/10/66

Leamington would again finish in fifth place in the final standings, while Long Eaton improved on the previous season, finishing thirteenth.

02/03/68 Lockheed Leamington 0 Long Eaton United 0

The 1967/68 season saw both fixtures between the Brakes and the Stripes take place towards the back end of the campaign, the first coming at the beginning of March at The Windmill Ground as the two fought out a goalless draw.

Lockheed Leamington: Partridge, Tedds, Lawton, Knox, Moore, Wileman, Salmon, Holmes, Corlett, Vest, Hall. Sub: Kelsey.

Long Eaton United: Taylor, Froggatt, King, Halford, Rhodes, Alexander, Benskin, Shrewsbury, Watson, Riley, Skellington.

Long Eaton Advertiser - 08/03/68

19/03/68 Long Eaton United 2 Lockheed Leamington 0

The reverse fixture also took place in March, Long Eaton winning 2-0 thanks to goals from defender Peter Halford. •We do not currently have either team line up for this game.

Coventry Evening Telegraph - 20/03/68

07/12/68 Lockheed Leamington 1 Long Eaton United 2

In 1968/69 Long Eaton United recorded their first victory against Brakes away from home as Stuart Greasley and Alan Mulcahy scored in the first half, Alan Vest replying just before the hour mark. The Long Eaton Advertiser correspondent, ‘Granger’, was not impressed with Lockheed at all, calling them ‘shambling, negative, lacking in spirit’, and ‘the worst side I have seen this season!’

Lockheed Leamington: Steane, Pyle, Lawton, Ramshaw, Roberts, J Anthony, Salmon, Gretton, Holmes, Vest, Skellington. Sub: Hall.

Long Eaton United: Jones, Froggatt, Collinson, Halford, Rhodes, Alexander, O’Byrne, King, Mulcahy, Greasley, Melbourne. Sub: McCristal.

Long Eaton Advertiser - 13/12/68

Coventry Evening Telegraph - 09/12/68

14/04/69 Long Eaton United 0 Lockheed Leamington 3

His thoughts were absent towards the end of April, with the Stripes having tailed off from their apparent aim of finishing in the top four of the league. Lockheed visited Grange Park on a Monday evening and came away with a three goal victory. Mulcahy was sent off along with Leamington’s John Anthony.

Nevertheless, Long Eaton would end the campaign in eighth position, with Lockheed six points further back in tenth, which would be their lowest placing while in the Midland League.

Lockheed Leamington: Steane, Tedds, Lawton, Pyle, Roberts, J Anthony, Skellington, Vest, Holmes, Salmon, Gommersall. Sub: Gretton.

Long Eaton Advertiser - 18/04/69

09/09/69 Lockheed Leamington 3 Long Eaton United 0

Lockheed Leamington: Steane, Cassidy, Lawton, Shrimpton, Roberts, Attwood, Scott, Fawell, Whitehead, Phillips, Brady. Sub: K Sanders.

28/04/70 Long Eaton United 2 Lockheed Leamington 2

We do not currently have either team line up for this game.

1969/70 saw Brakes back in the ascendancy in the fixture, with a 3-0 win at The Windmill Ground in early September thanks to goals from John Brady (2) and Ken Whitehead. The return came at the end of April, and finished in a 2-2 draw in what was Long Eaton’s final game of the season. They were left to wait nervously to find out Loughborough United and Barton Town got on in their final games to see whether they would finish the season in the bottom two, which would mean having to seek re-election to the league. As it turned out, they would finish third bottom as Barton lost their final two games, with Leamington going one better than the previous season and ending in ninth. The game at Grange Park saw Mulcahy and a Jefferies penalty put Long Eaton within 5 minutes of a win, with Syd Hall’s strike sandwiched in between, but a mistake by goalkeeper Maurice Ball led to Keith Shrimpton netting a late leveller for Lockheed.

1970/71 would be the last time the two clubs would cross swords until this season - a gap of 52 years. Brakes won their home fixture 3-1 in December, with John Brady scoring twice again and a young Dennis Taylor adding the third. Bob Tait scored the Long Eaton goal.

12/12/70 Lockheed Leamington 3 Long Eaton United 1

Lockheed Leamington: P Brady, Bowden, Lawton, Taylor, Vale, Shrimpton, Matthews, Sweenie, Fawell, Hall, J Brady. Sub: Whitehead.

Long Eaton Advertiser - 14/12/70

Coventry Evening Telegraph - 14/12/70

28/04/71 Long Eaton United 1 Lockheed Leamington 2
*We do not currently have either team line up for this game.

Our final meeting in the Midland Counties League came on the last day of the season at Grange Park, and with Leamington set to join the Southern League it would be their final game in this particular league. They won 2-1 with goals from Kevin Vale and Derek Fawell, while Long Eaton’s goal was an own goal scored by the unfortunate Mel Davis.