UNDER their previous name of Hereford United the last time the ‘Bulls’ came to Loughborough for a competitive game was way back in 1953 when they played in the FA Cup against the town’s well known works team Brush Sports in the Fourth Qualifying round of the FA Cup.

The game attracted over 3,000 to the old, much loved and much missed Browns Lane ground and the game ended in a creditable 2-2 draw for the works team. However, the replay ended in a 3-0 win for the then semi professional Hereford side. The Browns Lane ground was closed in the early 1970’s and was located where the Loughborough Leisure Centre now stands.

Cup games in Loughborough often attracted good sized crowds and this was never more obvious than in the 1960/61 season when the forerunner of the University side, Loughborough Colleges attracted nationwide interest for their exploits in the old FA Amateur Cup, which in status was similar to the Non-League Trophy of today although it was eventually replaced by the FA Vase.

The Amateur Cup finals were played at Wembley Stadium and during the Post War years attracted crowds of between 80,000 and 100,000 to then Empire Stadium.

Two of the most famous Amateur sides in England were possibly the northern side Bishop Auckland and the southern based Corinthian Casuals. They would both get a mention in Loughborough football folklore.

In the Fourth Qualifying round Loughborough Colleges were drawn to play at home against Birmingham side Moor Green and the game would go down in Amateur Cup history as it saw a bizarre 10-5 scoreline. The Colleges seemed well in control at halftime leading 5-1 but an early rush of goals saw the visitors draw level at five all before the Students regained the upper hand and ran out 10-5 winners. The Colleges maintained their goalscoring prowess in the First proper beating Salts FC 6-1 but that was only to be an appetiser of what was to follow.

When it was announced in the local papers that the Colleges had been drawn at home in the Second round against the famed Cup fighters Bishop Auckland there were signs of Cup fever amongst the town’s football folk.

The Colleges would have been huge outsiders and the game attracted a large crowd to the ground that used to be next to the Athletics stadium [where the players would change] and known to many locals as ‘The Spinney.

Incredibly the result was a 3-1 win to the Students and something of a legend was born. Such was the magnitude of the result it was given mention on the late night BBC Sports Parade programme (a forerunner to ‘Match of the Day) by the legendary commentator Kenneth Wolstenholme.

The town came alive when the draw gave the Colleges another home tie, this time against the famed Corinthian Casuals – famed because they were seen as a bastion of true amateur spirit. The Colleges triumphed again, this time by a 2-1 margin and yes, Kenneth Wolstenholme mentioned it.

The town had known nothing like it for years and the Colleges side became known to many local fans. Two of whom would go on to achieve greater things, Bob Wilson, the goalkeeper, eventually joined Arsenal and won many honours at club level and was also capped by Scotland before launching a long TV career. Dario Gradi would play at professional level but was better known for his long, long career as manager of Crewe Alexander.

The Quarter Finals were eagerly awaited by Students and town folk. Once more Lady Luck favoured the Students pairing them with Hitchin Town from just south of Luton.

It was a game too far as the Students went down 5-1 but their cause wasn’t helped by an injury to Wilson, resulting in him being carried off with a rib injury (no substitutes back then). Regardless, the Students had made their niche in the towns football history books and in the subsequent years they enhanced their Amateur Cup reputation by beating other famed sides such as Crook Town, Bishop Auckland’s biggest Amateur rival. Amongst the towns senior football followers they’re still fondly remembered.

Those Amateur Cup games were watched by over 15,000 spectators in total and Loughborough has never seen anything like it since.