Swindon 1965

We're looking to include an article on the FA Cup match at Swindon Town in the next issue of Dial M For Merthyr and in particular memories of the special train that was hired from Merthyr for the game. If you were at the game please get in touch. Thanks.

I was at the game - I went with my old man on the train.  Can't remember too much about it though other than Jenko's goal which was incorrectly disallowed.

Was that the game where Ken Tucker rugby tackled Don Rogers? If it was I was there.

Keith East scored four for Swindon in that Cup tie.

Just four years later Don Rogers scored two extra-time goals in the League Cup Final for Swindon when they beat Arsenal 3-1.

I was there & Ken Tucker the former Merthyr Secretary played at Full Back and had the unenviable task of marking Don Rogers. If I remember correctly the score was 5-1 but we had a legitimate goal scored by Jenkins at the Clock End disallowed just before half time when the score was 1-0 to Swindon. I'm sure I still have the Match programme, think the date was November 1965.

The name cannonball Fleming sticks in my mind somewhere around this time anyone have any recollections of him

He played for Bath City between 1958 and 1965, he had no connection with Swindon.

Wandering wrote:He played for Bath City between 1958 and 1965, he had no connection with Swindon.

He played and scored against us when we lost 4-1 at Twerton Park in the 4th qualifying round in Oct 1964. I was at that game also, Merthyr supporters travelled by Train hired by the Club for the day direct from Merthyr to Bath for the game.

If anyone's got a copy, there's a page about this game in the book 'Magic Moments of Merthyr Tydfil AFC' by David Watkins, published in about 1984.

The only date given is November 1965. The attendance was 15,962 including 2,000 from Merthyr.

It mentions:

Swindon led at half time through a fourth-minute goal from 19-year-old Keith East - who went on to net a further three. He had been on his way to play for Swindon's A team when an SOS message brought him back to play for the first team when the regular centre forward failed a fitness test.

Merthyr thought they had equalised after half an hour when Brian Jenkins ran onto a pass from Reg Davies and beat keeper Downsborough with a tremendous angled drive, but it was disallowed for offside.

Mel Nurse was in the Swindon side.

Jenkins equalised for Merthyr minutes after the start of the second half, but East scored again for Swindon in their next attack.

Goalkeeper Vearncombe stood between the home forwards and a netful of goals.

Merthyr player-manager was Harry Griffiths.

The report puts Merthyr's defeat down to lack of stamina compared to a team of full-time professionals, but that they matched them for skill.