Aldershot v Worcester City - Saturday 16th November 1957
Whilst rightly so, the most talked about FA Cup season amongst City fans is the 1958-59 one, it is often forgotten that more people watched City play in the FA Cup the previous season. It was a memorable cup campaign starting with a 4-1 drubbing of Hednesford Town at the Lane before around 4,500 spectators. The City's football supporters had reached fever pitch by the Fourth Qualifying Round and over 17,000 people watched the two ties against Bromsgrove Rovers that provided the City with this appetising First Round game at Aldershot on 16th November 1957. Aldershot were at that time lying 18th (out of 24 teams) in the Third Division (South) at a time when the Football League consisted of First, Second and two regional Third Divisions. The first game between the sides was a game of few chances and the 0-0 was perhaps the inevitable result in front of 8,520 (per the official history of Worcester City Football Club) spectators. The replay was at Worcester on a Thursday afternoon, despite the City having adequate floodlights available to have staged a night match. Amazingly 10,887 turned up to witness another drawn game. Sammy Bryceland put Worcester in front early on but Aldershot hit back with a goal in each half. Then as time ran out Harry Knowles hit the City equaliser with only 12 seconds remaining on the clock. Extra time failed to break the deadlock and this set up a second replay at St Andrew's, the home of Birmingham City. The crowd of 22,926 who saw this match is probably the biggest ever for a City game. Another amazing game saw City twice come back for a goal behind to again force the game into extra time. This time Aldershot got the winner and went on to beat Coventry City in the Second Round.
The key to the success of Worcester's stunning team of the late 1950's was the signature of Roy Paul. He was a Welsh International who was born in Ton Pentre in 1920. Roy was the captain of Manchester City where he also won an FA Cup winners medal.
(Abridged from the Official history of Worcester City Football Club plus recollections from my late father.)