SATURDAY 30TH OCTOBER, 1976 Attendance 29,199
LEAGUE DIVISION ONE AT ELLAND ROAD, LEEDS
LEEDS UNITED 2 (Cherry, Jordan) ARSENAL 1 (Matthews)
Harvey; Reaney, Hampton; Madeley, McQueen, Gray (F);
Cherry, Lorimer, Jordan, Currie, Gray (E); sub McNiven;
Rimmer; Rice, Nelson; Ross, Simpson, Howard;
Matthews, Brady, Macdonald, Stapleton, Armstrong; sub Storey.
Referee:- R. Matthewson, Bolton
WEDNESDAY 10TH NOVEMBER, 1976 Attendance 29,199
LEAGUE DIVISION ONE AT ELLAND ROAD, LEEDS
LEEDS UNITED 1 (Lorimer pen.) STOKE CITY 1 (Dodd)
Harvey; Reaney, Hampton; Cherry, McQueen, Gray (F);
Lorimer, Hankin, Jordan, Currie, Gray (E); sub McGhie.
Shilton; Bloor, Pejic; Waddington, Smith, Mahoney;
Sheldon, Dodd, Greenhoff (J), Tudor, Conroy; sub Salmons.
SATURDAY 27TH NOVEMBER, 1976
NORTHERN PREMIER LEAGUE AT THE ATHLETIC GROUND, SCARBOROUGH
SCARBOROUGH 2 (Jackson, H.A. Dunn) LANCASTER CITY 2 (Brindle, Grundy)
Huby; Jackson, Hewitt; Dunn (H), Ayre, Deere;
Dunn (H.A.), Dennis, Woodall, Abbey, Barmby; sub Fountain.
Murdoch; Richmond, Williams; Benfold, Cox, Spavin;
Brindle, Innes, Hope, Brownwood, Grundy: sub Gallagher
Referee:- M.R. Gray, Rotherham.
Scarborough were third in the league table, just three points behind leaders Matlock Town. Visitors Lancaster are just one place behind in what has been a surprising good season for them, having won eight consecutive victories. This run coincided with the signing of former Preston North End player Alan Span after a spell with Washington Diplomats in the USA.
The match programme mentions that Scarborough's F.A. Cup aspirations ended last Monday night when they were beaten in a replay by Darlington 4-1.
SATURDAY 11TH DECEMBER, 1976 Attendance 31,232
LEAGUE DIVISION ONE AT ELLAND ROAD, LEEDS
LEEDS UNITED 1 (McNiven) ASTON VILLA 3 (Gray 2, Cropley)
Harvey; Reaney, Hampton; Cherry, McQueen, Gray (F);
Lorimer, McNiven, Jordan, Stevenson, Gray (E); sub Liddell.
Findlay; Gidman, Robson; Mortimore, Young, Phillips;
Cropley, Deehan, Gray, Little, Carrodous;
MONDAY 27TH DECEMBER, 1976
LEAGUE DIVISION ONE AT ELLAND ROAD, LEEDS
LEEDS UNITED 0 MANCHESTER CITY 2 (Kidd 2)
Harvey; Reaney, Hampton; Cherry, McQueen, Madeley;
Lorimer, Clarke, Jordan, Gray (F), Gray (E); sub McNiven.
Corrigan; Clements, Donachie; Doyle, Watson, Power;
Owen, Kidd, Royle, Hartford, Tuert;
Nineteen seventy-seven was a memorable year for the whole nation. Anyone who was alive at the time can remember with fondness the wonderful celebrations and street parties that took place for the Queen's Silver Jubilee. The nation also came together on a sporting front to support Virginia Wade as she became what was to become the last British women's champion to date of Wimbledon. Bit in one Derbyshire town, 1977 was made a memorable year for a third, and more special, reason as the local football club Matlock Town made it all the way to the Third Round of the FA Cup for the first and only time in it's history.
The Gladiators were formed in 1878 and played simply as Matlock up until the First World War. The club entered the FA Cup in 1885-86 season, one of 22 teams to enter the competition for the first time in that season. In those pre-Football League days of the competition there were no Qualifying Rounds and for three successive season, the club appeared in and were knocked out in the First Round losing 7-0 to Stafford Road Works (Wolverhampton) in their inaugural FA cup match, followed by a 6-0 defeat to Wolverhampton Wanderers and 3-2 home defeat to Rotherham Town in the next two seasons.
Once the Football League began in 1888, clubs like Matlock had to participate in Qualifying Rounds as would eventually become the case for all Non-League sides over time. It wan't until the 1890-91 season that the club finally registered for their first FA Cup victory, a 1-0 home win over Derby St Luke's and it would be another 69 years before they appeared in the First Round once again. In that 1959-60 season the club was playing in the Central Alliance Division One North and lost 1-0 in a replay to Crook Town from the Northern league.
By the 1974 season though, Matlock Town were a regular Northern Premier League club. In those days the league was one step below the Football League, although promotion into the exclusive club was nigh on impossible in the days before automatic promotion and relegation, with the 92 members of the Football League acting as a closed shop. In that 1974-5 season The Gladiators made it to the First Round once again where they faced a League club for the first time ever in the shape of Division three side Blackburn Rovers, but went down 4-1 at home. They made the First Round once again the following season but succumbed to fellow Northern Premier League side Wigan Athletic by the same 4-1 scoreline. But thing were to be oh so different the next season, a season full of FA Cup firsts.
In the Fourth qualifying round of the 1976-77 FA Cup competition, Matlock Town was drawn away to Telford United, a Southern Premier League club, playing at a level purportedly on a par with the Northern Premier League, but who had entered the competition three rounds earlier scoring nine goals in their three victories. However Matlock had no trouble overcoming The Bucks running out 5-2 winners and making the First Round of FA Cup for the third successive season, a feat not
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