SWANAGE TOWN AND HERSTON FOOTBALL CLUB PHOTOS

Double click to editSWANAGE TOWN & HERSTON
                          IN THE FA CUP

                                                                 By Mark Chadderton

This article has been written using the records obtained on the Football Club History Database (http://www.fchd.info/), if anyone reading the article has any further information please get in touch with the author via the website.

IT WAS NOT until 1961 that Swanage first entered the most famous cup competition in the world!

This was as Swanage Town, competing for just two seasons whilst they were members of the Dorset Combination. These two seasons of entry into the FA Cup may have been the reason why they did not compete again until the 1980s as the Swans were knocked out at the first hurdle on both occasions.

The first FA Cup tie in Swanage�s history saw them drawn away at Bridport of the Western League in the first qualifying round losing by 3 goals to 1. However, the excitement the following season of drawing the then Southern League Premier Division Poole Town at home soon evaporated as the Dolphins came to Days Park and whipped the Swans by an astonishing 0-8 scoreline. Incidentally the next heaviest defeat was to come away to Poole Town by 5-0 in 1993.

Because of the merger with Herston Rovers in 1966, it was under a different name (and our present name) that the Swans next entered the competition for the 1987-88 season. The previous season had seen the Swans promoted to the Western League Premier Division as Division One Champions. Coming in at one stage earlier than the two nineteen-sixties-seasons before, the Swans travelled to Southampton to face Eastleigh in the preliminary round and came away with a one-all draw. The replay saw the Swans� first FA Cup victory by 3-1. The first qualifying round brought our first away win in the cup, again by 1-3, at Sholing Sports. The second qualifying round brought Fareham Town of the Southern League Premier Division to Days Park but they knocked us out 0-2.

1988-89 saw the Swans progress a little further after they drew at home with Exmouth Town and were knocked out in the second qualifying replay 3-0.
The following year, coming in again at the preliminary stage, a 0-2 victory at the Cuthbury, home of Wimborne Town, was followed by a first qualifying walloping of Melksham Town by 4-0. The Swans bowed out however in the next round, losing at home to Gosport Borough after doing the hard work away from home with a one-all draw, losing at Days Park 0-2.

Swans fans were obviously getting used to being knocked out at the second qualifying replay stage as 1990-91 saw it happen again for the third season on the trot! This time it was away at Weymouth 2-1.

The next year Waterlooville knocked the Swans out after a replay in the first qualifying and 1992-93 saw defeat at home to Cinderford Town after Swanage had thrashed Melksham again, this time 1-5 away in the preliminary round.

That victory in 1992 was the last time the Swans were to win in the FA Cup as the final three seasons of entry saw them fall at the �preliminary� hurdle on each occasion. Swanage thus lost 5-0 away to Poole Town in 1993, 2-1 away at Yate Town in 1994 and finally 1995-96 saw the Swans knocked out after two draws with Brockenhurst ended with a second replay at Brockenhurst being decided by the only goal of the game.

Overall then, not the most fantastic of records for the club, having won only 8 of their 26 FA Cup games played. Four home wins and four away wins have been recorded and the furthest we have progressed is to the second qualifying round on four occasions. These four seasons occurred consecutively with the final three seeing the club knocked out after a replay! The best season has to be the 1990-91 campaign where the club scored the most and were only narrowly knocked out by Weymouth.

The biggest wins have been by four goals, which has happened three times, 4-0 at home to Melksham Town and Devizes Town in 1989 and 1990 respectively and then that 1-5 away win at Melksham in 1992.

As for the club�s heaviest FA Cup defeats, both already mentioned in this article, Swans fans will be hoping that when the club next enters the FA Cup they do not draw Poole Town!

OVERALL RECORD IN THE FA CUP

Played 26 Won 8 Drawn 7 Lost 11 For 35 Against 43

HOME RECORD

Played 12 Won 4 Drawn 4 Lost 4 For 18 Against 20

AWAY RECORD

Played 14 Won 4 Drawn 3 Lost 7 For 17 Against 23

If anyone has any FA Cup memories they would like to write up and/or any FA Cup memorabilia involving Swanage that they wish to share then please let us put it up on this site. Anything is welcome, press clippings, programmes, tickets or photographs would be ideal.
Please get in touch with us now!

SWANAGE STATISTICS IN BOTH NATIONAL FA COMPETITIONS

FA Cup   Played 26 Won 8 Drawn 7 Lost 11 For 35 Against 43
FA Vase Played 34 Won 12 Drawn 5 Lost 17 For 61 Against 69

Overall : Played 60 Won 20 Drawn 12 Lost 28 For 96 Against 112

HOME RECORDS

FA Cup   Played 12 Won 4 Drawn 4 Lost 4 For 18 Against 20
FA Vase Played 14 Won 6 Drawn 2 Lost 6 For 27 Against 27

Total: Played 26 Won 10 Drawn 6 Lost 10 For 45 Against 47

AWAY RECORDS

FA Cup   Played 14 Won 4 Drawn 3 Lost 7 For 17 Against 23
FA Vase Played 20 Won 6 Drawn 3 Lost 11 For 34 Against 42

Total: Played 34 Won 10 Drawn 6 Lost 18 For 51 Against 65

Source: Football Club History Database

                                                  Statistics compiled by Mark Chadderton