1960/61 REVIEW
For the past couple of years the Central Alliance had indicated its intentions to create a Premier Division with the pick of the clubs from the Division One North and South. However, events elsewhere forced them to rethink the situation. The Midland League, so long the finest league catering for non-League clubs from within the boundaries of the Central Alliance and beyond, suffered a crisis during the late 1950s as a large number of its members resigned. To help make up the quota a number of clubs from the north east were elected but when most of these clubs left in 1960 the Midland League was forced to close. Five of the Midland League’s remaining clubs - Sutton Town, Goole Town, Worksop Town, Gainsborough Trinity and Denaby United - moved to the Central Alliance and, because of their location, each was admitted to the Division One North. A sixth club, Skegness Town, moved to the Southern Section. These new clubs caused a shake up of the make up of each of the divisions in the Central Alliance although the three divisions remained the same in structure if not the same in terms of membership. The Division One North became much stronger as a result so although Ilkeston Town’s final position of eighth was the lowest of their time in the Central Alliance it was not quite the disaster some may have thought. Nevertheless it was still a season of missed opportunities.

Ilkeston started the season tremendously well and going into December they had lost only one league game and that was the unlucky defeat at the then leaders Sutton Town. They were well down the table because a mini FA Cup run and progress in the league cup meant that they had played far fewer league games than most of their rivals. However, December was a dreadful month with four defeats in five games, the only victory being the thrashing of hapless bottom club Shirebrook. Results picked up again for a time including a magnificent 7-0 home win against top of the table Goole, and they climbed as high as fourth, but successive defeats against fellow title hopefuls Sutton and a vengeful Goole ended their own chances of winning the title. Ilkeston’s season then petered out with a mixture of some decent displays and some mediocre performances.

Ilkeston’s biggest problem appeared to be that they had some fine individuals but they did not always combine well as a team. On their day they were a match for anyone but when the going got tough too many players hid all too frequently. The biggest problem was in attack where they were too reliant upon the prolific Clive Burton to score the goals. Changes were made regularly but by the end of the season they still seemed to be nowhere nearer to solving the problem.

A look at the season experienced by the key players helps to illustrate how frustrating a time it was. Goalkeeper Dennis Ward, whose opportunities were limited the season before, began confidently and seemed to be very capable but mistakes in the autumn defeat at Sutton knocked his confidence. Errors in his game became more frequent and were usually punished and eventually two other ‘keepers, teenager Steve Shepherd and John Reddington were tried. Neither let the club down but equally neither were as good as Ward was when he was at the top of his game.

Dave Baker rolled back the years at right back with his best season for some considerable time, and his knack of making timely goal line clearances helped the team no end. But Baker was now heading towards his mid thirties and time was no longer on his side. His partner on the opposite flank, Derek Chamberlain, showed up well in his first season, was a good tackler and a key member of the solid defence. He was out of the team briefly during the autumn through illness and it took him a short time to rediscover his best form upon his return to the side but he persevered and the club kept faith in him to the benefit off all concerned.

The half back line posed problems of its own. Centre half Terry Swinscoe was without doubt a player whose steel and heading skills were of tremendous value but he developed a worrying tendency, particularly during the second half of the season, of being over casual and several acts of carelessness cost the team goals. This was a problem that he quickly rectified and he gave great service to the club over subsequent seasons. The left half position was mainly filled by Dennis Alexander who was appointed as club captain. He replaced long serving Horace Hackland who combined his coaching role with turning out for the reserves; Hackland made just one first team appearance and it was the final one of an excellent career at Ilkeston. Previously at inside left, Alexander’s keen football brain, skill and excellent distribution appeared to make him ideal for the role but as the team started to struggle Alexander tried to do too much himself as the pressures of captaincy appeared to get to him. When he was relieved of his duties during the late winter he began to play with greater freedom and his form returned. However, Ilkeston missed his goal input that he had provided successfully in his old role.

His successor as captain was the enthusiastic, energetic ball player Tony Watson, who also showed himself to be a fine header of a ball. Watson proved himself to be the best right half at the club but the lack of goals from the forwards - Burton apart - persuaded the club to play him at inside right. Watson showed the previous incumbents how it was done and he ended second in the scorers lists but Ilkeston didn’t seem to know where to play him in the team. He was moved from inside right to right half with such frequency that it was to his great credit that he maintained his form. Whenever he vacated a position it left a gaping hole and the situation caused Ilkeston a massive headache. Eventually Town settled on pulling back George Brown, a vastly experienced former Scottish League inside forward signed in the pre season, to the right half position. Brown, another intelligent player blessed with caraft and skill and who was a fine schemer, was also blessed with a powerful shot and most of his goals came from long range.

One of the success stories of the previous season, John Carrington at outside right, played less of a part than expected and only re-established himself half way through the season. Unavailable at the start his replacement, the tricky new signing Peter Heath, did so well that Carrington could not get back into the team. Heath’s powerful shooting and crossing were much in evidence but a gradual deterioration in his form eventually persuaded the club to select the more direct Carrington once more. With Terry Blount, the long standing outside left, also suffering from a loss of form it made sense to try Heath on the left. Despite being two footed Heath failed to adapt to his new role, was dropped after a few weeks, and then suffered from health problems. When Blount then became hospitalised with appendicitis Town had no alternative but to turn to the very inexperienced Michael Thompson to fill the outside left position. Thompson’s lack of experience counted for nothing as he showed no fear and had the confidence of youth in abundance. Happy to take on defenders on the outside or inside he supplied a steady stream of crosses and had a strong left foot shot. Meanwhile Carrington’s consistently high standard on the opposite flank caused many to question why it had taken so long for him to be reinstated.

There were high expectations of Tommy Asher, the inside left, who joined during the summer. He was a class player and had excellent ball control, but he broke his ankle at Sutton and upon returning to the team struggled with his fitness. Nevertheless, Asher showed that he was worth his place in the side when fit and on song. To his right, Clive Burton had another good season and he continued his record of averaging almost a goal per game. Without Burton’s goals the team would have struggled, and although he was guilty of some bad misses from time to time and had a left leg that appeared to be solely for the use of standing on, he remained one of the most feared centre forwards in the Central Alliance.

Ilkeston’s problem was that since the mid 1950s their teams had always been compared unfavourably with the all conquering team from earlier in the decade. To some the 1960/61 side was mediocre. The truth was that the team was decent enough but just lacked the consistency and extra quality needed to sustain a serious title challenge.

1961/62 REVIEW
The long awaited Central Alliance Premier Division appeared to be heading towards fruition early in 1961 but subsequent events dramatically altered the picture. When an announcement was made that there were plans to resurrect the Midland League, which had disbanded in 1960, former clubs such as Worksop Town, Denaby United, Sutton Town and Gainsborough Trinity immediately signalled their interest. When a number of other leading Central Alliance clubs also indicated their intention to follow suit Ilkeston Town were left with no option but to apply as well unless they were happy to take a backward step. For founder and General Secretary Bernard Shaw there was a conflict of interests because he was also the Secretary of the Central Alliance and he chose to resign from the club at the end of the 1960/61 season.

Ilkeston quite rightly realised that they would need to restructure and, to a lesser extent, strengthen the team if they were to make a success of playing at a higher level. As it turned out the newly reformed and slightly renamed Midland Counties League was of a higher standard but not dramatically so. The first major step was the appointment of former Notts County wing half Ken Rawson as Player Manager. It was felt that his leadership qualities and expertise on the pitch would meet the challenges ahead. Rawson had limited resources available to him but nevertheless made some changes during pre-season. Not all of his signings were successful but two of them were to play a significant part: Goalkeeper Jim Mitchell and Sid Watson, who made over 300 first team appearances for Mansfield.

It turned out to be a season of anomalies. Few expected Ilkeston to make a huge impact yet they finished third. However, as the season of what might have been unfolded, it was actually viewed as something of a disappointment. They had by far the best defence in the league yet they had a goalkeeper, Mitchell, who combined brilliance with basic errors when dealing with high balls in particular. They also had an attack that struggled to score goals and dominated games on occasions without reward.

After a fine opening day win at Loughborough Ilkeston won only three of their next 12 league games. Two key signings, unsurprisingly forwards, who arrived in the autumn, made all the difference. Alan Daley, a vastly experienced winger with over 250 League appearances for a variety of lower league clubs under his belt, and John Taylor arrived to form an inside forward partnership that instantly provided goals which in turn made Ilkeston a winning outfit. From being below halfway in the table in late November they rapidly climbed the table and sat in third place following their Boxing Day victory against Long Eaton. They hit second spot in late January and although a title challenge seemed out of the question because of Matlock’s outstanding form a runners up finish was not an unrealistic target. Then, following a 5-1 thrashing of fellow challengers of Sutton Town in February, the attacking frailties of old returned and the team scored just 13 goals in the last 12 games, picking up only 15 points along the way. This downturn in form cost them second place.

Mitchell’s occasional gaffes apart the defence was magnificent. Terry Swinscoe eliminated the silly mistakes from his game and was rock like at centre half. Rawson and Watson, a play maker from whom so much of Town’s game evolved, added class and experience to the half back line. The veteran right back Dave Baker picked up an injury at the start of the season that effectively ended his playing days at the club but his replacement, the young, tenacious John Thornhill enjoyed a tremendous first full season. On the opposite flank the more experienced Derek Chamberlain was dependable and completed a back line without equal in the Midland League.

All of Town’s problems lay up front. The prolific scoring Clive Burton struggled at the higher level but this was also partly due to the introduction of a short passing game by Rawson that didn’t suit his style. Nevertheless he still top scored with 21 goals and was the only Town player to reach double figures in league games. On the left wing Terry Blount continued to frustrate with his inconsistency and the arrival of Daley appeared to put his future in jeopardy but such were Town’s deficiencies in the inside forward positions that the wily Daley moved to inside left, with success. On the opposite flank John Carrington, who had impressed so greatly, struggled at the higher level and he was replaced by the returning Peter Heath but he too, for all his trickery, failed to deliver all too frequently. The real success story was John Taylor whose sweeping passes could unlock well marshalled defences and he was the top scoring forward behind Burton. However, towards the end of the season, he was unable to sustain such high standards and it was probably the main reason why Ilkeston’s goal supply began to dry up.

It has to be said that Ilkeston’s third place finish should be regarded as one of success and it certainly exceeded pre-season expectations. Any disappointments were viewed that the club had a strong base to build from to challenge for honours in the seasons ahead. It was transparent where the team needed to be strengthened.

1962/63 REVIEW
Player manager Ken Rawson correctly identified Ilkeston Town’s weakness in an otherwise strong team during the previous season as being the forward line. He also wisely chose to leave the defence alone as it had been the best in the Midland Counties League in 1961/62. The back line did Ilkeston proud once again in 1962/63, the Jim Mitchell, John Thornhill, Derek Chamberlain, Rawson, Terry Swinscoe and Sid Watson combination being the envy of their rivals. Unfortunately, the arrival of several new forwards made little or no difference to their punch in attack and once again the team had to settle for a top four position when with a greater goal output they could have made a serious title challenge. Too many games were drawn when Ilkeston were quite clearly a better side than their opponents.

Andy Graver, Lincoln City’s all-time top scorer, was signed as replacement for centre forward and top scorer for the past three seasons Clive Burton and he was expected to lead the way. Experienced, a good header of a ball and able to move intelligently both on and off the ball, he indeed led the scoring charts but it was not until late in the season that he showed anything like what was expected of him and he scored less frequently than Burton had. The other main forward signing was his former partner at Lincoln, John Garvie, who was to play at inside left but he had struggled with injury in recent times and these followed him to Ilkeston. An injured instep on his Ilkeston debut set the pattern and he only made a handful of appearances. His absence, plus a knee injury that seriously restricted Alan Daley’s availability, paved the way for the introduction of three inexperienced inside forwards who each had extended runs in both the inside forward roles throughout the season. The pick was young Irishman Paddy Dunne, who grafted tirelessly, had a strong shot, and was gutsy and persistent, with only his fiery temperament occasionally getting in the way. Dunne was sent off twice during the season although it was ironic that his first departure was a case of mistaken identity while he was acting as peacemaker. He had first appeared for Town as a teenager a few seasons earlier and lacked strength at the time but regular appearances in the reserves and hard work on his fitness made him better equipped for the rigours of the Midland League. The other pair, Stan Clarke and Mick Ward, were both talented youngsters. Ward had a good touch and Clarke frequently attracted the scouts but although they both had considerable potential neither were the finished article and they contributed just 6 goals between them, Clarke seemingly having no luck in front of goal at all. The biggest disappointment of all the inside forwards was John Taylor who had done so well when he joined midway through the previous season. He had two magnificent games in 1962/63, against Holbeach and Grantham, against whom he scored 7 of the 9 goals he managed. The rest of the time he was largely ineffective.

The wingers also struggled to deliver. Peter Heath on the right was inconsistent whilst the long serving Terry Blount, who never quite built on his considerable promise, was eventually replaced by John Langford. Langford was easily the best of them and arguably Town’s most dangerous forward during the second half of the season. Not just able to send over decent centres he also had an eye for goal and could strike a dead ball with immense power. He took over penalty duties from Terry Swinscoe.

As for the season as a whole, the team began slowly with 3 wins and 2 defeats in the first 7 games but a fine run of form in the autumn took them to second. However, five games without a win ended with a 4-1 defeat at champions elect Loughborough and ended their lingering title aspirations as well. The next few months were frustrating as the terrible winter of 1963 severely restricted their appearances and the team struggled for consistency thereafter. At least they did have something for their efforts. Ilkeston won the Debyshire Senior Cup, beating Alfreton 2-1 in the final, for the first time in five years.

The final position of fourth remained a creditable achievement for the club and there were reasons to be satisfied with how the club had settled down to life in the Midland League.

1963/64 REVIEW
After two promising seasons in the Midland Counties League Ilkeston Town took something of a backward step in 1963/64. They had to settle for a midtable position and although there were some worthy performances they lacked consistency. A ten match winless streak ended with the departure of player manager Ken Rawson in January yet earlier in the season a string of fine wins had taken them to the top of the Midland Counties League for the first time in their history.

Town had a rude awakening on the opening day of the season when they were destroyed 7-1 at home by Midland League newcomers Lockheed Leamington for whom former Town player and local born Ray Straw scored a hat-trick. ‘Keeper Jim Mitchell was injured during the game and although this had little bearing on the result the club was forced to quickly sign Terry Statham as his replacement. Statham showed during the season that he was not as prone to making the ghastly mistakes that occasionally blighted Mitchell’s game but neither was he able to produce the moments of brilliance that Mitchell was capable of. Although the defence was rarely given such a torrid time thereafter it nevertheless was not the seemingly impregnable barrier that it had been. Sid Watson, at left half, found that age had finally caught up with him despite his leadership qualities that shone through when he was named as captain once Rawson departed. Derek Chamberlain, at left back, also took a step backwards after several good seasons. Ilkeston’s defence also had to do without Terry Swinscoe, acknowledged as the best centre half in the league, for nearly three months when he was drafted into the forward line, with some success, following the continuing disappointment of Andy Graver at centre forward. Graver’s spell in the reserves led to an enforced early retirement through injury. The weakened half back line led to the introduction of John McEvoy, who grafted well, had decent distribution and he could strike a ball cleanly, but he was not the finished article. More promising was local player Mick Severn who was strong, determined and two footed and he was given an extended run at right half as the season drew on, his performances attracting scouts to the Manor Ground. He was missing from the team towards the end of the season, however, when he twisted his knee at Long Eaton. Town’s shining light at the back was John Thornhill whose earlier youthful promise at right back had developed well and he was now a highly accomplished player.

Ilkeston lost their next game, also at home, but a disappointing FA Cup exit apart, form improved steadily. Town’s best displays were reserved for away from home, however, and a 4-1 home defeat by then bottom club Sutton Town did nothing to improve the critical mood of the supporters. Immediately after, Ilkeston won six and drew two of their next eight games and they suddenly found themselves top of the table. Then came the abysmal sequence of results that saw them plummet down the table and also saw Rawson’s resignation.

Without a manager but with Watson guiding the players on the pitch the slide was arrested but performances rarely impressed and the results were inconsistent for the rest of the season. A lack of goals was one reason, as it had been for a couple of years, with Ilkeston ending the season as the sixth lowest scoring team in the league. The centre forward problem was not solved until the arrival of Ken Simcoe midway through the season. He found the net regularly and was top scorer with 15 league goals. He would have had three more but for the abandonment of the Stamford home game when he scored 3 goals in 4 first half minutes and Town led 5-1 (they lost the rematch 3-1). The other main area for concern was out wide. The left sided, hard working and powerful shooting Barry Marsh began the season promisingly but injured himself in a collision with the Gainsborough ‘keeper in November and didn’t look the same player upon his return. Mel Evason was tried during Marsh’s absence and he was tireless and hardworking but appeared to lack the necessary class required for Midland League football. Barry King, on the right, lacked consistency and was dropped early in the Spring although he fared better when he returned to the team late in the season.