Chapter
Four : Building
for Seventies Success
The
merger on 2nd June 1967 took place at the Council Chambers of the
Municipal Buildings in London Road. Wholesale changes took place in the
hierarchy of the Club. E.D.Lawrence (President), Councilor S.A. Jewell
(Chairman), R.Ede (Honorary Secretary) and F.G. Sherwood (Honorary
Treasurer) all stood down and were replaced by Councillor R.F.J Parsons JP
( President), A.Primrose (Vice Chairman), J.A. Bartlett (Honorary
Secretary) and Councillor F.M. Price (Honorary Treasurer) with Councillor
S.A. Jewell remaining as Chairman. Their
first task was to appoint John Page as team manager. It was hoped that the
more stable financial base would result in a more successful team. Things
didn't start to improve until the start of the seventies.
Due to adverse publicity concerning the Club Chairman Councillor S.A. Jewell, he tendered his resignation after just two months. Alex Primrose moved up from the Vice-Chairman's position and Mr P.Rapley in turn replaced him. The first season was spent consolidating and the first balance sheet showed that the club made a healthy £429 profit for the season. On the park, the 1st XI finished a disappointing 10th position, but the reserves, under the management of John Runnacles, fared far better finishing runners-up in the Surrey Senior League Reserve Division. The following season the Reserves went one better, clinching the Reserves League title and then just two seasons later, with Ian Leverett at the helm, the Surrey Senior Reserve League Cup was won. The Club continued to remain profitable in the 1968/69 season making £138. Even though a loss was made in the following season, the Club remained in the black. With
the lack of success, John Page resigned as manager in June 1970 and was
replaced by J.Short. A move to Scotland through work, forced him to resign
his post in April 1971. Derek Tomey acted as caretaker manager until Jim
Lennan took over at the beginning of the 1971 /72 season. At the 1971 AGM,
Michael Grylls MP took over as Club President following the resignation of
Councilor R.F.J. Parsons JP.
The first success of the new Camberley Town came in the 1972 /73 season when third place was achieved in the league and the League Charity Cup Final was reached. They lost 3 -2 to Westfield in the final at Weybridge. This proved to be their final season in the Surrey Senior League. For the next season Mick Woolen took over as manager from Roy Calver. Another of the Club's aims was to erect floodlights at the ground. The cost of the project would be £7,000. Grants of £1,750 from Surrey Heath Borough Council and £3,000 from Surrey County Council along with a £1,000 loan from the Surrey Playing Fields Association were forthcoming. An increased overdraft at the bank and club takings made up for the shortfall. The Club worked hard to reach its target of having the floodlights up and running by the end of 1974 (See photo, left). The aim was achieved and on October 14th 1974, Malcolm Allison brought the full Crystal Palace 1st team to Krooner Park for the first ever match under lights. The match resulted in a 1-1 draw and was watched by a record attendance for the ground of approximately 3,100.
In
a bid to further the progression of the Club an application was put in to
join the Athenian League for the beginning of the 1975/76 season. This too
was accepted due to the fact that floodlights had been installed.
Meanwhile in the youth set-up Ron Pink had guided his side to the West
Surrey Boys League title two years running without losing a game.
Despite
finishing in the lower half of the Athenian League in their first season,
the opportunity to progress even higher up the league ladder arose with
the expansion of the Isthmian League into a third division and an
application was submitted. In December 1976 the application was accepted.
1976/77 proved to be successful for the Reserves and the Youth sides. The
Reserves were successful in winning the Surrey Senior League Reserve Cup
to follow up their League title success the season before, while Ron Pinks
Youth side created waves in the F.A. Youth Cup beating Brighton & Hove
Albion before narrowly going out to Charlton Athletic after a replay.
The 1977/78 season saw large scale changes on and off the field with a re-organisation of the Club. Pat Whelan, the leading force of Camberley's rise through the leagues, stepped down as Chairman after six years and was elected Club President, with Peter Marsh taking over the Chairman's seat. Roy Calver also rejoined the Club as General Manager. Development of the ground was a priority with the building of a new clubhouse and plans for an entrance at Hunts Lane were submitted. On the field, young 16-year-old's Bob Lucas and then Brian Broome became Camberley's first ever contract professionals. Camberley's
first ever Isthmian League game at Krooner Park took place on August 20th
when Molesey were held to a 0-0 draw. With Camberley Town bottom of the
table at the end of October with just three points from seven matches,
Mick Woolen was dismissed as manager and Pat Finn was appointed in his
place. The Club had to wait until February 11th for the first league win
when Willesden were well beaten 5-1. Six wins and three draws in the final
twelve games steered Camberley to safety. The Youth, meanwhile added to
their silverware collection, winning the Surrey Invitational Youth Cup
with a win in the Final over Pollards Hill. The 1978 /79 season proved to be the most successful in the history of the Club. Off the field a big sponsorship deal was struck with local company, Lentheric Morny, resulting in £750 being given to the club if any player succeeded in scoring 25 goals during the season. On the field the telling point of the season came on October 25th when Camberley Town beat Wallingford Town 4-3 in the F.A. Vase. It was the start of a seventeen match unbeaten run that lasted to the end of January. Fifteen matches were won including a run of nine in a row. The unbeaten run also saw the start of what was to be the Clubs biggest success, the winning of the Surrey Senior Cup. On November 28th, National Westminster Bank were beaten in the 4th Qualifying Round of the Surrey Senior Cup thanks to a Richard Parkin goal. It earned Camberley a meeting with Southern League side Addlestone in the first round. Camberley were not expected to win that tie but triumphed again with the only goal coming form Mick Clarke in the 89th minute. In the second round Camberley had to travel to Tooting & Mitcham United, who at that time were in the Isthmian League Premier Division. Camberley took the lead after 15 minutes when Gary Hawkett scored directly from a corner and then had to soak up almost constant pressure for the rest of the game, but they held on and qualified for a Semi Final meeting away to Isthmian Division 1 side Metropolitan Police at Imber Court. Camberley played like a team possessed. Steve Giles and Gary Hart gave Camberley a two goal lead at half time. Three more goals in the final 20 minutes from Mick Clarke, Gary Hart again, and Richard Parkin gave Camberley a memorable 5-0 win.
Camberley
returned to Imber Court for the final against Leatherhead of the Isthmian
Premier Division (programme cover, above). Camberley, as underdogs,
probably thought the omens were against them when they had two early goals
disallowed for offside, one from Bobby Hynes and a 40 yard effort from
Gary Hart, but they did take the lead on 31 minutes when a Mick Clarke
free kick was deflected past the keeper. Doyle equalised for Leatherhead
on the hour and the game went into extra time. With a replay looming,
everyone witnessed the most precious five minutes in the Club's history.
On 115 minutes, Gary Hart, the smallest man on the field, out jumped the
Leatherhead defence to head Camberley into the lead. The 117th minute saw
it go to 3 -1 with a 30 yard Bobby Hynes shot that the keeper got his
hands to but couldn't keep out. Brian Broome confirmed the victory in the
119th minute, breaking through the Leatherhead defence to slide the ball
home. The cup winning side that day was Brian Ives, Phil Dodds, Keith
Blount, Alan Turner, Richard Balmforth, Brian Broome, Gary Hart, Bob
Hynes, Malcolm Bailey, Mick Clarke, and Richard Parkin with Steve Giddings
and Steve Giles coming on as substitutes.
With
the Surrey Senior Cup won, Camberley now had to concentrate on promotion.
With four matches remaining Camberley were top, but Farnborough, with
games in hand, were one point behind. By the last day, Farnborough had
taken advantage of the extra games to clinch the title but Camberley still
needed one point to go up. Camberley lost their final game and had an
agonising short wait to find out the result of their closest rivals
Molesey who were playing Epping. Epping won 2-1 and Camberley were up.
They also had a chance of a third honour. The final of the Southern
Combination Cup had also been reached but a backlog of fixtures meant it
was held over to the following season. Camberley were not on form when it
was played at Bracknell's Larges Lane and Malden Vale won 2-1. The
Lentheric Morny deal brought in a substantial amount. Mick Clarke scored
34 goals during the 1978/79 season to claim £250, the remaining money was
spilt evenly with the rest of the team and the club picking up £250 each.
Keeping
mainly the same team, Pat Finn and Camberley Town launched an assault on
the Division 1 title and by Christmas 1979 had reached third place, but
the team’s form slipped away and the side finished a creditable 10th
place. Two semi -finals were reached but both ended in defeat. Tooting
& Mitcham gained revenge in the Surrey Senior Cup for the defeat the
season before, winning 5-1, and that was quickly followed by a 1-0 defeat
at Hampton in the Southern Combination Cup.
Things
were progressing off the pitch and by the end of the season 1979/80
season, the new Clubhouse was finally completed and was ready for an
official opening at the start of the next season. 
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