I saw my first match at Whyteleafe, near Purley in Surrey, 50 years ago. It was a Surrey Senior League Cup First Round tie against Malden Town, the now-defunct visitors winning 5-2, and there were three penalties – all converted. Leafe’s right-winger, Vic Burge, was at my school but a few years above.
I made six visits to Church Road in that 1964-65 season. Leafe came from 0-3 down to lead 4-3 against Old Suttonians in a Surrey Senior Cup Third Qualifying Round tie before the match was abandoned in extra time with the light failing. Leafe won the re-play 3-2 and took on mighty Tooting & Mitcham United in the First Round Proper. I saw that too.
Barnet v Luton Town
Saturday’s friendly with K’s was the first match to be played on the new 3G pitch. The ground as a whole is almost unrecognisable from what it was in 1964. The only cover I can remember was a little shack on the halfway line with a hole in the roof. It held about eight people – and they were mostly quite elderly gentlemen!
Leafe have been promoted back into the Isthmian League Division One South after two seasons at a lower level. There was a short ceremony before the kick-off to open what is almost a new ground. Green and white ribbons, stretched from one post to another in a moveable goal on the pitch, were suitably cut with scissors – and an upbeat Leafe side were 2-0 up at half-time.
But K’s, from the Isthmian Premier, netted twice inside five minutes early in the second period and it finished 2-2. I had travelled there via a lunch with Mum at her new place in Hurst Green. A white-haired chap on one of the other tables was a hundred years old, so I was told, and the Coq au Vin and Strawberry Trifle went down very nicely.
Sunday’s game at The Hive featured Barnet from the Conference Premier and Luton Town, now promoted into League Two. Admission was £10 and I sat amongst a crowd of 806. I thought the Bees shaded the first half but they conceded seconds from the half-time whistle. The visitors, with decent support, were then awarded two spot-kicks in the second half.
The No10 blasted the first one against the bar and No.13 sent the ‘keeper the wrong way with the second for 2-0.
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David Barber aka ‘The Barber’ joined The FA as Sir Alf Ramsey’s assistant after the Mexico World Cup in 1970 and has been its historian for the last 35 years. He has attended 6,668 football matches at all levels and lost none of his enthusiasm!
