Midland Football League Newsletter 22nd February 2017 League News The FA has awarded one of its ‘66 for 66’ grants to Westfields FC, the Midland Football League club formed in the summer of 1966 by a group of schoolboys inspired by England’s World Cup win at Wembley Stadium. Westfields FC was formed by current Chief Executive and Secretary Andy Morris, after he and a group of friends watched their national side lift the Jules Rimet trophy at Wembley in July 1966. Fifty years on, the Hereford based team famously enjoyed their best ever run in this season’s Emirates FA Cup competition. Embodying the ‘magic of the cup,’ they won six rounds against a number of sides several tiers higher than them to make it through to the first round proper of the historic competition for the first time. They were eventually knocked out by Vanarama North side Curzon Ashton, after holding them to a draw in the first leg to force a replay. Over the course of the year, The FA has commemorated the 50 th anniversary of England’s ultimate footballing accomplishment by making 66 awards of £1,966 to football projects across the country. These have been made either via County FAs to grassroots football clubs, or centrally by The FA to causes such as charities which the players of 1966 are associated or support. Chief Executive and Secretary Andy Morris, Chairman John Morgan, and Vice-Chairman Chris Williams were presented with their award at Wembley Stadium connected by EE on Thursday 16 February by Andy Ambler, Head of Professional Game at The FA. Andy Morris said: “It’s been an amazing 50 th anniversary season so far and despite all the arrangements by the club committee to celebrate the historic occasion, we could not have imagined our 8 match Emirates FA Cup run and the surrounding media opportunities and public attention. For the club to be awarded the ’66 for 66’ grant is yet another element to an amazing season. The funds will be put to good use by helping us construct a new covered spectator stand, which will be known as The Anniversary Stand. On behalf of everyone at Westfields FC I thank the Football Association for this wonderful award. It is much appreciated.” Andy Ambler said: “Westfields FC’s historic run into the first round proper of The Emirates FA Cup was extraordinary and really embodied the magic of the competition. Andy has been describing the impact the prize money has had on the club and I’m delighted to now present them with this ‘66 for 66’ grant – particularly fitting given the club was founded in the summer of 1966. I hope the grant will help to provide a fitting legacy for Westfields in their memorable 50 th anniversary season.” The overall ’66 for 66’ fund was generated from income from the 2015 Community Shield between Arsenal and Chelsea – with many of the 1966 players and/or relatives in attendance at last year’s clash between Leicester City and Manchester United at Wembley in August.
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Midland Football League Newsletter · Midland Football League Newsletter 22nd February 2017 League News The FA has awarded one of its ‘66 for 66’ grants to Westfields FC, the
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Midland Football League Newsletter
22nd February 2017
League News
The FA has awarded one of its ‘66 for 66’ grants to Westfields FC, the Midland Football League club formed in the
summer of 1966 by a group of schoolboys inspired by England’s World Cup win at Wembley Stadium.
Westfields FC was formed by current Chief Executive and Secretary Andy Morris, after he and a group of friends
watched their national side lift the Jules Rimet trophy at Wembley in July 1966. Fifty years on, the Hereford based
team famously enjoyed their best ever run in this season’s Emirates FA Cup competition. Embodying the ‘magic of
the cup,’ they won six rounds against a number of sides several tiers higher than them to make it through to the first
round proper of the historic competition for the first time. They were eventually knocked out by Vanarama North
side Curzon Ashton, after holding them to a draw in the first leg to force a replay.
Over the course of the year, The FA has commemorated the 50th anniversary of England’s ultimate footballing
accomplishment by making 66 awards of £1,966 to football projects across the country. These have been made
either via County FAs to grassroots football clubs, or centrally by The FA to causes such as charities which the players
of 1966 are associated or support.
Chief Executive and Secretary Andy Morris, Chairman John Morgan, and Vice-Chairman Chris Williams were
presented with their award at Wembley Stadium connected by EE on Thursday 16 February by Andy Ambler, Head of
Professional Game at The FA.
Andy Morris said: “It’s been an amazing 50th anniversary season so far and despite all the arrangements by the club
committee to celebrate the historic occasion, we could not have imagined our 8 match Emirates FA Cup run and the
surrounding media opportunities and public attention. For the club to be awarded the ’66 for 66’ grant is yet another
element to an amazing season. The funds will be put to good use by helping us construct a new covered spectator
stand, which will be known as The Anniversary Stand. On behalf of everyone at Westfields FC I thank the Football
Association for this wonderful award. It is much appreciated.”
Andy Ambler said: “Westfields FC’s historic run into the first round proper of The Emirates FA Cup was extraordinary
and really embodied the magic of the competition. Andy has been describing the impact the prize money has had on
the club and I’m delighted to now present them with this ‘66 for 66’ grant – particularly fitting given the club was
founded in the summer of 1966. I hope the grant will help to provide a fitting legacy for Westfields in their
memorable 50th anniversary season.”
The overall ’66 for 66’ fund was generated from income from the 2015 Community Shield between Arsenal and
Chelsea – with many of the 1966 players and/or relatives in attendance at last year’s clash between Leicester City
and Manchester United at Wembley in August.
Other recipients have included Fulham FC, who used the money to help fund the sculpting of a statue of George
Cohen MBE, Fulham legend and England’s right-back in the World Cup win, and the Moore Foundation, run by Bobby
Moore’s daughter Roberta. The Army FA received a grant, which they put towards increasing female participation by
organising a series of small-sided games and offering training sessions and football kits. Elsewhere, the Westmorland
County FA in Cumbria were given £1,966 which they used to repair some of the damage done to their clubhouse by
Storm Desmond in 2015, and Brent Council put their grant towards running an educational project with a 1966
theme from the classrooms at Wembley Stadium.
Overall, the ’66 for 66’ initiative ensures there is an FA legacy from the series of activities and events that took place
last year. These kicked off in April with ‘Football Shirt Friday’ to raise funds for the Bobby Moore Fund into bowel
cancer research. May saw a first for Wembley Stadium – hosting the world premiere of ‘Bobby,’ a poignant film
about the life and untimely death of England’s World Cup-winning skipper.
Further 1966 activities and events culminated on the actual anniversary of England’s World Cup win, Saturday 30
July 2016. The day featured ‘World Cup 66 Live’ at the SSE Arena Wembley – a show re-living the afternoon when
The 25 February 2017, marks the 50th anniversary since Highgate United's Tony Allden was tragically struck by lightning during an FA Amateur Cup quarter final v Enfield at our Coppice ground in Tythe Barn Lane, Shirley.
Back in 1967 there was huge excitement as local football fans watched in anticipation to see if Highgate United, the minnows from the Worcestershire Combination could beat the 'giants' of non-league football. They had already exceeded expectations with a number of giant-killing victories. A huge crowd of over 3,500 came to see if 'The Gate' could take another step closer to Wembley. However, with 28 minutes on the clock and Enfield leading 1-0, the skies turned black and a bolt of lightning shot down from above striking Tony Allden and knocking other players to the ground. The stunned crowd, including his wife of just 5 months, watched in shock as Tony was given the kiss of life before being rushed to Solihull hospital, where sadly he passed away the following day.
To commemorate this tragic event and to honour his memory, on the 25 February 2017 Highgate United are renaming their stand "The Tony Allden Stand". To unveil the new sign, we have successfully located his widow Sue and sister Chris, who have bravely agreed to return to The Coppice, for the first time since that tragic day, to be our Special Guests of Honour. Supporting them will be the ex team mates of Tony that we have also managed to locate. Sadly, some players have since passed away, but players confirmed in attending are Gordon Cooper, Tony Sawyer, Hughie Doherty, Eric Taylor, Roy Taylor, Tony Hughes, Trevor Jones and Ken Barnett. Only Maurice Donaghy is unable to attend. The special guests will be joined by representatives of The FA, senior members of Birmingham County FA, Worcestershire FA, The Midland Football League amongst others so far confirmed.
The unveiling will take place at 2pm on Saturday 25th February, before our Midland Football League Premier match v Long Eaton United. Tony, who worked at The Rover was a popular man with many friends and the club would like to invite members of the public to join us, in paying our respects 50 years on.
Our year of commemorations will also see an in-depth fact based book featuring personal recollections and photos never seen before in public of the Highgate United team of 1966/67 and their unbelievable giant-killing cup run that saw them reach the quarter finals, just 2 games away from an incredible appearance at Wembley. But that's where the dream turned into a nightmare when Tony was tragically struck by lightning. Follow the story through the rounds, the tragic day, how the general public of Birmingham and further afield flocked to the rematch in tribute as over 31,600 packed in to an emotional Villa Park. The publication of the book has been part-funded by The FA and we're hoping to raise funds in time to get the book published in the late Spring.
Anybody with any personal memories or recollections is also invited to email them to us for consideration to be added to the book, they can email us at [email protected]
We also have a pre-season friendly planned for the summer of 2017 v Enfield Town (phoenix club of the now defunct Enfield)
We're also in discussion with local sports guru Tom Ross about a possible charity game featuring a Midlands Allstars team