Thought it would be interesting for people to share their stories about their first games as Wittoners.
Aside from very occasional visits every few years, the game that inspired me to become a Wittoner was on December 2nd 2006 against North Ferriby United. The game finished 2-0 to the Albion and the attendance was 278. The thing that impressed my 14-year-old self was how close you were to the action, and the great spirit on the terraces.
I started in 89/90 when we first moved to WP, but god knows what game it was. Shortly after, we cherry picked Colnes players when they went bust and had a great few years.
The first game I remember going to was the 7-2 victory over Stocksbridge Park Steels. Mose scored a hat-trick, and Paul Compton got a brace on his debut.
My first game was a Tues night game in 84/85 at the Central Ground against Bangor City.
I had much to my shame been to a couple of V**s games first but i knew instantly that Witton were the team for me as soon as i got inside the groundā¦UTA
24th August 1991 vs Wycombe Wanderers I remember sitting on the railings in my grandads arms, we lost but from that day all I wanted to do was play for Witton Albion (didnāt quite live the dream ha ha)
My first game would have been when I was a toddler, around 1950 when the great Joey Dale, Alf Ashley etc were playing. But I remember mostly the great years under Ken Barnes when Peter Mellor and Chris Nichol and Oggy et al were in the side. A gang of us including Roy Knop and Gil Prescott followed them every where including Wigan Athletic who we beat in the Floodlight Cup one year. Who would have thought that night that they would one day be in the top league in the country. Great memories.
WHS.
My first game was Witton Albion v Northwich Vics down at the old Central Ground, I think in 1987
The score was Witton Albion 9 Northwich Victoria 3, and I was playing for Northwich Victoria.
Me and my partner won 3-0, but the other 3 partnerships all lost 3-0.
I couldnāt believe it the following week when me and my partner got droppedā¦to give somebody else the chance of winning. I suppose thatās dominoes for you
My first game was way back in october 2011 when we played barrow in the cup. I was (and deep down still am) a huge liverpool fan but it was costing me a fortune for me and my lad to keep going to anfield so i thought lets give non league a go. Got to say it was a flip of a coin whether to watch witton or vics but thank god it was witton. The atmosphere on the day and that strike from titch was all it took to get me hooked and iāve hardly missed a game since. UTA
Canāt remember exact opponents but must have been late 70s. What I can remember is the players, John white, John walker, Brian griffin and tony keys to name a few, bob fletcher in goal( however Barry Alcock was the best witton keeper Iāve ever seen). I can remember going to Buxton in the early eighties on my birthday and John white coming over before the game and speaking to me , I felt 10 feet tall. Good times never to be forgotten
Iāll have to dig the programmes out too but I think my first game at the CG was in the 84/85 or 85/86 season. Mike Sherlock was in nets and I remember Killer playing, Derek Brownbill, Neil Parsley and Dave Esser but I couldnāt name the full team without my programme! The first game I can remember quite clearly was when we won the Lancashire floodlit cup when Malcolm Wagstaffe (Waggy) was on fire for us. That game was at a big ground, Preston NE from memory?? I also remember John Bishop getting sent off at Rhyl :ohmy:
Does anyone else remember a keeper we had called Ally Anderson in the mid/late eighties? Spoke to a huge (and much older!) wittoner yesterday and he couldnāt, perhaps iām imagning it but Ally was the keeper after Mike Sherlock that I can remember
My first recollection of a Witton game was 1994 and listening on my crappy radio to either live coverage or updates from the deva stadium in the FA cup first round. Think Chester won 2 nil and I am sure a Phil quinlin either played for witton or against that day. Anybody got the line ups?
Chester
David Felgate
Iain Jenkins
Kevin Ratcliffe
Peter Jackson
Julian Alsford
Gary Shelton
Gary Hackett
Chris Lightfoot
Roger Preece
Leroy Chambers
Don Page
John Murphy
David Flitcroft
Ray Newland
Witton
Keith Mason
Peter Mellor
Carl Macauley
Cec Edey
Steve McNeilis
Jimmy Brown
Colin Rose
Chris Quirk
Paul Higginbotham
Brendan Burke
Paul Newton
Dean Pritchard
Graham Stamper
Tony Henney
The 2 games I recall from my earliest memory are Yeovil at the CG in the trophy and Man City at the CG in a testamonial game.
The first time I saw an actual away following was Stafford Rangers at CG when they had clinched promotion and provided me with my first view of a pitch invasion!
In reply to Paul S yes it was at Preston, if memory serves me it was the last game on the plastic pitch at Deepdale before they returned to good old grass!
Ally Anderson did play for us too, i remember the Oh Ally Ally, Ally Ally Ally Ally Anderson song we used to sing
My first Witton game was in 1962 at home to Buxton who we beat that day.
My previous game to that one was as a Vics fan and Buxton beat them so when my dad took me to the Central Ground on a Wednesday night in August 1962 for a 6.15pm ko (no floodlights then!!) I found myself changing to a rest-of-my-lifelong Albion fan as Witton must have been a better team to have beaten Buxton!
My first away game was at Macclesfield and we got thumped 9-0 in the F A Cup and we were lucky to get nilā¦
Other events of note was getting locked IN at Springfield Park (the old home of Wigan Athletic) after a second replay in the F A Trophy one dismal October afternoon.
And the lonnnnnnnnnnnnng trip home from Dagenham in the F A Trophy some years later.
Canāt remember the details of my first game, but Karl Thomas scored several goals, in the season we won the NPL.
Most epic game was the FAT SF2 against Kidderminster (4-3 AET).
Biggest heartbreak was losing the replay against Kidderminster @ Stafford Rangers, which only marginally beats the moment that Telford scored their second goal in the Play Off Final from 30 yards out.
Most memorable hat-trick was Darren Washington away at Droylsden - finished up with a cheeky back-heel flick.
and Buxton beat them so when my dad took me to the Central Ground on a Wednesday night in August 1962 for a 6.15pm ko (no floodlights then!!) I found myself changing to a rest-of-my-lifelong Albion fan as Witton must have been a better team to have beaten Buxton!