1938: The £50 Team
F.A. Cup heroics attract record crowds
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Tom Mitchell's "£50 Team", so-called because of the cost of assembling the squad (in fact, all £50 had been spent on re-signing Peter Spooner from Sheffield United), is York's first truly legendary team.
York had made slow but steady progress in the F.A. Cup since formation, reaching the third round in 1929/30, 1930/31 and 1934/35, and generating great excitement in 1936/37 upon reaching the fourth round. Nobody could have foreseen the F.A. Cup heroics of 1937/38, which saw City reach the quarter-finals and during which:
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In hosting Middlesbrough in the fifth round we see York playing in an unorthodox kit. At the time the rules stated that a coin be tossed in the event of a colour clash and that neither team would play in their home kits. With both teams preferring to play in red shirts and white shorts, Middlesbrough won the toss and chose to play in white whilst York opted for tangerine. (Bowser, 2019)
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LEFT & ABOVE: York City vs Middlesbrough. City's unusual tangerine kit.
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ABOVE: York City XI, R3-6. The more recognisable red and white kit.
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Round 1: Halifax Town (Third Division North)"In the first round, City had to come from behind to draw against Halifax Town, with Hughes netting the equaliser. In the replay at the Shay Baines scored the only goal of the game." Batters (2008)
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Round 2: Clapton Orient (Third Division South)"With just 15 minutes remaining, City were losing 2-0 and heading out of the competition, but then, in a tremendous finale, Scott and Comrie scored to force a replay, which was played in front of 7,599 fans. Hughes netted a 78th minute goal to earn a well-deserved win, and for the fifth time in their history, the club had reached the third round." Batters (2008)
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Round 3: Coventry City (Second Division)"Record crowd goes mad with excitement. What a dramatic last five minutes! Earl unconscious in the dressing room; blood streaming from the head of Wass who would not go off to have it plastered; that Yorkshire roar which never ceased and was meant as an encouragement to the depleted, crippled York ranks to hold out at any price." The Press, from Bowser (2019)
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Saturday, 8th January, 1938
YORK CITY 3-2 Coventry City
Goals: Peter Spooner, Jimmy Hughes & Sam Earl
Team: Wharton, Pinder, Barrett, Duckworth, Wass, Hathway, Earl, Hughes, Baines, Comrie & Spooner.
Attendance: 13,917
Notes: Coventry were joint-top of the Second Division going into the match.
YORK CITY 3-2 Coventry City
Goals: Peter Spooner, Jimmy Hughes & Sam Earl
Team: Wharton, Pinder, Barrett, Duckworth, Wass, Hathway, Earl, Hughes, Baines, Comrie & Spooner.
Attendance: 13,917
Notes: Coventry were joint-top of the Second Division going into the match.
Round 4: West Bromwich Albion (First Division)"...City eclipsed their performance of the previous round and overcame Albion thanks to a hat-trick from Reg Baines. The home side came back from a 2-1 deficit in the last six minutes, with the winner arriving with only three minutes left. At the final whistle the crowd invaded the pitch, and the City players were cheered off. The outcome must have been a bitter disappointment for one Albion fan as he had reportedly walked 130 miles to the game." Bowser (2019)
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Round 5: Middlesbrough (First Division)"Conditions though had been difficult. Reporter Robin Hardy wrote that the game was completely spoiled by the gale, and that "so great was the force of the wind that in the first ten minutes three York defenders were knocked out in heading the ball". However, this weather did not detract from City being deserved winners as "York won well, and it was no fluke", nor did it dampen the enthusiasm of the crowd. The same reporter said the match "was one long roar from start to finish" and that he had never heard anything like it." Bowser (2019)
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Saturday, 12th February, 1938
YORK CITY 1-0 Middlesbrough Goals: Peter Spooner Team: Wharton, Pinder, Barrett, Duckworth, Wass, Hathway, Earl, Hughes, Baines, Comrie & Spooner. Attendance: 23,860 Notes: Despite this result, Middlesbrough had a good season and went on to finish 5th. RIGHT: City's Sammy Earl, Reg Baines and Malcolm Comrie watch as
Peter Spooner (out of picture) gives City a 51st minute lead. |
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ABOVE (L&R): The huge crowd spill onto the pitch for a better view of the action.
Quarter-final: Huddersfield Town (First Division)Having already made four F.A. Cup final appearances (winning in 1921/22) and having won the First Division three times, Town were without doubt one of the biggest clubs in the country. Fittingly this match saw York's largest attendance of 28,123 - a record that still stands today. Huddersfield would go on to reach the final for a fifth time, where they would be defeated 1-0 by Preston North End.
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Saturday, 5th March, 1938
YORK CITY 0-0 Huddersfield Town
Team: Wharton, Pinder, Barrett, Duckworth, Wass, Hathway, Earl, Hughes, Baines, Comrie & Spooner.
Attendance: 28,123
YORK CITY 0-0 Huddersfield Town
Team: Wharton, Pinder, Barrett, Duckworth, Wass, Hathway, Earl, Hughes, Baines, Comrie & Spooner.
Attendance: 28,123
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"It was a fast and furious cup-tie, as City fought to become the first club from the Northern Section to reach the last four. The Huddersfield Examiner described the game as being stupendous, and played in an electric atmosphere, but others were less impressed with the quality as the two sides largely cancelled each other out. For City, Spooner had a shot cleared off the line, but Town hit the bar and the game ended goalless, despite City forcing four corners in the last five minutes. A draw was probably a fair result, and also provided City with a money-spinning replay at Leeds Road the following Wednesday afternoon." Bowser (2019)
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REPLAY: Wednesday, 9th March, 1938
Huddersfield Town 2-1 York City
Goals: Reg Baines
Team: Wharton, Pinder, Barrett, Duckworth, Wass, Hathway, Earl, Hughes, Baines, Comrie & Spooner.
Attendance: 58,066
Huddersfield Town 2-1 York City
Goals: Reg Baines
Team: Wharton, Pinder, Barrett, Duckworth, Wass, Hathway, Earl, Hughes, Baines, Comrie & Spooner.
Attendance: 58,066
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"There were remarkable scenes of traffic congestion on the Leeds to Huddersfield road, and a number of fans abandoned their vehicles and walked several miles to the ground. City bowed out 2-1 after another full-blooded encounter. Town took the lead in the second half, but City quickly equalised when Baines collected a Hathway pass to beat Bob Hesford. In the 68th minute, the First Division side scored their decisive goal, following a goalmouth scramble." Batters (2008)
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