Ryhope CA - 1972/1973 Season

This was a very special season for me, and for lots of other people in the area, as it was the season that Sunderland AFC, a Division2 (now the Championship) side at the time, won the FA Cup against all the odds. Beating some of the elite of Division 1 (now the Premiership) on the way and in then in the final deservidly overcoming the best team in the land at that time Leeds United 1-0. Unforgettable memories. However for me it was also, what I consider, Ryhope CA's best ever season. In addition to winning the Houghton and District League title the team also won the Durham Hospitals Cup and were runners up in the League Cup and Easington Aged Miners Cup. Personally it was my best ever goal scoring season. I don't know why but at the beginning of that season I decided to record all the team results and goalscorers in my works diary and perhaps it made me more determined to do well. I scored 85 and that beat my previous best of 72. Other records kept by Ernie Carlin, as shown in a 'CA match programme in the 1979/80 season, said I had scored 89. I think the extra 4 goals credited to me were 2 scored by George Dixon, and the other 2 must have been, what I considered, own goals. Possibly a couple of my shots may have been going wide but got deflected into the goal.

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Back row from the left  :- Kevin Brace(Committee), Terry Brace(Committee), Kenny Duckworth, George Dixon,                                    Denny Dugan, Norman T Taylor, Billy Mitchell, Ernie Carlin(Trainer)                                    and Billy Anderson(Secretary) Front row from the left :- Alan Bleasdale, Harry Clark, Tony Cox, Joe Dixon, George? Crosby, John Turnbull,                                    Geoff Pounder and Brian O'Donnell Missing from this photo is team captain Brian Page , Bobby Pickering and player/manager Jimmy Clark, Norman Taylor (forward)  Team colours :- all blue

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Seasons Results

Seasons Results                                                   Goals Scorers

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Club Records created this season