The Jersey Cup

Marsh Gibbon: Nicholls G. Slaymaker (c) Stokes Howells B. Wall Leonard O. Slaymaker Beckett Rouse P. Cross Rawlings

Marsh Gibbon Scorers: P. Cross 1

Heyford Athletic: Buller Scraggs Dale A. Wells D. Walton H. Wells Barrett Varney Sale Leek B. Walton

Heyford Athletic Scorers:

For the first time in over fifty years, and for the second time since 1887, the Lord Jersey Cup goes out of Oxfordshire. In 1900 and 1901 the trophy, one of Oxfordshire’s oldest and most valuable, was won by the Northants village of Kings Sutton. At Bicester Sports ground on Easter Monday, before a crowd of over 1,200, Marsh Gibbon beat Heyford Athletic 1-0 to take the Jersey Cup into Buckinghamshire.

The weather was good and the crowd large, but the match itself fell short of expectations. Heyford Athletic, conquerors of so many village clubs and winners of a dozen other trophies during the past few years, gave one of their worst ever performances and were lucky to escape with a 1-0 licking. Marsh Gibbon never allowed Heyford’s reputation to worry them, and they played the right sought of game to win the trophy for the first time. Gordon Slaymaker won the toss for Marsh Gibbon and showed confidence in his defence by giving Athletic the wind and slope advantages. He was gambling on being able to hold the Heyford attack in the first half, and then strike back after the interval when conditions favoured his own forwards. It was a successful move, and although Athletic attacked for the majority of the first forty-five minutes, they never succeeded in cracking the Marsh Gibbon defence. The star player in this stern rearguard action was centre-half B. Wall, who dominated the penalty area and blunted the Athletic spearhead. The only Athletic forward at all dangerous was winger Basil Walton. Centre forward Sale had one golden chance of scoring but his shot struck the post. Half-time was reached with no score and one sensed that Athletic had surrendered the initiative to their opponents.

With conditions in their favour Marsh Gibbon sailed into the attack immediately upon resumption. Within five minutes they had the ball in the Heyford net, but referee C.Bates, after consulting his linesman, ruled offside. Only a temporary let-off for Heyford, though, because in the 56th minute of the match Philip Cross scored the winning goal. Lying well behind his fellow forwards, Cross gained possession some thirty yards from the Heyford goal. He favoured a direct approach and drove the ball over the heads of the tightly packed Heyford defence into the net. It was a beautifully judged shot and completely beat goalkeeper Buller. Marsh Gibbon went all out to increase their lead, but poor shooting denied them several goals. Athletics centre-half Don Walton, slower than in recent years, remained unruttled and persevered in his attempts to rally Heyford.

For just a few minutes in the Marsh Gibbon defence splitting moves they went close to scoring several times, but found goalkeeper Nicholls in top form. Marsh Gibbon slowly regained control and Buller had to make one or two hasty saves from Beckett and Rouse. From then until the end there was little excitement and the cheer which greeted the final whistle was as much of relief as the celebration.

Result : Marsh Gibbon 1, Heyford Athletic 0.

The trophy and plaques were presented by Mr A. J. Whetton, elder brother of Mr Arthur Whetton. Mr Whetton who was introduced by Mr Eric Roderick, chairman of the Lord Jersey F.A. played for Middleton Stoney nearly fifty years ago.