When Morecambe enjoyed a goal-den league and cup-winning season
This week, club historian LAWRENCE BLAND focuses on the early 1960s when a new manager made an immediate impression...
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Hide AdThe 1960s were good times for the football club, particularly in 1961-63 under Joe Dunn and 1966-68 with Ken Waterhouse in charge.
At the start of the 1961/62 season, Morecambe appointed Preston North End centre-half Dunn as their new player-manager.
He had inherited a useful side but also added Bournemouth and former Preston North End man Ray Evans, Gordon Howarth (Netherfield) and Paul Scott (Queen of the South).
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Hide AdThe later additions of Tom Ferns (Dumbarton) and Tony Lydon (Burscough) transformed the team into probably the club’s best team.
It meant that Morecambe completed a Lancashire Combination championship and Lancashire Junior Cup-winning double.
The club also had its best FA Cup run to date, progressing from the first qualifying round to the third round proper.
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Hide AdWins over Clitheroe (4-2), Penrith (2-1), Burscough (8-1) and Wigan Athletic (2-0) saw them into the first round, where they defeated South Shields 2-1.
That was followed by victory at Football League opposition in Chester in round two on November 25, 1961, in front of a crowd of 7,965; the first time they had defeated a league club.
The Morecambe team that day was: Udall, Cubbage, Richardson, Dunn, Scott, Keen, Fawcett, Evans, Borrowdale, Whitehead and Howarth (1).
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Hide AdHowever, the third round brought a disappointing 1-0 home loss against Southern League side Weymouth with a record crowd of 9,383 generating gate receipts of £1,407.
Nevertheless, the club powered its way to the Combination title in record fashion.
They posted 32 wins, 70 points, 12 consecutive wins and scored 143 goals – plus a further 44 in cups.
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Hide AdKeith Borrowdale scored a club record 52 goals in a season – 42 league and 10 cup – with Ian Whitehead not far behind with 33 league and 15 cup goals.
The club also won the Lancashire Junior Cup, reaching the final with wins over Bacup Borough (6-1), Marine (3-1), Nelson (2-0) and Fleetwood (6-0) setting up a final against Wigan Athletic at Preston North End’s Deepdale ground.
A crowd totalling 7,800 saw Morecambe run out 3-1 winners with Fawcett, Borrowdale and an own goal giving them victory.
The team for that match was: Udall, Cubbage, Richardson, Dunn, Scott, Keen, Fawcett (1), Evans, Borrowdale (1), Ferns and Howarth.