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...

The 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).

The 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.

Wins 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).

However, 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.

Keith 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.