The Football Pink, Saturday 3rd October 1959 (by Senior)

Wootton Bassett faced that least-liked of all tasks, a visit to Clandown, and to their credit, survived to fight it out again this afternoon.

No one, as a rule, gets away from that awkward ground on top of the hill above the Somerset miners' village without a stroke of luck, and Wootton Bassett's came late in the game when Bill Rogers shot wide from the penalty spot.

Rogers, usually a sure kicker with a penalty, had scored the equaliser for Clandown one minute before the interval – from the penalty spot.

Ken Pewsey gave Wootton Bassett the lead with a low drive soon after the kick-off, from a well placed Stan Embling corner, and it was the wing play of Embling and his opposite wing colleague, Granville Taylor, that made Wootton Bassett's forward line so dangerous. Fortunately for Clandown, Roy Bull was a tower of strength at centre half and cleared his lines time and time again.

Clandown's forwards were inclined to miss their chances and strangely for a club with a sharp-shooting reputation, denied in front of goal. Nevertheless they had a period in the second half when they did "wake up" a little and it was here that Dave Jones gave a grand show in Wootton Bassett's goal. Then right on the final whistle, Wootton Bassett nearly won the game from one of Stan Embling's corners which Rogers just managed to kick off the goal line.

The Football Pink, Saturday 26th September 1959

Clandown forwards opened up well and fought hard to gain an early lead but after making good openings their shots went wide.

Wootton Bassett took the lead in ten minutes, Pewsey putting in a low shot which the home goalkeeper Paget failed to hold.

Cook, the Wootton Bassett centre-half, headed away a well placed free-kick by Chedgy.

Clandown put on the pressure and Taylor neatly robbed the visitors' goal-keeper Jones and shot for goal. In an effort to keep the ball out of the net Curtis handled and from the penalty spot Rogers gained an equaliser.

Last modified on Monday 22nd June 2015 at 23:38