Derby County: Marathon Cup tie lasted seven hours

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Anton Rippon reports on the astonishing Derby County v Newcastle United FA Cup tie which lasted 420 minutes and saw a record 20 goals scored.

DERBY County supporters viewed the start of the 1923-24 season with renewed optimism. Since League football was resumed after the First World War, the Rams had struggled.

Relegation from the top flight in 1921 had been followed by some moderate days in the Second Division. And the Rams’ finances had been so bad that the club’s very existence was in doubt.

But now Derby’s fortunes were brightening considerably. An appearance in the 1923 FA Cup semi-finals had done something to ease the financial pain, the Rams’ share of the £6,000 gate receipts from the Stamford Bridge match against West Ham was especially useful to a club £10,000 in debt.

And matters were about to improve on the pitch, too. The Rams began with a 4-1 home win over Stockport County.

And even if there were a few early flutters, like losing 3-2 at home to newly-promoted Bristol City, when Derby travelled to Bristol for the return fixture only seven days later, they got their season back on track with an astonishing 8-0 victory.

One Canadian newspaper, the Sun of Brandon, Manitoba, went so far as to report: “The telegraph seems to give Derby eight goals against Bristol City at Ashton Gate, but there is a great chance of that being incorrect.”

It was correct, with Derbyshire cricketer and future Rams’ manager, Harry Storer, scoring four times in what is still Derby County’s biggest ever away victory.

By the last match of the season, the Rams needed to beat Leicester City 5-0 if they were to overhaul Bury on goal average for the remaining promotion place.

It turned out to be a pulsating 90 minutes. The Rams were three goals ahead by half-time and 4-0 in front after 75 minutes. But the vital fifth would not come and Derby missed out on promotion by only 0.015 of a goal.

But as far as Derby County were concerned, the 1923-24 season was also remarkable for an FA Cup tie against Newcastle United, then riding high in the old First Division.

Having disposed of fellow promotion hopefuls, Bury, with a last-minute goal in the first round, the Rams were drawn at home to Newcastle, for the start of a Cup tie that was to last for 420 minutes and produce a record 20 goals.

Quite simply, it was the most extraordinary Cup tie in Derby County’s history.

Their Geordie opponents, who stood seventh in the top flight, prepared for the game at Derby by playing a few gentle rounds of golf near their Derbyshire hotel.

Meanwhile, Rams’ manager Cecil Potter indulged his players with a visit to some brine baths at Stafford.

As early as 8.30am, travelling supporters began arriving in Derby. The frequency of bus services was increased and, 30 minutes before kick-off, the Baseball Ground gates were closed with a record attendance of 27,873 spectators wedged inside.

The Derby Evening Telegraph reported that “balloons, streamers, horns and bells were very much in evidence, and the teams turned out and faced a cinematography operator”.

The crowd were treated to an entertaining 2-2 draw, in a match full of incident. Initially, the Newcastle full-backs looked weak and “nothing superior by way of construction was displayed by the First Leaguers”.

However, the Magpies settled down and took the lead after 24 minutes.

Following a skirmish on the right, Tom McDonald headed the ball goalwards. Rams’ goalkeeper Ben Olney shouted: “Right!” to his full-back Tom Crilly, but fumbled the ball which went through his legs and into the net.

After half-time, Newcastle went 2-0 ahead when McDonald hammered Jimmy Low’s right-wing cross passed Olney.

All looked bleak for Derby until Randolph Galloway nodded a Jackie Whitehouse lob across to Storer.

He headed the ball down and then whipped it past goalkeeper Alex Mutch. With an hour gone, the Rams had pulled a goal back.

A frantic finale followed and it was Storer who earned Derby a replay at St James’ Park with an 88th-minute equaliser.

On the Wednesday afternoon of February 6, 1924, Newcastle drew their biggest crowd of the season when 50,393 watched the Rams’ valiant Cup fight continue.

The Magpies again rushed into a two-goal lead, with Neil Harris and Willie Cowan scoring, but with it they “lost most of their brilliance” according to one reporter.

Derby’s hero in the fightback was Melton Mowbray man, Lionel “Spud” Murphy, who produced a superb display of left-wing artistry, despite several heavy tackles meted out by the Newcastle defence.

The Rams’ first goal was an own-goal by Ted Mooney; their equaliser, two minutes from the end of normal time, came from Galloway, just desserts for a wonderful second-half display.

After 30 minutes of extra time had produced no further goals, the clubs’ directors met to discuss the neutral venue for a third game.

Newcastle turned down Sheffield, saying that the Yorkshire city was “too near Derby for our liking”. Maine Road in Manchester could not be considered because there was a replay at nearby Old Trafford.

Newcastle then suggested Leeds United’s Elland Road, but, eventually, both clubs settled on Burnden Park, Bolton.

The referee in the first two games, Sam Rothwell, of St Annes on Sea, had never taken a day’s absence from work, but he decided that he would like to referee the second replay at Bolton as well, because he had “developed a keen interest in the tie”.

On the following Monday afternoon, the two teams reconvened in Lancashire for a third attempt at settling the issue. Yet again, there would be late drama, but this time it was Newcastle who drew level in the dying seconds of extra time.

The Rams had outplayed Newcastle for most of the game. Again Albert Chandler, a former Army footballer, had done a good job in taming Newcastle winger Stan Seymour.

The Magpies had good fortune on their side, however, and took the lead through a disputed penalty, when Chandler gave Seymour “a fair charge” before putting the ball out for a corner.

The Newcastle winger walked over to take the corner kick, but the referee made all Rams’ fans wish he had not taken another day off work when he awarded a penalty for “violent charging”.

Frank Hudspeth put the spot kick away, and then Galloway equalised with a powerful shot to ensure yet more extra time, during which Derby appeared to have scored the winner when little George Thornewell hit home a beauty from 20 yards.

But, again, Seymour reaped the benefit of a misjudgement by Mr Rothwell. The Newcastle winger and Derby’s Harry Thoms both stumbled in a byline tussle for the ball.

The Rams’ defender was adjudged to have fouled Seymour, who levelled the scores from the resultant free kick with only seconds remaining.

There were more strong protests when it came to deciding the venue for the fourth game. When no agreement could be reached, a coin was spun, and again Lady Luck smiled on the Geordies. Two days later, the Rams had to travel back to St James’ Park.

Surprisingly, Newcastle agreed that they, too, had seen enough of Sam Rothwell, and the FA appointed one of their leading referees, J T Howcroft, of Bolton, to take charge of what would be the decider in this marathon Cup tie.

Thornewell was injured and was replaced by Frank Keetley, one of nine Derby brothers who all played professional football.

But the change seemed to matter little as the Rams swept into a two-goal lead through Galloway’s double strike. But, at half-time, it was Newcastle who went in ahead, thanks to a 24-minute hat-trick from Neil Harris.

On 53 minutes, Seymour made it 4-2, but the Rams weren’t done for yet.

Storer pulled one back on the hour, and there were visions of yet more extra time. But Willie Cowan ended that prospect when he produced the goal that finally settled a Cup tie that had lasted exactly seven hours.

The four games were watched by more than 128,000 people with receipts exceeding £9,000. Derby’s share was £3,000 which, as the Telegraph’s County Onlooker reported was “beyond the dreams of the most sanguine Derby director”.

Newcastle United went on to win the FA Cup that year, beating Aston Villa 2-0 in only the second Final to be staged at the newly-opened Empire Stadium, Wembley.

The Rams, meanwhile, were left to continue their close encounter with promotion.

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