Matchday Memories: On This Day 1936 – Gulls Gutted As Bantams Take Div.3 Title!!

Clarrie the CCFC goal machine

Clarrie Bourton

On this day (2nd May) not too far off ninety years ago in 1936 CCFC under irascible long term manager Harry Storer was undertaking its last match of the 1935-36 Division Three South season aiming to finish in Champions spot, which they did emphatically.

On their way to the title they won 24 out of their 42 games including (eventually) this one, racking up big scores at home and only losing once (in December). The free scoring side scored three or more eighteen times during the season and scored ‘The Old Five’ or more on seven occasions in clocking up their 108 league goals.

On this day a the victims were Torquay United in front of a fantastic Highfield Road crowd of 30,514. City had drawn 3-3 with the Gulls at Plainmoor back in September. Today, iconic centre half and captain George Mason was missing from the side for only the second game.

However, the coronation was not plain sailing! First, on 72 minutes, normally reliable George McNestry missed a penalty that would have taken some of the pressure off. Next, it was the away side that eventually took the lead with only fifteen minutes of the game left with a goal from Ted Lowery! Things looked ominous.

Then in a nail-biting last quarter of the game, new captain Ernie Curtis succeeded (where George had failed) with another penalty on 78 minutes which equalised for the Bantams. Then, with time running out and after tremendous pressure, top scorer and ‘old faithful’ Clarrie Bourton cracked in the 88th minute winner to take his league tally to 24 for the season The goal also confirmed the two points and the D3S Championship! Clarrie’s record strike rate for CCFC was eventually a remarkable 180 goals in 241 first team outings (1931-38)

Billy Frith

City’s team that day was:-

Bill Morgan; Vic Astley & Bernard Smith; Billy Frith, Charlie Elliott & George Mason, Ernie Curtis (c), George McNestry, ‘Jock’ Lauderdale, Clarrie Bourton, Les Jones & Jimmy Liddle

Billy Frith later went on to manage Coventry City twice!

Frank Brown‘s Torquay team lined up:-

Percy Maggs; Freddie Green & Lew Tapp; George Daniels, Jack Jones & Les Lievesley; Monty Morgan, Ted Lowery, Albert Hutchison, Fred Beedall & Leslie Dodds Referee: A.J.Brown (Bristol)

Coventry City went up to Division Two as Champions pipping second place Luton Town by a point. Newport County and Exeter City had to seek re-election. Torquay United finished tenth.