IN the first football season after the end of the Second World War –1945-46 – there was no Football League programme, so the FA decided that the FA Cup competition would be played over two home and away legs, apart from the qualifying rounds, the semi-final and the final.

It cost 10s, 50p in modern terms, to enter.

Bishop Auckland, who had won the FA Amateur Cup in 1939, beating Willington 3-0 courtesy of a hat-trick from Laurie Wensley, were exempt until Round 1 while Willington entered at the 4th Qualifying Round stage.

They met Shildon at home and won 3-2 with their goals coming from Thompson (2) and Taylor while Elliott and Myers replied for Shildon.

The draw for the 1st Round threw Bishop and Willington together again only seven months after their Amateur Cup Final clash. Bishop comfortably won the 1st leg at Hall Lane 0-5 in front of 2,000 fans with goals from Richardson (3), Clapham and Anderson. Willington won the second leg 0-2 with goals from Graham and Lawton but it was Auckland who went into Round 2 and a meeting with Third Division North York City.

One of the Bishop Auckland scorers in the 1st leg at Willington was outside left Robert Anderson who later appeared for Bishop in the 1946 Amateur Cup Final against Barnet, a game the Bishops lost 3-2.

Robert, who sadly passed away aged 95 in August, was from a farming family in Sunderland Bridge near Croxdale. Robert had farming chores to do on a Saturday morning and often told the story of one Saturday when he got so immersed in his work he forgot about the match. He downed his tools, grabbed his football gear, picked a horse and rode bareback to Bowburn where the game was.

Robert never drank or smoked and in his pomp played with George Wardle and George Camsell for Middlesbrough Reserves and had a retainer with Cardiff City. He also had a brother who was a goalkeeper with Wolverhampton Wanderers.

Against York City Bishop lost the home leg 1-2 with Robins and Winters netting for York and John Tait for Auckland. They also lost the second leg 3-0 with Winters, Brennan and Robins on target for the Minstermen.

The Bishop team for the 1st leg was Washington, Hole, Farrer, Longstaff, Hadfield, Stones, Shergold, Fairs, Richardson, Tait, Anderson.

Robert Anderson and Fred Richardson joined a unique group of players who have played and scored in the FA Cup competition proper and also played in an Amateur Cup Final in the same season.