THE FA Amateur Cup Final was moved to Wembley Stadium in 1949 and lucky young Crook Town supporters like myself were there to watch our team in 1954, 1959, 1962 and 1964.

Bobby Charlton didn't go there as often as we did.

However, the 2-1 win over Enfield in 1964 was the last time Crook Town played in a Wembley final. The dream stayed alive, but the reality was that we weren't good enough anymore.

Twice since 1964 the dream of Crook fans to return to Wembley seemed to be on the verge of coming true. Fifty-five years ago, after beating Moor Green and West Auckland, the fans travelled to Loughborough Colleges in Round 3 of the Amateur Cup, on Saturday, February 19, 1966.

An early morning blizzard dampened our spirits as we huddled together at 7am near Harry Waggot's shop in Howden-le-Wear waiting for our Supporters bus. Keith Troman and his friend Tony Ross from Hunwick arrived just before our bus to Loughborough came.

It was sunny in Loughborough where Roy Gale, a former Crook player, was at left back for the Colleges, who took the lead through Mattocks.

Allan Brown, a Northern League player with Second Division skills, and Bill Roughley got to work. Keith Storey dribbled from the halfway line to equalise before Bill dived to head the winner in the 83rd minute.

We were now two games from Wembley.

Crook Town: Snowball, Hylton, Little, K Storey, Collingwood, A Brown, Tobin, Pannell, G Brown, Roughley, McMillan.

CROOK reached a similar stage 40 years later, and 15 years ago, on Saturday, February 11, 2006, after a visit to Arnold Town, members of the Northern Counties East Premier Division in the FA Vase Fifth Round.

As we left Crook to go to this game, a group next to me sang: "The wheels on the bus go round and round." It was going to be fun.

At Arnold, which is Nottinghamshire, Bobby Davison, captain of Crook's 1954 Amateur Cup Final side, was waiting for us. Crook had asked Bob, who lived nearby, to be their talisman. He was delighted, and enjoyed the crack with supporters who remembered his time at Crook.

He also proved lucky as Crook won 1-0 with a second half goal from Roy Allen.

Once more Crook were two games from Wembley.

Crook Town: Hall, Beckett (Robinson), Foster, West, Stanger, McQuire, Stout, Harwood, Mellanby (Angel), Milroy, Allen (Vernalls).

MICHAEL MANUEL recalled of that game: "When Crook scored, myself and my son Richard, both jumped in the air, but his elbow crashed into my jaw, and he nearly knocked me out After the game a group of Crook lads called the Casuals went into the Robin Hood pub. After they’d drunk the pub dry, we were given a police escort out of town."

JOHN DAVISON recalled when Bobby Davison had a lucky escape at the Marshall Richards factory in Crook where they both worked.

"I was helping Bob move a big lump of steel to a machine I was working on. Bob clamped two holding bolts to the steel and walked in front, moving the crane with the hand-held control. I was behind when this plate of steel fell from the crane and missed Bob by a hair’s breadth.

“Bob, cool as a cucumber, just walked back to get some stronger bolts. Everyone else was mortified.

“His other lucky escape came when the referee disallowed Ray Oliver's goal for a foul on him at Ayresome Park in the 1954 Amateur Cup replay, which allowed Crook to go on to win 1-0."

L Thanks to Michael and Paul Manuel, John Davison, Dave Kidd and Michael Burke.