Tomorrow sees Falmouth Town take on Bideford in the FA Cup. These two old rivals have produced some epic clashes down the years, and none more so than that of 1973 – with a record-equalling saga that certainly can’t be matched tomorrow. So let’s dip into my archive with this blog piece originally published in 2017:--
THE REF WHO WAS HUGELY POPULAR . . . MOST OF THE TIME!
As you would expect, the recent “Legends” soccer match marking the 60th anniversary of Falmouth Town’s Bickland Park ground prompted many a trip down Memory Lane.
One such concerned one of the all-time most respected Cornish referees – and the occasion when he was, exceptionally, none too popular with the Falmouth club.
In the 1960s and ‘70s, Bill Pearce was a familiar and formidable figure on the field of play. He was very much “loud and clear,” with his voice echoing around the grounds, and his commanding gait was instantly recognizable, with his big, rapid strides.
He was definitely not flavour of the month, though, in the autumn of 1973, when Falmouth and Bideford were involved in a record-equalling FA Cup third qualifying round saga.
The occasion was the third replay at Bickland Park, played on a midweek afternoon to avoid power cuts at that time. It was well into stoppage time, with Town leading 2-1 and everyone in the Falmouth camp screaming for Bill to blow for full-time . . . but where oh where was that final whistle?
Alas, an innocuous-looking cross from Ben Murphy deceived concussed Town goalkeeper Phil Hewlett to level the tie. Player-manager Richard Gray went into goal for the extra time and, with an injured Tony Kellow moving on to the wing, Falmouth held out for another replay – and for a good while after that Bill was not quite so popular with Falmouth fans!
For it was Bideford who eventually went through to the next round, winning the fourth replay 2-1 at Plymouth Argyle’s Home Park.
At a grand total of 540 minutes’ playing time, it equalled the record for the longest-ever tie at the third qualifying round stage of this famous competition. It can now never be beaten, with the introduction since then of the penalty shoot-out after a first replay.
Bill Pearce, RNAS Culdrose FC life president and former county referee, died in 2019, aged 87. Four years earlier I spoke to him for the last time and wrote this piece for the Sunday Independent:--
What a host of fond memories Dave Deacon triggered with his reference to Cornish referees living legend Bill Pearce last week.
I caught up with Bill a few days later and, almost in unison, we both straightaway recalled his trademark command on the pitch: “Play on, you goddit.”
Bill, now 82, earned enormous respect among players and spectators alike. He was loud and clear – his voice echoing around the grounds – and his commanding gait was instantly recognisable, with those big, rapid strides of his.
During our chat, “Pearcey” told me that to the best of his knowledge he is the only official ever to have refereed two Cornwall Senior Cup Finals – in 1959 and 1972.
The first went to a replay, with Truro City beating St Blazey at Penzance after drawing at St Austell. Bill recalled that St Blazey included an inside forward called Gardner who later died in a motor cycle accident, while the Truro goalkeeper was Melville Triggs, who came from Ludgvan – the parish where Bill has spent most of his life.
His second Senior Cup Final was won easily by St Austell at Falmouth against a giant-killing Looe (Plymouth and District League) side, compiled by the club’s Fred Jones who called up his Devonport Dockyard contacts to bring players of the calibre of Peter Loveys, the Quest brothers (Geoff and Bob), “Binky” Revell, and Danny Gordon, among many others, to the fishing resort.
Characters, though, don’t come any bigger than Bill Pearce – although he did have a rival in this category, namely Bill Cheshire, who was nicknamed by many as “the Cheshire cat” for his seemingly permanent grin as he officiated.
The simple truth was that both Bills refereed with a smile – very much a key to their authority.
Alas, Pearcey reflects: “I know when we grow old we always say it was better in my day – but in so many ways it was!
“About the only thing that has improved in football in my lifetime is the facilities. The honesty has gone out of the game, with players diving and routinely disputing clearly correct decisions.
“It also irks me to see such small attendances at the local matches, and it seems so few people nowadays want to commit themselves to helping out for their clubs. Television has a lot to answer for – there is far too much football on the box.”
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