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1900 to 1909 Wimbledon preferred to let their football do the talking and they responded in a style that had the soccer pundits reaching for their record books. They won the South Western Cup. They won the Herald Cup. And, in front of 800 jubilant fans, they won the Clapham League in true grit Wimbledon style. Trailing 2-0 in the final game, they came storming back in the second-half to seal the Championship, 4-2. It was a season that lost three weeks' fixtures, cancelled as a mark of respect on the death of Queen Victoria. But it was a season of resounding triumph. Old Centrals were the first team in junior football to land a treble. The Wimbledon Success Story had well and truly begun. Having arrived as a force to be reckoned with on the local circuit, the Wimbledon Old Centrals were now faced with the task of bridging the enormous gap between junior and senior football. Triple junior champions they were at the turn of the century and determined to progress. The early 1900's were years of change. Twice the club moved grounds, experimenting in different league competition as the gradual step up to senior football was made. And it was a climb that included the club's Amateur Cup debut in 1905 and first appearance in the FA Cup proper 12 months later. By then, though, it was a new ground, a new look, and a new name. The annual meeting of August 23, 1901, had voted to move to a private ground secured in Worple Road West, at the bottom of Pepys Road. Dressing rooms would be in Cottenham Park School. The move was considered important to attract supporters to the club's games. An attempt was even made at selling season tickets. There were just 35 takers. But the playing standards at the new ground hardly matched what had gone before. Clapham put Old Centrals out of the London Junior Cup 4-2 in the fourth round, while Tooting Graveney repeated the dose in a second round South Western Cup replay. In The Clapham League, Old Centrals could only manage runners-up place, four points adrift of Clapham. There was nothing to show for a campaign that produced 100 goals in 33 first team games. There were worries over the ground, while the club also said farewell to its original skipper, George Rayment. He was getting married, and although the club was a little short on silverware that season, George wasn't - he and his bride were presented with a silver plated tea set as a wedding present. But despite the club's concerns over the ground, and temporary halt in honours on the park, their May-time general meeting at the end of that season put the forward wheels in motion, deciding on a step up into the Southern Suburban League. It was to prove the club's worst ever season. The writing was on the wall from the first friendly, a 4-2 reverse against London Devonians, while Beddington Corner, Honor Oak and Wingfield House all finished comfortable winners in the Old Centrals opening Suburban League campaign. The first League win was a long time in coming - a narrow 1-0 over Wingfield House in the January - while there was also the embarrassment of a second round defeat in the London Junior Cup, 3-1 at the hands of West Brixton. The end of season report made grim reading. Could Do Better, it would have said. And that is just what Old Centrals did. Boosted by up to 20 new players, of "promising ability", they opted again for the same League and Cup programme for the 1903-04 season, and their faith was rewarded. Alford House were the first to feel the backlash of a season's frustrations, trounced 8-3 in the opening round of the London Junior Cup, with Putney beaten 3-1 in round two. Beddington Comer, twice victors over the Centrals in Suburban League fixtures the previous campaign, went much the same way in a 4-3 defeat, while Sutton United were finally knocked out in the next round of the London Junior Cup, 4-1 in a second replay. It was not all plain sailing. Clapham put paid to their London Cup aspirations, 7-1, before the Old Centrals put together a storming end of the season run-in. They clawed their way to the top of the table, level on points with Summerstown, but with a more impressive goals' tally. That, however, counted for nothing in those days and the Championship went to a sudden death decider. Summerstown won through, 3-1. Old Centrals were not impressed. "In the first instance the referee pointed for a goal kick, then altered his decision and told players to continue," they reported, ''which resulted in the outside left touching the ball into the net. "And in the second, Reynolds (the Old Centrals keeper) charged a player three yards out of the area, but a penalty was awarded instead of a free-kick. "What price this for a Divisional final?" Familiar arguments these, in defeat, but the Old Centrals still weren't finished with the referee. "No compliments to the League," the secretary retorted afterwards, referring to the nomination of a Mr. Austen as a replacement for the injured Mr. Nash. "It was a pity Nash had an accident the previous day," the secretary concluded. No title, but at least there were runnersup medals to be presented at the Wimbledon Hill Hotel end of season dinner. The tide had turned and Old Centrals opted for their first full senior campaign, contesting the London Senior Cup for the first time, as well as the Southern Suburban League and South London Charity Cup.
And so to their first senior final, on April 15, 1905. Herne Hill race track was the venue, Nunhead the opposition, and with the scores deadlocked at a goal apiece, extra time was looming. But with that first big game final came Wimbledon's first in a long line of match winning heroes. His name was Pat Drummond, and, with just three minutes remaining, Drummond wrote himself into the club's record books. Forty yards out, he gained possession, shoulder charged a fullback out of the way, and dashed goalwards, slotting home a dramatic, late winner. The cup was the Old Centrals, and more honours beckoned in the Southern Suburban League's end of season six-a-side competition. Drummond was there again as the Centrals cleaned up, with Hawkins, Coates, Saunders and E. and H. Anstee completing the winning team. Senior Cup winners for the first time, Wimbledon Old Centrals had successfully bridged the gap. The new era deserved a new image, and a new name.
It was a decision not taken lightly. Even the club's president of six years, A. Holland, JP, expressed "some regret" when he addressed the annual dinner at Wimbledon Hill Hotel five days later. "Perhaps the club will do better with a wider designation," he conceded. Now playing in white shirts and blue shorts, Wimbledon had a new skipper in Hugh Jackson and a new League title to aim for in the Mid Surrey League. Their emergence had led to affiliation with the Surrey FA and the chance to compete in the Amateur Cup for the first time. And that opening Amateur Cup game duly came, at home to established Eversleigh on September 16, 1905. Wimbledon came through 4-2, but it was to prove a rare cup success that season, with Felstead putting paid to their London Senior Cup hopes, 5-1 in East London. It was in the Mid Surrey League that Wimbledon produced their best football of the season. There was a long wait for the first win, Davis scoring four in a 5-1 victory over Guildford, but Wimbledon always had games in hand on early leaders Redhill. They finished the season with nine straight wins, including a solitary goal success over Caterham Guards Depot, to take the title, only being beaten twice in 18 Mid Surrey League starts. The goals flowed as well, and for the second time Wimbledon topped the ton, scoring 105 in a total of 39 games. More medals and trophies to be presented, with a special award for secretary, F.C. Luffman, a gold medal from the editor of the Wimbledon News for submitting the best match reports of the season! Luffman, a strong willed man, deserved similar honours from the club he served so well. On learning that several prominent clubs intended to field only their reserves in the following season's Mid Surrey League, he protested to the League's management committee, rightly fearing there would be a drastic drop in playing standards if that was allowed to happen. His protestations, however, fell on deaf ears, and, acting on the club's instructions, he eventually gave notice of Wimbledon's desire to withdraw from the competition in May. The Mid Surrey League responded with a 50 shilling fine, Luffman refused to pay and Wimbledon were ordered to appear before the Surrey FA at the Oval on August 29. Luffman stood his ground, the FA said he was right, and the Mid Surrey League's claim was dismissed. Another 50 shillings saved, and, just as well, for the club's end of season bank balance showed a lowly credit of just £2, six shillings and 11 pence. Wimbledon's FA Cup debut came the next season, at home to West Norwood in a first qualifying round tie on September 22. The Dons went down 2-1, but Amateur Cup week the next Saturday saw them put paid to Norwood Association 2-1 after a replay. It was a season, though, short on success, with defeats by Caterham Guards Depot, Kingston-on-Thames and Finchley bringing an early end to Amateur, Surrey Senior and London Senior Cup hopes respectively. No joy, either, on the League front, Wimbledon back in the Southern Suburban League and playing at yet another ground, this one just off Pepys Road in Raynes Park. Their end of season record showed 13 wins and 13 defeats in 31 games. It was the start of the leanest, and lowest, spell in the club's 100 year chequered history. In the coming years they changed leagues, changed grounds and changed committees. They fought the council for better facilities; they used the local newspapers to cry out for support. Their pleas were to fall on deaf ears. Wimbledon supporters of today are all too familiar with stories of the club's shoestring finances, brought about, principally, by poor attendances. Yet way back in 1907 there was the Wimbledon secretary talking about the likes of Fulham and Chelsea enticing away potential supporters; talking about the need for local sponsors; and talking about the need for greater support from the locality. "It says little for the sporting people of Wimbledon that they do not turn up in greater numbers and support the committee in their endeavour to run a really good team," wrote Luffman.
The uncertainty about the club took its obvious toll on the park. One bleak season followed another, with few results or match write-ups submitted to the local newspapers, used so well during the good times. Annual general meetings were not fully reported, although a Grand Christmas Draw raised £50 to enable all but £7 of the club's debt to be paid off. The switch to Burlington Road was to prove a disaster. The site was chosen because of easy access. Trams went right past the ground and the fare was just one penny. What nobody had reckoned on was the state of the pitch. One spell of bad weather and it became so badly waterlogged that half a season's matches had to be postponed or relocated. There were sickening scenes on the pitch, with star player Dave Walker, a Surrey County cap brutally assaulted as he left the pitch after a Boxing Day flare up against Kingston; and there was grief off it, the club shocked and saddened by the sudden death of keeper, Willie Miell, aged just 21. Wimbledon turned to the council again for assistance as the 1909-10 season ground on, seeking a place on any of the local recreation grounds. All they required, they asked of the borough's recreation grounds committee, was a pitch that could be roped off. The answer was like a death knell. There would be no help. There would be no pitch. next
Honours
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