The Guardian from London, Greater London, England • 14

THE GUARDIAN Saturday January 7 1989 FA Cup Soccer League letter to MPs writes off Moynihan claims to glory 14 SPORTS NEWS David Laeay Martin Thorpe beat Everton 3-1 in the Littlewoods Cup. Everton face West Bromwich Albion, the Second Division leaders, at the Hawthorns with the familiar list of injuries. This time Ratcliffe is the biggest doubt with a damaged ankle. McCall and Clarke are also facing fitness tests. Liverpool ought to win at Carlisle, last but two in the Fourth Division, but cannot be sure of anything any more.

At least their back four should be THE MAGIC of the FA Cup seems undiminished, which in itself is rather magical given the Football Association's shabby stewardship of the country's premier cup competition over the years poor ticket allocation for the final, talk of sponsorship, kowtowing to Wembley Stadium's seat mania. As far as tickets are the Football League has shown the way with the Littlewoods Cup final. Despite the reduction in Wembley's capacity, the supporters of the two finalists will still receive 30,000 tickets each. The cuts will be made in the allocation to county FAs and League clubs. However, the FA council this week decided to keep its Cup final ticket allocations at the current percentages, so the final teams will receive fewer than 22,000 tickets (25,000 each last season).

Not everyone at the FA is happy with this decision. Neither are the supporters. Says Rogan Taylor, chairperson of the Football Supporters' Association: huge numbers of tickets that go to the old-boy network, of clubs and county FAs is a slap in the face for the ordinary supporter. These tickets inevitably re-emerge in the hands of ticket touts." WHEN Wimbledon defeated Liverpool in last season's FA Cup final it was clear that giant-killing would never be the same again. What price a moment of glory in the third round if a club which had barely shed non-League antecedents could take the trophy back to their tiny broom cupboard of a ground? Today Sutton United, Kettering Town and Welling United will try to achieve a seasonal shock or two, maybe three.

But the leading aspirants will continue to be haunted by thoughts of Wimbledon and the implications of Plough Lane's triumph. Even if Birmingham City, moribund near the bottom of the Second Division, achieve one of the day's biggest surprises by knocking out the holders at St Andrew's, the idea that success in the Cup can be achieved by direct methods will continue to thrive. It is only eight months since a header from Lawrie Sanchez, a penalty save by Dave Beasant and determined play all round made nonsense of predictions that Liverpool were about to complete the simplest League and Cup double yet. Wimbledon's win was the best steal since the previous trophy was snatched from a Birmingham shop window in 1895 and, though Wise is likely to be missing, they are not going to St Andrews to give the Cup back. Up and down the country less fancied sides will be hitting long high balls towards tall targets in the hope of unsettling supposedly superior defences.

Teams who have been given easy-looking ties against opponents from the lower divisions may find that they would have been better off playing their peers. Take Tottenham for instance. Bradford City play a tight, fast game of containment and counter-attack and before Christmas rode their luck to Hobbins here brothers Graham (left) and Barrie answer the Cup calls at the Park View Ground PHOTOGRAPH: SEAN SMITH Fast and fearless Wings enjoy their most challenging flight Michael Henderson meets the men behind Welling, the one-time Kent parks side who take on their first League opponents today David Lacey's six to watch Welling, with Graham Hobbins as general manager, now sit proudly among the GM Vaux-hall Conference elite. This afternoon, 26 years later, 4,000 fans will cram their Park View Ground when they entertain Blackburn Rovers, the first professional Cup winners. The story is as remarkable as it sounds.

In 1971, they switched to Saturday matches. Five years later, Bexley United, who used to play at the Park View, closed down: Welling won a three-horse race for it and a year later the Wings flew through the London Spartan League. Then the Athenian League. Then the Southern League, whose premier division they won by 23 points in 1986 to enter the GMVC. They are currently eighth and have reached the third round of the Cup for the first time.

Graham swapped the manager's chair for the general manager's office last autumn when 31-year-old Nick Brigden, his assistant for seven years, was upgraded. At Thursday night's training session, switched from the waterlogged pitch to a local school gym, Brigden demanded full attention from his men before the club's first meeting with League opponents. "All -this is fine," he said, waving an arm behind him. "We've got the telly people here, the radio over there. The Guardian as well, but you've got to ignore all that now.

Me and Havers want two hours with you tonight." As Havers (Paul Haverson, a coach who looks after QPR's IN A letter sprinkled with terms such as "it is misleading of the "the minister has "the minister has misrepresented the football the Football League yesterday wrote to all MPs asking them to think carefully before backing the Sports Minister's Football Supporters Bill, aka, the identity card scheme. The scheme, says the League, "will impose considerable inconvenience on millions of law-abiding people in order to make marginal reductions to a problem which is being dealt with already by the police and the football authorities." Colin Moynihan's Bill, which the League calls "an is due out this month. The League's letter, which has also been sent to club chairmen, is in response to a recent pro-identity cards missive sent to MPs by Moynihan, and aims to refute various ministerial claims it contained. The League implores MPs to investigate for themselves the truth of arrest figures, and the success of closed-circuit TV, and to "contact your nearest League club and the local police to discuss with them the practical steps being taken to deal with the problems caused by a negative and unruly minority." According to Tom Pendry, chairman of the Parliamentary all-party football committee, Tory MPs, dozens of whom have marginal seats near football grounds, are already being called in and questioned by football clubs who dispute Moynihan's arrest figures. IF SOME League chairmen's views on identity cards are anything to go by, Moynihan's meetings with them scheduled for January 17 and 26 could prove quite volatile.

One letter, sent by the chairman of a First Division club to Moynihan reads in part: "The problem inside football stadiums has largely been solved and your reference to the number of police arrests only serves to demonstrate your abysmal knowledge of what really happens. "These arrests are preventative arrests. In other words they are arrests to prevent and eject people and not as a result of a committed disorder. It is my opinion that this Bill will be to you what eggs' have been to I forget her name now! Yours sincerely ANNOY TALES ONE Thanks to Bill Tro-mans of Solihull for this announcement he heard at last Monday's game between West Brom and Shrewsbury. "Would spectators ensure that the number printed on their tickets corresponds with the number on the seat they are occupying.

Otherwise they will face ejaculation from the ground." SCOTTISH CUP Second Round Annan Queen's Park (2.0) Coldstream Albion (1.30) Cowdenbeath Stenhousemuir East Stirling Montrose Elgin Dumbarton Forres Alloa (2.15) Inverness Caley Brechin Stranraer East Fife SCOTTISH LEAGUE Premier Division Aberdeen Hibernian Celtic Hamilton Dundee Dundee Utd Hearts St Mirren Motherwell Rangers First Division Ayr Airdrie Falkirk Kilmarnock Forfar Dunfermline Meadowbank Morton Partick Raith Queen of South Clyde St Johnstone Clydebank Second Division Berwick Stirling OREAT MILLS LEAGUE Promter Div torn Barnstaple Tn Weston-s-Mare; Chip penham Tn Llskeard Ath; Dawlish Tn Swanage Herston; Frome Tn Bidetord; Minohead Paulton Rvrs; Radstock Tn Ex-mouth Tn; Taunton Tn Plymouth Argyle; Torrington Chard Tn. OVEN DEN PAPERS COMBINATION (all 2.0)-Lulon Crystal Palace; Southampton Ipswich; Tottenham Chelsea; Watford Wimbledon; West Ham Arsenal. Hockey B4JTTERMEH INDOOR TOURNAMENT. (9.30, Crystal Palace). Tomorrow! Classiti-cation matches (9.0).

Pfcian (3.45). SUNRISE WINDOWS INDOOR Perdiswell SC. Worcester). Tomorrow Classification matches (10.0). Pfnab (3.50).

QLENFIDOrCH INDOOR TOURNAMENT. (9.30, Kelvin Hall, Glasgow) Oroup Ai Hamburg. MIM, St Albans. Zurich Grasshoppers. Oroup Si Antipodean (Aus).

Buccaneers (Ire), Menzieshlll. Western Indespension. Tomorrow! Classltlcatlon matches (9.0). FrtuJi (3.30). NORTHERN PREMIER INDOOR LEAOUEv (12.15.

Richard Ounn LS, Bradford) Alderley Edge Ooncaster Harrogate Manchester Wakefield Welton. Tomorrow! (1.0. Oldham SC) Alderley Edge Har-rogalo Sheffield Stockton Wakefield Warrington. CLUBS. Brooklands Noston: Isca Bournemouth; Loughtonlans Hampstead; Kingslontans Richmond; Oxford Unlv Durham Univ; Sovenoaks Canterbury; Staines Havant; Upminster Westclitf.

WGC Broxbourne; Wisbech Cambs C. Bradford City-Tottenham Last season Spurs' impressive third-round win at Oldham proved illusory. In the next round they went out famously to Port Vale. Terry Venables's team is in better shape now but the defence could still be suspect in a tense one-off. Gas-coigne, whose injured ankle has improved, could be Tottenham's inspiration but they may find survival their priority.

Crewe Alsxandra-Aston Villa There is real shock potential here. Crewe are setting a good pace in the Fourth Division but Villa are beginning to lose their way in the First and a repeat of last weekend's woebegone defensive display would produce huge grins at Gresty Road. Kettering-Halifax Maybe defeat for Halifax would not be that much of a surprise but there is still a gap between the Fourth Division and the rest and victory for Kettering would remain a triumph for the part-timers. West Bromwich-Everton This is the 1968 Final all over again. Albion have no Astle to score the winner but will still strengthened by the return of Molby.

McGrath is set to stay in the Manchester United defence for one of the day's most intriguing ties, at home to Queen's Park Rangers. Strachan is unfit but the youngsters who performed so well against Liverpool on New Year's Day, especially Beardsmore, are all there. No sooner have Arsenal taken over from Norwich City at the top of the First Division than the air is full of double talk, which seems a little premature. For a start Arsenal have to survive tomorrow's televised encounter at West Ham, where Derby County and Liverpool have already been sent packing in the Littlewoods Cup. Dixon is set to return at right-back for Arsenal.

In addition to the obvious names, clubs to follow this time could include Derby, who have Shilton and Wright to remind Southampton of how porous their defence has become, Nottingham Forest, who with Nigel Clough fit again ought to beat Ipswich, Millwall or Luton, who meet at the Den, Coventry, who should not lose at Sutton. and, of course, Wimbledon. The Cup unseeded draws and endearing lack of logic make forecasting hazardous but the last eight could line up: Arsenal, Bradford City, Derby, Leeds, Liverpool, Manchester United, Millwall and Wimbledon. THE ODOS 5-1 Liverpool: 7 Arsenal; 9 Manchester United. Other Hilt's odds: 28 Oerby.

Millwall: 40 Wimbledon; 60 Leeds: 250 Bradford; 750 Kettering; 2.000 Welling; 2.500 Carlisle; 5.000 Sutton. Arsenal are 9-1 and Liverpool 16-1 to win the League and Cup. prove a handful for a fitful Everton side who began to regain their best form over Christmas only to lose it badly at Nottingham Forest in the New Year. Watch out for Goodman, particularly if Ratcliffe is out of the Everton defence. Port Vale-Norwich City Vale had their day last season when they beat Spurs.

They could have another if Norwich continue in the inconsistent form that has seen them lose the First Division leadership. Vale lay near the Third Division relegation area when they knocked out Spurs. Now they are pressing for Norwich may be glad of a replay. Sutton United-Coventry The last thing that will bother Sutton is the memory of Coventry's FA Cup triumph in 1987. If anything it will inspire the non-League siis to even greater efforts than those which ran Middlesbrough so close a year ago.

A win for Sutton is unlikely for even if they curb Regis and Speedie they still have to find a way past Ogrizovic. A draw is a stronger possibility. Homes League fancied their chances against those of the Save Prosper Notts Alliance. And almost everywhere you look, somebody has had a distant view of Wembley through a glass of beer. It used to be all so much simpler.

The giant-killers came and went without selling so much as an extra pint of lager. Colchester and Yeovil played for the Southern League as part-time professionals. Walthamstow Avenue, who in 1953 drew at Old Trafford in the fourth round, were Isthmian League amateurs, albeit in a loose sense of the word. Between the preliminary rounds and the presentation of the Cup about the only concession to commercialism came when the Wembley crowd waved their Daily Express songsheets for the cam-eras after singing Abide With have their families flown over. County already have the Czech internationals on three-year contracts after receiving work permits.

But under Fifa rules players who leave one national association without permission cannot play in another for one year. Maxwell said: "We will be taking the matter to Fifa and Uefa in the next few weeks. We see no reason why these players, who were amateurs in Czechoslovakia, should not be able to play here." But Czech officials have denied the pair were amateurs. If Fifa does not relax the rule, the two men will be unable to TOMMY Coakley was sacked as manager of Walsall after 11 successive defeats, culminating in a 5-1 loss at home. In October, Gil-lingham's manager Paul Taylor was sacked after a club-record run of 11 successive defeats culminating in a 5-Or loss.

Last week Taylor got a new job assistant manager at Walsall. THE GUARDIAN is hardly one to talk about typographical errors, but the latest copy of Football Today outdoes even us. On the front cover there is the Guiness Soccer Six, and inside, Marradona, Graham Sharpe, Tainadice, Dunfinn-line, Noots Forest, Lawrie MacNenemy, Graig Johnston and the best of the lot, the Argentinian who got sent of in the 1966 World Cup, Antonio Rantin. The paper was recently adopted by the Football League, which agrees the publication has a long way to go. The staff also have a lot of problems inherited from the paper's previous owners.

Oh yes, the good news. The proof reader starts on February 8. ANNOY TALES TWO "Would the owner of a blue Sierra, registration number parked outside Jones, the builder's merchants, please move it as it is causing an obstruction." This is what Welling's largest Conference crowd of the season heard during the first half of Monday's pre-FA Cup match with Fisher. Twenty minutes later Les Cronin, the Welling announcer, was getting tough: "If this car is not moved immediately the police will tow it away." Then it dawned on Les who owned the car. He did.

Rugby Union SCOTTISH TRIAL Blues Whites (2.0. Murrayfield). CLUB MATCHES Bath Cardiff, Bedford Wakefield; Blackheath Lichfield (2.15); Bridgend Newport; Bristol Welsh; Cheltenham Torquay; Coventry Llanelli (2.30); Dunfermline Ayr (2.0): Durham Borough-muir (2.15): Edinburgh Acads Kelso (2.0): Exeter Devonport Services (2.30); Fylde Birkenhead Pk (2.15): Glasgow HighKelvin-side Stewa'1 (2.0); Gloucester Scottish; Gosfoith Liverpool St Helens (2.15); Harlequins Wasps (2.15); Harrogate Wmnington Pk (2.0;; Hartlepool Rvrs Sheffield (2.15): Hawick Langholm (2.0); Kendal Preston Grasshoppers (2.30); Leicester Headingtey; Irish Nottingham (2.30); Lydrtey Oxford; Morley Orrell (2.15); Moseley vW Hartlepool; Neath Ebbw Vale; Newbridge Plymouth Albion; New Brighton Broughton Pk; Northampton Sudbury; Northern Middlesbrough (2.15). Nuneaton Pontypool (2.30): Otley Stourbridge (2.15); Penarth AbeitiHeiy: Pontypridd Cross Keys; Richmond Police (2.30); Rosslyn Pk Glamorgan Wndrs (2.30); Roundhay Vale Of Lune (2.15); Sale Waterloo; Saracens Rugby (2.15): Stroud Bridgwater Albion: Swansea Aberavon; US Portsmouth Met Police (2.30): Weston-s-Mare Birmingham. Rugby League JOHN PLAYER SPECIAL TROPHY.

Finals Widnes Wigan (2.15, Burnden Pk. Bolton). Tomorrow STONES BITTER CHAMPIONSHIP. Halifax Castleford; Hull Bradford (3.15); St Helens Leeds; Salford Wakefield; Warrington Hull KR. Second Division! Barrow Hunslet; Bramley Bailey (3.30); Carlisle Fulham (2.15); Chorley Keighley; Dewsbury Doncaster Huddersfield Mansfield (3.30); Leigh Workington (3.30); Rochdale Runcorn: Swinton Whitehaven.

Ice Hockey (6.30 face-otf unless stated) HEtNEKEN BRITISH LEAGUE PrmWir Division! Ayr Nottingham (7 0): Fife Slreatham (7.15); Solihull Peterborough. First Division! Cardiff Lee Valley; Cleveland Deeside; Slough Glasgow (5 45); Tellord Sunderland (7.0). Tomorrow! Pro-mior DfvUloni Murrayfield Nottingham; Peterboro Whitley; Solihull Durham; Tay-sido Slreatham (7.0). First Dtvlslont Dee-side Glasgow (5.30): Lee Valley Telford (6.0); Medway Romford (7.0); Richmond Swindon (5.45); Trafford Sunderland (530). Basketball (80 tip-all unless stated) CARLSBERO LEAGUE.

Derby Livingston; Crystal Palace Sunderland: Leicester Rangers; Heme) Hempstead Manchester. Tomorrow) Bracknell Sunderland (4 0) NATIONAL LEAGUE. First Division! Men: Birmingham Oxford: Corby Cheshire; Plymouth Tower Hamlels (7 30); Stockport Oldham: Worthing Galeshead. Womoni Cardiff Crystal Palace (6.0): Kingston London Bobcats (60) Tomorrow: Mom Brixton Worthing (4.0). Womoni London Jets Stockport (4 0).

Northampton Tyneside (330): Nottingham Sheffield (3.30). the ball skills were pretty good laughter, but I was more im pressed when we went over the roadtothecale. "While I was eating my steak and kidney pie John Lyall, the coach at the time, would be! moving salt cellars around to illustrate tactical points, learned a lot about football from him but I learned a lot! more about respect for people. Manners cost nothing." Welling's spirit has been rewarded by the loyalty of players. Paul Barron and Ray Bur gess, wno Dotn piayea in tnat first Saturday match in 1971, take the field today.

Barron, 33, a sports agent whose clients include Colin Hendry, the Blackburn centre-half, returned to Welling after a League career in goal for Plymouth, Arsenal and West Bromwich. Burgess, a 32-year-old midfielder, played his 900th game in Monday night's 3-1 win over Fisher. No one expects them to beat Blackburn, but they cannot really lose. Bexley council supported the club in keeping the tie at Park View. Local firms helped ensure of ground improvements were completed in time.

Andy Town-send, now of Norwich but initially of Welling, who sold him to Weymouth for a club record 13,500, will be in the stands "and may set a world record by buying me a drink," said Graham. After the whingeing of football's misery-guts, the inflation of trivia, the failure to grasn im portant matters, the neglect of spirit, witnout wnicn. there can be no genuine triumph, Welling United offer blessed relief. They have won the most important victories, for decency, a sense of proportion and, yes, wonderment, before they have even kicked a ball. BARCLAYS LEAGUE Third Division Aldershot Preston Fulham Chester Bury Swansea Notts County Wigan Chesterfield Fourth Division Peterborough Rotherham Rochdale Lincoln Stockport Scunthorpe (11.30) SHERPA VAN TROPHY First Round Scarborough York GM VAUXHALL CONFERENCE Fisher Northwich Macclesfield Barnet Runcorn Wycombe Stafford Kidderminster Wavmouth AHrincham Not on coupont Aylesbury Yeovil; Boston Newport; Teiiora wiaiasione.

BEAZER HOMES LEAGUE Premier Division Ashford Worcester (at Folkestone) Bromsgrove Fareham Cambridge City Moor Green Dartford Alvechurch Dover Redditch Gosport Merthyr Leicester Utd Corby Waterlooville VS Ruabv Hoi on coupon) Bath Crawley; Bedworth Burton; Weatdstone Dorcnesier. Southern Dtvislont Baldock Tn Andover; Bockinoham Tn Tonbrldge AFC; Chelms ford Witney Tn; Erith Belvedere Dun- siaoie; uravesena a nonnneei uurnnam; Hastings Tn Bury Tn; Hounslow Trowbridge Tn; Poole Tn Canterbury Salisbury Corinthian; Sheppey Utd Folkestone; Thanet Uld Ruislip. ASS NORTH-WEST COUNTIES LEAGUE. First Dhrtsfon (all 2.30)i Ather-ton LR Rossertdale Utd; Boolle Burs-cough; Clitheroe Formby; Colwyn Bay Leyland Motors: Knowsley Uld Ashton Prescot Cables Darwen; Saltord Flixlon; Warrington Tn Ellesmere Port Neston. NORTHERN COUNTIES EAST Premier Division! Armthorpe Welfare Gui-setey; Belper Tn Long Eaton Utd; Bridlington Tn Pontefract Cols; Brigg Tn Ossett Alb (2.0): Denaby Utd Emley (2.0): Ha! lam Grimethorpe MW (2.0); Harrogate Rly Bridlington Trin (2.0): Thackley Hatfield Main.

SKOL NORTHERN LEAOUE. FV.t Divisions Billingham Synth Brandon; Chester Le Street Crook Tn: Guisborough Tn Blyth Spartans: Seaham Billingham Tn; Bank Shields (3.15): Spennymoor Newcastle (3.15); Stockton Durham Tow Law Ferrvhill Ath (2.0): Whitbv Tn Shildon. youngsters on Mondays) led them off, Brigden, a comparative outsider from Orpington, looked ahead to the game. He is a pleasant man. Obviously goodwill is infectious at Welling.

"To be honest, I am not even tingling at the moment." Nevertheless, he smiles knowingly as the rain buckets down and someone mentions Blackburn's flu bug. "They're a good footballing side, I hear. Well, who do you think this gesturing outside is going to suit?" Brigden has managed football teams since he was 16. His brief must be the envy of full-time managers. "I'm under no pressure here because "there is no board of directors hanging over me." There is, actually, but not one that many clubs would recognise as such.

In addition to Graham and Barrie, it comprises their brother-in-law Paul Webs-dale as chairman, father-in-law Dave Kirby, Stephen Pain, whose 20-year affiliation began as a programme seller, and Keith Nicholls, a former player. Syd, their father who died four years ago, kept goal for Charlton, Millwall and Orient. The family that plays together, stays together. Graham says: "It's easy for a businessman director to say he's had enough and walk out, but we have to live with each other. The only rows have been between Barrie and myself, but brothers have always argued." Since 1971, when both brothers gave up managing betting shops, they have immersed themselves in the club.

They feel fulfilled. Graham's view of the game was forged at West Ham training sessions. "I used to go down with Eric Batty, the football writer. I remember thinking Weekend fixtures (3.0 unless stated) Soccer FA GUP Third Round Barnsley Chelsea Birmingham Wimbledon Blackpool Bournemouth Bradford Tottenham Brighton Leeds Cardiff Hull Carlisle Liverpool Charlton Oldham Crewe Aston Villa (12.0) Derby Southampton Hartlepool Bristol City Huddersfield Sheffield Uld Kettering Halifax Man City Leicester Man Utd QPR Middlesbrough Grimsby Millwall Luton Newcastle Watford Nottm Forest Ipswich Plymouth Cambridge Utd Portsmouth Swindon Sheffield Wed Torquay Shrewsbury Colchester Stoke Crystal Palace Sunderland Oxford Utd Sutton Utd Coventry (2.0) Tranmere Reading Walsall Brentford Welling Blackburn (2.0) WBA Everton Tomorrow Port Vale Norwich West Ham Arsenal (3.05) NFS LOANS DMslonr Bangor Matlock; Barrow Goois; Buxton Mossley; Fleetwood Snepshed; Frlckley Stalybridge Celtic: Hyde Gateshead; More-cambe Caernarfon; Liverpool Horwlch; Soulhport Marine; Wltton Gainsborough; Worksop Rhyl. VAUXH ALL-OPEL LEAGUE, Premlwr Dfvfsloni Bognor Hayes; Dagenham Bromley; Dutwich Barking: Grays Leylon-stono-lllord; Harrow St Albans; Leyton-Win-gate Windsor Eton: Slough Bishop's Stortford; Wokingham Martow BEAZER HOMES LEAOUL Midland Qtv-Wom Atherstone Uld Bilsion Tn; Bridgnorth, Tn Banbury Utd; Coventry Sporting Hednesford Tn; Gloucester Ruahden Tn: Halesowen Tn Nuneaton Bar: Kings Lynn Ashtree Highfleld: Mile Oak Hvrs Forest Grn Rvrs; Spalding Utd Stourbridge; Sutton Coldfield Tn Grantham Tn; Wellingborough Tn Tamworth; Wlllenhall Tn Dudley Tn.

Lager bouts on road to Wembley IN 1962 Sean Connfiry introduced James Bond to the big screen, the Beatles were unleashed on a grateful world and naughty goings-on at Cliveden obliged Macmillan to carve up his Cabinet. At Welling Secondary School, where South London merges with Kent, 15-year-old Graham Hobbins was summoned to the headmaster's study. "You are not the brightest of scholars, Hobbins," he was told, "but you are one of our better cricketers. Stay on for another year and look after the team, will you? To tell the truth, old chap, I can't find a teacher to do the job." Hobbins minor brother Barrie is six years senior remembers it well. "Sport was fairly important at the school and I was left picking the team and sorting out the kit.

Had it not been for that, I doubt if anyone would have asked me to organise a football game." In the spring of 1963 someone did just that. "You know what it's like. You're in the playground and someone says, 'I play for the scouts, how about getting a group of lads together and giving us a Towards the end of that season, as Manchester United won the Cup, the Hobbins brothers and six pals put down their coats for goals and played three friendly games in Danson Park. Over sandwiches in the garage of a friend's house, Welling United were born as a Sunday parks team. From the Eltham and District Under-15 League to the FA Cup.

Me. Now the finalists promote the. sales of Japanese audio equipment although last year was an exception, with Carlsberg beating Crown Paints. The FA Cup itself remains unsullied by commercial exploitation, a lingering reminder of the days when football was paid for by the millions who watched it. Yet how long this will continue is questionable.

Bert Millichip, the chairman of the FA, and Ted broker, the secretary, have gone on record as saying that the idea of a sponsored FA Cup is unacceptable because of the tradition and status of the world's oldest football competition. Nevertheless, there was a nasty scare in November 1987 when the FA appeared on course for a 12 million deal with Foster's, the Australian lager company. the bureaucrats play competitive football until September, a year from the time they said they were cutting all Czech ties. Southampton, Derby's FA Cup opponents today, want to shore up the First Division's worst defensive record with the 6ft 4in Yugoslav international, Milos Drizic, 28, who was recommended by their former Yugoslav player, Ivan Golac. The Saints have agreed a 250,000 fee with his club, Rad Belgrade, and hope to sign him once they obtain a work permit.

Meanwhile, Ipswich's manager, John Duncan, is awaiting news of his Soviet international signing, Sergei Baltacha. The David Lacey THESE days, being knocked out of the FA Cup is a bit like being mugged in the High Street on the way to the bank. Wherever you look there is a sign of a sponsor. Today Kettering Town, Sutton United and Welling United attempt to hold up Barclays in the name of General Motors. The competition which this season has produced three non-League participants in the third round has ignored few areas of the nation's commerce.

Members of the Key Consultants League have hoped for advancement at the expense of the Beazer Homes League. The Federated The idea of an FFA Cup led to strong objections and the scheme was dropped but the seeds of sponsorship remain. This season Graham Kelly, FA chief executive-designate and Croker's successor, has said that while anyone wishing to sponsor the Cup would have to make an extraordinary offer, he could not rule out the idea altogether. So make the most of the FA Cup as it is now and has been for 117 years. It is the one competition in which Norton and Stockton Ancients can lose 5-4 at home to Farsley Celtic in front of a crowd of 44 and retain some affinity with the great day in May.

Fill the Royal Box at Wembley with Australian marketing executives, and no amount of amber nectar will hide the feeling that football's brightest ornament has been tarnished for good. got here first 30-year-old former Dynamo Kiev defender is due to fly here now that a work permit and visa have been arranged. But Duncan said yesterday: "We still haven't heard anything from Moscow." Gillingham's shareholders agreed at an EGM last night to increase the club's authorised share capital from 5,000 to 6 million, by the creation of nearly 12 million new 50p shares. The Third Division club, who lost 2-1 at Bolton last night, have said that the money will be used to eliminate bank borrowing, fund ground improvements and strengthen the team. The comrades are coming, but Russell Thomas THE Eastern-bloc players are coming.

Derby County's two Czech defectors have surfaced in London and a Yugoslav hopes to sign for Southampton. But mystery surrounds the delayed arrival of a Soviet in Ipswich. Ivo Knoflicek and Lubos Ku-bic, runaways from Slavia Prague, were presented at a press conference by Robert Maxwell yesterday, with Derby's Czech-born chairman launching an attempt to secure clearance for an early entry into League football and to.