Workington Reds go to Darlington on Friday to play in the FA Cup, and probably one of the most infamous episodes in the club’s league history occurred in that competition against the Quakers.
It was November 1974 and Reds had travelled to Feetham with defender Brian Wood in caretaker charge after the departure of George Aitken.
Now Brian had played for West Brom, Crystal Palace, Leyton Orient and Colchester and had been another of Brian Doyle’s shrewd free transfer recruits for the club.
In the 1971/72 season with he and Tommy Spencer at the heart of the defence in front of Mike Rogan and with John Ogilvie and Joe Wilson as full-backs, augmented by Ronnie Walker and Tony Geidmintis, they had the best defence in the Fourth Division. Only seven goals were conceded at home and just 27 more in 23 away games.
I was told recently that 34 conceded is still the best defensive record for one season in the lowest league.
Brian was keen to make a go of the caretaker role and had thrown his hat into the ring for the job on a permanent basis. Results hadn’t been brilliant, but the football was good, the organisation and spirit had improved.
I’d travelled over with a pal and watched the game with the fans in front of the stand. At half-time there was a stir around us and someone with a transistor radio picked up the news that Reds had appointed Colin Meldrum as manager.
The players were all out for the second half and Brian was in the dug-out after bringing himself off.
Club chairman Tony Perry had heard what the fans were saying about the radio announcement and he decided to leave his seat in the director’s box and go down to have a word pitchside with his caretaker manager.
Apparently, with the game underway, he said to Brian: “I’m sorry Brian but word has come out. We’ve appointed Colin Meldrum as manager.”
Brian Wood was the mildest of men, but he admitted later swearing at the chairman, and dismissing him sharply with the rebuke – “We’ve a Cup-tie to win here.”
Sadly Reds battled well but went down 1-0 and Brian, so disgusted with Mr Perry’s actions, declined to travel back on the team bus but in fact came home in my friend’s car. Coming back over Bowes we stopped for something to eat and Brian went into chapter and verse what had happened.
I have always said – and this isn’t in hindsight, but said at the time – that Reds should have given Brian Wood the job.
It’s a credit to the man that he continued to play for the rest of that season under Meldrum, and turned in several starring performances.
He retired through recurring injury concerns the following season which was to be Workington’s penultimate campaign in the Football League.
After moving to live in Ipswich he managed a sports centre there also did some scouting for Preston North End. In total he made 476 appearances in the Football League, 204 of them for the Reds.
He suffered dementia and Parkinson’s disease in later life and died in Saxtead, Suffolk on July 5, 2014. He was certainly an all-time Reds great.
