HARRY DUNN and his Scarborough team-mates were kings of Non-League football‘s most prestigious competition in its early days.
The Northern Premier League outfit featured in four of the first eight finals of the FA Trophy, completing a hat-trick of victories with two late goals against Dagenham.
They saw off Wigan Athletic after extra time in 1973 before losing 4-0 to Matlock Town two years later, a result which still haunts Dunn who played over 900 games up to that day.
The Seadogs turned to Colin Appleton after their humiliation at the hands of Peter Swan’s Matlock and he guided them to wins over Stafford Rangers and then Dagenham.
Ambitious Scarborough wanted promotion to the Football League, something they weren’t able to achieve until the reign of Neil Warnock a decade later.
But Dunn, who still lives in the town and later managed the club, says he is very proud of the club’s early Trophy record.
He said: “I played at Wembley four times in five seasons but a lot of professionals never played there so it’s something I’m very proud of.
“I don’t think it’s something that has ever been done since, especially at Wembley, it was just an amazing feat.
“The 1970’s was a fantastic era to be at the club. All four finals were good finals with the exception of the Matlock game. We had a good bunch of lads, they wanted to win and Colin made us very competitive.
“It was even that way in training. We used to play games against the local lads from Hull and that really bred competition.
“We were never over-confident in out success, however. We played a lot of good sides like Wigan, who we beat in the final, and Wimbledon, who had a cracking team.
“My two little daughters came down to Wembley with their grandparents for our first final against Wigan. It looked like ending badly that day but then we equalised with about 20 seconds to go.
“Of all the games, the first final was my favourite because you always tend remember it more.
“I still dont know how we lost 4-0 to Matlock. We had 75 per cent of the game and it made us want to go back every year.”
The Seadogs looked to be heading for a second Wembley defeat after Terry Harris had given Dagenham the lead and, with the clocking ticking down, Appleton played his last card.
He brought on Jeff Barmby, the father of former Tottenham and England ace Nick, who like Dunn, was making his fourth appearance in the final.
“We were 1-0 down with about ten minutes to go and Jeff came on and he changed the game,” Dunn recalled. “We got two goals in the last 10 minutes.
“Harry A Dunn got us back on level terms with a penalty and we all thought it was extra time again, even though we seemed to be going forward all the time.
“And Derek Abbey went onto to get the winner, we were in dreamland.
“One-nil down with ten minutes to go, then Jeff comes on and changes the game. It’s what heroes are made of.”
Back, from left to right:
1. Dave Chapman: Goalkeeper Dave lives in Malton, North Yorkshire and has been a joiner since his playing days.
2. Gerry Donoghue: A buyer for a shipyard, Gerry went onto become a youth team coach at Newcastle United and then a regional scout for the FA before he sadly died this month.
3. John Woodall: John is based in the Goole area of east Yorkshire and has earned a living as a steel plater and welder.
4. Dave Adams: Dave is believed to be living in his native Hull but has lost touch with all of his former team-mates.
5. Steve Deere: A financier, who went onto become a progress checker for British Aerospace at Brough near Hull. Now retired he lives in North Cave, Humberside.
6. Billy Ayre: A PE teacher who managed Halifax, Blackpool, Scarborough, Southport and Cardiff. He was assistant manager of Bury when he died in April 2002 aged 49.
7. Sean Marshall: Became a food technician at Nestle Rowntree 35 years, then a partner in a tiling and kitchen fitting business and then a carer in York.
8. Harry A Dunn: A hospital porter for 30 years and then a caretaker in Bishop Auckland and managed a number of clubs including Blyth Spartans and is Darlington‘s chief scout.
9. Charlie Fountain: Lives in Hessle and has spent the last 43 years working as a bricklayer.
Front, from left to right:
10. Derek Abbey: He still lives in Scarborough and is a former groundsman at the Athletic Ground. Worked for the Ministry of Defence and in a roofing factory for 15 years.
11. Tony Aveyard: Civil servant Tony died tragically at the age of 21, just two days after the final, from head injuries he suffered in a Northern Premier League match against Boston.
12. Rob Smith: Rob was a civil servant before becoming a publican, managing pubs in Hull, Berkshire and Southampton for 32 years until retiring in February.
13. Peter Jackson: Living in Goole, east Yorkshire, Peter was a steel plater on the docks and is the director of a dockers recruitment agency. He also does some property developing.
14. Jeff Barmby: Father of former Hull City boss Nick, Jeff is a now a semi retired electrician who has done corporate work at the KC Stadium on match days.
15. Chris Dale: Chris is still living in York and has worked in the building industry for J H Walker for 30 years and then in the last six years for Travis Parkins after a buy-out.
16. Harry Dunn: Still living in Scarborough, Harry was an electrician at Plaxston, building bus and coach bodies for 40 years before retiring.
17. Stuart Blampey: Stuart lives in Hessle and has worked as a sales manager for Kimberly Clark for 33 years having previously spent 18 months at KP Foods.
