While I was slumming it at Cambridge on
Saturday, an old mate, called Richard Lewis, was wondering what the
hell was going on at the Viridor Stadium, Taunton, where his home
team took on local rivals Truro City in the FA Cup Second Round
qualifying. The game ended 2-2 with two goals from Taunton hero,
Jordan Rogers, which squared the game after Truro had taken the lead.
They replay on Tuesday. Taunton have some fine history behind them,
even though they only formed in 1947. They have been to two FA Vase
finals, losing the first in 1994 and winning in 2001 beating
Berkhamstead Town.
A few famous footballers have come out
of the two rivals over the years, but not one as famous as Gerald
“Gerry” Cakebread, a goalkeeper who made his name with Brentford
FC between 1954-64 making nearly 350 apppearances for the west London
club. Gerry was inducted into the Brentford Hall of Fame in
2015....did you know that they had one?
Why isn't Percival Whitton inducted
too, since he played for Brentford in 1925-6 having had spells with
Bristol Rovers, Aberaman Athletic and Newport County? Born in 1892 in
Creech St Michael, he started his career at Taunton and made it to
the big time briefly.
Truro City, from the National League
South, on the other hand is steeped in history from 1889 when the
club first played games at Truro School. They might be regarded as a
bigger club than Taunton and have also won the Vase in 2007, but they
have struggled to settle in a worthy stadium having been rejected by
planners on several schemes. There have also been some funny business
with financial dealings. They are hoping to get funding with the
Cornish Pirates RFC to share a Stadium for Cornwall, where the
Pirates and the Tinners can feel at home.
A trip to Margate awaits the winners of
the replay. It's a long haul across the country. For what it's worth,
Taunton Town have a better website than Truro and they play Godalming
Town, my local club from before my migration north, in the FA Trophy
on October 3rd; it's another long haul for the Surrey
lads. The motto "May we drive away" could well be an omen!
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