This week’s photograph shows the excited crowd as Salisbury prepare to take on Newport County in the FA Cup. Having won their qualifying game by a goal to nil at home to Barnet, Salisbury took on the full-time professionals of the third division at Victoria Park, Salisbury in 1959.

Special arrangements had to be made to cope with the 6,000 who attended and there were open farm carts along the elevated ridge from near the players’ pavilion round towards the Stratford Road gate.

Many who attended saw little of the play unless it was in the air. Many of these were loyal supporters who were rather miffed about those who had come along just this once because it was a big occasion and who were given much sought after tickets to the pavilion enclosure.

The pressmen had a difficult time getting their ‘running stories’ over but they managed because those who were living nearby with phones kindly agreed to let the reporters come in and out of their homes and to use their phones! It seems remarkable but there was not even a telephone in the pavilion back in those days.

Salisbury put up a marvellous show on the pitch but a solitary goal in the 56th minute from the boot of left winger Wendall Morgan was enough to send Salisbury spinning out of the FA Cup.

To their credit Salisbury never gave up trying. Star-man Bill Clancy switched wings to no avail and inside left Roy Watts almost saved the match for Salisbury but his shot was just wide.

Had they won, Salisbury would have been at home to the mighty Tottenham Hotspurs in the next round – I wonder how Victoria Park would have coped with that one! The FA Cup was eventually won by Wolverhampton Wanderers who beat Blackburn Rovers 3 – 0.