The summer of 1965 was the start of a new era for this football club, its first as Banbury United after the name change from Banbury Spencer, a new Board of Directors representing local businesses keen to bring a higher grade of football in the form of the Southern League, rather than the West Midlands League in which the club had been competing and would compete in for their first season as “United”.

As far back as September of 1964 it was clear that Banbury Spencer were in financial difficulties. Club Treasurer John Gilkes, who had held the position for four years, resigned stating that he could see only a pessimistic future for the club as there was now a very poor following in the way of support and the Britannia Club Pool, now facing severe competition from similar schemes in the local area, was unable to provide the level of funds to finance the Spencer Football Club that they had done over many years.

Events on the field towards the end of season 1964/65 were very poor. Spencer lost seven consecutive league games from Saturday 12th December 1964 through to Saturday 6th February 1965 (inclusive). Gate receipts for the home games in February against Moor Green and Sutton Coldfield Town were just £14 and £12 respectively, under a third of what they had been for the first two home games of the season!

Saturday 23rd January 1965 had seen the death, from a sudden heart attack, of Club President and founder Robert Allen. Perhaps this was the final obstacle to the dropping of Spencer from the club’s name as just over two weeks later at a committee meeting on Wednesday 10th February, it was agreed that from the start of the following season the name of the club would be changed from Banbury Spencer to Banbury United. The intended change was reported in the local press at the beginning of March, the article confirming that a name change had been rumoured for some time but that most supporters were rather surprised at the choice of United as “Banbury Town” had been expected.

However, February 1965 saw club officials approached by a group of local businessmen, led by Cyril Kyme, informing them that they would be interested in taking over the football club. The group proposed to form a company “Banbury United Football Club Limited” to which all the assets of the Banbury Spencer Football Club would be transferred. This was approved by the Banbury Spencer club at a committee meeting on 5th April 1965. The assets transferred included the freehold of the ground, the trustees of the ground giving it their full support. The story of the takeover finally hit the local press in mid April of 1965. The Banbury Advertiser on Wednesday 14th April carried a front page article under the headline of “Take over of Banbury Spencer F.C.” The article included a statement from Banbury Spencer Football Club, of which the following is an extract:

“The Trustees and Committee of Banbury Spencer Football Club met Mr. C.A. Kyme and other interested parties on Monday April 5th 1965, for a discussion on the future of the club. As a result of those discussions, Mr Kyme and other local businessmen are to promote a new company Banbury United Football Club Limited to take over the existing assets and management of the club. It is hoped that members of the general public in Banbury who wish to keep a high standard of football in Banbury will be eager to subscribe for shares in the new company, to ensure that it has a very solid financial foundation...........The present Trustees and Committee of the Club have given their blessing to this new venture but all present at the meeting realised that it will only succeed if the sporting public of Banbury wish it and will it to succeed.”

The Advertiser added its own comments to the club statement “Undoubtedly this move will prove a life saver for professional football in Banbury. In its present form the club, despite the enthusiastic work of the committee, is dying on its feet. Playing results have gone from bad to worse. Finances have dwindled alarmingly and the support on the terraces has dropped right away. In fact, Banbury Spencer are now one of the poor relations of the West Midlands League - having to save money by taking the players to away matches in private cars. Yet the spirit amongst the players is excellent and it has not been for want of trying that Banbury are down with the “rats and mice” of the League. Now Banbury stand on the threshold of a new era. Shares will be offered to the public so that the fans will have a personal stake in the club if they so wish. And when all the shouting is over it will be the sporting public of Banbury that will eventually dictate whether the new club sinks or swims. The success of a club is measured by the number of people that pass through the turnstiles. Businessmen can give it a good start but it is the public that must keep it afloat.”

Banbury Spencer’s final game took place on Friday 30th April 1965, a home West Midlands League fixture against Brierley Hill Alliance. Spencer’s line up was Dave McArthur, Evans, Mick Kennard, Pete Svenson, Jimmy Smith, Brian Stone, Doug Prosser, Barry Jones, Warwick Floyd, Bobbie Wickett and Norman Thomas.

Spencer went into the game having lost their previous eight league matches, scoring just 3 goals and conceding 26. It got no better that day, Spencer losing 2-1 and towards the end of the game a slow hand clap was heard around the ground and the smallest crowd of the season started to drift away long before the final whistle. The loss to Brierley Hill had extended the losing sequence to nine games. All of this was a sad way for Banbury Spencer Football Club to end their existence.

Long serving Spencer player Tom McGarrity was the first manager of Banbury United as the season began.

Here is a pre-season team photo for 1965/66, albeit it does not include several players who would by the time the season proper started would be at the club and go on to be regulars that season such as Roger Darvell, Alan Fullwood, Jim Cassidy, Roy Proverbs, Ron Goodison and Peter Slade. It does though include a very young looking tony Jacques who would go on to become the club’s all time leading goalscorer with 223 goals in all competitions.

The players in the team photo are:

Back Row (Left to Right): Gary Brown, Barry Samson, Paddy Page, Pete Svenson, Ernie Barnes (Trainer), J. Fowler (Treasurer), L. Hicks (Secretary), Paul Woodfield, Brian Jenkins, Tony Cooper, Dave McArthur.

Front Row (Left to Right): Tony Jacques, R. Stevens, Mick Arnold, J. Trindle, Bill Mooney (Assistant Manager), Bobbie Wickett, Davehttp Chatterton, Colin Johnson.

The club Directors in the middle road left to right are G. Smith, H. Gilkes, F. Timms, C. Kyme, H. Price, J. Rogers, G. Piggott, T. Lynott, S. Gillett.

After just six league games of season 1965/66, with United having gained just one win and two draws from those games, Tommy McGarrity resigned. Finally, at the beginning of December 1965 it was announced in the local press that ex England International Len Goulden had been appointed manager of Banbury United and would take up the position on 1st January.

There follows an article on Len’s appointment.

Len took over from caretaker Bill Mooney with the club in a reasonably good league position with 23 points from 18 games (two points for a win in those days). However, any hopes that the club would immediately push on and make a serious challenge for the title were dashed as United failed to win any of Len’s first four games in charge. However, the club then went on an amazing run of results which saw them lose just one more league game all season and finish in third place in the table just one point behind second placed Walsall Reserves, albeit 10 points behind champions Tamworth.

The United Board of Directors had applied for membership of the Southern League for season 1966/67. It was hoped that the third place finish in the West Midlands League combined with off the field improvements and plans would perhaps be enough to see the club elected at the League’s AGM. Len Goulden himself made an impassioned plea on behalf of the club for election at the meeting and there is no doubt his standing in the game helped to get the club the necessary votes to be successfully elected.

Though Len had done so much to get United elected to the Southern League and the club were in early April of 1967 around mid-table in their first season of Southern League First Division football, the club Directors would at that point unceremoniously sack him after a 5-0 home defeat to Margate, seemingly rather harsh as the Kent side would earn promotion to the Premier Division that season by finishing First Division runners-up.

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