Saturday 14th January 1978 and Banbury United were at home to Leatherhead in the First Round of the FA Trophy. This was United’s second game in this season’s competition, having beaten Kidderminster Harriers 2-1 at the Spencer Stadium in the Third Qualifying Round whilst this was Leatherhead’s first game as they were exempt from the qualifying stages.

Leatherhead had come to national prominence in season 1974/75 with an FA Cup run which saw them beat Bishops Stortford and Colchester United in the first two rounds to earn a Third Round trip to Brighton & Hove Albion where a late goal from Chris Kelly gave the minnows a 1-0 win. The Fourth Round saw Leatherhead drawn against First Division Leicester City. Striker Chris Kelly, a Stan Bowles and Rodney Marsh look-a-like and an upholsterer by trade, had already upset opposition players and teams with his bold predictions and out-spoken comments, though this was of course lapped up by the national media and after the draw he continued in this vein by telling Match of the Day’s Jimmy Hill that “Leicester are rubbish. We’ll stuff them in the next round.”

Kelly was now dubbed the “Leatherhead Lip” and appeared on TV programmes Nationwide and oddly Tomorrow’s World in the week leading up to the game at Filbert Street and also achieved lasting television fame when his name appeared on the back of Fletcher’s copy of the Sun in Porridge later that year.

Goals from Peter McGillicuddy and Kelly put Leatherhead 2-0 up after 30 minutes but there was to be no “fairy tale ending” for the Isthmian League side as the Foxes hit three in the second half to progress.

Kelly’s exploits would go on to earn him a short, ultimately unsuccessful, spell with Millwall but he would soon be back with Leatherhead and three years later would be in the Leatherhead side at the Spencer Stadium for this FA Trophy game. The crowd of 1,077 is the last time that there have been over 1,000 at an FA Trophy game at the Stadium.

United were missing Terry Evans, the club’s leading goalscorer with 17 goals that season as he was in Tunisia after winning a holiday from his firm.

Banbury battled bravely but, in the end, the extra class of Leatherhead proved just a little too much for them. Leatherhead opened up a 2-1 lead before half-time with Chris Kelly grabbing the vital goal seconds before the interval. During the second half, United pulled out all the stops and could have snatched an equaliser in a hectic last 15 minutes but it was Leatherhead, always seeming to have a bit in reserve when it was really needed, who went through to the Second Round. It was United’s failing to clear the ball from corners which proved their downfall in the first half, with both Leatherhead goals coming from flag-kicks.

Leatherhead went in front on 22 minutes when at a corner Mick Cook out-jumped the Banbury defence to glance a header into the net off the crossbar. Three minutes later and United were back on level terms when Cliff Campbell volleyed home after John Worthington had chipped the ball to the far post. Martin Thomas in the United goal made good saves from Kelly and Salkfield and a cross from Kelly rolled along the crossbar as Leatherhead dominated the closing stages of the first half. Then with only seconds remaining of the half, Leatherhead scored their second from a corner with United failing to dominate their own six-yard box. Thomas pushed away a header from Dennis Malley and Kelly nodded the ball home from close in.

Leatherhead went close to increasing their lead on several occasions early in the second half but as the half progressed they seemed content to just hold on to their lead. This nearly proved their undoing as Steve Slaughter had a shot blocked in a goalmouth scramble and a Phil Lines volley went just over the top of the bar. In the last two minutes Campbell saw a header flash across the face of the goal and Swannell almost let a 25 yard shot from Lines slip under his body but United were unable to get the goal which would have earned them a replay at Fetcham Grove.

Banbury United: Martin Thomas, Wally Hastie, Derek Evans, Colin Darvell, Dave Matthews, John Worthington, Phil Lines, Alan Pollard, Cliff Campbell, Steve Slaughter, Paul Day. Sub: Richard Jarvis.

Leatherhead would go on to advance all the way to the final of the FA Trophy where they would lose 3-1 at Wembley to Altrincham.

Photo at top of article shows Cliff Campbell looking on as his shot hits the back of the net for United’s goal against Leatherhead.

Photos below are of Chris Kelly in action against Leicester City and a report of the Banbury United v Leatherhead game.