The 1950/51 season has strong claims to be regarded as, not the worst season in Lancing's history, but certainly the most disappointing. Consider what had been achieved in four seasons previously: two Brighton League titles, one year in County League consolidation and then a glorious 1949/50 campaign in which the championship had been lost in the very first game. Few would have disputed the fact that 1951, Festival of Britain year, was also likely to be Lancing Athletic's year to become Sussex County League champions for the first time.
It was not to be: it was not even close. The writing was on the wall before a ball was kicked. Promising youngster Des Smyth was in Egypt with the Army. Peter Inglis, a Navy man, was also abroad. Albert Thorne was unavailable due to business commitments. Goalkeeper Ernie Manouch had been released. Veteran Ron Sexton hung up his boots and took on the job of team manager. And, worst of all, Reg Bowles joined Worthing. That was five first team regulars gone and one 'occasional', Smyth, who would certainly have been a regular but for his army duties.
The departure of Bowles deserves more than a cursory mention. There is little doubt that Reg is the best player ever to represent the club. He would be an automatic choice at left back, not only in an all-time Lancing team but in a Worthing one too. Incredibly, the 1949/50 season saw him on the verge of an England Amateur cap and for a player from the obscurity of the Sussex County League, that must be unparalleled. It was hardly surprising, in the circumstances, that he opted to continue his career at Corinthian League level with Worthing and although some Lancing supporters were quick to criticise his decision, the club themselves, while obviously disappointed to lose their best player, had no quarrel with him. Reg left with all good wishes. Sadly the story did not have a happy ending. Reg never won that coveted cap for then as always, to be with one of the established London amateur clubs was the best way to attract the attention of the selectors and Worthing were not quite firmly enough on the national stage. Few who saw him play in his heyday would not have picked him for England.
Another departure from Lancing, rather later in the season, was press secretary Ernie Trory. He resigned his post in November, explaining with admirable honesty that he did not feel able to justify to the press certain team selections with which he did not agree himself. Lancing, like any other club at this level, has had many hard working voluntary helpers over the years (and still does). But no one did quite so much to advance the club's cause as Ernie Trory. Ernie's attention to duty and detail gave the club yards of publicity, not just in the local press but nationally too, and he made this young club the best known in Sussex non-league football. His lasting monument will be the three Lancing Athletic Review annuals, whose scope has rarely been matched by any club of comparable status. I have already recorded my gratitude to Ernie for lending me his meticulous and comprehensive records of club affairs: without him the compilation of this history would have been much more difficult.
Newcomers to the club at the start of the season, with such a void to fill, included the Hampshire brothers, George and Tom, from Worthing and forward Geoff George from Abbey Rovers, known these days as Lancing United, And... in the words of the Worthing Herald, "A 13 year old newcomer for the third team is hefty Michael Smith, son of Les Smith, a former Millwall player. As yet he has tasted only schoolboy football". In those brief words the general public was first introduced to a future manager of the Welsh national side.
For a while, it seemed as if the cracks in the side might be papered over. George made his mark with two goals in the opening game, a 5-1 home win over Bognor. A week later Horsham returned home from Croshaw with a 3-1 win under their belts, a disappointment for Lancing but no disaster, for Horsham, as ever, were expected to be among the leaders. George was on target twice again, seven days later, in a 4-2 win at Lewes. A steady start and now came another historic moment, Lancing's first FA Cup-tie.
The regionalised draw could hardly have been more unkind, a home tie it was but against the Southern League professionals of Hastings United, a club only two years old but one that had been formed from the start as a Southern League side in an age where the league had considerably more status than it does now. Lancing lost but earned most of the praise after a 3-2 scoreline. Had Elwyn Pice not hit the post with a penalty moments before the visitors broke away to take a 3-1 lead, the result might have been different.
A week later it was the Amateur Cup and with an away tie against Bognor, already convincingly beaten in the league, Lancing were firm favourites. But it turned out to be a dismal show. Yet, thanks to the brilliance of John Stoner in goal and a lucky own goal at the other end, Lancing led 3-1 before the Rocks rallied to force a replay.
Even so, it was expected that with ground advantage Lancing would find their touch and repeat that 5-1 win. As it turned out, that score was massively exceeded, but not by Lancing. Without flu victims Ernie France and Ken Williams and giving ex-Worthing men Ivor Beach and Frank Smith their debuts, not to mention the enforced(and as it proved, final) appearance of Sexton in attack, Lancing still managed three goals while George Hampshire missed a penalty. Unfortunately for Lancing, Bognor's policeman centre forward, Ernie Randall, scored seven. The final score Lancing 3, Bognor 11. It was one of the blackest days in the club's entire history.
That was, in effect, the end of the season for Lancing. League form was moderate, wins and defeats coming in roughly even quantities. After the Bognor disaster, wins against Shoreham and Lewes sandwiched a defeat at Newhaven. At that stage, eight points had come from six games, but any lingering hopes of a title challenge were then ended by a run of four successive defeats.
In the middle of that spell, the last hope of cup glory vanished too, Whitehawk, then a Brighton League side, came to the Croshaw ground for a first-round Sussex Senior Cup tie and gave due warning of glories to come in the not-too distant future by winning 3-2. It was the second time in 1950 that Lancing had been ejected from the Senior Cup by a Brighton League side.
By this time, Sexton had resigned as team manager. Pressure of work was the reason he gave but as his decision was announced two days after the Amateur Cup exit, there is, shall we say, room for speculation. Named to replace him was local policeman Ted Hilton, whose sporting pedigree, according to one local paper, was that he was an ex-Manchester City player. The rival paper merely recorded that he was West Sussex Police tennis champion.
There were some bright points as the season progressed, notably the blooding of some young players who were to serve the club well. Among them were keeper Vic Swallow, wing-half Tony Simmonds and winger Roy Cooper, only 16. Lancing's avowed intention to produce their own players was beginning to pay dividends.
Elwyn Price came in for some stick, there was little doubt that he failed to fulfil his immense potential, and at one stage the club had to appeal publicly to its supporters to refrain from barracking Price. A classic sign, really, of the first poor season for a club now accustomed to success.
Most of the big news of 1951 was made off the field. The Croshaw ground was clearly inadequate for Sussex County League football and the club obtained the option to buy a piece of land north of Culver Road, Negotiations were then put in hand to lease a part of Monks Farm Recreation Ground from the Parish Council to complete the area required for a new ground. All went well and in June both deals were completed. A public appeal was launched for cash. The requirement was estimated at £5,000, of which £1300 was needed to buy the land(the price was actually £1800 but the vendor agreed to put £500 into the club), £850 for leveling the ground, seeding it and fencing it in(less if voluntary labour was used, as in the end it was) and the balance to build a stand at a later date. A loan of £1200 came from the Football Association, to be repaid at £90 a year for 15 years The Supporters Club agreed to meet this repayment and also to pay the rent for the area of Manks Rec. Works commenced in June but trees had to be removed from the Culver Road land before a pitch could be laid and there was no chance of opening the next season there. Incidentally, Lancing distributed leaflets appealing for money to all local houses and were forced to make a public apology to Shoreham FC after one of the youngsters carrying out this task had inadvertently gone too far along a road and accidentally delivered a few leaflets within Shoreham!