The Tunbridge Wells & District Minor League was the main go to League for minor football teams in the 1960s. Unfortunately by the summer of 1966, the League did not have enough teams to run a minor division, as a number of Sussex based youth leagues were attracting the Tonbridge & Tunbridge Wells based teams to play further afield. The League did however manage to run a Minor League Cup for the 1966/67 season, which Tunbridge Wells based St James Rangers won.
During the close season, the Tunbridge Wells & District Minor League made a big push to relaunch their minor division. At the AGM on the 7 July 1967, the League had 11 club teams interested in joining for the 1967/68 season, which included one Tonbridge club. However by the start of the new season, the town had three new youth teams, Roselands Juniors, Spartak Juniors and Invicta Minors. The Invicta team photo is below.
Pre-season success
In the pre season, Invicta minors entered two teams, an A team and B team into the annual Tonbridge & District Football League 6 a side minor football cup on Saturday 2 September 1967. The competition was organised on a league basis, with the Invicta B team winning six matches and drawing one. They beat the second placed team Ringden Warriors 2-1 and Invicta Minors were crowned the champions.
The Invicta B team were J Castle, B Jeffrey, R Baker, R Sadler, C Crake, J Eldridge. The team photo below appeared in the Courier.
Such was the popularity of the minors football, that the club run two minor teams, an Under 18s team which played in the Tunbridge Wells Minor League, whilst the Under 16s team played in the Ticehurst Minor League.
Within the first few months, both teams were proving to be very successful and the following three match reports dated the 21 October 1967, 9 December 1967 and 16 December 1967 highlight this:
"MINOR TEAM SCORES 18 Though Invicta's two older teams have not been doing so well this season, their new minor team is going like a bomb, with an unbeaten record in two competitions. On Saturday they beat Northiam 18-0 in the Ticehurst League (under-16s). Saturday scorers: Chris Coake (7), John Eldridge (4), R. Baker (2), B. Jeffrey (2), Richard Sadler, Stephen Cranston and an own goal".
"INVICTA CENTURY Invicta Minors, who play In both the Tunbridge Wells and Ticehurst Minor Leagues, scored 12 goals against Edenbridge Roamers on Saturday. They have now passed their 100 goals for the season. Roamers replied with one".
"Spartak Juniors held Invicta Minors to a nil-nil draw in the Tunbridge Wells Minor League. Invicta having scored 79 goals in their previous six matches. In the first-half both sides played good open football with both goalkeepers bringing off fine saves in the opening minutes. McClusky, of Spartak, was unlucky not to score towards the end of the first-half with a great shot just the inside the area. Page, the Invicta goalkeeper deflected the ball over the bar."
Tunbridge Wells League champions
The Under 18s continued their dominance in the Tunbridge Wells Minor League, only dropping one more point for the rest of the season. The team finished undefeated in the League, scoring 161 goals in 18 games, averaging scoring 9 goals match, whilst only conceding 9 league goals for the whole of the season. The final league table is below.
Tunbridge Wells Minor League Cup
After the club's League success, the team firmly had their sights set on the League and Cup double. First up, the Invicta Minors had to negotiate their way pass their local rivals Spartak Juniors in the semi final at Colebrook recreation ground in High Brooms.
"Massive for their ages Invicta Minors playing against Spartak Minors were too strong and won 4-1. They now meet Rusthall in the final a week tomorrow at Capel. Invicta scored all the goals, Bake (own goal) put Spartak ahead, but Invicta were 3-1 up at the interval through goals by Nichol, Turner and Sadler, Eldred added the fourth."
The cup final against Rusthall Minors was played on Saturday 11 May 1968 at Capel recreation ground. The two teams lined up as follows:
Invicta Minors team: B Paige, D Round, S Tutt, R Baker, R Sadler, P Otto, S Crush, J Nicol, J Eldridge, C Turner and M Le Fevre.
Rusthall Minors team: C Bourner, A Chapman, C Mitchell, R King, A Bennett, K Waghorn, B Heasman, C Heasman, A Rofe, M Sell and C Warner.
The following match report appeared in the Courier
"Invicta deserved their win, but Rusthall, the team organised by that veteran stalwart of football, Mr. Stanley Akehurst, were worthy opponents and at times looked like pulling off a sensational victory.
TOO LATE: Invicta had first use of the moderate breeze which gusted downfield most of the time. This, as much as anything else, enabled them to turn round a goal ahead, and the advantage proved just enough. Invicta, in fact, played better in the semi-final against Spartak than they did on this occasion, but the conditions were different.
Invicta did most of the early work, but, as so often happens. they were not the first to score. A free kick as lobbed into the goalmouth and Sell was there to put Rusthall into the lead.
Within 30 seconds, it was level again. Turner scored from pass by Eldridge after a cross by Le Fevre. Nicol's good header made it 2-1 before the interval. Eldridge made it 3-1 after a Rusthall defensive mix up in the second half.
Rusthall crowded on all sail in the closing stages and were rewarded by fine second goal by star player Alan Role. It was too late, however, for the chance to equalise.
Rofe played well in attack for Rusthall and the Heasman twins on the right, both had a good first half.
Otto and Crush were good linkmen for the winners and Eldridge tried hard near goal."
The match finished 3-2 to Invicta Minors and team had won the double. The photo below has the captain P Otto picking up the League Cup trophy from the League secretary Mr A Gadd
It is always quite a remarkable feat for a team to go through a whole season without losing a single league or cup match, which is what the Invicta Minors team did for the 1967/68 season in the Tunbridge Wells Minor League. The Invicta Invincibles !!!
Such was the quality of the Invicta Minors players that most of them moved into adult football for the following season. The Invicta club did not run another youth football team for another 24 years, until 1992 when Tonbridge Invicta Juniors were created.
Credit: Many thanks to Mark Ansdell for allowing me to share the team photo.
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