b'grammar school, Torquay Grammar. A narrowTHE FINAL:1-0 victory was secured by a goal fromPaddy McGlynn has clear memories of the Mike Millingtons fellow midfielder, Paddyfinal: Before the game we met Tony Godden, McGlynn, before facing another grammarthe West Brom keeper, and the legendary school, Maidstone Grammar, in the semi- striker Cyrille Regis. I was a Baggies fan and finals. managed to score in the final. I had actually Paddy is now 55, still lives in Birmingham andscored in the semi too, and so I manged to has a senior role at City Hospital working inscore in both ends of the Hawthorns.mental health. He recalls: Gez McDonagh also has clear memories of In the second round we playedthe day: I recall our PE teacher Bob Marfell John Hampden Grammar School ingiving a radio interview, as well as captain Buckinghamshire. They were a very goodRichard Gurgul. He was our leader and was team and in fact should have won. a great player for us. He elevated us that They had a boy called Kevin Keen playingseason. What a player!who later had a great career with West HamOur opponents in the final, St Marys from and Wolves among others. He was the bestMiddlesbrough, were a very good team and player I had ever seen and we rode our luckwe didnt quite have enough in the final to that day. win.In the next round I remember us goingI am still sore about the defeat even now after to Gowerton Comprehensive School inall of these years!Swansea. They tried to intimidate us, andMike Millington also remembers the final: created a really hostile atmosphere. However,They looked massive to be honest, and were we were up for the fight and smashed thema strong team.6-1. It was fantastic, because it was like the FA cup for schools, and we had a chance ofAnd so, the team from Handsworth lost 4-2 inVIEW winning it out of the thousands of schools in the country. the final. It was a case of so near yet so far The semi-final also took place at thefor the boys from Handsworth Grammar. AllFROM Hawthorns. One of the school governorsthree of the ex-pupils I spoke to have strong at the time, Mr Sid Lucas, whose namememories of their experience at school, andTHE 1983 is still on the plaque commemorating thethe year in which they went to the national opening of the Science block, was also afinal. Perhaps their story will inspire anotherBRIDGEdirector of West Bromwich Albion, and so thegeneration of HGS footballers to achieve Hawthorns were happy to host the game. similar success?Gez McDonagh was another member of theBy Mr Chris Conway For the final, on the 9th May 1983, team and he also has great memories of thatwe were fortunate to have once again season. Gez, also 55, now lives in Worcesterthe facilities of the West Bromwich and works in a senior position in insurance.Albion Football Club at our disposal. He remembers: Our opponents were the Cleveland We were riding the crest of a wave, and theHandsworth GrammarChampions, St Marys Sixth Form interest in school was fantastic. We actuallySchool Team v St MarysCollege from Middlesbrough. The pitch played in the semi-finals at the Hawthorns,was once again very wet from heavy the home of West Bromwich Albion, asCollege (Middlesbrough) rain during the day, but both teams well as the final. We defeated Maidstoneput on a splendid performance which Grammar 2-0 in atrocious conditions.1 Phil Benaiges 8 Richard Kelly was a credit to schoolboy football, and However, we were in the final and we thought2 John Smith 9 Dean Greatrex provided the crowd of some 1,700 we were going to play at Ayresome Park,3 Alan Green 10 Matt Ford with excellent entertainment. On the Middlesbrough, but at the last minute, the4 Rob Thorp 11 Mike Millington half hour Handsworth took the lead; R. game was switched to the Hawthorns. 5 Gez McDonagh 12 Martin Lee Kelly flighted a superb free kick across The final was played on Monday 9th May6 Paddy McGlynn 13 Rob Wright the goal where R. Gurgul rose to head 1983 and once again the conditions were7 Richard Gurgul14 John Delaney the ball back in the opposite direction very wet. (Captain) and P. McGlynn finished off the move with a header from close range. St Marys replied with two quick goals before half time to lead 2-1.At the start of the second half we had a good spell in which we forced St Marys back into their own half for long periods, and deservedly equalised with a superbly struck free kick by R. Kelly. Midway through the second half a bad mistake on the halfway line by the Handsworth defence allowed the very fast St Marys front line to race through and score a fine goal. With ten minutes remaining we conceded a free kick outside the penalty area and a superb strike saw the ball fly into the corner of our goal.Paddy McGlynn Mike Millington35'