1948
Saturday, 29 January 1949
F.A. Amateur Cup - 2nd Round
Attendance: 10,649
 
Bromley
?
6 - 1
Wimbledon
Freddie Gauntlett

There were thousands of Wimbledon fans in a record gate of 10.649 at Hayes Lane to see their team upset Amateur Cup favourites Bromley. They was joy when the teams were announced and Harry Stannard was back leading the line, although Jim Haydock was still recovering.

It all started well enough for the Dons as they took the game to their opponents, and took the lead when Ron Head beat a couple of men and swung the ball out to Billy Laws, his perfect centre found Freddie Gauntlett totally unmarked and he coolly nodded the ball into the net. At this point Cameron, the Bromley right-back, was having a torrid time an Wimbledon concentrated their attack down their own left-wing, resulting in Stannard pushing through the ball to Gauntlett, but Crossthwaite was quick off his line and just beat the winger in a race to the ball. Then it all started going wrong. Dunmall received the ball wide out on the left wing and let loose a long shot which crashed down off the underside of the bar to the feet of Martin, who simply had to hoof it into the net. Having tasted blood Bromley were quickly back on the attack and after a passing move of mathematical precision Brown sent a pass from Hooper into goal. Worse was to follow a couple of minutes later when Dunmell added a third. Up against it, the visitors did well to hold out without conceding again before the break.

Bromley were quicker off the mark after the re-start and forced a couple of early corners, giving Brown the opportunity to head in his side’s fourth. Martin got the fifth and before the end Brown completed his hat-trick, this being his 68th goal of the season. Head had a final opportunity to reduce the arrears, but managed to put the ball over the top from almost underneath the bar.

Bromley would go on to beat Romford in the first Wembley final, becoming the first club to win the trophy before and after the Second World War (in fact they also won it before the First World War).