Football League Third Division North vs. South Representative Games


The Third Division North and Third Division South of The Football League was a level in English association football, which ran from 1921 to 1958.
From 1954–55 season until 1957–58 season, there was a series of games between teams representing the Third Division North and the Third Division South.

The Representative Games

1954–55 - played at Reading F.C. ground on 16 March 1955. Attendance 10,438. South won 2–0.
1955–56 - played at Accrington Stanley F.C. ground on 13 October, 1955. Attendance 10,521. Draw 3–3.
The second half of the match was broadcast on BBC television, which was the first occasion that a match had been televised from Peel Park.
Don Mills scored for the South in the first half. Reg Ryan equalised with a penalty in the second half, followed by goals from John Thomas Connor for the North and Ernie Morgan for the South. The final score was 3–3.
1956–57 - played at Coventry City F.C. ground on 8 October, 1956. Attendance 14,500. South won 2–1.
1956–57 - played at Stockport County F.C. ground on 2 April 1957. Attendance 12,372. Won by North 2–1.
W Holden scored the first goal for the North, which was followed by an equaliser by Neil Langman for the South. Soon after the start of the second half, Ron Greener failed to score for the North from a penalty. The winning goal was scored by Alf Ackerman for the North in the last minute of the game.
1957–58 - played at Crystal Palace F.C. ground on 30 October, 1957. Draw 2–2.

The Teams and officials

The following players and officials were selected to participate in the representative games.
South Vs. North 16 March 1955
The South Team
PositionNameClub
1Ken OxfordNorwich City
2Alex JardineMillwall
3Jim LangleyBrighton
4Brian NicholasQueen's Park Rangers
5John CroslandBournemouth
6Gwyn HughesNorthampton
7Wally HinshelwoodReading
8Johnny RainfordBrentford
9Eric DaySouthampton
10Don MillsTorquay
11Mike GriceColchester
ManagerMr. A.J. SmithReading

The North Team
PositionNameClub
1Ray MinshullSouthport
2Bob JacksonOldham
3Jimmy HarrowerAccrington Stanley
4Ken FurphyDarlington
5Dave BlakeyChesterfield
6Frank ClempsonStockport County
7Arthur KayeBarnsley
8Jimmy PrescottSouthport
9George StewartAccrington Stanley
10George SmithChesterfield
11Merfyn JonesScunthorpe
ManagerMr. Fred EmeryCarlisle United

The Officials
OfficialNameFrom
RefereeMr. J. H. HusbandLondon
Linesman Mr. C.B. BroomeLondon
Linesman Mr. S. W. BarkerBexleyheath

North Vs. South 13 October 1955
The North Team
PositionNameClub
1Ray MinshullSouthport
2Jimmy FlemingWorkington
3Vince KennyCarlisle United
4Dennis StokoeWorkington
5John RydenAccrington Stanley
6Reg RyanDerby County
7Bobby WebbBradford City
8Ivan BroadisCarlisle United
9Jack ConnorStockport County
10George SmithChesterfield
11Dennis WoodheadChesterfield
ManagerMr. W. M. GalbraithAccrington Stanley
TrainerMr. H. HubbickAccrington Stanley

The South Team
PositionNameClub
1Reg MatthewsCoventry City
2Stanley CharltonLeyton Orient
3Alex JardineMillwall
4Noel SimpsonCoventry City
5Douglas ReesIpswich Town
6Ronnie AshmanNorwich City
7Roland MillsNorthampton Town
8Peter HillCoventry City
9Maurice CookWatford
10Ernie MorganGillingham
11Jimmy WheelerReading
ManagerMr. Alec StockLeyton Orient
TrainerMr. L. GoreLeyton Orient

Note: Although Peter Hill of Coventry was selected at number 8 for the South, D Mills of Torquay started the game.
The Officials
OfficialNameFrom
RefereeMr. K. A. CollingeSale
Linesman Mr. J. S. McLoughlinManchester
Linesman Mr. R. SleddonPreston

South Vs. North 8 October 1956
The South Team
PositionNameClub
1Reg MatthewsCoventry City
2Alex JardineMillwall
3Jim LangleyBrighton
4Jimmy BelcherCrystal Palace
5Patrick ParkerSouthampton
6John ElsworthyIpswich Town
7Johnny GavinNorwich City
8Stan NewshamBournemouth
9Roy HollisSouthend United
10Don MillsTorquay
11Ken FlintAldershot
ReserveAlbert McPhersonWalsall
ReserveMaurice CookWatford
ManagerHarry WarrenCoventry City
TrainerGeorge RaynorCoventry City

The North Team
PositionNameClub
1Malcolm NewlandsWorkington
2Malcolm CurrieBradford City
3Jack BrownswordScunthorpe United
4Albert MaysDerby County
5Watty MooreHartlepools United
6Charlie SneddonAccrington Stanley
7Gerry BurrellChesterfield
8Ron HewittWrexham
9Ken JohnsonHartlepools United
10George DarwinMansfield Town
11George LukeHartlepools United
ReserveRon PowellChesterfield
ReserveReg RyanDerby County
ManagerHarry StorerDerby County
TrainerBilly NewtonStockport County

The Officials
OfficialNameFrom
RefereeMr. Arthur E. EllisHalifax
LinesmanMr. H. HornerKenilworth
LinesmanMr. A. WaltersWarwick

North Vs. South 2 April 1957
The North Team
PositionNameClub
1Bob GrayGateshead
2Bobby BrownWorkington
3Tom CahillBarrow
4Eddie HunterAccrington Stanley
5Ron GreenerDarlington
6Barry HutchinsonChesterfield
7Ken FinneyStockport County
8Ivan BroadisCarlisle United
9Alf AckermanCarlisle United
10Bill HoldenStockport County
11Brian CripseyHull City
ReserveTommy ForganYork City
Also namedJack BrownswordScunthorpe United
Also namedGren JonesWrexham
ManagerTeddy DavisonChesterfield
TrainerW NewtonStockport County

The South Team
PositionNameClub
1Peter PickeringNorthampton
2Alex JardineMillwall
3George FisherColchester
4Glen WilsonBrighton
5Patrick ParkerSouthampton
6John ElsworthyIpswich
7Mike HellawellQueens Park Rangers
8Don MillsTorquay
9Neil Langman Plymouth
10Ted PhillipsIpswich
11Reg CutlerBournemouth
ReserveKen CooteBrentford
ReserveMaurice EvansReading
Manager
Trainer

Note: Although Ted Phillips of Ipswich was selected at number 10 for the South, Dorman of Walsall started the game.
The Officials
OfficialNameFrom
Referee
Linesman
Linesman

South Vs. North 30 October 1957
The South Team
PositionNameClub
1Ron SpringettQueen's Park Rangers
2Roy McCrohanNorwich
3Alf SherwoodNewport County
4Bobby McLaughlinSouthampton
5Keith HarveyExeter City
6Glen WilsonBrighton
7Bernard HarrisonCrystal Palace
8Wilf CarterPlymouth Argyle
9Roy HollisSouthend
10Stan SteelePort Vale
11Peter WrightColchester
ReserveJohn ShepherdMillwall
ReserveMaurice EvansReading
ManagerMr. J. TaylorQueen's Park Rangers

The North Team
PositionNameClub
1Roy MacLarenBury
2Eddie RobertsonBury
3Paul FeaseyHull City
4Jack BertoliniWorkington
5Wally TaylorSouthport
6Charlie CroweMansfield
7John TomlinsonChesterfield
8Ivor BroadisCarlisle United
9George StewartAccrington Stanley
10Bill HoldenStockport County
11George LukeHartlepools
ReserveRon ThompsonCarlisle United
ReserveTommy NeillBury
ManagerMr. Peter JacksonBradford City

The Officials
OfficialNameFrom
RefereeMr. D. T. BluesRichmond
Linesman Mr. D. W. BradleySelsdon
Linesman Mr. C. H. RogersN. Kensington