From the Archives: Heads by Way – And Magpies are in the Berks & Bucks Cup final

Corinthian League side Maidenhead United caused an upset in the Berks and Bucks Senior Cup semi-final played at Marlow 50 years ago today (Thursday, March 4).

Jimmy Price’s Magpies defeated Wycombe Wanderers – the previous season’s runners-up in what the Advertiser reporter described as “the upper-crust Isthmian League”.

In front of a bumper crowd of 3,100 spectators, there was a great deal of personal satisfaction for the match-winner Dennis Way. A former Wycombe player, Way had suffered a traumatic afternoon in the previous season’s semi-final, breaking his leg against the same opposition at Elm Park, Reading.

Other heroes of this particular triumph for the Magpies were Wally Beevers – “the most dangerous forward of the ten on view” – who scored the opening goal and Brian Pitts who kept the Chairboys international inside-left Paul Bates in check. Beevers goal came inside the first ten minutes with the Wycombe players distracted by a linesman flagging for a foul throw. The Isthmian leaguers however were level in the 86th minute when future Magpie Mick Rockell bundled the ball home following a corner.

Maidenhead clinched their place in the final in extra time when Beevers and Way combined. Beevers would be a hero again in the final against Chesham played at Wycombe when his late goal earned a replay which the Magpies won 2-1. This success was part of a treble for Maidenhead – the Berks & Bucks Benevolent Cup was also captured alongside the Corinthian League title.

Way’s satisfying goal was one of 48 he scored in 180 Maidenhead appearances. Way had four children from his marriage to Mary, one of whom Paul was a professional golfer who won three European tour events and played in the Ryder Cups of 1983 and 1985, scoring 3 points at the Belfry in the latter event as the US lost the Cup for the first time since 1957.