DISTRICT LINE SPEED TO DEBUT SEASON PROMOTION

The Southern Division’s second season was a triumph for District Line, promoted from the Greater London League and in their debut National League season totally dominant after a slow start in their new surroundings. 

Named on its 1975 formation after the London Underground line where many of the players worked, the squad by 1992 had become a solid unit led by innovative manager John Jones and spearheaded by prolific striker Yvonne Baldeo. 

After taking just one point from their first two games of the campaign, Jones’ team won 15 matches in succession with Baldeo hitting 27 goals (35 in all competitions) and with the title – and promotion – clinched in emphatic style.

“We knew we had the ability to do well in the Southern Division,” said Jones, a former PE instructor in the Royal Navy. “The players were intelligent in the way they got the idea of the team structure and tactics I employed – they were more prepared to listen than the men who I’d coached had been.

“We played in a 3-2-3-2 formation, which the players got a good understanding of and which was confusing to a lot of teams we played against. And we played with a high press – that eventually became fairly common, but I think I must have been one of the first people to coach defending in the opposition half.”

The tactics certainly suited Baldeo, who earlier in her career had been an FA Women’s Cup winner with both Howbury Grange and Millwall Lionesses and who had also had a spell playing for ACF Milan. 

“Yvonne was a very talented player,” said Jones. “She was quick and clever, and with the high press we could get her beyond opposition defences. With her pace and skill she could get into good positions and score lots of goals.”

District Line’s total Southern Division goal tally in an outstanding campaign was 93 – an average of more than five goals per game in the 18-match season. 

In the close season which followed the club joined forces with Wembley FC and took on the name of their new partners, going on to establish themselves in the top flight and memorably winning the Premier League Cup in 1996.

Meanwhile 1992-93’s Southern Division wooden spoonists, Brighton-based Saltdean United, lost 3-1 to Bromley Borough in a relegation play-off and thus dropped out of the National League while Bromley celebrated promotion.

Bromley’s elevation to the nationwide league was the beginning of a long run of success as the club first changed its name to Croydon in 1994 and was then taken under the wing of men’s club Charlton Athletic at the turn of the century.

FINAL TABLE

WFA NATIONAL LEAGUE DIVISION ONE SOUTH RESULTS 1992-93

13/9/1992
Brighton & Hove Albion 5-0 Epsom & Ewell        
Hemel Hempstead 4-0 Bristol Backwell   
Horsham 6-1 Saltdean             
Oxford United 1-4 Hassocks             
Town & County 3-3 District Line   

20/9/1992 
Bristol Backwell 3-1 Town & County      
District Line 4-6 Brighton & Hove Albion
Hassocks 5-3 Hemel Hempstead 
Epsom & Ewell 1-1 Horsham               
Saltdean 1-2 Oxford United    

27/9/1992
Bristol Backwell 1-5 District Line   
Hemel Hempstead 7-2 Saltdean            
Horsham 2-1 Brighton & Hove Albion

11/9/1992
Brighton & Hove Albion 1-1 Oxford United               
District Line 5-1 Horsham               

25/10/1992
Bristol Backwell 3-1 Saltdean              
Oxford United 1-0 Horsham               
Town & County 8-3 Epsom & Ewell         

8/11/1992
Brighton & Hove Albion 6-3 Town & County         
District Line 3-0 Oxford United        
Epsom & Ewell 2-3 Bristol Backwell          
Horsham 1-1 Hemel Hempstead       

15/11/1992
Hemel Hempstead 0-0 Oxford United         
Town & County 4-2 Horsham               

29/11/1992
Horsham 2-2 Bristol Backwell     

6/12/1992  
Saltdean 1-3 Hassocks              

13/12/1992
Hemel Hempstead 1-3 Epsom & Ewell         
Saltdean 5-2 Brighton & Hove Albion

10/1/1993  
Hassocks 3-3 Oxford United         

17/1/1993
Brighton & Hove Albion 0-6 District Line         
Town & County 3-3 Bristol Backwell      

31/1/1993
District Line 4-0 Bristol Backwell      

7/2/1993  
Bristol Backwell 0-3 Hassocks              
Hemel Hempstead 5-1 Horsham            
Oxford United 0-4 Brighton & Hove Albion
Town & County 2-0 Saltdean              

14/2/1993
Brighton & Hove Albion 2-0 Hemel Hempstead       
District Line 7-1 Hassocks              
Horsham 1-1 Oxford United        
Saltdean 3-1 Bristol Backwell      

21/2/1993
Bristol Backwell 5-2 Epsom & Ewell         
Hemel Hempstead 2-0 Hassocks              
Oxford United 0-4 District Line        
Town & County 5-0 Brighton & Hove Albion

28/2/1993
Brighton & Hove Albion 5-1 Bristol Backwell      
District Line 5-1 Saltdean              
Epsom & Ewell 4-6 Hassocks              
Horsham 4-1 Town & County         
Oxford United 1-2 Hemel Hempstead        

7/3/1993  
Bristol Backwell 1-2 Horsham               
Hassocks 2-1 Brighton & Hove Albion
Hemel Hempstead 1-6 District Line         
Saltdean 0-3 Epsom & Ewell         
Town & County 1-0 Oxford United         

14/3/1993
Brighton & Hove Albion 1-1 Saltdean              
District Line 5-2 Epsom & Ewell     
Hemel Hempstead 1-0 Town & County         
Horsham 3-2 Hassocks              
Oxford United 2-1 Bristol Backwell      

16/3/1993
Oxford United 1-3 Town & County         

21/3/1993  
Bristol Backwell 3-3 Brighton & Hove Albion
* Epsom & Ewell 1-1 Oxford United         
* Oxford United 2-1 Epsom & Ewell         
Hassocks 2-4 District Line         
Saltdean 1-3 Horsham               
Town & County 3-1 Hemel Hempstead       

28/3/1993
Brighton & Hove Albion 0-1 Hassocks              
Bristol Backwell 1-1 Hemel Hempstead       
District Line 7-2 Town & County      
Horsham 0-3 Epsom & Ewell         
Oxford United 0-1 Saltdean               
  
4/4/1993
Epsom & Ewell 0-4 Town & County         
Hassocks 3-3 Oxford United         
Hemel Hempstead 2-1 Brighton & Hove Albion
Saltdean 5-10 District Line           

18/4/1993
District Line 7-2 Hemel Hempstead       
Epsom & Ewell 6-0 Brighton & Hove Albion
Hassocks 1-0 Town & County         

25/4/1993
Bristol Backwell 3-4 Oxford United         
Hassocks 3-2 Epsom & Ewell         
Horsham 1-6 District Line    

9/5/1993
Hemel Hempstead 1-4 Epsom & Ewell          

16/5/1993
Epsom & Ewell 3-2 District Line         

23/5/1993
Epsom & Ewell 6-3 Saltdean 

DATES NOT KNOWN            
Brighton & Hove Albion 3-1 Horsham               
Hassocks 3-3 Horsham               
Saltdean 2-2 Hemel Hempstead    

DATE AND SCORE NOT KNOWN 
Town & County v Bristol Backwell     

*Two games played on same day as double header at Epsom & Ewell