Brilliant Telford were always a good bet for a Cup upset

That was the response of then Bournemouth manager Harry Redknapp when asked who he wanted to face in the fourth round of the 1984 FA Cup.

Redknapp’s Cherries had just dumped then holders Manchester United out of the competition with a 2-0 win at Deans Court.

Yet it was fifth-tier Telford United of the Alliance Premier League, now the National League, who were the feared side left in the competition.

And with good reason too; they were the reigning FA Trophy champions having beaten Northwich Victoria 2-1 in the 1983 final, had toppled league opponents Wigan Athletic in the first round of the FA Cup the previous season and were fresh off the back of a 4-1 demolition of Division Four side Rochdale in the third round.

It was an era defined by cup runs for the Bucks, and the victory over Rochdale was the catalyst for some of the club’s finest outings.

Having already eliminated Division Four sides Stockport County and Northampton Town, a draw against opponents from the division above was nothing new to Stan Storton’s side.

And their performance proved as much; despite falling behind to Vernon Allatt’s 34th minute goal the visitors hit back with four unanswered strikes to confirm safe passage into round four.

Dean Edwards netted less than two minutes after Rochdale’s opener, before Malcolm Bailey put the Bucks ahead on 39 minutes.

And in front of 4,889 fans at Spotland, second half goals from Eddie Hogan and Collin Williams ensured the strong Bucks faithful were in good spirits, so much so that they celebrated their triumph in a couple of unorthodox ways.

A report in the Shropshire Star after the game stated: “After singing manager Stan Storton ‘happy birthday’ for his 45th birthday two days earlier, a large group of them (Telford supporters) greeted their side’s fourth goal by joining together for their terrace version of The Conga.”

And they had every right to be upbeat.

The fourth round draw gave the part-timers a trip to Second Division Derby County and the Racecourse Ground, the home of the First Division championship less than a decade earlier.

Keep an eye out on February 1st as the Shropshire Star remembers the 40th anniversary of Telford United’s finest hour.