Town’s interest in the FA Youth Cup came to an end last week following defeat by Manchester City in the Fourth Round of what is the 60th year of the competition.

Swindon bowed out at the first stage of its inaugural season in 1952/53 with a 2-1 home defeat by Dorset minnows Longfleet St Marys.

On this day in January 1964, the club’s youngsters won at Brighton to book their passage into the Fourth Round, but they were destined to go much further.

Bert Head had begun to introduce teenagers into the League side with Keith Morgan in 1958, but it was not until 1960 that Town first won a Youth Cup tie – at the eighth attempt. This came a few months after the board of directors decided to adopt a ‘no buy’ policy, a self-imposed transfer embargo on paying a fee when the position could be filled from within the club’s junior ranks.

This was prompted following a club record £7,650 outlay in August 1959, on a player who was to make just 40 appearances – Jimmy Gauld.

One exception to the ruling was the arrival of Welsh winger Freddie Jones for £2,500 at the end of 1960, but that was only three days after 15-year-old Don Rogers had signed on as an apprentice !

By January 1964 Rogers was entrenched in the first team, having made maximum appearances. Eight of the side who travelled to Brighton had already signed as professionals, but he was the only one to have then gained League experience.

Pictured are (back row): Bernard Griffin, Jimmy James, Bryan Foscolo, Tony Hicks, Terry Ling, Dennis ‘Nat’ Prosser, (front) Rogers, Dennis Peapell, Dick Plumb, Ricky Tabor and Bruce Walker.

Welshman Foscolo did not play at Hove, his place being taken by Barry Denton who scored Town’s second goal. A 20-yard shot from Walker put Swindon ahead, as he had done in the previous round at Portsmouth.

Kydd pulled a goal back for the hosts before James supplied a cross from which Plumb added a third. Aspinall again reduced the arrears, but Chippenham-born James netted a fourth with 15 minutes left.

This earned Town a home clash with Plymouth a fortnight later, when four changes were made to the line-up. Tabor, Prosser, James and Walker made way for Foscolo, Roger Brown and Peter Rawlings – both triallists from Bath – and Ray Miller, who sadly died last October.

And it was Miller who gave Swindon an early advantage. With just seven minutes on the clock he was first to react when keeper Lampard misjudged a cross from Rogers. Nicholas briefly put Argyle on level terms but within four minutes Peapell scored with a header before seeing another thud against a post.

Rogers took over after the break, netting first with a shot which had bounced back off the keeper and then with a 30-yard drive two minutes from time, setting Town up for a Fifth Round home tie against Arsenal in March. - Paul Plowman