This is the Ledbury Rangers team that won the Herefordshire Sunday League Challenge Shield Final - the year after England’s World Cup victory.

Played in front of a sizeable crowd on April 30, 1967, Rangers ran-out 2-0 winners against the pub-based Hereford side Britannia at Edgar Street.

England’s World Cup success in 1966 had seen the birth of the Herefordshire Sunday League later that year.

Sixteen teams entered and were split into two sections of eight.

Britannia, with well-known local names including Johnny Devereux, Chris Burns, Robin George and Brian Roberts, won Section A.

Rangers, with the likes of the Madders brothers, Roger Thick and Phil Gladwin, won Section B.

Taking place at the home of Hereford United, the final saw Britannia miss three decent chances in the first half, which ended goalless.

Rangers, marshalled brilliantly by skipper and sweeper Robert ‘Sticky’ Davies, held firm and grew in confidence.

Two goals in two minutes midway through the second half from midfield dynamo Neville Meredith and centre forward Dick Williams, both assisted by Ken Madders from the right wing, shocked the more experienced Britannia side and they couldn’t respond.

Thus Rangers extended their winning run that season to 25 games, which included the league, Wye Guild Cup and Frank Miles Cup, as well as another challenge match.

The following season saw two divisions of nine created.

If opponents thought they would have things easier with Rangers in Division 1, they were mistaken.

Ledbury Celtic emerged as a new team in Division 2 and won the league with a 100% record.

Rangers, meanwhile, kept winning until mid-March 1968, when after 41 unbeaten games they suffered a shock 4-2 defeat by Herefordians in Hereford.

This turned out to be a mere blip as they won the return match the following week 5-1 at Ledbury. They went on to win everything again, including the Challenge Final against Celtic 4-3 in the first Ledbury ‘Old Firm’ derby.

Hedley Lawson played in five matches for Herefordians against Rangers over two seasons and wrote this article in appreciation of the Ledbury side's early dominance of the Herefordshire Sunday League.