Encouraged by this success, Bangor joined the Intermediate League in the following season and soon came to be recognised as one of the leading teams at this level, although they never won the Intermediate League at this time. In season 1921/22 Bangor played an amazing series of matches in the Intermediate Cup second round. Against an RUC "B" Special team from Newtownards. Bangor required seven meetings before finally winning 3-1 at Solitude – one of these games had lasted an incredible two hours and fifty minutes before "bad light stopped play" – in total 810 minutes of football were played in the tie.

Many thanks to the Thompson Family in New Zealand who unearthed this photograph.
They believe that one of the players pictured is a relative. Please email webmaster@bangorfc.com if you can put any names to faces in this photograph.

After a couple of Steel & Son's final defeats against Brantwood in 1920/21 (lost 0-3) and Crusaders (lost 1-3 after two draws) in 1922/23. One of Bangor's chief rivals in those days in both League and Cup matches was Woodburn FC from Carrickfergus, and passions often ran high when these two teams met. Indeed, following a Steel Cup tie on November 4 1922, the police had to fire shots over the heads of the rioting crowd to protect the referee after Bangor had gained a somewhat fortunate 1-0 victory!

In 1923, Bangor played out a 1-1 draw with Woodburn in the Steel & Sons Cup Final before 10,000 spectators at the Oval. T. Brett scored for Bangor after 57 minutes, but Curran equalised for Woodburn in the 83rd minute. Bangor played in amber and black as both teams normally wore blue - the Seasiders had not yet adopted their "gold and blue" colours. The gate receipts for that match were £616.

Bangor went on to win 2-0 in the replay (Gate receipts £358) which saw one of the oddest goals ever scored in a Cup Final. Bangor, 1-0 ahead through Stanley Mahood, made sure of the trophy in the 83rd minute when the Woodburn fullback, pursued by Bangor outside left "Ginger" Bingham, kicked the ball bye. Everyone – except referee Mr Tom Liggett – saw the ball cross the line for a corner. When Mr Liggett gave no signal the Woodburn 'keeper placed the ball for a goal kick. The referee started to gesticulate and only the quick-witted Bingham realised what was happening: Mr Liggett was waving "play on". Bingham strolled up and coolly hit the ball into the net. It was a controversy which raged in the local sports pages for weeks.

Bangor’s Cup-winning team read: Forsythe, W. Bowman, S Graham, R Baird, S Wilson, W Clarke, T Brett, A Trotter, S Mahood, A Bingham.

The team relied very much on the goalscoring feats of Archie Trotter who for many years held the club scoring record with 49 goals (season 1922/23) and it was a sad day when Archie emigrated to New Zealand in December 1924. Other stars of those Intermediate League Days were brothers Stanley and Jackie Mahood who formed a famous left wing partnership for Belfast Celtic. Jackie won nine Irish caps, Billy Bowman, Sammy Walker, Jim Thompson and Archie Trotter were all Junior internationals and inside forward Jimmy Kelly was transferred to St Johnstone in 1922.

TWO GOAL ARCHIE
Around this time Scottish centre forward Archie Coates was another favourite. Archie joined the club at the end of season 1931/32 from Glentoran. He impressed then manager-cum-scout Tommy Stevenson and played two seasons at Bangor where he gained the nickname "Two Goal Archie" because of his scoring feats. He notched a couple in one of Bangor’s best remembered victories – a 5-2 triumph over Glentoran on November 5, 1932. This was Bangor’s first ever game in blue and gold shirts. The "hoops" replaced the previous royal blue jerseys. Incidentally this was Bangor’s first ever victory over Glentoran – and at the Oval too! At the end of the season 1933/34 Coates was transferred to Dundee with whom he played for several seasons, gaining a cap for the Scottish League.

Other notable "exports" were home-grown defenders full back Malcolm Butler and centre half Billy "Dodie" Hanna, a phenomenal header of the ball and later to manage the club; both were transferred to Blackpool in 1935, and of course Amateur International goalkeeper Sammy (SS) Moore was a real stalwart of the club in the 30’s.

THE IRISH CUP FINAL
Perhaps the real highlight of those pre-war years came in season 1937/38 when Bangor reached the Irish Cup final for the only time. A first round away victory at Larne (1-0) was followed by a victory over Linfield Swifts (2-0) at home. There were an epic couple of semi-final ties against Derry City: on March 26 at the Oval Bangor trailed 2-0 after only 18 minutes, but inspired by player-manger Ben Jones (ex-Bolton Wanderers) fought back to 2-2 through goals by Robinson and Couser. Bangor won a rough and tumble replay 3-1 through goals by centre forward Joe Russell (2) and star inside forward Hugh Couser (pen.). Couser was sent off in the final melee of a bad tempered game: two Derry players had already had an early bath and one had been taken off injured (no substitutes in those days!).

Outsiders Bangor then met Belfast Celtic at Solitude on April 9 1938 before a crowd of 10,000 and should have won the match with several good chances being missed. Unfortunately the replay of the final, again at Solitude, on May 7 was an anti-climax and Bangor never looked like succeeding, missing the inspirational Hugh Couser who was serving his suspension. Bangor lost 2-0 and soon after the team broke up. Player-manager Ben Jones resigned following a dispute over bonus payments, and centre forward Joe Russell went to play for Ipswich, then newly elected to the Football League, Division 3 South. The final team was: Hewitt, Jack Graham, Clayton, Jones, Fullerton, Yeates, Morrow, Couser (replay: Graham), Russell, Robinson, S. McCartney. Bangor's team consisted of three professionals and eight amateurs, mostly local players discovered by scout Jerry Adams. Full back Jack Graham went to Belfast Celtic and Clayton to Glenavon.

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Acknowledgement to the County Down Spectator