We had to wait a long time for our first 1976 LL1 match, but it was worth waiting for. Facing our perennial rivals Wimbledon we scored a massive win even though David Edward Fault made another unwelcome experience (the same culprit as in the previous match – he wouldn’t be selected for the next two matches). Admittedly, our opponents were not all that strong, but you can do no more than beat what’s put in front of you.
| 27 January 1976 | St Bride’s Institute | ||
| Richmond & Twickenham 1 | Wimbledon 1 | ||
| 1 | MF Stean 233 | 1:0 | JG Brogden 197 |
| 2 | AP Law 225 | 1:0 | DJ Sewell 185 |
| 3 | GH James 211 | 1:0 | DC Williams 180 |
| 4 | KI Norman 191 | ½:½ | DA Curnow 176 |
| 5 | MJ Franklin 192 | 1:0 | W Broome – |
| 6 | MJ Lightfoot 183 | 1:0 | AT McDonald – |
| 7 | Default | 0:1 | KO Ballard – |
| 8 | JC Benjamin 183 | 1:0 | PR Archer 153 |
| 9 | DM Andrew 182 | 1:0 | J Wilcox 153 |
| 10 | JM Hodgson 166 | 1:0 | FC Manning 151 |
| 11 | CD Carr 178 | 1:0 | JC Womack 159 |
| 12 | R James 174 | 1:0 | DF Payne 144 |
| 10½:1½ |
Wimbledon’s board 9 still plays for them, although now, unlike then, he uses his first initial: R John Wilcox. His current grade is 148, so he’s gone down just 5 points over the past 43 years.