Workington Reds were back in the national spotlight this week – being mentioned alongside Premier League giants Manchester City!

As City racked up a 9-0 victory in the League Cup over Burton on Wednesday night, Sky Sports brought up a list of the biggest ever wins in the competition – and Workington were right there.

Their 9-1 victory over fellow Cumbrians Barrow in the first round of the competition still stands as one of the four all-time biggest League Cup wins.

When Reds, in the third division at the time inflicted the defeat upon their fourth division opponents in the 1964-65 season, it remained a record score in the competition for over 19 years.

West Ham United bettered the Workington score with a 10-0 trouncing of Bury during the ’83-84 season and Liverpool did the same to Fulham three seasons later. Then came City’s demolition of Burton Albion.

Director Steve Durham said: “At the time, I don’t think I appreciated what it meant. Reds had been promoted the previous season and the whole club was on the crest of a wave. It was an impressive win but there was such confidence about the place at the time it was half expected.

“Barrow were just unfortunate to play us at that time. In later years, it held more significance and I was actually disappointed when West Ham registered their big win to pinch our record.”

The match, on September 2, 1964, saw Jimmy Moran, Geoff Martin (2), Dixie Hale, Dave Carr (2), Keith Burkinshaw, Ken Furphy and Kit Napier all hit the back of the net for Workington.

Reds almost scored a tenth in front of a 5,964-strong crowd but the referee had blown for time a split-second before Dave Carr’s shot hit the net. The win paved the way to a memorable run in the competition with Reds reaching the quarter finals.