(Justice) By Default

Hertford Town  0  AFC Hornchurch  3

Isthmian League – Division One North

Imagine the scene, you’ve just finished runners up your league and despite your best efforts, it’s not enough to gain a promotion.

Then, out of the blue, the phone rings and it transpires that the team that finished above you have thrown the teddy out of the pram and have declined the move upwards, you have a decision to make.

The promotion place is yours, but, convinced you’re going nowhere you’ve already got plans in place for the new season. This is a great opportunity though, to return to the league you left ten years ago now, after previously having served 34 years of uninterrupted membership. Of course, you snap their hands off, but it presents itself with numerous challenges, not least the timescale to build a side that could compete a level above.

Welcome to Hertford Town Football Club, while never a top flight or indeed overly successful Isthmian League club, they bade farewell in 2006 and took a place in the Spartan South Midlands League. The harsher of the critics might argue that a town the size of Hertford, combined with its collection of wealthy residents, should really have got more silverware and be competing at a higher level than the history books report.

But, it was not to be, and when relegation came, it was time for a re-group and a chance to re-establish themselves and within time, return to the level that they had become accustomed to.

Unspoiled By Progress

After flirting with the top of the league for a couple of seasons, it suddenly got decidedly average. A series of mid-table and lower mid-table finishes did not suggest that this was a football club on the way back.

Then, somewhat unexpectedly in the 2016-17 season they built a side that was to ultimately finish in the runners up berth to near neighbours London Colney. Colney were on the way up, assuming that a Southern League place was theirs, however, once the constitutions were released it transpired that they had been allocated a place in the Isthmian League. They weren’t happy, and for reasons that I’m not aware of, that was enough to cause a mass exodus and ultimately the club chose to remain where they were. It could have been worse though, for a period it looked like the club may fold, but thankfully that never came to fruition. I’m not sure to this day why the placement into a different league was such an issue, but clearly something serious was underlying at the club.

Pitch Fine - For Now......

London Colney’s loss was Hertford Town’s gain, and this is where we are today. Having rallied around in the Summer as a club they were in a position to take up the unexpected promotion and also be able to compete. Hertford had an Isthmian League club back, they were back in their rightful place.

Journey wise it was simples, down the M1 to St Albans, take the road to Hatfield, shoot up the A1 to Welwyn Garden City and then head Eastbound into the County town of Hertfordshire. Hertingfordbury Park is a classic 1960’s non-league football ground, with a tall yet narrow main stand on the half way line, and a further covered terracing area behind the Southern goal, it almost smelt of history. The clubhouse sat aside the main stand and while not a modern building, it was homely and more importantly, friendly.

The Business Side Of Hertingfordbury Park

Pre-match I got chatting to an official of the club (Brian), he invited me into the boardroom and we talked about the fortunes of the club and how they had coped with the unexpected return to pastures old. What was nice, was the fact that Brian and his colleagues were genuinely interested and pleased that someone had travelled from the Midlands to visit them.

It never stopped raining, from the point I left home, despite the forecast suggesting otherwise. The pitch was fine, but heavy in places and had the rain been any heavier we might have a had a few problems.

AFC Hornchurch sat top of the league and had an impressive and vocal following with them, while at the same time the hard core of the Hertford support were also in fine form, which meant the game was played with the backdrop of a tremendous atmosphere, especially the in the second half when both sets of fans stood behind the goal and battled it out in the singing stakes.

On the pitch, AFC Hornchurch demonstrated exactly why they sit top of the league. They took an early lead thanks to a fine finish from Theo Fairweather-Johnson, only for the same player to make it 2-0 at the break thanks to a well placed header.

Hertford dug in and had plenty of possession but the well organised and experienced visitors were happy to let them do this, yet at the same time, once they tried to penetrate into the danger areas they were quick to either win back possession or clear the danger. Having seen Hornchurch at Haringey less than a month ago, I once again witnessed their game management abilities which I genuinely believe will see them win the league.

A Beauty.....

George Purcell put a second half penalty into the back of the net with ease and the points were secure, once again Hertford had plenty of the ball but the organisation of the visitors meant chances were at an absolute premium. It was another classic away from home performance from the Urchins, on what became a very difficult playing surface.

Hertford Town remain mid-table, but that’s mid-table in a league they quite rightly consider to be their natural home. 251 spectators watched the game on a pretty grim day weather wise. Potentially what could the club become? Top flight of the Isthmian League is not beyond the realms, but locally the competition for players is fierce.

Having experienced an afternoon at Hertingfordbury Park, the club will only be an asset at whatever level they perform, after ‘that’ phone call, the curve is an upward one, where the story goes next is something of an unknown, but it will be worth keeping an eye on….

Pure Non-League

What's Not To Like?

Hendon  1  Leatherhead  4

Isthmian League – Premier Division

When perusing the fixtures earlier in the month, this game stood out a mile for me.

Firstly, it was what I would call a ‘proper’ Isthmian League clash evoking memories of years gone by, with both clubs being historical stalwarts and indeed powerhouses of the proud competition.

Secondly, because after a few years of nomadism following the departure from the iconic Claremont Road ground, Hendon now have a place to call home, not far from their former dwelling.

Finally, I’d never seen Leatherhead play, albeit I did see them beat Billericay Town on TV earlier in the season. They are also the team my old mate Dave supports and from what he’s told me they have a good side this season, so it was a perfect chance to see them in action.

The Home Of The Green Army

Let’s start with Hendon, former FA Amateur Cup winners on three occasions, they joined the Isthmian League in 1963 and over a ten year period they won it twice and finished runners up twice as well.

The times post this period were a little leaner, but to the present day they have an impressive record of having never been relegated in 55 seasons. To say they are part of the Isthmian furniture would be an understatement! It is worth pointing out that they were invited to join the Conference South in 2004-05 but declined the offer to join the newly formed competition, clearly not wanting to break their unrivaled run!

In September 2008 Hendon played their last ever game at the wonderful Claremont Road ground, which sat to the side of the Cricklewood Railway Depot. It was a sad time for the fans of the Greens, because a move to the Copthall Stadium (now home to Saracens RFC) fell through and as a result they were forced to share the grounds of not so nearby Northwood and Staines Town for the rest of the season.

An Atmospheric Angle - The Old Kingsbury Town Stand

They did move closer to home for the start of the 2009-10 season when they shared the Vale Farm ground of Wembley, before moving to Harrow Borough in 2013. Finally, at the start of the 2016-17 season they moved into the Silver Jubilee Park home of Kingsbury Town, a mere five minutes from the bottom of the M1.

So that’s the story to date, but what about the new home?

As I said, once off the M1, it’s a very brief shuttle across two roundabouts on the North Circular before heading back up the A5 for a couple of hundred yards. A left turn takes you over the bridge that crosses the Brent Reservoir and then a quick weave through the estate takes you down the long drive to the car park.

A Goal - The First Time This Season I've Got One On Camera!

Silver Jubilee Park has gone through something of a transformation. Notably it now has an all-weather surface so we had no concerns about the game taking place, but what hasn’t changed is the old stand that sits adjacent to the large clubhouse.

Opposite the old stand are two areas of Atcost style terracing located either side of the dugouts, while behind the North goal sits a further covered terracing area of the same design. Behind the South goal is a smart seated stand with green and white seats picking out the letters HFC.

The ground is shared with Spartan South Midlands League side Edgware Town, but as hard as you try, you cannot find anything that denotes their presence. Unless you knew differently in advance, you would assume this was a ground solely used by Hendon Football Club.

Very friendly they were too, from the gateman, the bar staff and to the chaps in the club shop who gave me a resume of the clubs recent history along with trials and tribulations they’ve been through.

The Hendon Mob

A lower than average crowd of 188 pitched up on a damp and drizzly night, with a good number having travelled round the M25 from Surrey, and no sooner had we found our viewing positions it was the visitors who had the lead courtesy of a close range finish from Ruel Sotiriou.

Hendon battles back but Leatherhead’s experience and professionalism came to the fore and they managed to keep the pacey forwards at bay with a combination of ‘strategic’ fouls and closing down the space to limit attempts of goal.

It worked because right on the stroke of half time following a spell of pressure it was 2-0 when Dan Gallagher cracked in an effort from 25 yards that found the back of the net via the underside of the bar.

Tom Derry effectively made the three points safe just five minutes into the second period with a neat close range flick, while Jack Midson made it 4-0 when he caught the home ‘keeper off his line and lobbed him from 40 yards.

That Old Stand Again

Leatherhead were in cruise control now and playing very impressively, with a certain swagger and confidence you would expect from a side who were about to go to within three points of the play-off places, with several games in hand on those above them due to their FA Cup exploits.

Hendon did pull a goal back when Ashley Nathaniel-George scored with a cracking drive into the top corner after a mazy run took him to the edge of the penalty area, but beyond that Leatherhead were both composed and well organised, resulting in no more clear cut opportunities for the hosts.

A fair result and score line which reflected Leatherhead’s quality, domination and professionalism, but in fairness to Hendon, they didn’t lack effort or energy, they were just beaten by what I considered on the night to be a very good football team, built by ex AFC Wimbledon player Sammy Moore.

The Hendon fans were resigned to defeat long before the end, but they didn’t moan or slope off early. Perhaps they are just grateful to be back in their homeland, with a team competing in the Isthmian League Premier Division. They might not go up this season, history says they never do, but then history also says they never go down either, and that certainly isn’t going to happen!

It took exactly two hours to return back to blighty, but I minded not, I liked Hendon Football Club, I liked Silver Jubilee Park, I was happy that the club were home, but I was also very impressed by Leatherhead.

What was not to like? Struggling to think of anything on that front to be fair……………….!  

The Popular Side Terracing

The Biggest Name

Enfield Town  0  Needham Market  2

Isthmian League – Premier Division

Continuing the theme of ‘when I was a lad’, Enfield Football Club were one of the biggest names in non-league football when I started to foster an interest in the game.

It was the early eighties, Isthmian League Champions, Alliance Premier League Champions twice, FA Trophy winners twice, the Third and Fourth Rounds of the FA Cup in successive seasons, it was incredible! I apologise, Enfield weren’t one of the biggest names in the non-league football, they were the biggest at the time, end of.

Even when they got relegated from what had now become the Conference, in seven successive seasons in the 1990’s they never finished below third in the Isthmian League. But, in 2001 they left their iconic Southbury Road stadium and began a nomadic existence.

These things rarely work, and by the end of the 2006-07 season Enfield Football Club went into liquidation, but the officials chose to form a new club who ultimately would become Enfield 1893, and they remain today playing in the Essex Senior League.

Clearly disillusioned by the sale of Southbury Road and the direction the club was moving in, in 2001 a group of fans formed Enfield Town Football Club. An approach was made to Enfield 1893 regarding working together but terms could not be agreed.

Art Deco At It's Finest - Donkey Lane

The traditional support base were right behind Town though, starting in the Essex Senior League and playing at the ground of Brimsdown Rovers. Success followed, they won promotion to the Southern League, found a home back in the Borough of Enfield in the shape of the Queen Elizabeth II Stadium on Donkey Lane, and finally moved into the Isthmian League before winning promotion to the Premier Division in 2012 via the Play-Offs.

And this is where we are today, something of a sorry tale but with a happy ending. Enfield in their day were huge rivals with neighbouring Barnet, and of course Wealdstone, who it appears were rivals with everyone! The North London triumvirate have all gone in different directions, with both Barnet and the Stones competing at a higher level than Enfield, but, at least Enfield can say they play in their own Borough, unlike the others.

Enfield Town Football Club on first impressions is a thriving organisation, that became apparent from the moment you walk through the turnstiles to the moment you exit the car park. Blessed with good support anyway, nearly 400 attended today’s game, they are also not short of bodies to help run and administer the club. Football, even at non-league level, has changed hugely over the past few decades, and being realistic, a return to former glories whereby they could dream of a possible promotion to the Football League is perhaps beyond them, but I see no reason why they couldn’t make the move to the National League South.

Glorious

The stadium on Donkey Lane is a cracker. I must admit to not being a fan of athletics arenas, but Enfield have made a fantastic job of it. The focal point is the fabulous Art Deco style building that adorns the entrance and also incorporates the bulk of the clubs facilities.

To enter the building you rise up a spiral staircase into what is effectively a circular turret, before a space opens out in front of you which leads to the clubs bar.

The balcony out the front is used as a viewing area and is also the access route to the seating area which offers an elevated view of the action. It’s a spectacular building, and certainly goes a long way towards transforming the venue from an athletics track to a football ground. Clearly Enfield have refurbished the old building for their use, but what about the rest of the stadium?

From Athletics To Football

Three blocks of terracing steps have been erected in front of the stand, but much closer to the pitch, leaving a space for the running track in between. A smaller Atcost seated stand sits on the far side, while to deal with the problem of spectators being too far from the action, a barrier has been erected which runs behind both goals, with covered terraces at each end. This effectively cuts out both curves, and gives the ground a rectangular rather than elliptical feel.

I liked it, very much, but what about the game?

Enfield are in a season of transition, the loss of the manager and the bulk of the squad at the end of last season meant a rebuilding process had to take place. Andy Leese has come in and got them into a position whereby they sit just below the half way point in the league. The Play-Offs are not out of the question, but they will need a strong end of the season to achieve that.

Visitors Needham Market from a small village in Suffolk are quite a story themselves, how they are competing at this level is remarkable, but that’s a story for another day. Ironically they were the side that Enfield beat when they won the Play-Offs to get to the Premier Division. After many years of unprecedented success, Market are finding it a struggle this season and sit in the bottom four.

More Seats

It was a damp drizzly afternoon, but the pitch was in good fettle, and that lead to a fairly even opening period, but in the twelfth minute it was the visitors who took the lead when Adam Mills rose highest in the box to plant a header past Joe Wright in the Enfield goal.

Seven minutes later and disaster struck for Enfield. Caught out at the back, Wright upended an onrushing striker who was about to round him and slot the ball into the empty net. A penalty was inevitable as was the resultant red card. Daniel Morphew dispatched the penalty past stand in goalkeeper Mat Mitchell-King.

An away win at that stage looked inevitable, but huge credit should be paid to Enfield who regrouped at half time and were actually the better team in the second period. Credit must also go to Mitchell-King who never put a foot wrong between the sticks and made two fantastic saves late in the game as Needham Market exploited the space and the tired Enfield legs.

The Other End

If Enfield had kept eleven men on the field the outcome could have been very different, but, a huge win for the visitors and a scoreline that certainly doesn’t help the hosts attempts to climb the table and make the end of season lottery.

But, I guess if you are an Enfield Town fan, the fact you have a club in your Borough playing at a fantastic facility, at a very good level of football, is not to be sniffed at. In this part of the Country, too many big names have gone by the wayside, been swallowed up, or been shunted from ground to ground.

Enfield – the biggest name in non-league football.

Sunset Over Enfield

Hazzard County

Hucknall Town  3  Mickleover Royal British Legion  0

Central Midlands League – South Division

Football in Nottinghamshire has gone through the wringer somewhat over the last few seasons.

When I was a lad, the big names were Eastwood Town, Worksop Town, Sutton Town and Arnold. If we take those clubs in turn it doesn’t make especially pretty reading.

Eastwood Town, under the stewardship of owner Rob Yong had a meteoric rise after suffering relegation to the Northern Counties East league in 2003. They were immediately promoted back to the Northern Premier League, had a few seasons in the First Division South and then got promoted to the Premier Division in 2007. 

Two years later and they were in the Conference North having won the league, a fourth place finish and a Play-Off place was in the bag, or was it? Ground issues saw them removed from the promotion lottery, Yong departed, huge debts were uncovered, two relegation's followed before they folded mid-season.

A new incarnation re-surfaced, in the Central Midlands League, as Eastwood Community, where they remain.

Worksop Town I’ve covered before, an Eastenders of a club that’s been through more turmoil than a kitten in a tumble dryer. Now residing in mid-table of the Northern Counties East League, they're under new ownership and they are playing in the town again. This is a club that once challenged in the Conference North, spent several seasons playing home games at the likes of Gainsborough, Retford, Hucknall and Ilkeston as they had a home they couldn’t play at due to ownership issues. Recently they finished up suffering a double demotion from the NPL Premier on the back of financial issues.  Hopefully, with change in the air, they can get back to their rightful place and the consistently good support can watch a team in the higher echelons of non-league football.

Sutton Town have come and gone more times than I care to remember. Playing at Priestic Road then Lowmoor Road, a name change to Ashfield United, gone, back again as Sutton Town via North Notts FC, a move to Huthwaite, gone again, back again, and now gone again! Rumours constantly abound about another phoenix like return, but you do wonder why anyone would bother given the track record? 

Arnold were a very steady club, but like many they jumped ship in the Eighties to join the Central Midlands League and leave the Pyramid. That cost them as they feel behind some of their former peers in local football. They changed their name to Arnold Town via a merger with Kingswell, got back to the Northern Counties East League, but then they lost the town centre ground and were forced to move to a soulless new build in the middle of nowhere on the way out to Calverton.  They took demotion to the East Midlands Counties League and have remained their ever since, looking unlikely to get out of it, with crowds a fraction of what they used to be. A sad and cautionary tale is that one.

Oh, I almost forgot.  Sometime after those clubs, we had the meteoric rise of Retford United from Notts Senior League obscurity through to the top flight of the Northern Premier League, sadly with them now staring a possible relegation to the Central Midlands League in the face, it’s another all too common example of how to get success on the pitch but neglect pretty much everything else. The new custodians at Cannon Park have had to pick up the pieces and try to rebuild, but that is going to take quite some time. The town of Retford is a story in itself when it comes to football, one I've covered before.  

Soon To Be Gone

Tonight’s blog focus is Hucknall Town, blimey, now we are talking a real roller coaster with this one!

Let’s begin back when I were a lad. A successful Notts Alliance side known then as Hucknall Colliery Welfare, vying with rivals Rainworth Miners Welfare for supremacy. They were a very good side, well supported and known for some excellent FA Vase runs.

They changed their name to Hucknall Town, to give themselves more identity with the growing urban area, and clearly with the colliery now closed, it made sense, albeit it was a somewhat emotive decision. On the field it mattered not, they went into the Central Midlands League, won it twice, moved into the Northern Counties East League and then very quickly went up to the Premier Division.

The club then had a period of unprecedented success, they won the NCE Premier Division, finished second in the Northern Premier League First Division and were promoted to the Premier Division. 

After a few seasons of consolidation, they won the title in 2003-04 but were denied promotion due to failing the ground grading, the Conference National was oh so close.

The Watnall Road End

They did make it to the Conference North though, and in the period they also reached the FA Trophy Final, only to lose to Grays Athletic at Villa Park, a game I witnessed.

They were glorious days, and to be fair, backed by Brian Holmes, they managed five seasons in the division, but with plans to move to a new stadium seemingly hitting continual stumbling blocks, combined with numerous rumours about behind the scenes issues affecting the club, the decline was as rapid as the climb.

They had two seasons back in the NPL Premier, then a further two seasons in the NPL First Division, before dropping right to the base of the Pyramid and effectively re-building in the Central Midlands League, which is where they remain to this day after first arriving in 2013.

On a positive they have a new ground over the road from their current Watnall Road venue, and that is expected to be ready at some point early next season. In the meantime on the field, they are one of four sides challenging for promotion this season and stand as good a chance as anyone of a return to Step 6.

The Kop End

Watnall Road, when I first went was nothing more than a field with a shelter, now it is a proper football ground, albeit given the clubs decline and impending move, it is suffering from wear and tear plus a lack of tender loving care, understandably so.

The long, low roofed main stand remains with its collection of various coloured seats, while at both ends of the stand are covered terracing areas. Behind the Watnall Road goal is a covered terrace while at the open end is an area of uncovered terracing. When it does go, it will be sad, and it will be a shame to lose such an impressive arena, but clearly to maintain it for the level they compete it, is a very costly exercise.

They still get strong levels of support though, and while the crowds even at Conference North were not spectacular, the volume of support has been a constant, what Hucknall fans are is very loyal to their club, whatever the level.

Hucknall beat Mickleover Royal British Legion 3-0 on the night, but sadly the victory was overshadowed by a broken leg suffered by Michael Banister who was the victim of a reckless rather than malicious challenge.

The goals came from Jamie Crawford in the first half, while Joe Ashurst and Adam Nelson netted in the second period. Mickleover battled hard but Hucknall had the quality.

Pitch Covers - At Step 7!

The balance of power in Nottinghamshire is very different to what it once was. Basford United are now the senior club, while Carlton Town would be next in the pecking order. Could the likes of 

Worksop, Eastwood or maybe Hucknall get back to be in a position to challenge for that crown again?

Hucknall, through the loyalty, hard work and passion that exists amongst those who run the club and indeed support them, stand as good a chance as any of those clubs to return to their former glories.

It might take time, but we all know the pitfalls and consequences of rapid rises up the leagues, not least the lads and lasses from Watnall Road.

One Last Time?

The Corridor Of Uncertainty

Royston Town  2  St Neots Town  1

Southern Football League – Premier Division

If the word on the street is correct, the FA’s plan for forming the new Central League at Step’s 3 and 4 is going to be based around a ‘Golden Triangle’ which in simple terms is the basis of the league’s geographical footprint.

Taking the three points of the triangle in turn, in the North West it would allegedly begin just South of Shrewsbury, stretching across to the North East point just beyond Kings Lynn, and then forming the third and final point in the Maidenhead / Slough area. A perfect triangle if you will!

Basically, if you then sit inside that triangle at Step 3 or 4, you are in the Central League next season, if you sit on the edges of it, along what could best be described as ‘The Corridor of Uncertainty’, you may be in it, or you may not.

It further complicates itself around the Southern point because you could in theory go one of three ways, which would be either the Southern League, Isthmian League, or indeed Central League.  Consequently some clubs are a little on the vulnerable side here, one of them being Royston Town.

Garden Walk

Royston currently compete in the Southern League, but if you draw the triangle, they fall into the Isthmian League, but then when you do the maths and work out an equal split of numbers in each league, you could then arguably move them into the Central League. That said, if they get through the Play Offs which they are in with a shout of reaching, they could end up in the National League South!

All this started to occur to me as I was looking at the programme from the game the other night, I noticed that next Tuesday they are at home to Weymouth, and that is a 356 mile round trip! It’s not the longest journey though, as Tiverton is 444 miles, Taunton 414 and Merthyr Tydfil 416 miles.

So, forgive me for being presumptive, but surely if given the option, Royston would want to be giving those trips a swerve next season if they can help it.

If they were in the Central League, I reckon the longest trip would be somewhere like Rushall, and that is a round 216 miles, while in the Isthmian its Bognor Regis at 266.

Change and restructuring can only be a very good thing for Royston, along with many other clubs who sit on the outer boundary of a leagues footprint, the creation of another league at the same step will reduce costs massively, but the issue of the unknown remains.

Decking - With A Roof

Players are typically signed with one eye on geographical location. For example, I know of a well know Step 3 Surrey based club that signs the bulk of its players from Kent as they compete in the Isthmian, but they are strongly being tipped to join the Southern League and as a consequence the distance and direction of travel would mean a complete re-think in terms of recruitment.

I suspect it will be mid-May, whence the Play Offs have been finalised and the promoted clubs from Step 5 are all allocated, before the provisional constitutions can be declared (they aren’t final until the AGM). That doesn’t leave a club an awful long time to prepare, especially if they are moving to a new league. This is nothing new by the way, clubs have moved up down and laterally over the years, sometimes without prior warning, take London Colney last year who were fully expecting Isthmian football, got put in the South and suddenly quit as they weren’t prepared nor happy to move into that competition.

No easy answer to this, but maybe some kind of steer would be useful, especially to the clubs that do sit along this corridor? For all I know, they may well get consulted about the moves, but evidence in recent seasons would suggest possibly not.

Moving on, I first saw Royston Town play in October 2010, they were away at Langford and smashed then into the next County with a 7-1 victory.  They finished third that season in the South Midlands League, but then won the competition at a canter the following season.

Match Action

After some near misses, finishing seventh twice and second twice in the Southern League Central Division, they finally clinched the championship last season and found themselves promoted to the Premier Division, the highest level in their history.

I’ve been meaning to go for a while, and when, my  first choice game at Ware was called off, I immediately decided to bring forward a visit that I’d originally planned in for February. Now, I talk a lot about clubs making great first impressions, and that is exactly what I got with the Crows of Royston. Texts were sent to both the Club Secretary and Fixtures Secretary, and within minutes both had got back to me with positive news about the pitch, then going on to wish me a safe journey South.

Upon arrival in the attractive Hertfordshire town, a town that doesn’t look to be short in disposable income, the welcome and the friendliness of the club officials at the Garden Walk stadium was first class. This may sound a bit sentimental, but when you get a good feeling about a club thanks to the people involved, you just know you are going to enjoy the experience. This proved to be the case.

Garden Walk is a quaint ground, maintaining a lot of traditional features from years gone by such as the clubhouse and dressing rooms that sit behind the goal, and also the old stand that perches on the halfway line. Hemmed in by housing and a graveyard, the club are clearly mindful that work needs to be done to move to the National League. A small standing area has been erected in one corner that has the appearance of decked platform with a roof over the top, unusual but not out of place by any means.

Beer, Burgers And Team Baths

Bases have also been laid behind the bottom goal and also adjacent to the dugouts whereby additional terracing and seating will be erected at some point. I have a feeling it will be the typical ‘Meccano’ style structures that are craned in, but one can only hope that Royston can buck the trend and go for a more bespoke version?

On the field, Royston sit just outside of a play-off space, while neighbouring St Neots occupied a mid-table berth. It was the home side that started positively, taking the lead in the eighth minute through a superbly taken John Frendo volley, then just seven minutes later a free kick wide on the left by Lee Chappell sailed over the bewildered St Neots goalkeeper into the back of the net.

Royston then missed two excellent chances to increase their lead, and in the end that might have proved costly.

The three points looked reasonably comfortable for the Crows as the game moved into the latter stages, but then a misplaced back pass was intercepted by Lewis Irwin who rounded the goalkeeper to make it 2-1.

St Neots were now galvanised and went in search of an equaliser, but Royston dug deep to keep them at bay, despite the visitors getting both man and ball into potentially dangerous situations.

It was a deserved victory in the end that moves Royston into the Play-Off places, and I really hope that they can continue on the upward curve that they’ve been on for a few years now.

What next for them?

The perils of living in the Corridors of Uncertainty mean just that, but whatever happens, I suspect any moves will be for the better, that’s why we have restructuring isn’t it?

The Green Green Grass Of The Southern/Isthmian/Central League

Truly Isthmian

Carshalton Athletic  5  East Grinstead Town  1

Isthmian League – First Division South

It seems I wasn’t alone in my cunning little plan.

As we boarded the train at West Sutton, some of the very same individuals who had jogged round from Gander Green Lane, were now walking at a pace down Colston Avenue for game two, along with myself.

The home of Carshalton Athletic is no more than five minutes from the station, and as the rain continued to pour, a queue was forming at the turnstiles as some of the reported crowd of 343 made their way in.

Colston Avenue is a cracking ground, with the focal point being the huge covered terrace that runs the full length of the pitch. It’s noticeable that the artificial pitch has a steep drop off at one end once beyond the touchline, while at the opposite end it rises up. This suggested the pitch was once on a slope, and the contours of the stand roof would also suggest that as they step down at periodic intervals from one end to the other.

THAT Terrace - At Which Point I think A Little Bit Of Wee Came Out

A modern seated stand sits opposite, with the clubhouse adjacent, while beyond the goal at the car park end is a further narrow covered terrace. Completing cover on all four sides of the ground is a smaller covered terrace behind the opposite goal.

Like Sutton, it’s a mixture of the traditional and the modern, thankfully in terms of tradition that fantastic old terrace remains untouched, and long may it stay that way.

Make no mistake about it, Carshalton Athletic are part of the Isthmian League fabric, joining in 1973 from the Athenian League, and then spending every year since in the league barring a two season stint from 2004 to 2006 in the Conference South.

Seat Boys - Give Us A Song

The bulk of their Isthmian life has been spent in the Premier Division, but over recent seasons they have found themselves uncharacteristically in the First Division South. This season they are well placed in third place behind Lewes and Cray Wanderers, so clearly the loyal fan base will be hoping it’s the season that they return to pastures more familiar.

Visitors East Grinstead Town from Sussex are not having such a good season, residing in the bottom four, but due to restructuring only one side goes down and that team (Shoreham) are already seemingly needing snookers to stay up.

Following a perfectly observed minutes silence to honour the great Cyrille Regis, Carshalton opened positively. Omar Koroma scored the opening goal from the penalty spot in the 14^th minute after he himself had been up-ended. The same player then nodded home Athletic’s second goal just before the break, and for my money had made the game safe.

A mistake by Risheet Lal in the Grinstead goal just after half time gave Ola Sogbanmu the chance to lob the ball into an empty net, and then in the 70^th minute Rocky Korboa raced away to slot home the fourth.

The Steep Slope Down To The Terraces

Grinstead, backed by a handful of vocal supporters, pulled a goal back through Isaac Hutchinson, but the four goal margin was restored in added time when Hamilton Academical bound Mickel Miller was fouled in the box and despatched the resultant spot kick past Lal.

It was a routine victory for a confident Carshalton side who simply had too much pace and movement on the day. Grinstead didn’t play badly, but they were well beaten by a better team.

I managed a few words in the closing stages with Paul Brockett, a Ripon based Hopper who I bump into from time to time, he was also on the train from the North East with friends, such was the attraction of the two fixtures.

I made the train to Victoria with a couple of minutes to spare, and then was forced to queue for a time while the fans of Crystal Palace who were returning from Arsenal, were ushered from the tube to the mainline.

It Was Raining So I Didn't Bother Going Round That End

Otherwise, it was a smooth journey back to Euston and into a crowded Royal George pub before my train North. Arsenal fans were in the majority, but at five pounds plus a pint, I chose to only stay for a couple.

The train to Birmingham was rammed, it was the slower variety and full of squealing families, but eventually we arrived in good time for the return to Derby and a steady walk across town to the bus station for the last leg of what had been an epic day.

Mrs H had kindly left me some supper out, and over some garlic bread I could reflect on another cracking day out courtesy of the quirks and intricacies of our rail pricing structures.

Need to start scouring those fixtures for the next early kick off, Bromley or Woking would do very nicely indeed!  

Isthmian Encapsulated

The Tickety Split

Sutton United  2  Dagenham & Redbridge  1

National League

One of the benefits of having a couple of mates who don’t drive, is that they have an encyclopedic knowledge of the rail network, and how to take advantage of it.

I was taught a trick a couple of years ago about ticket splitting, and how it can save you a fortune. I’ve basically now found a way of getting to London on a Saturday for around twenty quid, by simply buying advance singles between Derby and Birmingham, and then from Birmingham to Euston.

Of course, it does mean early starts and late returns, which doesn’t bother me in the slightest, and it always means that the journey can take quite a bit longer than if you took the more traditional and indeed more expensive routes, but it’s a small price to pay for a cheap day out.

When I booked the tickets in December I was looking at doing a Football League game, the two clubs I need in London, Charlton and Fulham, were at home, it was just a case of picking the one I preferred. But then I spotted that Sutton United were kicking off at 12.30 as the game with Dagenham & Redbridge was being shown on BT Sport, and that put my brain into overdrive.

The Iconic Stand At Gander Green Lane

If that game finished around 2.20pm, where could I get in forty minutes by public transport? The answer was simple, two train stops and a five minute walk would get me to the Colston Avenue home of Carshalton Athletic by around a quarter to three. Both Sutton and Carshalton play on artificial pitches so bingo, it was tickety split-tastic, a plan was hatched, Fulham and Charlton will have to wait for another day.

It was a cold morning as I walked down to Belper station for the 6.43am to Derby. It was on time and sparsely populated, but the Birmingham bound train was pretty empty, and a snooze could be afforded before disembarking at New Street.

New Street is very smart these days, compared to the dump it once was, but at 8am on a Saturday not much is happening, the shops are shut and the eateries yet to fire up. The Euston bound Virgin Train was packed, confused travelers on the way to Birmingham Airport sat in the wrong seats and bashed legs as they humped suitcases down the aisles. Normality resumed as the bewildered departed for their flights, and then as the remainder of the student population finally did one at Coventry, the train was spacious and peaceful, the carefully prepared packed lunch courtesy of Mrs H could be unwrapped in more tranquil surroundings.

That's What You Call A Gantry!

With a Travel Card already in place, it was straight through a crowded Euston to the Victoria Line, and then a mere three stops later it was onto an equally busy Victoria station to wait for the Horsham bound train that would take me to Sutton.

A crawl to Clapham Junction with Battersea Power Station looming large just over the Chelsea Bridge slowed us up slightly but soon the train arrived in Sutton and a quick change to West Sutton saw me walking up to the ground at 11.15, well in time for the kick off, and certainly in time for some of God’s finest in the clubhouse.

A large Met presence was waiting outside the nearby pub, clearly the travelling Daggers had to be watched over carefully, but as the pub was not yet open, I chose to head straight to the clubhouse, where BT Sport expert summariser Dean Saunders was holding court. Deano is a Rams legend, and was the scorer of one of the finest goals my old mate Matt never saw at Villa Park. Matt had already been ejected by the West Midlands Police when Saunders put his head on a Paul Goddard cross and scored from twenty yards! Great days, you couldn’t beat a good ejection from a football ground as a teenager to increase your credibility. The same Police force did it to me a couple of years later at Molineux, a proud day I have to say!

Squaring Off The Ellipse - The Home End Terrace

Gander Green Lane is a mixture of the old and the new. The clubhouse was a large building, with various rooms used for serving food and drinks to the visiting officials, sponsors et al. Next to the clubhouse was the two story block which served as the main entrance and the club offices, while in front of this was the old main stand that is synonymous with Sutton United.

The ground is effectively a huge bowl, with curved terracing in the corners behind the West goal exemplifying it, but the covered areas behind both goals have been moved forward so they are nearer the pitch, however it’s still possible to see the outline of what went before. Another covered terrace sits opposite the main stand, but both stands on either sides are quite a distance from the pitch, again, testimony to the fact the ground was once elliptical in shape.

The Away End

The new artificial surface is clearly doing wonders for the club in terms of community use and driving revenue, but, with them sat in a Play Off place, will they be allowed to compete as the Football League will not accept synthetic surfaces?

Just over 2000 turned up, along with around 150 from the East end who were segregated behind the East goal. It was a damp and drizzly afternoon, but after a goalless first half, Sutton really turned on the style in the second period.

Tommy Wright capitalised on a mistake and rounded Daggers goalkeeper Mark Cousins to give the hosts a 58^th minute lead, only for Tom Bolarinwa to powerfully head home the second goal just three minutes later. It was the least Sutton deserved after a controlled and powerful display.

Fejiri Okenabirhie pulled a goal back for the visitors in the 85^th minute, but it was the hosts who finished the stronger with Craig Dundas almost spectacularly heading past Cousins but the keeper scrambled back to clear the ball off the line.

The Controversial Carpet

So, Sutton move up to second in the table, and the club probably more famed for their FA Cup exploits over the years (no mention of any pies) with victories over Leeds United, AFC Wimbledon and Coventry City hitting the headlines along with THAT defeat to Arsenal, are very well placed to be in the mix for promotion to the Football League. Sadly though, it may not be their playing efforts that dictate whether that happens or not.

With the rain pouring, there was no time to reflect, it was the short two minute walk to West Sutton station, I was on a tight timescale, but as the train rolled out in the direction of Sutton and then Carshalton, I did think to myself that Sutton United really do have the potential to be a League club.

In a tightly compacted part of the Country when it comes to football, averaging over 2000 spectators is no mean feat, but Sutton, and indeed high flying Bromley have got hurdles to overcome first if they want the rewards their excellent football teams warrant.

This is a story that is going to rumble on……..   

Dreaming Of The Football League