Leverstock Green

Leverstock Green FC is a non-league football club based a very pretty village close to the new town of Hemel Hempstead in Hertfordshire with the M1 motorway just a few hundred metres away.

The club was formed in 1896 and played in the West Herts League until 1954 when they became members of Division Two of the Herts County League, from where they were promoted to Division One as runners-up in their debut season.

The club ground in Pancake Lane originally formed part of the Gorhambury Estate, Lord Verulam making the ground available for the youth of the area and his estate workers to enjoy a game of ball. 

Lord Verulam was an early enthusiast, providing timber-built changing rooms, which have been progressively replaced since the 1960s by the existing brick built clubhouse and changing rooms.

The side was relegated back to Division Two in 1966-67 before finishing runners-up in 1974-75 to return to Division One which was now the second level of the competition. Further promotion to the Premier Division came in 1984-85.

'The Green' were demoted in 1986-87 but returned to the Premier Division in 1988-89 as league runners-up. After finishing as Herts County League runners-up in 1990-91 the club was accepted into the South Midlands League. 

Owing to the lack of floodlights at Pancake Lane, the team was relegated to the Senior Division in 1993 where they finished runners-up in 1995-96 and then as champions in 1996-96 before the competition was enlarged to become the Spartan South Midlands League.

The club remained in the Senior Division, which was renamed Division One in 2001 after floodlights had been erected in 1999, with continued protests from local residents. Promotion to the Premier Division was achieved in 2002-03.

The 2010-11 season saw Leverstock Green finish fourth in the league as well as reaching the fifth round of the FA Vase before going out in a home tie against Rye United. A series of mid table league finishes ensued.

Paul Hunt and Tim O'Sullivan became joint managers in November 2015 before Hunt took sole charge before his departure in October 2016 before Scott Dash was appointed to take over team affairs.

His assistants Mark Royal and Peter Waller were placed in charge in July 2018 prior to Matt Harding being appointed as manager in July 2019. 

Leverstock Green FC will play in the Spartan South Midlands League Premier Division in season 2014-15.

 

My visits

I arrived in the village by bus from St Albans on a very pleasant day, Wednesday 22nd July 2009. I soon found Pancake Lane which has some very nice houses along it. It is an unlikely place to find a non league football ground. 

The main gate was locked so I carried out down the lane to find another vantage spot to no avail. It was an area I didn't want to raise suspicion of my activities. The ground was pretty basic on my visit. 

There was a path running round the pitch and a car park near the gates. The rest of the ground was flat open grass. The clubhouse, changing rooms and a basic shelter was on the half way line of the near touchline.

I walked back through the pristine village with its pretty couple of pubs and the cricket ground which actually was the village green. All the houses and gardens seemed to be cared for. I popped into the local store for a lucozade and raised immediate suspicion as I stood out as being a non local. 

I continued across the duel carriageway into a parallel universe by the name of Hemel Hempstead. As luck would have it I spotted the following on the club website on my return:

"Arena Seating has confirmed that the new 113-seat grandstand at Pancake Lane will be installed on 28th July."

There was only one thing for it. I'd just have to revisit at a later date!

Leverstock Green 1 Dunstable Town 1 (Tuesday 15 March 2011) Spartan South Midlands League Premier Division (att: 43)

On early turn at work I decided it was time to meet up with fellow groundhopper and Scarborough Athletic fan, Ian Anderson. I had some programmes for him following my move of flat that would free up some valuable space and with him being based in Northampton, this fixture offered a good opportunity to meet for a few convivial ales and get in a new ground.

It was the opening day of the Cheltenham Festival and I left a rather euphoric Jarvo in Ladbrokes who had just got a placepot up before boarding the train at West Hampstead to St Albans. A bus arrived promptly at the other end to take me to the front door of The Green Man on the main road of the large village of Leverstock Green.

Jarvo had by now sent a grumpy text that the bet had paid out a very minimal amount compared to normal, and while I empathised, my eyes were fixed on the choice of three real ales on offer. Ian and I had a good chat about the game and our beloved Boro before he drove me down to Pancake Lane.

He wisely chose a parking spot in the corner of the ground to avoid stray shots before we went to purchase our programmes from a friendly gateman. We went into the clubhouse where the players were just leaving to get changed. 

In hindsight an extra drink in the pub would have been a good option as the beers available at the ground were not very imaginative. Ian got his club badge from a keen official. We went outside near kick off. 

It was a cold clear night so we opted to have regular walks around the pitch. The new stand looked good on the far side of the pitch. It was one of the modern structures seen at many locations, but it did the job required. The game was eagerly contested with a good enthusiastic ref taking control.

  

The home side were awarded a penalty, which was duly converted following a push from a cross. It would normally have received lots of complains, but the ref held firm and explained his decision.

We adjourned to the clubhouse at half time to see the half time scores on teletext. Manchester Uunited were leading Olympique Marseilles in the Champions League in a game my Dad was at. I was delighted for him. 

It was his first visit to Old Trafford for close on fifty years and I knew he'd love the whole big match experience. Boro were waltzing past Bottesford Town in the Northern Counties East League Cup. The three scores beautifully encapsulate the wide spectrum of the game I love.

Dunstable did everything they could in the second half to draw level, but 'Green', who'd had a fine season in the FA Vase, gave as good as they got. The game got a bit niggly later on, but much of it was played with decent spirit. The game ended in a home victory.

Ian drove back north, while I had a few minutes to kill back in the pub before my bus arrived. Because of the 7.30pm kick off I managed to catch the 10pm train back into the metropolis from St Albans and I was home and in bed in Kingsbury before 11pm.

All in all, a decent if a cold night.