Holmer Green

Holmer Green FC is a non-league football club from the large village a few miles northeast of High Wycombe in Buckinghamshire. The club was formed in 1908, becoming members of the Chesham & District League playing their home games at Campbells Meadow.

The Common was then used, with the club being based at The Bat and Ball public house, prior to a switch in competition to the Wycombe Combination League in 1934. Various local cup competitions were won in the following decades, with Norman King leading his side to a couple of 1970’s league triumphs.

 

Holmer Green moved to a new home at Watchet Lane in 1975, then in 1984 'The Greens' became founder members of the Chiltonian League, going on to be crowned league champions in the opening season.

The team retained the title the following season under manager Pete Eyres. They collected their third championship in 1993-94 with Ian Sheill in charge of the team. A move to the South Midlands League followed in 1995-96, where the side lifted the Senior Division title at the first time of asking.

 

They finished runners-up twelve months later after Jez Hodges had been appointed as player-manager before claiming the Senior Division title once more in 1998-99, which led to promotion to the Premier Division after improvements had been made to their Airedale Park home.

The competition merged and became the Spartan South Midlands League, well before Green were relegated to Division One in 2008-09. However, the side recovered to win promotion twelve months later under manager Chris Allen who remained in charge for another nine seasons.

In 2018-19 the club was transferred to the Premier Division of the Hellenic League with new manager Dave Lynch departing soon into their second campaign in new surroundings. Matt Stowell was appointed as his replacement.

A couple of seasons were derailed owing to the worldwide pandemic, before Green rejoined the Spartan South Midlands League, where they were relegated from the Premier Division in 2021-22. A lowly finish in Division One ensued the following season under manager Tom Bryant.

Worse was to come for the club who were transferred by the FA once again, this time to Division One of the Combined Counties League. Tranell Richardson was appointed as manager, placed by experienced Football League player Keith Scott in September 2023.

The team ended the 2023-24 season in the possible relegation places awaiting their fate.

Holmer Green FC will compete in the Combined Counties League Division One in the 2023-24 season.

My visits

Thursday 28th June 2012

I had a day off work and the sun was amazingly shining, in what had been the wettest June on record. I had intended to revisit Adams Park in Wycombe to update my photos for some time and after studying a map and various timetables, I realised I could visit a club who I would struggle to fit in for a midweek match.

I caught a couple of tubes and then took a Chiltern line train from Harrow-on-the-Hill to Amersham, where I boarded the number four Carousel service and purchased a day ticket for a very reasonable price of £5.40. 

The ride took me through countryside before I got out at the village green of Holmer Green. After about ten minutes and a walk along Beech Tree Road I entered the car park of Holmer Green Sports Association. Airedale Park also catered for several other sports as well as football.

The ground had temporary high metal fences around it, but either vandals or the weather had blown some over. This was lucky for me as it allowed me access to take some photos. It was apparent that on matchdays players changed in the complex's main building and walked the fifty metres or so along a fenced path to the pitch. 

Spectator access was only allowed on three sides. The fourth backed on to practice and junior pitches with just the dug outs for company. The ground was a mixture of open grass and hard standing, apart from a nice little stand with bench seating on the Watchet Lane side and a cover at the Clubhouse End on top of a small bank. 

Three sides were bordered by attractive trees which gave the venue an enclosed feel. I left the ground, having been impressed with the setting and set off down the lane, which led into Sawpit Hill on the edge of the adjoining Wycombe suburb of Hazlemere. 

My busy timings were spot on, as the next service arrived within a few minutes to take me to Wycombe Bus Station, ready for my next ride to Adams Park.

Holmer Green 1 Hertford Town 1 (Tuesday 27^th August 2013) Spartan South Midlands League Premier Division (att: 53)

I was on early shift at work and with the weather still glorious, I decided a night out at the football was definitely in order. Most leagues had fulfilled fixtures on the previous days Bank Holiday, but the SSML had a full list to choose from. 

I decided on Holmer Green while the nights were still light before kick off, as I could imagine it being a bit bleak in the depths of winter. After a siesta I took a pleasant ride into Metroland courtesy of the tube and then a bus dropped me in the tidy village of Holmer Green. 

I was too late to go to the clubhouse, so I paid my fiver, which included a basic programme and sat behind the goal on the bank when Sussex Hopper Luke of Non League Matters fame and Richard appeared and told me about the beer festival in the bar.

Hertford were on a bit of a run in recent games, but they went 1-0 down after fifteen minutes, when a slip from a defender allowed the impressive Ryan Forbes in to score. For the rest of the half Hertford were the better team having a couple of one on ones but twice the Holmer keeper Henry Craven made great saves.

I treated myself to a couple of rapid pints during the break, with the Oakham Brewery Citra easily outscoring the Rebellion Gold. Both offered excellent value at £2. The beers were what were left from the village beer festival from the weekend. 

It was a nice surprise, but I wish I’d know in advance to take real advantage! It was nice to note Rebellion was the usual beer on tap at the club. I also had probably the smallest hot dog I've had at a game, but it was tasty and acted as a perfect sponge after the ale.

After the interval Holmer were fairly organised in stopping Hertford creating too many clear cut chance despite pressing hard. The visitors did hit the bar around the hour mark with an excellent header.

You could sense a goal coming and after a prolonged onslaught former Step Four goalie, now Hertford's goal scoring skipper Anthony Anstead levelled things up with just six minutes remaining. I'd grown a bit of a soft spot for Hertford after a smashing visit there a few weeks earlier, so I was happy with this as I stood behind the same goal as several Blues fans.

The splendidly named Airedale Park was neatly kept. It was nice to see signs up in the dug outs discouraging swearing. It seemed to work as the use of industrial language was kept to an occasional frustrated outburst.

The bus got me back to Wycombe station a few minutes early enabling me to catch the 10.04 train to Wembley Stadium. Like a big kid I had to walk back up Wembley Way to the tube. It's the strangest thing, that when I was actually a youngster I dreamed of that walk, and now I did it pretty regularly, all within walking distance of home.

I was back in my flat in Kingsbury at just gone 11pm, looking forward to my forthcoming trip to Scarborough and the vital Yorkshire v Durham county cricket encounter.