Hoddesdon Town

Hoddesdon Town FC were formed in 1879 as Hoddesdon FC, making the club the third oldest in Hertfordshire with the team initially playing at Mancers Field, before moving to Lowfield 1899 to share with the local cricket and tennis clubs.

In 1919 the club took up their present title before joining the Herts County League in 1920 after playing friendly and FA Cup matches in their earlier years. The league was disbanded in 1925 with Hoddesdon becoming members of the Spartan League shortly after.

Spartan League honours followed in 1927/28 when the club were champions of Division Two, Section B Champions. In 1935-36 Town lifted the Division One crown and were promoted to the Premier Division of the Spartan League.

Throughout the 1951-52 season the team played some home games at the Essex Road Arena, before moving permanently to the Arena for a spell until returning permanently to Lowfield in 1954. The appointment of Elmer Elliott as Chairman in 1965 would see progress on the field.

The 1970-71 season saw Hoddesdon become Spartan League champions as well as lifting the League Challenge Cup and Herts Charity Shield. Floodlights were installed at Lowfield in 1973, with West Ham United playing in the inauguration match.

At the end of the amateur era, the FA introduced a new competition; the FA Vase for the 1974-75 season. Town went on a run to defeat Epping Town, Billericay Town, Basildon United, Baldock Town, Molesey, Farnborough Town and Friar Lane Old Boys to reach the final at Wembley Stadium.

10,000 spectators turned up at the national stadium to see Hoddesdon defeat Epsom & Ewell 2-1 to become the first winners of the competition.

The following season ‘The Lillywhites’ became founder members of the amalgamated London Spartan League before joining the Athenian League in 1978. The Athenian League was disbanded in 1984 with Hoddesdon joining the South Midlands League.

When the league expanded Town were placed in the Spartan South Midlands League Premier Division North for the 1997-98 season.

In 1997 the new stand was built at Lowfield incorporating seats formerly in action at Burnden Park, Bolton, while their legendary match programme picked up another national award

In 2005 the team were relegated from the leagues' Premier Division, from which it took several seasons for a return to the top flight. In 2013 promotion back to the top flight was secured by way of a third place finish under manager Andy Crawford.

A new standing cover was erected on the Park View side of the ground in 2014. The team finished in third position in the 2015-16 season under Paul Halsey; the brother of former Premier League referee Mark.

Hoddesden Town will compete in the Spartan South Midlands League Premier Division for season 2017-18.

My visit

Monday 10th August 2009

I was unsure what to expect when I alighted from the bus in Hoddesdon High Street. I had read that the football and cricket club had been having regular fall outs at their shared ground over the years. I was most impressed when I first set eyes on it. The cricket ground was on one side with the football ground at the other with just the path surrounding the football pitch separating them.

The whole Lowfield site is surrounded by trees giving it a pleasant backdrop. The only covered accommodation for spectators is a stand on the half way line with seats and standing. The changing rooms and clubhouse are in the corner and are shared by both codes.

Lowfield is a nice venue, convenient for the town centre. I hope both clubs can continue to sensibly co-habit for years to come.

Hoddesden Town 3 Edgware Town 2 (Wednesday 31^st August 2016) Spartan South Midlands League Premier Division (att: 121) at Ware FC

It was a very pleasant summer’s afternoon when I set out to this match. I wanted to take some much needed exercise as well as watching the match and I certainly achieved it. Having taken a train to Hackney Wick I visited both the Howling Hops and Crate Breweries for a brief sample in each before setting off on the path alongside the River Lea Navigation.

The fantastic walk took me past Hackney Marshes, Millfield, Springfield Park and Markfield Park alongside the water before I went inland at Tottenham Hale. After continuing to White Hart Lane where Tottenham Hotspur’s new stadium was underway I took a bus to Edmonton Green where I alighted for food.

Once refreshed I took the train to Ware where I arrived around 6.45pm. I thought that I’d missed the bus up the hill to the ground that was located on the edge of town, so I was more than happy to find the stop a few minutes before its arrival.

Once at the ground I had some time to kill, so I went to the arena next door which was the home ground of Wodson Park FC to take some photos before I paid the £6 admission fee and purchased one of the legendary match programmes for a further £1.50.

The Lillywhites decided to play their first two ‘home’ games of the season at Ware while Lowfield was still being used for cricket so to avoid a potential fixture backlog at the back end of the season. It was lovely evening as darkness began to draw in.

Edgware fans gathered on the far side with their green and white drum, while I relaxed with a cuppa in the Main Stand seats. We had a late kick off because no-one from the home side had pumped up any match balls!

The pitch had a few bare spots on its sloping surface. The home side were in the ascendancy in the first twenty minutes kicking up the slope as they carved out a few chances. Then against the run of play Edgware went 1-0 up when Adem Ali’s excellent cross shot went over Hoddesdon keeper Luke Peirce to nestle in the far corner of the net.

Shortly after Wares were denied a stone wall penalty when a forward was dragged back in the area, much to the consternation of the visiting support. The previous season’s Division One champions were giving a fine account of themselves, despite a shaky start to the new campaign.

Pierce had to make a couple of good saves to keep his side in the game. His efforts paid off as the home side equalised in first half stoppage time as Brett O’Conner put in a fine cross for Matt Turpin to rise and head home.

Wandering around during the break and trying to keep out of the bar I came across the surreal sight of a Weightwatchers class in the function room doing their best in their aims, looking out of the window to where the snack bar queue headed away with burgers and chips. Talk about torture!

Hoddesdon used the slope to their advantage after the break as they went 2-1 ahead when a fine passing move was finished off with a Connor Scully shot from the edge of the box. On sixty five minutes the Lillywhites extended their lead when a cross was cleared off the line as far as O’Conner, who fired home from fifteen yards.

The action quietened down after the third goal as the pace dropped in the humid conditions. Five minutes from the end Jordon Watson went on a fine run for Hoddesdon before unleashing a shot that came back off the post with the keeper beaten as Edgware continued to push forward.

In the final minute Jay Molloy made it 3-2 with a fine shot from distance. The Wares roared forward in an attempt to salvage a point, but Hoddesdon hung on throughout stoppage time to seal victory.

I headed back down the hill through the very pleasant town centre to catch the train back to Liverpool Street having enjoyed a wonderful day out, capped by a fine football match.

Hoddesden Town 4 Edgware Town 2 (Tuesday 19^th September 2017) SSM Premier League Cup (att: 61)

After finishing a particularly unfunny early shift at work I had at least the satisfaction of knowing I had the following day off and I was heading to the County Championship game between Middlesex and Lancashire at Lord’s.

From work I went to meet two dear friends; Linda Le Ker and her son Ross Sullivan in Camden. It was wonderful to catch up with two very special people and enjoy a really good meal at the ever reliable Al Parco Pizzeria.

Even throughout my meal I wasn’t sure of my footballing destination. Tuesday, as ever, offered so many different options around the capital. I toyed with several, but in the end I plumped for Hoddesden; as they were playing one of my local sides and I’d previously been once before, but only to take pictures.

Indeed, I’d seen the same two sides play in the league the previous season, with the Lillywhites using Ware FC as their home ground, while Lowfield was still in cricket mode.

My journey took me by tube to Tottenham Hale, from where I took a semi-fast train to Broxbourne. From there it was a very pleasant walk along the bank of the Lea New River and past some lovely houses through the edge of town to Park View and the ground.

Admission was £6, with the programme and extra couple of quid. Inside; as I didn’t quite work out until later, was a voucher for a free hot drink as a thank you for the purchase. If only more clubs used such a cost friendly encouragement.

The programme as ever, was crammed full of information and up to date reports about the club and league in general. The forty eight page tome really was a labour of love, and one that had seen the club win numerous awards over the years.

There was just time for a very swift pint of cider before kick off, as I said hello to some familiar faces among the small Edgware gathering. The team had begun the season inconsistently, as often happens with a change of management.

Veteran defender Fergus Moore led the team in his role as player-manager. He’d impressed me in pre-season as his communication helped inexperienced players. His patience was to be put to the test on this occasion.

I was taking in the scene at the impressive and picturesque Stewart Edwards Stadium when the home side went 1-0 up from the penalty spot thanks to a cool finish from Connor Scully. I took up a seat in the small fifty seater stand opposite the main structure.

Within a few minutes Hoddesden had doubled their lead. Too many Wares players didn’t close down their men, which led to a cross being converted at the far post from the head of unmarked forward Leigh Rose.

The visiting bench tried to get the team going and spoke with Moore, who in turn used his experience to try and marshal his troops. Edgware looked OK in possession, although the ball was given away far too easily on occasions.

It took me back to when I first saw the reformed side. There was plenty of individual talent, but they didn’t play as a team. Too many wanted to show all their flair, without doing the necessary work off the ball that often goes unnoticed.

The visitors gradually got into the game, but the lack of cohesion wasn’t going to cause too many problems for a well drilled home team. Inevitably, those putting in real effort were punished as they mistimed tackles looking to make up for their colleagues.

It didn’t help a great deal when referee Daniel Robinson pointed to the spot on the half hour mark when centre back Perry Aitchison was adjudged to have brought his man down in the box, when he clearly won the ball. Even the home players looked embarrassed at the call.

Scully put away a fine low spot kick past the despairing dive of Cain Davies. Moore was furious and received a yellow card for his feedback. The mood of the bench wasn’t much better when the linesman agreed that the defender had won the ball.

To their credit Wares continued to do their best; albeit naively at times. The two forwards 

Omololu Onabolu and Reon Thomas showed talent but didn’t link up nearly enough. Onabolu scored with a magnificent long range free kick past a motionless keeper to reduce the arrears.

Half time was spent with a warm drink as the temperatures dropped at great haste, as I looked at some of the fine memorabilia in the clubhouse; some of which depicted Hoddesden’s Wembley triumph in 1975.

The visitors came out determined after the break. They’d obviously had a good chat behind closed doors and the tackling was noticeably keener. Therefore it was a disappointment when the erratic ref gave a foul against Tom Rivet when he simply outmuscled his opponent.

Rivet was so incensed that he threw the ball onto the turf in utter frustration. He’d already been booked for an earlier foul, so Mr Robinson showed him a second yellow card to add to Edgware’s woes.

Although both sides attacked and had chances, I always felt that the hosts were the more cohesive outfit and likely to add to their tally. Edgware were like a flickering TV. Occasionally it was possible to get a clear image, before the fault kicked back in.

A terrific long range shot beat Davies all ends up but came back off the underside of the crossbar as the Lillywhites looked to extent their advantage. The match was very close to its finale when I departed; thus missing a consolation goal from substitute Mikkel James.

The walk back seemed quite easy once I knew the way; as well as it being slightly downhill. The torch on my IPhone assisted me along the riverside; thus avoiding any ridiculous accidents! I easily made the 9.55 train back to Tottenham Hale.

It had been a good, if long day and I even decided not to bother with a pint, so I awoke bright and refreshed for a day at the cricket.