Hemel Hempstead Town

Hemel Hempstead Town FC is a non-league football club that was originally formed as Apsley End FC in 1885, starting competitive life as a club in the Herts County League in 1889-90 and playing at Salmon Meadow.

The club took a nine-year sabbatical away from league action before returning to familiar surroundings, before leaving the competition once again in 1922. This was while playing at Apsley Club & Institute, and then later Gee's Meadow in Bourne End in 1928–29, while a Spartan League club.

A new ground at Crabtree Lane in the town centre was moved into, while fortunes fluctuated on the pitch, with promotion to the Premier Division being earned as Division One runners-up in 1931-32. Despite being relegated, the side recovered to lift the Division One title in 1933-34.

Another demotion was made up for by reaching the first round of the FA Cup in 1938-39, where they lost away to Bromley. Following the War, the club was demoted from the Western Division of the Spartan League in 1945-46 down to Division One West, at which point the club changed its name to Hemel Hempstead FC. 

Two runners-up performances, the latter in 1950-51, led to promotion to the Premier Division, from where Hemel joined the Delphian League in 1952-53. The ‘Town’ suffix was added to the club title in 1955. A crowd of 3,500 at Crabtree Lane in 1961-62 saw the defeat against Tooting & Mitcham United in the FA Amateur Cup.

In 1963-64, the ‘Tudors’ became members of Division Two of the Athenian League, winning promotion in 1964-65, and then going up again to the Premier Division twelve months later. However, the 1969-70 season was spent back in Division Two after successive relegations. 

Another club, Hemel Hempstead United, was competing in the South Midlands League. A merger between the clubs to form Hemel Hempstead FC took place in the summer of 1971, with the amalgamation moving into United’s Vauxhall Road ground.

A place in Division Two of the Isthmian League was accepted in 1977-78, where the side continued until league reorganisation in 1984 saw them placed in Division Two North, and then Division Two following further changes in 1991. A fire at Vauxhall Road in 1992 saw temporary facilities being utilised for five years. 

The struggle continued, reaching its nadir in 1996-97 when Hemel were relegated to Division Three. A committee, led by Dave Boggins took over the club, retitled it Hemel Hempstead Town, and installed Mick Vipond as manager. His side won promotion and their league title twelve months later.

Neil Price was the new manager the following season, taking the team to the Division Two title in 1999-00. However, promotion was denied owing to the condition of the Vauxhall Road ground. Gary Phillips and then Tony Kelly had spells as team manager. 

When the competition was reorganised in 2002-03, the Tudors were placed in Division One North before a sideways move saw the club compete in the Southern League Premier Division in 2004-05. The side went down to the Western Division at the end of their debut season.

Steve Bateman oversaw a run to the playoffs in 2005-06, which saw wins against Swindon Supermarine and then Brackley Town take Hemel back to the Premier Division. The 2006-07 campaign ended in a playoff defeat to Team Bath in the semifinals.

2008-09 also ended in a playoff defeat, this time to Farnborough on penalties in the semifinal tie. Three different bosses had spells in charge of the side in 2009-10, with Dean Brennan eventually leading them to safety before Colin Payne was given the job.

Tommy Widdrington was the next manager, appointed in October 2011 and lasting just four months. Hemel were reprieved from relegation before Brennan came back for a second spell as manager in 2012-13, leading his team to the playoffs, where Chesham United were defeated before a final defeat to Gosport Borough. 

Ben Mackey put away the goals as the crowds flocked to Vauxhall Road, as the Tudors were crowned Southern League champions, moving up to the Conference South. The following season saw a run to the first round of the FA Cup, ending in defeat away to Bury.

2017-18 saw another attempt to go up through the playoffs, which was ended by Braintree Town in the quarterfinals. Sammy Moore arrived during the curtailed 2019-20 season to replace the long-serving Brennan. Lee Bircham and Steve Bateman took charge for the 2020-21 season, which was also cut short.

Mark Jones was installed once things returned to normal, leaving at the end of the 2021-22 season, with his replacement being Bradley Quinton. Further improvements were made at Vauxhall Road, while Alan Dowson, taking over as caretaker boss, helped secure survival on the final day of 2023-24.

Bobby Wilkinson arrived in the managerial hotseat in the summer of 2024, lasting until December when he was replaced by Lee Allinson. He oversaw a transformation as the side finished in midtable.

Hemel Hempstead Town FC will play in the National League South in the 2025-26 season.

My visits

Wednesday 22nd July 2009

I walked the short distance from Leverstock Green to Vauxhall Road on a pleasant summer's day. I wasn't sure what to expect as I walked through the housing estate of Adeyfield to the ground. I was most impressed with what I saw, as Town were obviously a club of some substance. 

Around the turn of the millennium, the ground was deemed insufficient for promotion, so the club took note and did something about it. The side by the entrances has a small seated stand which was predominantly for press and officials with a little terracing to the left and the changing rooms and clubhouse, including a beer garden, to the right. 

There were identical covered terraces behind both goals, which were most impressive. A low covered seated stand stood along the far side, with some open standing. The ground appeared cared for, with everything gleaming with a new coat of paint.

I thought about walking into town and to the railway station, but instead took the bus to the main shopping area. This was a mixture of the type of parade of shops seen on estates and the ultra-modern complexes seen of late. I had very mixed feelings. One half was decent, the other was Chavsville. 

I presumed, and I should have known after previous experiences never to presume anything, that the station was just around the corner. How wrong I was. The railway station was another mile away, so it was just as well it was a peasant day and I could have a good giggle at the radio updates of Sven Goran Eriksson's arrival at Notts County.

Hemel Hempstead Town u18's 3 Romford u18's 2 (Thursday 22nd September 2011) FA Youth Cup First Qualifying Round (att: approx 45)

I had the day off work and wanted to see a game on one of the grounds I'd previously visited, which was in a sensible distance. Thursdays aren't normally an easy day to find a match, but the early rounds of the FA Youth Cup offered plentiful opportunities.

I still had a £7 rail refund voucher from a previous trip up north, where the trains had failed to deliver on their promise. I was never slow to point this out in writing to the company involved in such circumstances. It's something we don't do enough of in this country in my opinion. We all like a moan, but do nothing about it.

I took the train to St Albans from West Hampstead, with plenty of time for a beer or two before the bus to Adeyfield. After a look around the stunning city centre, I settled in the highly recommended Blacksmiths Arms before catching the 6.45 bus to my destination.

Admission was £3, but I was slightly disappointed to find that no programmes were being issued. I went into the very comfortable clubhouse, and I'd no sooner settled with a beer than the gent from the gate came in and sorted me out with a teamsheet. That's what I call service!

I went outside to survey the scene. Hemel had laid artificial turf on the areas outside the playing area that got the most use: touchline, technical areas, etc. The pitch was reasonably level, but the land around it wasn't, with a slope down the pitch from the west goal. 

This led to some interesting viewing angles, not least from the terracing at the top end which looked down on top of the goalnet. The clubs' first team were training on the adjacent floodlit 3G pitch and later went on the main pitch at half time to practise set pieces for their match the following Saturday. 

The food counter was open and offered some good traditional football fare. Both that and the bar were under the control of a couple of Irishmen, the elder of whom certainly wasn't scared of jewellery. The Tudors youngsters wore an off-red kit, although it had plenty of washes, while Romford wore a smart yellow and blue outfit. 

The pace was frenetic from the start, which must have been a strain on one of the largest linemen I'd ever seen. In fairness, he generally kept up with play. The home side thought they'd gone one up with an absolute cracking long-range shot, only to have it chalked off as the referee hadn't seen the far side linesman flagging. 

It was a continuing theme throughout the game. Romford were the better of the sides, much to the joy of their keeper, who also wore the captain's armband. He had a really broad Essex accent as he encouraged his defenders to "get it aaaart". The teams returned to the dressing rooms with Romford deservedly one up.

However, that was to change in the second half as Hemel responded in fine style. Gradually, they took control and then equalised. The second goal wasn't long in coming either. I had a few walks around the ground. The crowd was mainly made up of parents and girlfriends of the players, plus a few loyal followers. 

They were certainly vocal, but in a good way. It was also encouraging to see the players not continually whining like some of their senior counterparts if a decision didn't go their way. I left a few minutes before full time as I desperately needed to catch the 9.40 bus to get me home at a reasonable hour. 

Fortunately the driver seemed keen to finish his shift and he dropped me at St Albans station a couple of minutes ahead of schedule so I could catch the fast 10pm service back to West Hampstead.

Unfortunately, it would appear I missed some dramatic late action after I departed. Romford played the last part of the game with ten men, but then equalised. Hemel then went straight up the other end to bag a winner and a tie away to Chelmsford City in the next round.

Despite missing the late developments, it was a good evening. An excellent pre match pub, a good game at a good ground with some nice refreshments, and I was at home at a reasonable hour without spending a fortune.

Hemel Hempstead Town 1 Sutton United 2 (Tuesday 27^th January 2015) Conference South (att: 362)

Having finished night shifts and trying to rejoin the land of the living I was not sure which game to go to. I was being joined by Jeff Cards for the evening. We had a look at several fixtures but nothing really stood out. The Middlesex Senior Cup tie between North Greenford United and Harrow Borough looked favourite until I rang Tony Foster.

He was heading to Hemel and offered us a ride from the Wetherspoon’s in Stanmore. This option won hands down. We headed for the pub and food. The chilli con carne was as good a pub meal as I’d had in ages, and the ale was in decent form.

Tony picked us up and we were soon parking up in Adeyfield. He’d been there for the match a few days previously against Torquay United in the FA Trophy. Jeff and I were impressed with the set up at the Vauxhall Ground. Everyone seemed friendly at the club. 

We did have a giggle at the décor of the back room of the clubhouse. It was very ostentatious. We were in a quandary whether it was the set from Up Pompei or the staging of Demis Roussos’ state funeral? In all seriousness, it was good to see a club take pride and earn from their facilities.

The pitch was awful if truth be told, and it added to the frenetic and tetchy nature of the game as poor control of the ball led to some daft challenges. It was played at full pelt, which also led to plenty of fouls. The referee, Michael George, was getting some real clog from both sets of players and their supporters. 

I had some sympathy as he tried to allow for the conditions and keep bookings to a minimum, but he was too lenient in doing so. Sutton took the lead thanks to a pitch induced defensive howler from Ed Asafu-Adjaye, allowed Dan Fitchett in to round Hemel keeper Josh Smith before rolling the ball home to the delight of their decent following.

Unfortunately, I can't give a clear description of the equaliser, but from my position in trap two, I heard that it was a screamer from just outside the box from regular scorer and Hemel skipper Jordan Parkes.

Jeff and I enjoyed a half time pint while chatting to a chap my pal knew from his time at Lord’s. We returned outside and I had a spell up on the terrace behind the goal before re-joining Tony down the side I thought that the first half excellent entertainment but after the break the play became scrappy. Sutton had been the better side but quality football became a rarity.

Hemel were extremely fortunate that their full-back David King was given a yellow card instead of the obvious red for an awful studs-up foul on Bedsente Gomis. This led to an outbreak of handbags and a Sutton player screaming like a banshee, before remarkably recovering. 

In the melee, another visitor was shoved over. Fortunately, after holding his face to try and make matters worse, he got up. Perhaps he realised he couldn't shout abuse while holding his face?  It was a very weak decision from the ref.

However, he showed even less courage when he and his linesman were subjected to abuse and language so industrial that I was expecting the shop steward to show up. He could have easily shown reds to two or three visiting players. 

While later researching, I found out that there was some previous history from a FA Trophy clash earlier in the season between the pair in the original incident. Hemel's defence went walkabout as Sutton bagged a deserved late winner through Fitchett. Their fans were jubilant, as were the players. 

Therefore, I was disappointed that their skipper, Glen Southam, decided that rather than celebrate, he'd goad the home fans down the side with "F**king come on then" complete with hand gestures, loud and often. I'd no doubt that he'd taken some stick throughout the game but I don't suppose it was from the patrons in the seats who included elder folk and families? 

The away support also gave the officials some fearful stick as they left the pitch. I knew all about seeing your team conquer what seems like all things evil at an away game, but I thought they had got a little carried away. The ref hadn't been brilliant to either side.

Tony did his usual super driving work while we listened to extra time in the League Cup between Chelsea and Liverpool. We were back in the pub at Stanmore for just gone 10pm to enjoy a fine pint as a nightcap.

It had been a decent night in superb company. I left just a little disenchanted with the growing poor attitudes of some of the players in the higher echelons of non-league football.