Brook House

 

Brook House FC is a non-league football club based in Hayes, west London, which was formed in 1974,  around twelve miles from the centre of the city. The team was formed to represent the pub of the same name by Saturday clubs Charville and Hayes North.

House entered the Hayes and District Sunday League and then the Middlesex Sunday League, gathering several honours along the way. In 1982, Grange FC, another local side, moved into the recently acquired Farm Park to become Brook House’s Saturday side, joining the South-West Middlesex League.

In 1984-85, the club became a founder member of the Middlesex County League, from where they progressed to the Spartan League for the 1988-89 campaign. Floodlights were installed at Farm Park in 1992 and opened with a game against Chelsea in which old boy Neil Shipperley scored a hat trick for the visitors.

In 1997, the league merged to become the Spartan South Midlands League, with ‘The Brook’ being placed in the Premier Division South, which they went on to win at the first attempt. This led to a place in a smaller Premier Division where they ended as runners-up in 1999-00 and again in 2003-04.

This led to progression to the Isthmian League for the 2004-05 season following the non-league restructuring. After just missing out on a runners-up spot in 2005-06, House were transferred into the Southern League Division One South & West.

Following their change in title to AFC Hayes moved to the Division One Central for 2010-11, with tenth place in 2011-12 their best return. In 2013, the club introduced a full-time academy to allow local youths to enhance both their football and academic careers under the guidance of Dale Welch and his father, Terry, along with Junior Lewis.

Following a bottom-of-the-division finish in 2014–15, AFC Hayes were relegated to the Premier Division of the Combined Counties League, where the struggle continued with the side regularly finishing towards the bottom of the table, leading to relegation in 2018-19.

The Brooks sat in eleventh place when the 2019-20 campaign ended early, owing to the COVID-19 pandemic under manager Alan Galloway. In the summer of 2022, the club reverted to their title of Brook House, finishing just above the drop zone for the following two seasons. 

Lester Pyle and Martin McLaughlin took over as joint managers in December 2024 to replace Rob Russell. The team reached the playoffs in 2025-26, defeating Woodley United before losing to Bedfont in the final.

AFC Hayes will play in the Combined Counties League Division One in the 2026-27 season.

My visits

Friday 20th October 2006

As was normal around the time that I had recently acquired my digital camera, I had gone in search of non-league grounds to take photos for my collection.

After visiting the then separate homes of Yeading and Hayes, I took a bus that would take me onto Kingshill Avenue, the home of Brook House, as the club was still called. The clubhouse stood by the car park, with a path down the side leading to Farm Park.

It was another ground that was sensibly locked, which was a sad reflection on society, but a necessary action all the same. However, I was not to be beaten as a side gate was open from the practice pitch down the far side.

While Farm Park was nothing spectacular, it had everything required for the level of football at which they competed. A modern seated stand of four rows stood on the far halfway line. Further along to the corner near the entrance were green huts which included the changing facilities, with toilets next door. 

The far end goal had a lean to cover over the hard standing. The rest of the ground consisted of open, flat, hard standing and grass. It had a compact, homely feel about it. I went on my way by bus to Northolt station and then on to Hanwell Town via the Central line.

AFC Hayes Academy 1 Tottenham Hotspur Academy 2 (Monday 19th August 2013) Friendly (att: up to 25)

Often, pre-planning a trip to a ground really does pay dividends, but seldom does it come up trumps as this visit did. While checking out fixtures at Farm Park, I became aware of the clubs full time academy. 

Unusually, they had a fixture against the might of Tottenham Hotspur listed at the unusual kickoff time of midday on a working Monday afternoon. As luck would have it, I wasn’t due in at work until 4.15pm, so off I headed!

A bus from Harrow eventually dropped me at Northolt, from where the number 90 deposited me by the entrance to the ground. A few others were heading in as I arrived. The gate was open, and admission was free. There were no programmes or team sheets available.

I wandered around Farm Park to take a few photos as the teams came out. The only change to the arena since my previous visit was the erection of a small covered metal terrace on the opposite side to the main facilities, along from the dugouts. I settled into the seats to take in the action.

Kick off was delayed as the experienced referee spotted an AFCH player with a visible piercing. He announced to all the players that any such items were not allowed. It could not be removed. Tape was not allowed to cover it, and coach Terry Welch suggested chopping his ear off. I think he was joking?

Mr Welch Sr. had a busy old time as he retrieved errant balls that went over the perimeter fence into the trees and heavy overgrowth. The trees gave Farm Park a really nice enclosed feel. 

In the early stages, the Spurs' number eleven, Juan, stood out with his trickery, which saw him open the scoring after eight minutes following a defensive mix-up. As I hadn't previously seen either team in action, I expected the visitors to dominate from then on, but the hosts contributed plenty. 

Spurs' number nine missed the first of a host of chances given to him when he fired over the shelter into the trees. The ref impressed me as he told the home keeper that he didn't want to hear him shouting to put off his opponent, as it constituted ungentlemanly conduct. In my view, that kind of offence goes by far too often.

Michael in the AFCH side, oozed class with the way he played the ball, making room for himself before distributing intelligently. The Tottenham centre forward missed two more easy opportunities, as well as forcing a good save. 

The visiting custodian made a good stop before the action returned to the battle at the other end. This time, the Hayes stopper used his legs to deny the centre forward. Shortly after the interval, Tottenham were awarded a penalty, but more drama ensued for several minutes before it could be taken. 

It transpired that the Hayes goalkeeper was wearing an earring, and it couldn't be removed despite a queue of willing volunteers all taking a turn. His day was done. The penalty was slotted past the locum keeper by Scott, the visiting number fourteen. A sub then came on to don the green jersey.

Hayes's right back suffered an agonising injury to his arm. The physio raised several smiles as he asked which one, as the victim looked close to passing out. The small Spurs number ten was weaving much magic around the Hayes area, and it took a very good block from centre back Charlie Murray, who was having a fine game himself.

Meanwhile, the Spurs' number nine continued to be frustrated. He certainly had all the attributes required of a frontman, apart from the fact that he couldn't finish. His skipper was a hulk of a lad as he spread long passes around the park, although his close control was sometimes not the best.

On sixty-eight minutes, AFCH were offered a lifeline, when a fine cross from the byline was nodded in at the back post by the number seven to make it 1-2. The goal gave the home side impetus against their illustrious opponents as they fired in a few shots to try and grab an equaliser.

They should have grabbed a gilt-edged opportunity when a short goal kick was intercepted by their number eleven, but he somehow slotted the ball wide of the post. Spurs almost made them pay, but a shot rebounded off the Hayes upright. After a further attempt on the visiting net, which was dealt with by the continental keeper, the ref brought proceedings to a close.

It had been a fine game of football, in which full credit must have gone to Tottenham Hotspur for fulfilling such a fixture, and to the local lads of AFC Hayes, who showed immense promise. It was just a shame that more than a few interested onlookers and parents of the players weren't there to watch.

I headed back to Shepherd's Bush via the bus and tube before going on a five-mile walk via a few places of interest to catch the train to work. It had been a real bonus of my downtime.

Littlehampton Town

Littlehampton Town FC is a non-league football club from the seaside resort of the same name, which is located in West Sussex at the head of the River Arun. The club was formed as Littlehampton FC in 1896, playing in the Junior Division of the West Sussex League.

The 'Marigolds’ became members of the Sussex County League in 1928, and a decade later, they added ‘Town’ to their title. The club finished as league runners-up on eight occasions up to the 1990-91 season. However, that campaign saw the title won as well as Town going on a magnificent FA Cup run all the way to the First Round.

Chipstead, Dulwich Hamlet, Tooting & Mitcham United, Tonbridge, and Romsey Town were all defeated before Northampton Town travelled to the coast for the Sportsfield encounter. A crowd of 4,000 packed in as the visiting Cobblers ran out 4-0 winners. 

The League Cup was added as Littlehampton reached the last four of the FA Vase. Unfortunately, Gresley Rovers ended their dreams of a Wembley appearance. However, the good times soon waned, with Town being relegated at the end of the 1994-95 season. 

The club returned two years later, but once again they struggled, culminating in relegation and a 22-1 defeat to Horsham YMCA in 2002-03. The club bounced back at their first attempt, as well as lifting the League Cup once again.

After manager Carl Stabler and most of the team decamped to near neighbours Wick, The Marigolds went down again in 2006-07. After a few seasons of rebuilding, promotion was achieved in 2012-13 as Littlehampton lifted the Division Two title.

The Sussex County League title was secured in 2014-15 before George Gaskin took over as manager as the league was absorbed into the new Southern Combination, with the Marigolds being placed in the Premier Division of the competition.

Bennett returned in 2018 after the side suffered relegation to Division One, with Gaskin heading back onto the pitch to provide goals for the team. Despite two seasons being abandoned, Littlehampton were promoted to the Premier Division when things resumed in earnest in 2021-22.

Gaskin took on the managerial role with joint boss Mitchell Hand, as the side won the league title, with the reward, promotion to the South East Division of the Isthmian League. The team also went on a tremendous run in the FA Vase, which culminated in reaching the final at Wembley, where Newport Pagnell Town ran out 3-0 winners.

3,000 locals travelled to London to cheer on the side, with awareness and interest in the club increasing. Sadly, the old stand at the Sportsfield was replaced by a new structure to satisfy ground grading requirements.

The Marigolds finished the 2022-23 season in a midtable slot in their new surroundings before a couple of campaigns towards the wrong end of the table. The team finished in the drop zone in 2025-26 but were reprieved from relegation owing to the folding of Widnes FC and having the best record of teams facing demotion.

Littlehampton Town FC will play in the Isthmian League South East Division in the 2026-27 season.

My visits

Friday 30^th November 2007

Littlehampton was the final call on a very enjoyable day out by the sea. I had travelled down to Brighton for the day and then gone by train to several grounds. After initially getting lost, which takes some doing in a relatively small ground, I eventually found myself outside the Sportsman, the grounds clubhouse.

The gate was locked, but after walking along Berry Lane behind the stands, I found an open gate so I could go inside for a look and to take some photos. The football pitch was on the south side of the complex. A rail on the far side separated it from the cricket and croquet grounds. 

A hard-standing path ran around the pitch, where it didn't infringe on the other grounds. The far end had the cricket scoreboard just behind the goal, with the Sportsman clubhouse just beyond. The near side had a delightful wooden seated stand with a couple of covered standing areas on either side. It was all very neat and tidy.

I had considered trying to fit in a ride down to Bognor Regis to complete the day, but common sense and the fading light prevailed. Instead, I relaxed and had a nod on the direct train back to London, after another very satisfying and educational day out.

Littlehampton Town 3 St Francis Rangers 1 (Sunday 18th August 2013) FA Cup Extra Preliminary Round (Att: 180)

As I had a day off work and no cricket to umpire, I pre-booked my train tickets and headed to the seaside. The weather forecast was promising, and I was in good form. The journey was smooth, but as the train ran along the coast, the rain began to fall. 

I nearly got out at the station before my destination, so I could have a good walk, but I soon jumped back on board. However, the weather Gods were on my side; it was rather pleasant as we arrived in Littlehampton. The sun shone on the River Arun as I walked down to the promenade. 

It was all rather nice to be honest. I even had a little paddle, although the amount of pebbles made it a bit uncomfortable. Instead, I went for a good walk that took me alongside Norfolk Gardens, where people were playing pitch and putt and having a ride on the miniature railway. 

The pretty Mewsbrook Park was set up for some kind of event as I wandered through, before heading back to town in search of sustenance. My timing was impeccable on entering The Crown. I was the last to get to pay £5.99 and go upstairs for a carvery. 

Donna, behind the counter, apologised as the gammon and beef joints were nearly all gone. She needn’t have bothered as I got all the big bits. It was beautiful and excellent value. Full to bursting, it was time to head to the ground, where I paid £6 admission and a further quid for the decent programme, before heading upstairs into The Sportsman bar. 

Several groundhoppers from around the country were gathered, many of whom were from the excellent Non League Matters (AKA Kempster) Forum. I was watching the Crystal Palace v Tottenham league opener, drinking some well-kept Doombar, when Andy came over to introduce himself. 

He was resplendent in his Reading shirt, but he originated from Norway. He came over whenever he could for a week at a time to see matches and enjoy socialising each day, after getting bored with big-time football. I also chatted to Paul White, whose excellent journal recounts his amazing 172 games that he attended the season before. 

I even chatted to a fella from Portsmouth wearing a shirt of his favourite foreign club, Alemannia Aachen! We went downstairs and stood on the cricket field side, where we got chatting to a local who told me that the cricket square is being moved further north to allow for a stand on that side, so Littlehampton could try and go for promotion. 

The whole playing field was in better condition than many wickets I'd batted on and was a real credit to the groundsman. The Sportsfield hadn't changed structurally since my previous visit. People were playing croquet over on the far side. The vista was one of serenity and a glorious Sunday afternoon. The gentility was soon about to be broken.

The game had begun, and it was nasty, and indeed vicious at times, as both teams looked to intimidate each other with tackles that made the crowd wince, which were flying in at regular intervals. The language was abysmal, yet the referee let most of it go.

Particularly evil was the battle between the home centre forward and his marker. How they both stayed on the pitch, especially the Littlehampton man, remained a mystery to most in attendance. St Francis took the lead after thirty-four minutes when Jamie Weston pounced on a rebound. 

His side from Haywards Heath were wearing their second colours of green and white stripes.
I’d done a lap of the ground and went upstairs for a half-time pint. Many were shaking their heads at what they had witnessed. It was like the games I’d witnessed years ago in local Sunday Leagues as players worked off their hangovers by kicking anything that moved.

I returned to stand with my local pal for the second period. Fortunately, things had calmed down. Once the home team's major protagonist was substituted, most of the violence abated, although his opponent scored a faultless ten out of ten in whining. 

The ref had been lucky. By his poor management in the first twenty minutes, he could well have had an abandonment on his hands. The Marigolds levelled when Scott Packer was put through on fifty-four minutes. Nine minutes later, they were ahead as a free kick from David O’Callaghan eluded everyone and rolled in off the far post. 

St Francis had had the stuffing knocked out of them. Littlehampton still used their physique with the wind behind them, and it proved too much for their visitors. Jason Jarvis rounded things off with nine minutes remaining when he slotted home after beating the offside trap.

I returned upstairs and met Luke, the man known on the forum as Sussex Hopper, who had remarkably travelled to watch a game at New Mills from his Worthing home the day before. He was wearing a Goole AFC polo shirt from a previous trip. We quickly agreed on the lack of aesthetics belonging to that particular town!

Andy and I wandered back into town after another pint to finish off in The George, a fine Wetherspoon’s house. It was time for our train. My Norwegian pal was staying in Bognor Regis overnight before heading to his game at Ilkeston the following day using his Britrail Pass. 

We parted ways when I got off in Ford, but rather than catching the service for Victoria, I was still in the mood for fun. I caught the train to Brighton to call in at The Evening Star to sample their fine Hophead. A Japanese tourist was having half off all the pumps, including the cider. I did my bit and introduced him to pork scratchings. 

He must have had a belly like a cement mixer the following morning, but he was smiling away as he took photos of each of the pump clips! I was feeling ropey the next day, so goodness knows what condition he would have been in when he woke.

I eventually got home to see Europe's ladies win the Solheim Cup on TV. It was a nice end to a top day. There's something really special that gets people from all over the country, and indeed the world, together to share laughs and stories. 

Hertford Town

Hertford Town FC is a non-league football club from the county town of Hertfordshire, which is located around twenty miles north of central London. The club was formed as Port Vale Rovers in 1908. 

A general demand for the club’s recognition as the Town Club resulted in the Association granting permission to change the name to Hertford F.C., and amalgamation with Hertford United as Hertford Town eventually resulted in 1904.

Two further clubs, Blue Cross and Horns, joined up in 1908, with Hertingfordbury Park being adopted as ‘The Blues’ home ground. At this point, Hertford joined the Herts County League, where they remained until 1959, when they moved to the Delphian League.

Town were at their peak as the title was lifted in 1960-61 and 1961-62. They would have made it a hat trick after winning the East Division, but they lost the playoff to the West champions. Following that defeat, the league was disbanded, leading to Town joining the second tier of the Athenian League, from where they were soon promoted.

The 1972-73 season saw the club play in the Eastern Counties League for just one campaign before becoming founder members of the Isthmian League Division Two, which would later become Division One. The Blues were relegated to Division Two North in 1984-85 before being placed in Division Three in 1991-92 as the competition was restructured.

Promotion to Division Two followed in 1997-98, but their spell only lasted one season before dropping back down a level. A further reorganisation of the Isthmian League saw Hertford promoted to Division One North in 2002-03. The jump proved too severe as Town went back to Division Two twelve months later.

A further relegation followed in 2005-06 as the club found itself at Step Five in the Spartan South Midlands League. Pablo Ardiles, son of World Cup Winner Osvaldo, played for the club and became manager in 2008. He departed with Marvin Samuel coming in during the 2012-13 campaign.

May 2016 saw Gavin Kelsey appointed as manager to replace Paul Halsey. The new man led the side to a runners-up spot in the Premier Division of the SSML, with promotion to Division One North of the Isthmian League being the reward. In February 2019, Adam Fisher was installed as the boss of the Blues.

The club played out the 2018-19 campaign in Division South Central, with Ben Herd being appointed as manager in May 2019 before the following two seasons were abandoned. Hertford were transferred to Division One Central of the Southern League in 2021-22, where much-improved sizes of crowds continued to support the side.

Hertford finished just short of the playoffs in 2025-26.

Hertford Town FC will play in the Southern League Division One Central in the 2026-27 season.

My visits

Monday 10th August 2009

I arrived in the charming county town of Hertford by bus on a day of groundhopping around Hertfordshire. It was such a welcome relief to find such a lovely place after the blandness of my previous visit to Welwyn Garden City. Hertford has many historic buildings around its centre, including many tempting pubs.

After losing my bearings for a few minutes, a friendly local soon sent me in the right direction to West Street. The road tapered away into a country lane, which had a marked footpath that led to Hertingfordbury Park, home of The Blues.

The club has spent its entire history at the ground, and it did show signs of its age. However, this also means it had oodles of character. While I wasn't sure how easy it would be to manoeuvre a coach along the lane, this added to the charm of the location. 

A set of stables and a riding school backed onto the ground. I got in by removing a breeze block that kept the gate closed. The main entrance was in a corner of the ground. To my right stood the Stable End covered terrace. The far side had a few steps of terracing and a wall in front in the centre that could possibly have had a roof over it in the past. 

Behind the far goal consisted of a hard-standing area and grass. Along the near touchline was a majestic old Main Stand which contained a press area with the changing rooms underneath, accessible by the rarity of a player's tunnel. 

The ground had obviously seen some grand days in the past. A clubhouse stood next to the stand. The pitch perimeter fence was brand new after the club had to replace the old brick wall at great expense, owing to safety requirements.

On my travels, I often come across an arena that is plain and just about meets the required grading for the league it serves. Very occasionally, I find a real gem like Hertingfordbury Park. Long may such venues reign for many years to come!

Hertford Town 2 Stotfold 1 (Tuesday 13th August 2013) Spartan South Midlands League Premier Division (att: 101)

My night shifts were at an end, so I wanted a nice, relaxing evening, ideally at the club I’d visited without seeing a game. After much perusal of the Non-League Paper, Hertford Town stood out. After doing my admin work on behalf of the Joint Owners of Scarborough Athletic, I set out by tube and train to arrive at Hertford North at just past 6pm.

I already had a soft spot for the town from my previous visit, and the railway station typified this, with its neat appearance. A ten-minute walk saw me enter The Millstream pub. This fine local served me a pint of the locally brewed McMullens IK, while two gents brought back many happy memories as they chatted about doing the Sydney Harbour Bridge climb.

From there, I was off past the brewery and around the corner to The Old Cross. This former shop had been converted into a comfortable real ale house, which also specialised in Belgian beers. It wasn’t cheap, but it was worth every penny as I sampled some Maldon Gold and then the pub's own brew, Gertcha.

With time getting on, I crossed under the dual carriageway and went up West Street to visit The Black Horse. This was another pub that once served run-of-the-mill ales but had been converted into one selling several guest beers. 

It was also refreshing to see that the pub advertised showing all cricket games. The friendly manager served me a good pint of Portobello Star to send me on my way to the ground. I entered Hertingfordbury Park after paying £6 as well as buying a programme for an extra quid. 

It was a beautiful evening, and the playing surface with the fine old stand beyond it looked like a picture. A small club shop was open between the clubhouse and the stand. Music was being played over the PA system, and an enthusiastic fan made announcements before later taking to blowing his Vuvuzela. 

It had all the signs of a well-run club, perhaps punching below its weight. After a lap to take some photos and take in the scene, I purchased an excellent cheeseburger for £2.70 and settled into the seats above the pitch.

The game was scrappy, with both sides misplacing far too many passes. After thirty-five minutes, the stocky Blue newly signed, left-back Rickelle Christian went on a marauding run all the way into the Stotfold box. 

He went down under a seemingly harmless challenge, with the dreadlocked referee Mark Tweed pointing to the spot. It seemed a harsh call, although no players complained too much. Mark Summers slotted the spot kick into the bottom corner of the net.

Town boss Marvin Samuels sat just behind me. He seemed a really nice, jolly bloke. However, he was getting a little tetchy as the ref played a lot of stoppage time before the break. Samuels suggested that his hair was in his eyes. 

The manager’s worries came to pass as Stotfold’s excellent number nine Ricky Young scored with a superb long-range shot, which left The Blues keeper Harry Ricketts standing motionless. At the interval, I went into the vibrant club. While there was no hand-pulled ale, a fine selection of bottles was available. 

I plumped for Mann’s Brown Ale at £2.70. In an ingenious move to allow drinks outside, a plastic glass was placed inside a large paper coffee cup. I sat right above the players’ tunnel to enjoy my refreshment. Neither side took the initiative in the second period, although Hertford did produce some decent forward play. 

Summers should have restored the lead but scuffed his shot, as the Stable End fans made plenty of noise and sang their hearts out. Meanwhile, I had a couple doing a passable impersonation of Waldorf and Statler behind me. It was a really nice environment to watch a Step Five game.

The game would be ultimately decided with a real goalkeeping blooper, which reminded me that I would be at Wembley the following evening to see Scotland in action. After sixty-eight minutes, Charlie Smith sliced his cross towards goal. 

George Darlow, in the visitors' net, collected it at the near post and then dropped it into his own net to the raucous cheers and laughter from behind him. The look on his manager Steve Young’s face said at least two words! I was now concentrating hard on Twitter as three of my four predictions were home and dry.

I needed a Maidstone goal at Carshalton to complete my accumulator as the game was currently 1-1 with a few minutes remaining. The final whistle went as Hertford’s loyal fans celebrated, and at the same time, Maidstone netted the winner. I let out a loud “get in”, which must have looked like I was a Town fan!

The Blues heroes took the time to go over to the Stable End and applaud their vociferous fanatics. It epitomised all that I liked about the club. I wandered off back to the station, and not even a diabolical pint of McMullens Cask in the woeful Bridge Inn spoiled my mood. It must have been a bad pint as I left most of it!

My sleeping pattern caught up with me as I slept most of the way back to King's Cross. I was back at home in Kingsbury in time for supper at 11.30pm. I reckoned on returning to Hertford one day, even if it would be after I’d visited lots of new places, but I was already looking forward to it.

If only every groundhopping adventure could be as good as that one.