Fisher

Fisher FC is a non-league football club from Bermondsey, Southeast London, who were formed in 2009 by the Fisher Supporters Trust after their original club, Fisher Athletic FC, was liquidated.

Athletic had been formed in 1909 by Michael Culiton, who was the headmaster of Dockland School for underprivileged youths of Bermondsey. The club was named after Catholic martyr Saint John Fisher.

For several decades, the 'Fish’ played in local league football before becoming members of the Parthenon League. They remained there until 1965, at which point the club folded and reformed at their Mitcham base to join the Kent Amateur League.

In 1974, Athletic progressed to the Spartan League, going on to lift the league title in 1980-81 and 1981-82. This success coincided with the redevelopment of the whole Docklands area and Athletic moving into a brand new ground at Salter Road in Bermondsey to play in the Southern League.

The goals of Paul Shinners and the defensive skills of Dennis Sharp saw The Fish win the Southern Division at the first attempt. In 1983-84, the club ended as Southern League runners-up. The following season saw them reach the first round of the FA Cup before losing 1-0 to Bristol City at the Surrey Docks Stadium.

Ambitious Chairman Terry McCarthy and Manager Dogan Arif continued to push the club forward as the London Senior Cup was lifted on three occasions, as Athletic were crowned as Southern League champions for the 1986-87 season.

Promotion was secured to the Football Conference, as well as reaching the first round of the FA Cup. This time, Bristol Rovers defeated them 3-0 at Twerton Park. The Fish lasted until the completion of the 1990-91 season in the Conference before being relegated. 

Arif had been in control of the club but was jailed for fourteen years for his part in a cannabis smuggling ring. Malcolm Allison had a spell as team boss in 1989. Athletic were relegated for a second successive season and found themselves in the Southern League Southern Division for the 1992-93 season. 

After a few moderate years, Fisher were promoted from the Eastern Division in 1999-00 as champions, but their spell in the Premier Division lasted just one season. Wayne Burnett arrived as manager in 2004 with Athletic ground sharing at Dulwich. 

New Chairman Sami Muduroglu stated his intention to push Fisher forward, as planning permission was given to upgrade the unused Surrey Docks Stadium to be able to stage League football.

The side won the Eastern Division in 2004-05 and were placed into the Isthmian League Premier Division. Burnett resigned from his post in November 2005, with Justin Edinburgh replacing him. 

His side won the playoff final against Hampton & Richmond Borough to gain promotion to the Conference South, as well as lifting the London Senior Cup and the Isthmian League Cup.

Burnett returned in the 2007 close season after Edinburgh moved to Grays Athletic. He assembled a talented side, but questions were being asked about the club's finances. Fisher announced plans for a new 10,000-capacity stadium in Southwark Park. 

The team was defeated in the playoffs by Hampton & Richmond Borough. Players left en masse, with several joining Football League clubs, as it transpired that many had not been paid since the previous November. Three winding-up orders were issued by HRMC for the non-payment of taxes.

Dave Mehmet’s side struggled in the 2008-09 season. Supporter Donna Powell was made team manager for one game in a publicity stunt to raise awareness of the club's perilous state after she raised £250. The side was relegated in March 2009. On May 13th, Athletic were wound up in the High Court over unpaid debts.

At a meeting in Bermondsey on May 28th, 2008, The Fisher Trust decided to form a new club called Fisher FC, who were elected into the Kent League Premier Division with Gary Lisney in charge of team affairs.

Fisher's former Salter Road home and team kits
To see a larger version, click on the image.

In their first four seasons in the Kent League, the team finished in the lower half of the table before the league was renamed the Southern Counties East League for 2013-14. Hopeful news reached the club before the season started as Southwark Council announced plans for a new football ground on Salter Road, a hundred yards or so from  Athletic’s dilapidated Surrey Docks Stadium.

The Council officially backed the plans in December 2013 for the ground to go on the disused St Paul’s Playing Field, with the facility having an artificial 3G pitch to cater for Fisher and the local community. The club was due to have talks with Fairview New Homes, who were looking to develop the new ground in return for the land at the former stadium.

The Council officially backed the plans in December 2013 for the ground to go on the disused St Paul’s Playing Field, with the facility having an artificial 3G pitch to cater for Fisher and the local community. The club played in the Southern Counties East League, as the Kent League had been renamed from the 2013-14 season.

After a few finishes towards the bottom end of the table, the club’s dreams came to fruition as they moved into the St Paul’s Sports Ground for the 2016-17 season. However, not all went to plan on the pitch.

The team started badly in the extended Premier Division of the Southern Counties East League. Manager Gary Abbott was dismissed in November 2016, with the team floundering at the bottom of the table.

Dean Harrison returned for a second spell in charge of the club and oversaw a big improvement in performances. Despite that, and a record 10-1 home win on the final day of the season against Erith Town, Fisher were relegated to Division One.

Fish bounced back at the first attempt, winning promotion by courtesy of a third-place finish, before exceeding expectations by finishing in third place in the Premier Division in 2018-19. Harrison resigned in the summer of 2019 to be replaced by Allan Fenn.

Fenn resigned in October 2019, with the board appointing Ajay Ashanike in his place. The team was in twelfth place when the COVID-19 pandemic aborted the 2019-20 season. Several mid-table finishes ensued following the resumption of normal service.

The side progressed to the playoffs in 2024-25, defeating Whitstable Town before VCD Athletic ended dreams of promotion in the final. The playoffs were reached the following year, as Punjab United won the semi-final tie.

Fisher FC will play in the Southern Counties East League Premier Division in the 2026-27 season.

My visits

Fisher Athletic 2 ? 2 (1983-84) Southern League Premier Division (att: c250)

The opponents for this game fail my memory, but I was at college in Borehamwood at the time and was eager to visit a virtually new venue. Surrey Docks Stadium was the closest to the centre of London and just a couple of hundred yards from the River Thames, so the journey down to Bermondsey on the East London Line was relatively trouble-free.

The whole area was newly built, having been regenerated from the old docks. There were few people on the streets, giving it an eerie feeling as if the old dockers and machinery were still keeping watch on their old domain. I was glad to reach the ground ten minutes later.

The stadium was still not fully complete, but it was fine for the standard Fisher was playing in at the time. The Main Stand was seated on the halfway line, with a small cover behind the goal at the River End. 

The rest of the ground was flat, open standing. The clubhouse and changing rooms were incorporated into a large building in the entrance corner, which also served the other pitches and facilities.

I cannot recall too much about the game, apart from the home supporters seeming to be dismayed at the dropping of a couple of points.

January 2005

Having finished a course early at Surrey Quays, I decided to make a visit to try to see the stadium before it disappeared. The courtyard to the entrance was now taken up by a scrap yard and a garage. The proprietors were fine with me finding a way into the ground.

It really was in a sorry state, which was a real shame to see. One wondered why the club had even abandoned it in the first place. The Main Stand was still as it was from my original visit. Both ends had a few steps of terracing, and the other touchline had a couple of steps and two covers. 

I could imagine it being neat and tidy for football at the end of its life, but at the same time, I'm not sure I'd have wanted to have been one of the record gate of 4,283 against Barnet in 1991. That must have been very snug!

Fisher 1 Millwall XI 3 (Saturday 8th July 2017) Pre-Season Friendly (att: 358)

My first game of the 2017-18 campaign saw me head to southeast London after a fine morning watching the British Lions draw in New Zealand, and some quality time with Steve Jarvis and my Godson, Oscar, at Hampstead Cricket Club.

My initial choice had been Aylesbury v MK Dons, but time had beaten me. Instead, I took the Jubilee line to Bermondsey before catching the 381 bus to a couple of stops past Rotherhithe station.

I’d intended to take in a couple of pre-match libations in The Mayflower pub by the Thames, but found myself astray. I poked my head into the Old Salt Quay pub, but the choice of ale was wholly uninspiring. Instead, I continued along Salter Road.

The site of the old Fisher Athletic ground was now an open park and clearly visible from Lagado Mews, along with some overgrown banking where a small open terracing once stood. The new homes were now complete and occupied.

I got out at St. Paul’s Sports Ground a hundred yards or so further up on the opposite side of Salter Road. I was one of the first to enter, paying £7 admission along with a quid for a decent enough programme.

The ground was tightly enclosed but neat and tidy, and just about perfect for a club of Fisher’s size, with its artificial playing surface, which was shared with Millwall Lionesses.

A small, trademark modern seated stand straddled the halfway line on the near side before giving way to the changing room and club facilities. The Dockers End had a small covered terrace behind the goal, with the far end open, offering a fine view of Canary Wharf.

The far touchline had two small sections of open standing on either side of the sub's benches. All in all, it looked pretty decent. There was space for further development behind the Dockers End and the main side. Bicycle racks offered fans a healthy option for cycling to games.

The catering outlet and clubhouse were fairly limited, but those on duty were very friendly and efficient. I went for a can of Coke, a tea, and a hot dog, which came to £4.80. Alcohol was served from cans.

Once fed and watered, I found a place along from the seats as the players went through some mesmerising warm-ups of quick passing and movement, as I listened to the Test match from Lord’s. The teams came out to the old Fisher theme tune.

I was immediately impressed by Fisher. They looked fit and strong against their illustrious neighbours, who fielded two separate eleven’s in each half, consisting of academy and fringe players. Millwall also had a team playing in an earlier kick-off at Dartford.

Fisher came out of the blocks with great gusto. Their physical presence and pace were most impressive. A set-piece move after just five minutes saw the impressive home centre forward spring the offside trap before slotting home. The Fish gave as good as they got throughout the half.

Fisher held onto the lead until the interval. I’d moved just before then, as the kids were just too much in the heat when I was tired. I found a spot in the shade and bought a bottle of water for £1 as I continued to listen to the action from the cricket.

Millwall came out for the second half fielding virtually a brand new XI, and the freshness no doubt assisted them on a sweltering hot day. Matthew Neary levelled things up before Chris Taylor put the Lions ahead, finishing off a fine move. The game was put beyond doubt when Mason Saunders-Henry scored from the penalty spot following a clumsy challenge.

As the ball hit the net, I jogged over the road to the Peter Hills School stop and jumped on board the service heading to Waterloo before alighting to visit a place I’d enjoyed previously. However, the loud music and loud hipsters at the Southwark Brewery Tap put me off.

Instead, I went for a lovely walk to the river and up and over Tower Bridge, taking some nice photos before walking to the Liberty Bounds Wetherspoon pub for a rewarding bottle of Magners cider and to chill out.

The heat had beaten me, so I went lazy and bought a KFC for my tea before taking the tube home from Aldgate to round off a long but enjoyable day, so I could awake for work at 4.20am the following morning.

Fisher 2 Punjab United 0 (Saturday 14th March 2020) Southern Counties East League Premier Division (att: 179)

The COVID-19 crisis was taking effect while I was on night shifts. Most leagues had made the decision to suspend their fixtures. The choice was limited, but I was determined to get a game in as I feared it might be the last opportunity for some time.

Steve Barnes, my mate in Kingsbury, was also up for a trip. He’d never been to Fisher before, so he was happy with my selection. Especially, as it coincided with a pre-match visit to the Southward Brewing Company on Druid Street.

We took the tube from Colindale to London Bridge and then walked to build up a thirst. The brewery tap was busy with a crowd probably best described as young middle class. The beer was first class, as was the choice of background music.

It seemed a shame to move on, but a couple of pints of London Pale Ale were probably about right. We went around the corner and caught the 381 bus from Boss Street, which dropped us off at the Peter Hills School stop, virtually outside the St Paul's Sports Ground.

A little lad was selling programmes outside the gate with his Dad for a couple of quid, while admission was £8. I immediately sensed a proper community spirit around the club. We had to settle for a cup of tea at the refreshment kiosk owing to the grounds license.

The couple behind the counter explained that they could only apply to sell booze a few times a season. They didn’t anticipate this game attracting a decent-sized crowd until proceedings took effect late in the day.

Several other neutral groundhoppers were in attendance. Steve immediately recognised a couple of Orient fans. I had a brief chat with a local whose attitude I loved. He epitomised what I call a proper south Londoner. No frills but sincere. There’s not nearly enough of that out there.

Before kick-off, we headed round to the narrow far side to watch proceedings. We were in for a treat as both sides played some good football with no quarter given. The visitors were denied by a fine Tommy Taylor in the Fisher net in the opening exchanges.

Punjab United is an Asian-owned club from Gravesend. Their players offered a mixture of demographics, while the management on and off the pitch appeared to be predominantly Asian. They certainly looked better than theirs, and indeed, Fisher’s lowly league positions suggested.

The Fish looked decent going forward as they forced visiting custodian Max Ovenden into a couple of comfortable saves. A deep cross evaded the stopper, but the Fisher forward was unable to hook his foot around the ball from a tight angle.

However, the hosts were not to be denied a couple of minutes before the interval. A beautiful defence-spitting pass from substitute Christian Udo sent through Malaki Coker. Ovenden kept his initial effort out before the forward followed up as the goal was knocked from its moorings.

We wandered around at the break, chatting with more neutrals who were equally impressed with the fare on offer. Some local fellas obviously knew the situation with the alcohol restrictions and found their own solution.

Their presence and quaffing helped the atmosphere in the second half. The visitors' centre forward, Bryan Zepo, lost his composure, offering rather too much feedback to the referee, who sent him to cool down for a ten-minute sin-binning.

I must comment on the referee, Damian Mirzadeh, who I thought had an excellent game with his decision-making and communication with the players, which was good without being over the top. Definitely one to watch for on this performance.

Elias Armah-Tackie went on a storming run before trying to provide Udo, but good defensive work from Punjab snuffed out the danger. A corner from no-nonsense full back and Fish skipper Chris Lockwood was saved by Ovenden, who was earning his expenses in goal.

He went on to deny Ryan Atkinson, who fired in a low drive across the artificial surface. However, there was nothing he could do with twelve minutes remaining when a fine move resulted in an accurate cross finding Udo, who made no mistake with his header.

The Dockers End erupted as fans celebrated before the scorer was substituted, much to his frustration. We made our way round to the gates as we wanted to catch a bus back to London Bridge. We missed Fish’s Darnel Coker being sent off after a foul challenge.

We both enjoyed the game and our visit. The bus journey back went past many attractive-looking boozers. It was certainly somewhere on the list for a proper adventure at some point. Luckily for Steve, he could pop to the Midland at Hendon for libations while I needed a siesta before work.

My intuition about the suspension of matches was sadly accurate as the Southern Counties East League called off their midweek games with the rest of non-league football. It probably called time on the 2019-20 season.

In closing, I later read a Tweet thanking the Punjab owners for delivering a box of samosas for the Fisher fans to enjoy. That sums up the spirit of non-league to me. That will always be missed as much as the action out on the pitch. Brilliant stuff.

Northwood

Northwood FC is a non-league football club from the residential settlement in North West London, who were formed in 1926 as Northwood Rangers FC. Records show that the club's first competition was the Harrow & Wembley League. Around this time, their title was changed to Northwood United FC.

The 'Woods’ had success on either side of the war, when they dropped the suffix of United, to take their present name. After a period without honours, Northwood joined the Middlesex County Senior League in 1969.

In 1977-78, Woods won the league title and were promoted to the Hellenic League. In their first season, they won Division One and promotion to the Premier Division. 1984 saw a move across to the London Spartan League, going on to win the league in 1991-92 to gain promotion to the Isthmian League.

The 1996-97 campaign saw Woods win promotion. In 1999-00, the club finished as runners-up in Division Two and went up once again. Upon reorganisation of the Isthmian League in 2002-03, Northwood were placed in Division One North. 

The team went on to lift the title at the first attempt and win promotion to the Premier Division with the goals of Lawrence Yaku, Scott Fitzgerald and Steve Hale creating havoc amongst opposing sides with Tony Choules in the manager's seat.

2005-06 saw Northwood in new surroundings as they were moved to the Southern League Premier Division. In their second season, they finished bottom and were relegated back to their old stamping ground of the Isthmian League Division One North. Gary Meakin took over as manager in an attempt to restore the club's status.

Once more, Woods were moved, this time for the 2010-11 campaign, as the club was placed in the Southern League Division One Central. In 2012, Mark Burgess became the team 
manager.

My drawing of Chestnut Avenue with some former Woods' team kits.
Click on the image to enlarge it.

He led the team to two mid-table finishes in the 2013-14 and 2014-15 seasons before seventh place was accrued in 2015-16. Burgess was replaced by Tim Lane in May 2017, remaining at the helm for six months as the club was transferred to Division One East.

Dean Barker was appointed as team boss in June 2018 as Northwood were placed in the South Central Division of the Isthmian League. The new manager was replaced by Scott Dash within a few months, who led the side to a mid-table finish.

Jamie Leacock took over team affairs at Woods in October 2019, lasting until the following January before the arrival of Robert Ursell. The season ended early owing to the outbreak of Coronavirus, shortly after, with Northwood teetering towards the bottom of the table. 

The pandemic caused the abandonment of the 2020-21 campaign, with the Woods having only played eight games. Ben Murray came in as manager in May 2021 before departing with his side bottom of the table to be succeeded by Ben Bukowski, who strengthened his coaching team with experienced hands and took the side to a mid-table finish. 

The playoffs were reached in 2022-23, which ended in a semifinal away defeat to Walton & Hersham. At the end of the following season, Bukowski headed to Harrow Borough while Northwood were placed in Division One Central of the Southern League. Scott Donnelly was the new manager, lasting just a few months before he was replaced by Gary Meakin.

Tommy Cooney replaced Jamie Bates as manager during the 2025-26 campaign, which ended in relegation to the Combined Counties League Premier Division North. Cooney resigned shortly after.

Northwood FC will compete in the Combined Counties League Premier Division North in the 2026-27 season.

My visits

Northwood 1 Grays Athletic 1 (Saturday 28th October 2000) FA Cup Fourth Qualifying Round (att: c300)

It was a dull Autumn day, but I decided I wanted some FA Cup action. After studying the fixtures, the allure of a new venue for me at a relatively close distance to drag my hungover body to won the day.

The tube was down thanks to engineering works, but a replacement bus dropped me five minutes away from Chestnut Avenue, where the ground was located. The clubhouse was fairly busy and included a group of Newport County fans, who were fairly sociable.

I purchased one of the legendary programmes, which was full of reading, while I surveyed the scene around me. The pitch sloped down to the entrance end, which had a long, low cover for standing spectators behind the goal. 

The right-hand side had a small seated stand on the halfway line, with newer additions on either side. The rest of the ground consisted of open hard standing with grass beyond. It was a neat and functional venue that had been added to when needed to satisfy the ground-graders.

These notes have been compiled thirteen years after the game, so my recollections are hazy, but I do remember there being a fair turnout of young, vocal Grays fans in attendance. I seem to recall there being a decent food bar as well!

Following the game, I went to a local pub near the tube station before heading home.

October 2006

My shift at work didn’t start until 3pm, so with my new digital camera intact, I headed back to Chestnut Avenue to take some photos, where Wealdstone were sharing at the time.

Although the ground was locked, the fences still allowed me to get some satisfactory views.

Seating had been added to the smaller cover next to the Main Stand nearest the clubhouse end, with a small cover for standing spectators having been erected opposite.

Northwood 1 Ware 2 (Saturday 20th February 2016) Southern League Division One Central (att: 87)

It was a filthy day when I woke up after my night shift, but I wanted some fresh air and some football action. While watching the first half of the Arsenal v Hull City FA Cup tie, and mullled over my options. Northwood fitted the bill. It’d been far too long since my previous match there, and it gave me time to fix up some food first.

The trains ran well, meaning I was at Northwood Hills not much later than 2.30. I thought that there was a Wetherspoon pub opposite the station, but it seemed to be an Indian restaurant bar, so I cut through the paths towards the ground to have a drink in the clubhouse.

The field between the houses and the ground is used by Northwood Town CC in the summer. It soon became apparent that the choice of my heavy-duty walking boots was a good choice. It was terribly waterlogged. I was relieved to get onto concrete despite being mud splattered. After trying to brush the soles of my boots, I went inside.

The clubhouse was warm, tidy, and really pleasant with lovely staff. I purchased the decent £2 programme, which was a double issue for the following Tuesday night’s Middlesex Cup tie with Staines Town. Although there was no real ale on tap, there was a selection in bottles. I bought a Thwaites Lancaster Bomber for £3.20. A free teamsheet was available on the bar.

The Chairman’s notes in the programme rang a bell with me. He lamented about the lack of volunteers at the club while commenting on hurtful comments from others. It seemed that it was the same all over the world in most sports.

After listening to Hull hold out for a draw on my radio, I enjoyed my beer before heading out into the rain and gloom to pay a very reasonable £8 at the turnstile. The Chestnut Avenue ground had not changed since my previous visit.

The pitch looked very heavy in parts. I was slightly surprised that the referee had given it the all clear, as so many seemed keen to overdo the health and safety regulations. There was a puddle in the bottom goalmouth, while much of the technical area for the visitors had standing water.

Both teams made light of the treacherous conditions and played some fine football while getting stuck in. It was a lot better encounter than I was anticipating. After a tight opening period, it would be the lowly placed visitors who opened the scoring against the home side, who were in fine form.

Dernell Wynter chased a ball to the byline and beat a defender to pull the ball back for Kieran Bishop to fire home past Northwood keeper Berkley Laurencin. The ladies from the bar perhaps chose the wrong time to try to sell their golden gamble tickets to the home fans in the seats!

Northwood had plenty of play but could not carve out any real, clear-cut chances. Ware looked decent value for their lead at the break, to the delight of their scattering of supporters. I retired to the bar to see the half-time scores and enjoy another bottle of beer.

The game continued in the same vein after the interval, with both sides doing their best as the pitch became ever stickier. I was enjoying the midfield play of Northwood’s George Nicholas and the non-stop running of Ware’s Jimmy Hartley.

My football accumulator was about as much use as the weather, and the bad news of Scarborough Athletic going behind once again arrived on my phone. The Woods continued to push forward, but Ware looked dangerous, too.

With four minutes remaining, the visitors doubled their lead. A shot was deflected across the area close to goal, wrong-footing Laurencin. As he scrambled towards the ball in the mud, defender and skipper Steve Brown tried to shield the ball.

He dithered too long, and maybe didn’t get a call, but Dernell Wynter didn’t stand on ceremony as he forced the ball home from close range. Brown took a knock in the process. He departed to the bench absolutely distraught.

Northwood didn’t give up, pulling a goal back with the final whistle looming as James Budden firmly headed a cross into the corner of the net past Tom Coulton. This set up a grandstand finish.

The home side won a corner for which goalie Laurencin went upfield. The set piece landed at the feet of a Ware player who hammered it as far as he could. Unfortunately for him, a teammate was in the way. The ball fell to a home player whose shot was blocked on the line, before the follow-up was brilliantly kept out by Coulton.

Referee Adrian Gillett brought proceedings to an end a few seconds later. He had a fine game. Indeed, every player had given their all and produced a very watchable match. I felt it good value for money.

The rain all afternoon hardly helped my route back over the cricket ground, but at least I had a bit of a guide from my earlier route. I got back for a nap before work after watching a bit of the AFC Bournemouth v Everton FA Cup match.

Northwood 1 Slough Town 0 (Wednesday 23rd November 2016) Southern League Challenge Cup Round Two (att: 76)

I was joined for another Wednesday night outing by Steve Barnes, who was in the mood for a couple of pre-match beers. We headed to JJ Moon’s at Ruislip Manor, where we sampled Grandstand Ale from Twickenham Brewery before taking a train and bus to the ground from Eastcote station.

The walk down the lane could have been done badly with some street lighting, but we managed to get to the gate and pay our £8 admission without any major mishaps. The programme cost £2.50 and doubled up with the Saturday game with Bedford Town. 

It could have done with a bit more content for the price, if truth be told. It was nothing like the bulky tome of days gone by.

The match was quite tight between underdogs Northwood and a slightly under-strength Rebels line-up, with the visiting fans making up at least half of the attendance. They spurned a decent opportunity to open the scoring just before the break.

It was a smart move from Northwood to send a rather aesthetic young lady out selling 50/50 draw tickets. The fact that she sold several at three for £2 told its own story!

We went to the very plush clubhouse at the interval for a bottle of beer. We obviously didn’t drink it quickly enough, as when we returned inside the ground, we’d just missed what turned out to be the only goal of the game as Ismael Ehui scored.

The game opened up and produced chances for both sides to score. The Wood side were not overawed in any way and would have doubled their lead if it wasn’t for some fine goalkeeping from Jamie Jackson.

We took a bus back towards Pinner after the game with a groundhopper from Canberra who'd been based in Lewisham for a while. I pointed him in the direction of the excellent Non League Matters website and forum.

There was time to pop into Wetherspoons at Harrow and the same emporium at Kingsbury. It ended three local games in three days, and my half-century for the season. Happy days!

Northwood 2 Cambridge City 3 (Wednesday 18th April 2018) Southern League Division One East (att: 108)

This midweek fixture worked for me to attend before night shift at Ruislip station, so when Simon Cope and Tony Foster suggested attending, I had no hesitation, especially as we finally saw temperatures fitting of the time of year.

The match was also relevant from a Scarborough Athletic view, as the visitors were one of several challengers for the best third-place finish across the six Step Four divisions, and to secure promotion.

Admission was £8, with the decent programme being available free of charge via an online download. Simon met me on the walk around to the ground. Once inside, I bought a cuppa for a quid before Tony arrived, and we took up a decent viewing position on the far side.

City appeared to have a reasonably sized following among the crowd, which also contained several neutrals. They kicked off towards the Clubhouse End as the match started at a frenetic pace.,

It would be Cambridge who took the lead when a shot from the edge of the box from Salim Relizani evaded a rather weak effort from home keeper Borja Loeches-Teixeira after the ball bounced in front of him.

Wood looked very useful in attack, with Jermaine Osei and Evans Kouassi leading the way. City’s huge centre back Jordan Gent looked like he had a mistake in him as he exhibited several pieces of poor control.

In twenty-three minutes, Osei saw his shot cannon back off the Cambridge crossbar, with goalie Josh Bexon grasping thin air. Ten minutes later, the Lillywhites doubled their lead after a piece of abysmal goalkeeping.

A moderate effort from Ryan Sharman was parried on the deck by Loeches-Teixeira straight to Ebby Nelson-Addy, who made no mistake in slotting home. We found it mildly amusing. Woods' caretaker manager Gordon Boatang, on the other hand, was going ballistic.

His mood was tempered somewhat on the stroke of half-time, as Wilson Chingoka pulled a goal back with a neat finish. It was no more than the hosts deserved for some fine attacking play. If only their keeper had been as competent.

We remained in our decent spot after the break. It wasn’t too long before James Hall scored a fine goal past the hapless home custodian to restore the Cambridge lead. I suggested that predicting the final score would not be easy.

Northwood continued to press forward at every opportunity, but one feared for them every time they were put under any sort of pressure. They managed to get back into the game as Kouassi fired in a fierce shot to make it 2-3 past Bexon, who was having issues of his own.

City closed the game out smartly in the final ten minutes, assisted by the dithering Loeches-Teixeira, who didn’t seem to comprehend that his manager wanted the ball launched long, despite it being virtually impossible to make himself clearer. I honestly thought Boatang was about to explode.

There was happiness and a little relief from the away support as referee Tom Ellsmore blew his whistle for full-time. The man in the middle had performed well throughout. It seemed a shame that I had to head off to work.

All three of us had enjoyed a decent game, at least from a neutral perspective. I caught a bus to Eastcote and then a tube to work in readiness for another shift.