Silver Jubilee Park 2016-17

Hendon FC moved into their new home at Silver Jubilee Park, the former home of Kingsbury Town FC, for the start of the 2016-17 season, where they shared the ground with Edgware Town FC.

As a local resident, I had been attending Edgware games over the previous two seasons. When Hendon moved in, it offered several friends and me an opportunity to watch some good quality football at affordable prices.

Everyone at Hendon, be it players, officials, or long-standing supporters, had been most welcoming, and new friendships have been built as we stood together at games or socialised in the bar.

Silver Jubilee Park was leased by two local football coaches, Rob Morris and Antoni Manzi, with Tom Stockman managing the facility. Their hard work and friendships have made the venue even more appealing, especially as they started bringing in real ale on a match day.

This page features the matches at Silver Jubilee Park of what was certainly an interesting season!

To go to the main Hendon FC page, please click here. For Edgware Town click here.

Edgware Town 4 Potters Bar Town 4 (Monday 25th July 2016) Pre-Season Friendly (att: 77)

I decided that it was time to get back into football once again after a very difficult time when I’d lost interest in doing anything at all, let alone watching football. I was very pleased that I made the effort. I was joined by two increasingly good pals, Steve Barnes and Steve Speller, and we saw a cracker as Wares held their own against higher opposition.

Hendon 3 Tooting & Mitcham United 0 (Monday 8th August 2016) Pre-Season Friendly (att: approx. 80)

The scoreline for this fixture, which offered free admission for all spectators, was not as one-sided as it appeared. Despite goals from Dale Binns, Andre De Costa, and Kezie Ibe, Tooting gave as good as they got and played some nice football. Sadly, for a friendly game, a skirmish involving a lot of players from both sides took place, leading to Finbarr Robins being sent off with eleven minutes remaining.

Hendon 1 Burgess Hill Town 1 (Tuesday 23rd August 2016) Isthmian League Premier Division (att: 164)

Following a meeting in town, I was ready for some relaxation. My non-league and cricket watching mate, Tony Foster, met me at Preston Road and we went together down to Silver Jubilee Park. Hendon didn’t put in a great performance, but their perseverance paid dividends when a low Robins cross was put in by Karl Oliyide with just a few minutes remaining. 

Hendon 1 Dulwich Hamlet 1 (Monday 29th August 2016) Isthmian League Premier Division (att: 335)

A Bank Holiday fixture on a lovely afternoon in front of a decent gate, which saw Dons boss the first half hour of the game and go 1-0 up with a Spencer McCall strike. Karl Oliyide terrified the Hamlet defence with his pace, before they put an extra man on him. In the second half, Hamlet, who was cheered on by a decent away following, some of whom had travelled by bicycle and train, probably had the better of the second half.

I managed to drag Steve Speller and Steve Barnes to the game, and we continued our post-match drinking in The Midland Hotel by Hendon station. The seated stand had been moved to the top end of Silver Jubilee Park owing to a complaint about the height of the structure from an awkward neighbour.

Hendon 2 Harlow Town 2 (Tuesday 20th September 2016) Isthmian League Premier Division (att: 202)

This match followed the first day of the vital Middlesex v Yorkshire County Championship decider. A beer festival was being held throughout the match at Lord’s, so both Steve Speller and I arrived in good form, a few minutes into the game by taxi. 

I was keen to attend the game as I’d been to Champion Hill the previous Saturday to see Hendon knock Dulwich out of the FA Cup. We had a good chat with Tom Stockman, the amiable manager of the Silver Jubilee Park ground, about real ale at the ground as a physical Harlow side went 1-0 up at the interval.

Karl Oliyide equalised soon after the restart with a fine run and shot, before increased pressure saw a weak bending Chris Seeby shot deceive David Hughes in the Harlow net to trickle in off the post.

With six minutes remaining, Alfie Young was stupidly sent off when he received a second yellow card for kicking the ball away. Dons were made to pay as Harlow grabbed an equaliser and nearly went on to take all three points.

Hendon 3 AFC Rushden & Diamonds 0 (Saturday 1st October 2016) FA Cup Third Qualifying Round (att: 417)

This was a game that the two Stevesand I were really looking forward to; we love the FA Cup, and Tom had texted me the good news that there would be a barrel of Portobello ale on the bar after the three of us had put up the cash to guarantee the ground would not lose cash.

Diamonds had a decent-sized away following, but they would head back to Northamptonshire as a thoroughly defeated side. Karl Oliyide smashed a shot against the crossbar, but it was the pacy front man who put the Greens ahead ten minutes before the break after Casey Maclaren had a goal chalked off, having been adjudged to be offside.

Rushden were not without creating opportunities of their own, but Berkley Laurencin had a decent day in the home net. Spencer McCall made it 2-0 after an hour before the game was settled by Niko Muir with ten minutes to go.

Diamond's large centre back, Liam Dolman, was puffing and blowing most of the game before being mercifully replaced during the second half.

Hendon 1 Kingstonian 4 (Tuesday 1st November 2016) Isthmian League Premier Division (att: 185)

The new Ken Batten Stand, named after the Edgware Town President, with a few steps of terracing, had been erected behind the Park End goal, meaning that Silver Jubilee Park now had cover on all four sides.

This was an absolute shocker of a performance from Hendon, against a quicker and better K's side who fully deserved their margin of victory. There was excellent vocal support cheering them on from SW London.

Kingstonian wore an absolutely shocking all grey kit, but there were no excuses about the Dons players not spotting their opponents. They scored all four goals in a mad ten-minute spell in the first half, thanks in part to some woeful defending and goalkeeping.

The Don's consolation in an evenly balanced second half was an excellent, tight-knit passing move, which was finished off by Niko Muir. To round things off, we were limited to bottled beer in the bar!

Hendon 1 Havant & Waterlooville 1 (Saturday 5th November 2016) Isthmian League Premier Division (att: 239)

This was a cold and windy afternoon at SJP, with pre-match entertainment being offered by way of a game of seniors walking football & a juniors match, showing once again the benefit at this level of a 4G pitch.

Havant dominated the first half and probably should have gone in more than 1-0 up at the break, but Dons defended and put in a proper shift of damage limitation as our little crowd of cricket and football fans was growing by the match.

In fairness, Hendon put up an extremely spirited second-half display, forcing an equaliser with ten minutes to go as Arthur Hill forced the ball home at the far post. We were hopeful that this would be the start of a little run following the previous Tuesday's capitulation.

It was a nice afternoon in the increasingly sociable clubhouse, helped by a couple of fine pins from the Portobello Brewery.

Edgware Town 1 Staines Town 1 – Edgware won 3-2 on penalties (Wednesday 9th November 2016) Middlesex Senior Cup Round Two (att: 59)

Staines Town sent their second string to Silver Jubilee Park for this cup clash, but their youngsters put on a fine show. It really was a compelling tie, which pleased me as I’d managed to talk some more drinking pals down for their first experience at the refurbished ground.

There was plenty of good football on display, but no goals until seven minutes from the end when Kane Haysman scored for Staines. Not to be deterred, Wares fought back and equalised with Neiko James' first goal for the club.

Stan had spent most of the second half in the bar watching some top-quality local Super League darts before emerging for the penalty shoot-out. Cain Davies in the Wares net was the hero as he saved three kicks before Jay Molloy slotted home the decisive kick to send Edgware through to the next round.

Hendon 0 Canvey Island 0 (Tuesday 22nd November 2016) Isthmian League Premier Division (Att: 131)

A tetchy encounter, thanks in no small part to the continual whinging and verbal coming from the Canvey Island side, who were worse than the Aussie cricket team. Both sides had efforts cleared off the line, and the officials failed to give Hendon a stone wall penalty ten minutes from time, so the visitors will no doubt feel their harassment worthwhile.

With both sides having a bit of a rough trot, we expected that both would have been happy enough with a point. Hendon's new signings showed signs that fortunes may have been improving sooner rather than later. This was their first clean sheet of the season.

Fine ale in the bar in the shape of Portobello Star, with the promise of a selection against Enfield ten days later!

Hendon 1 Enfield Town 1 (Saturday 3rd December 2016) Isthmian League Premier Division (att: 256)

There was a smashing atmosphere pre-match in the busy clubhouse with elders watching the WWE contest between Manchester City and Chelsea from Eastlands on TV, while the young players of Hendon and Princes Park ran amok after their game out on the 4G.

I was a bit disappointed that Hot Shot Hamish hadn't travelled with the visiting youth squad; one for readers of the Tiger comic there! It was also good to see a good number of away fans enjoying themselves, with the three barrels of Portobello ales being appreciated.

The game was a proper tough encounter refereed brilliantly by a youngster destined for the top, in my humble opinion. Chances were at a premium, with the home side not helped by the defection of forward Niko Muir, who obviously has a fetish for long, slow car journeys, to Leiston on the previous Thursday.

Both goals came from the penalty spot. Sam Murphy scored for the Dons ten minutes after half-time, with the equaliser converted by Billy Crook with twelve minutes remaining. The Towners pushed on and could have won all three points if not for the determination from the Hendon collective. It was a game that they'd have definitely lost three or four weeks earlier.

There had been a swift bout of chaos before kick-off when the programmes arrived in the bar. They sold about ten when a visiting fan announced that they were selling the wrong issue, as the Folkestone team was listed on the back. Order was soon resumed when someone pointed out that it was a joint issue for the following Tuesday's game. It had been encouraging to read in the said programme that Hendon's gates were up 40% on last season.

Hendon 3 Folkestone Invicta 3 (Tuesday 7th December 2017) Isthmian League Premier Division (Att: 147)

Wow. That was good entertainment. Hendon missed their customary sitter in the first few minutes, also following the pattern of a good start before letting their opponents in. Consequently, a decent Invicta went in 2-0 up at the break. The consensus in the bar was that Hendon were not completely out of it, but Kezie Ibe needed support up front.

Sure enough, the Greens got back into it with a strong Casey Maclaren header, before the defence once again took part in a mannequin challenge to allow the visitors to extend their lead once more. Home boss Gary McCann used his subs wisely, and when the ever lively Karl Oliyide was brought down in the box, Sam Murphy reduced the deficit from the spot. With ten minutes remaining, Ibe, who had put in a herculean shift, finished after the keeper spilt a shot from Oliver Sprague.

Hendon nearly snatched a late winner, which would have been rough justice, although it has to be said that Invicta had a plethora of shots that either went very close or hit the woodwork as the normally reliable keeper Behcet stood motionless. 

It was suggested that someone was controlling him on a rod from behind the goal, Subbuteo style? I'm sure it was just a bad night at the office, and God knows I've had plenty of them myself!

Despite the low crowd, there was some terrific one-on-one banter between the two sets of fans, located behind either goal. Perhaps it was the relief of finishing seven night shifts, the company, the beer or the match, but I loved every minute, and many more back at Moon's in Kingsbury.

Hendon 0 Grays Athletic 4 (Tuesday 13th December 2016) Isthmian League Premier Division (Att: 126)

Mmmm. These were worrying times for Hendon fans at SJP. It was a relatively even game, but Grays were faster around the goal and did the important things correctly when needed. It may have been a different outcome if at 0-2, Hendon had a Sam Murphy penalty saved and then a header ruled out incorrectly, in my opinion, for offside.

Once again, there was excellent away support at SJP. Hopefully, Grays were now on the upturn and would be destined to return home in the next couple of years. Their fans certainly deserved a break. The poor old Hendon management looked mortified after the game.

I enjoyed the evening regardless of the result, as I introduced a debutant and his two Aussie nephews to SJP. I think they enjoyed it. Unfortunately, I enjoyed the fine ale a little too much, forgetting to set my alarm and missing my early morning flight to Munich.

This meant a later flight to Zurich from Luton and then taking the highly recommended DB bus service to Munich through the valleys, alongside lakes, and through the Alps for just €24. The day cost me plenty of cash, but it was certainly an experience!

Hendon 4 Harrow Borough 5 (Monday 26th December 2016) Isthmian League Premier Division (Att: 308)

If Alan Hansen and Match of the Day had covered this one, the programme would have ended in the early hours of the following morning. It saw some astonishingly bad defending from Hendon, inspired by a weak goalkeeping performance from another youngster between the sticks, Andrew McCorkell

The afternoon began for me in Moons at Kingsbury, where I met up with John and Jeff Cards, who were heading down to the derby with me. We arrived at a very busy clubhouse around 2.15.

Harrow went one up as a saveable free kick from Joshua Webb, son of former England international Neil, was helped in by McCorkell, before Dave Diedhiou powerfully headed home the equaliser from a corner.

Harrow went straight up the other end to regain the lead before Reis Stanislaus was brought down in the area for Sam Murphy to make it 2-2 from the spot after just seventeen minutes. My QPR supporting guests said they’d already seen more entertainment than at Loftus Road all season.

Just after the half-hour mark, Hendon’s defending was found wanting once again as Boro made it 3-2. The third equaliser, a minute later, was an absolute thunderbolt as Casey Maclaren smashed a shot home from twenty-five yards.

Hendon would go in 4-3 up at the break as Stanislaus curled a beauty over visiting keeper Luke Williams. There was certainly a buzz in the bar at the break. Boro dominated the second half after drawing level from the penalty spot pretty much immediately after the break. 

With fifteen minutes to go, Sahr Kabba scored as the home defenders decided to play statues.

Hendon tried to rally without any real potency. Harrow deserved to take the spoils. In fairness, the game could easily have ended up 4-8. This was my first 4-5 since November 1984, when Hull City came from 4-1 down with 20 minutes remaining at Brisbane Road against Orient.

The great company continued, enjoying cracking beer and watching Hull City v Manchester City on TV with a good atmosphere in the increasingly popular SJP bar, followed by more shenanigans in the Midland Hotel. It was exactly how a good Bank Holiday should be amongst pals.

Edgware Town 3 Wembley 3 (Monday 27th December 2016) Spartan South Midlands League Premier Division (att: 120)

It was back to the theatre of goals, AKA Silver Jubilee Park, after the Hendon 4 Harrow Borough 5 match the previous day, for another thriller that would have given the respective managers nightmares.

An excellent attendance turned out, with many using the offer of £1 admission with a ticket from Boxing Day’s game. I joined Steve Barnes and Mick Devereaux after going to the morning kick-off between Bedfont & Feltham and CB Hounslow United.

Eliott Braithwaite played for Wares as a dual-registered signing from Hendon to try and gain fitness, and it was his towering header that was forced home by Paul Marks after a couple of minutes. Within sixty seconds, the Lions were level from the penalty spot through Yassine Fehmi-Gil.

Now, those in attendance the previous day were in agreement that Casey Maclaren's strike for Hendon was a big contender for goal of the season, but we saw an even better one when a superb long-range cross-field pass from Braithwaite bounced perfectly for Alfie Hill to smash it home into the far top corner on the half volley from around twenty-five yards. 

A minute later, it was 2-2 as Joe Wright netted at the near post! Wembley looked the more likely in the second half once Braithwaite had retired to the bench, despite their own keeper, Craig McCreeth, looking vulnerable, especially in the air. 

Indeed, a pass wide sent the away side's left winger, Calvin Kasirye, racing away, and he finished in style to the joy of the twenty or so away fans. Wares pushed forward with McCreeth somehow keeping out a couple of efforts on goal. Just when it looked like it wasn't to be their day, Jay Molloy smashed home in stoppage time following sustained pressure.

It was an excellent game that could have easily ended 5-5 or 6-6. It had been a dry day for me, alcohol wise, as I began my spell of night shifts later. You know when you've had a good Christmas when you buy a raffle ticket but pray that you don't win the bottle of wine!

I declared my personal tally at 27 goals in the previous four games over Christmas!

Hendon 1 AFC Sudbury 2 – abandoned after 90 minutes (Saturday 21st January 2017) Isthmian League Premier Division (att: 208)

Hendon went into the game with confidence after finally breaking their SJP League duck a fortnight earlier against Mertsham while I was at work, and an excellent victory away to Enfield Town in the Middlesex Senior Cup the previous Tuesday. New goalkeeper Tom Lovelock was making all the difference. 

However, he’d picked up a terrible gash against Tonbridge Angels, which had recurred during the county cup win. It meant a recall for Berkeley Laurencin. Sudbury arrived full of clever tricks in frustrating Hendon, who unfortunately fell for the bait. The referee was an experienced official who had impressed on previous visits. He loved to talk to the players; perhaps a bit too much?

The Dons' defence allowed a free header from a corner as they went 1-0 down midway through the first half despite once again dominating the early exchanges. The lead was soon doubled thanks to more shocking defending. A shocking challenge on returning centre back Elliott Brathwaite caused a flare-up that was not properly dealt with. 

This would come back to haunt the referee later. After the break, Hendon, supplemented by a couple of substitutions, went on the offensive. Challenges from both sides were going in thick and fast, and the verbal exchanges were becoming more intense. Dons pulled a goal back when Elliott Charles finished off a fine move as he converted a pinpoint Reis Stanislaus cross. 

The pressure was increased, although the visitors used all their experience to take the sting out of the game. Just after the referee indicated that there was to be five minutes minimum stoppage time, a huge scrummage took place in the far corner following another silly away team challenge and attempt at time wasting.

Players of both sides, as well as both benches, became involved. The referee sent off the already substituted Kevin Maclaren for throwing a punch in the melee, as well as a home-side coach. Before the game could restart, the pushing and shoving escalated once more on the halfway line. The referee abandoned the match.

The atmosphere in the bar was quite sullen after the match. The Sudbury fans weren’t very happy, and neither the match officials nor the away team came in for their customary hospitality. It was all really sad, especially as the Dons squad were going out for the evening on a pre-arranged team bonding exercise. We soon cheered up as the club hosted Steve and Theresa Speller’s 30th Wedding Anniversary Party!

Hendon 2 Billericay Town 0 – abandoned after 35 minutes (Tuesday 24th January 2017) Isthmian League Premier Division (att: hard to tell!)

It was always going to be an interesting evening at SJP following the previous Saturday’s fracas. The club and Kevin Maclaren had come to a mutual agreement that his time with the club should come to an end, which was really sad. I really liked Kevin as a player, and he was always friendly and approachable off the pitch.

Our usual assembly gathered to finish off the beer from the party, with a fear of fog being forecasted later in the evening. Hendon came out of the blocks firing on all cylinders, putting in a high-pressure and fluent performance as the gloom gathered. They went 1-0 ahead when hard work won possession in their own half. 

Matt Ball played a fantastic wide ball to Marcel Barrington, who laid in Reis Stanislaus with an excellent pass, for the front man to fire into the top corner. The following twenty minutes were dominated by the Dons as the visitors' bench was going barmy with their side in between screaming to the referee that they couldn’t see across the pitch.

Arthur Lee made it 2-0 with a powerful header from a corner, but just five minutes later, the referee correctly took the players off for ten minutes to see if the conditions improved. Sadly for Hendon, there was no option but to abandon the game. We did our bit by hanging around and finishing off any beer that may not have lasted until the next game!

Hendon 2 Leiston 1 (Saturday 4th March 2017) Isthmian League Premier Division (att: 145)

The Dons secured a vital three points in an entertaining match. I returned from another German adventure to meet Steve Barnes rather later than intended in the Midland Hotel before heading to Silver Jubilee Park. My Scarborough Athletic pal Ian Anderson had also ventured south from his Northampton home. 

A few supporters had made the journey from Suffolk to support their badly out-of-form side.

The match was an extremely tight affair until the Hendon defence momentarily turned off for the impressive Matt Blake to slot home past Tom Locklove in the Hendon goal. 

Lovelock would then produce a save of world-class proportions from a header to keep his side in the game. Just before the interval, the strength of Reis Stanislaus set up Keagan Cole to score with a classy finish to send the teams level at the break as they left the pitch.

Shortly into the second half, Stanislaus put Hendon ahead when he finished off a fine move, including fine work from Kezie Ibe. It was then backs-to-the-wall stuff for the hosts, especially once Arthur Lee was dismissed with fifteen minutes remaining.

Lovelock pulled off a few more outstanding saves, while the Leiston forwards also helped Hendon out with some wild finishing. There was real jubilation when the referee blew his whistle for full time, with the celebrations amongst our crowd lasting several hours!

Hendon 2 Needham Market 1 (Saturday 18th March 2017) Isthmian League Premier Division (att: 139)

My colleague Andy Robertson kindly took me off early from my shift at Uxbridge so I could travel by tube and then bus to Silver Jubilee Park in time for a pre-match pint. This was a vital game in Hendon’s battle against relegation.

A strong wind blew across the ground, and it led to the Dons taking the lead when a Matt Ball corner evaded Danny Gay in the Market net and went straight in. Gay kept his side in the game for the remainder of the half until Keagan Cole doubled the lead with a low shot just before the interval.

There was still time for the referee to award the visitors a penalty before the half-time whistle. The weak kick was kept out by Tom Lovelock. The head official had an earlier disagreement with the home bench, and he continued to niggle them for the rest of the game with a string of strange decisions penalising them. 

Khale Da Costa had a shot saved, and then Sam Murphy hit the post before the Marketmen pulled a goal back with eleven minutes remaining. The rest of the match was extremely nervy for Dons fans as their side was put under pressure with deep defending and the aid of the ref. 

He somehow found seven minutes of injury time, despite just one brief interlude by either trainer. There was a crescendo of cheers when he finally blew the whistle, before he received some candid feedback as he left the field.

Hendon 1 Staines Town 1 (Saturday 22nd April 2017) Isthmian League Premier Division (att: 420)

What a way to end a season! I was really looking forward to the match following the night shift and then a sleep. Hendon had been on a tremendous run of form, including wins over the previous Easter weekend against Metropolitan Police and Harrow Borough. It meant that their fate was in their own hands as the final games of the league season kicked off.

The bar was busy as the regulars were joined by many parents of youth and junior teams at the club, as well as extra fans attracted by the match, with a healthy following of Staines supporters.

Graham Etchell, the Hendon club secretary of twenty-five years, was retiring after the game, but he was to have a very busy day. At 2.50pm, he announced that the game was highly likely to kick off late.

We had another pint and watched the TV as Jeff Stelling told us of goals up and down the country. At half-time, there was still no news of our kick-off time. Eventually, we found out that the linesmen had been held up behind a fatal accident on the A406 at Neasden.

The referee told both managers that the linesmen would be more or less ready to go within ten minutes of getting changed, once they’d warmed up. He was as good as his word with the game eventually kicking off at 4.20pm.

Of course, the talk was of how upset other clubs embroiled in the relegation battle would be with their games in the second half. One wag suggested that ground manager Rob Morris had arranged a late kick-off to get rid of all the beer in the bar!

As Hendon kicked off, it looked like they would require a draw to stay up as results stood, so there were a few deep breaths when the visiting Swans went one up when Mohamed Bettamer smashed home a shot after four minutes in, which beat the excellent Dons keeper Tom Lovelock.

The keeper did well to stop the same player from doubling the lead before Hendon got a foothold in the game, forcing several corners and having shots on target. At the half-hour mark, Casey Maclaren smashed a shot from the edge of the box against the inside of the post.

As half-time approached, Merstham equalised in their game at Burgess Hill; a result that would mean that Hendon would stay up, regardless of the full-time score at SJP. However, Burgess Hill scored deep into stoppage time to secure their safety, meaning that the Dons had to secure a point to be safe and relegate Harrow.

The clubhouse was extremely nervous at halftime, to say the least. So nervy that many took their eye off the ball. The referee wasn’t hanging around with the half-time break; no doubt wary of the FA Cup semi-final being played a couple of miles away and the need for those travelling to get away before Wembley kicked out.

Therefore, it was a shock as we headed to the door to hear cheers and see Casey Maclaren being mobbed after he had headed home a cross more or less straight from the kick-off. The goal immediately settled down the home side's performance.

Hendon were generally in control, but there was always a fear of Staines breaking away. Possession was the key, with the occasional attempt on goal. With ten minutes remaining, substitute Marcel Barrington forced his way down the line and into the box to provide Khale Da Costa, whose effort hit the outside of the woodwork.

The visitors had two late free kicks near the Dons' goal. The first was comfortably saved by Lovelock; the second went wide. After five minutes of stoppage time, the referee, Jonathan Creswick, blew his full-time whistle and Hendon secured their top-flight Isthmian League status for the fifty-fifth consecutive season.

Hackney Wick

Hackney Wick FC is a non-league football club, representing London's East End but playing in Witham in Essex, who were formed in 2015 by Bobby Kasanga to play in the Middlesex County League from their Mabley Green base. In 2017 the merged with Essex Senior League club, London Bari, and took their league place.

London Bari FC were based at the Old Spotted Dog Ground, as tenants to Clapton FC. The club was formed in 1995, playing in the South Essex Football League.

Bari moved to Division One of the Asian League in 1998, before joining the Essex Corinthian Sunday Football League, which they won in 2011-12. Following their title win, Bari were admitted to the Essex Senior League.

The team finished mid-table in their début season, but ended bottom of the pile in 2013-14, leading to club Chairman Kashka Anthony Ray appointing Christopher Davis-Emokpae as team manager.

The 2014-15 campaign saw an improvement, leading to Ray investing in the playing squad for the following season, as Bari continued to support grass roots football by fielding ten different age group sides.

London Marathon Community Track
The FA says it doesn't meet the required standards

Wick were relegated in 2017-18 and placed in the Eastern Counties League Division One South, finishing in sixth place. The club with a huge community focus was forced away from its roots in 2019 when the former owner of the Old Spotted Dog Ground didn't pay the rent, which forced both Clapton and Wick out.

Initially, they had hoped to use the London Marathon Community Track in the shadows of the Olympic Stadium at Stratford. However, the ground graders adjudged that it did not meet the required criteria, so Wick decamped to Coles Park to share with landlords Haringey Borough.

Spa Road, Witham Town FC

Alternatives were looked at before they became tenants to Witham Town FC from the start of the 2020-21 campaign, which was abandoned for the second successive season owing to the coronavirus pandemic. Manager Ernest Eghan led the team to a midtable finish in their new surroundings, before narrowly avoiding relegation in 2022-23.

There was a huge turnaround in 2024-25 as the side reached the playoffs after eighth spot the previous season, as players continued to develop and move through the club's system. Playoff victories over Hutton and then Rayleigh Town took the Wickers to promotion and a place in the Essex Senior League.

Hackney Wick FC will play in the Essex Senior League in the 2026-27 season.

My visits

Old Spotted Dog Ground

London Bari 3 Sporting Bengal United 1 (Wednesday 13th January 2016) Essex Senior League (att: 12)

My visit to the match was close to being aborted several times. Work had sent me all the way to Canning Town for a training course in the morning. The trainer had pushed the wrong button with one of her comments, and I departed in a very low state of mind at midday. It was only severe willpower and hunger that kept me out of the pub.

While I wasn’t exactly tickety boo after an extended siesta, I needed fresh air rather than the temptation of staying in or heading to the pub to watch the Liverpool v Arsenal game on TV. It was a cold night, and earlier wet weather had put pay to three other matches in the Essex Senior League. Once I got past Wembley Park, there was no turning back.

Because I’d awoken later than intended, I headed to Plaistow on the tube as I’d found out that there was a chip shop nearby. The walk to the ground with an open tray of battered sausage and chips made me brand new. The fella on the gate was pleased that I had £7 in correct change to pay for my admission of £6 as well as a programme.

The Old Spotted Dog ground was deserted aside from the players warming up. I went inside the clubhouse to buy a cup of tea for £1. A league official was just on his way out. I got chatting to the man behind the bar, who turned out to be the much-maligned Clapton FC owner Vince McBean.

Mr. McBean turned out to be a charming and friendly man, at least when I met him. It was evident that he loved football and had great pride in what he and his committee continued to achieve at Clapton. He had a sympathetic ear from me. I understood from my dealings at Scarborough Athletic and other volunteer roles over the years just how time-consuming and mentally demanding such jobs could be. The Clapton Ultras hadn’t impressed me too much on my visit a month or so earlier.

He seemed to think that he was winning some of the ‘Ultras’ over, especially since a second ‘Scaffold’ enclosure had gone up. He had worked as a labourer to keep down the costs; some achievement for an admittedly young-looking sixty-year-old.

He explained how they had saved the club and the ground. When his committee took over, the club was forced to play games at Aveley as the Old Spotted Dog was derelict. Ironically, some of the current protestors against the current regime walked away at this point. The Ultras had even been thought of.

Gradually, the ground was tidied up to satisfy the authorities, and new drainage pipes were laid so that the pitch could stand up to extreme weather and also allow London Bari to become tenants. Work was still ongoing. Vince also related how he had to fight off the freeholders, while plans were being prepared to make sure that the ground could never be built on.

I was told to get myself along any time I wanted. There would certainly be a warm welcome. By now, the teams were out, so I wandered out to watch the first half and examine the owner's work in the new Scaffold terrace after passing a new gate and turnstile leading out onto Disraeli Road.

A fine job had been carried out. The view had even been raised above pitch level so fans could see over the dugouts. How could anyone have a serious gripe when money from the bulging attendances was being reinvested? I guess that some people have to purvey that ‘with it’ and anarchist’ persona to impress?

On the pitch, I was viewing a really good encounter as the gate soared into double figures. I listened to the match from Anfield, which sounded pretty good as well. Bari almost took the lead, but were denied by a fine stop from the Sporting keeper. 

He was left helpless a few minutes later as another header was placed into the corner of the net by Andy Greenslade. The visitors equalised with a terrific Tunde Adewumni shot, which soared over the Bari keeper and into the top corner.

Almost immediately, the ‘Ray’ went straight back up the other end to regain the lead when Junior Decker was put clean through to finish calmly. The Bengal custodian pulled off a tremendous save on the half-hour mark, as the game flowed from end to end. The visitors' defence dithered as a Bari player held them off to put through a clever little ball to release Greenslade to slot home to make it 3-1 at the break.

I’d popped back to the clubhouse, where the hard-working owner had to go and unlock the changing rooms before serving me with a can of Guinness and making cups of tea. One cold punter opted for a brandy! We had a quick chat, and I thanked him for his hospitality and told him to carry on the great work.

I decided to view the second half from the back row of the seats, even though the chill was biting in. The restart was delayed as it would appear that the Bengal substitute's name didn’t tally with the referee's list. Alex Winterbotham was having a decent night in charge.

Sporting looked to have been offered a lifeline as the Bari keeper completely miskicked a clearance, but the forward fell over on the surface, which was glistening from the falling rain. The same nearly happened at the other end.

It was a tighter start to the half with less clear cut chances. One improvement that was really needed at the ground was some netting to prevent balls from being kicked into the adjoining back gardens of the terraced housing. I was amazed at how many they were going through. It was causing a home official on the bench to get rather animated.

The visitors gained the majority of the possession, but they couldn’t convert it into goals. They had a deflected shot that landed on top of the Bari crossbar. The game became scrappy with tiredness and lack of clear tactics, meaning lots of play in the centre of the pitch. Sporting’s keeper pulled off another top stop, as he pushed a powerful header over the bar, but that was the last of any real chances.

At full-time, I walked back to Forest Gate station, laughing profusely as Arsenal conceded a last-minute equaliser. I made it back for the 22.04 service before changing at Stratford so I could enjoy the phone-in on Talk Sport all the way home.

I was so glad that I had made the effort. I’d seen a decent game being amongst the lowest-paying crowd I could ever remember being part of. The game was a brilliant example of how football brings all walks of life and religions together. It was diverse London at its very best. Mr. McBean had made me smile for the first time all day, and Match of the Day was excellent.

Thank goodness for non-league football!

Spa Road, Witham

Witham Town 1 Coggeshall Town 3 (Tuesday 4th September 2018) FA Cup Preliminary Round Replay (att: 379)

Click here to take a look at the venue Hackney Wick has been using since the 2020-21 season.

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Folkestone Invicta

Folkestone Invicta FC is a non-league football club from the Kent coastal town of Folkestone, who were formed in 1936. However, to solely concentrate on Invicta would be doing football in the town a disservice.

A club called Folkestone FC was formed in 1894, becoming founder members of the original Kent League before departing ten years later. In 1923, the club entered the Southern League before it folded as war broke out in 1939.

A ‘new’ club, Folkestone Town FC, was formed in 1945, carrying on playing at Cheriton Road in the Kent League, where they were crowned champions in 1950-51 and 1952-53, before moving to the Southern League in 1959.

Promotion and relegation were followed by becoming Division One champions in 1963-64, where their spell in the Premier Division lasted three seasons. In 1968, ‘Town’ was dropped from the club name.

A further change came in 1974 when the club became Folkestone & Shepway FC, winning promotion in 1978-79. In 1980, they returned to their original name of Folkestone FC.

Another promotion to the Premier Division arrived in 1982-83, but they went down once more four years later. The club folded owing to financial troubles. Quickly, a new club, Folkestone Town (1990), was formed, but they didn’t even last a full season, with their record being expunged.

Meanwhile, across town, Invicta had been playing in the East Kent Amateur League. Following the demise of the senior clubs, they took their opportunity and moved into the Cheriton Road ground in 1991 while playing in Division Two of the Kent League.

Promotion was secured to Division One in 1992-93 under manager Gary Staniforth. Tim Hulme was appointed as player-manager for the 1994-95 campaign before being replaced in the summer of 1996 by Darren Hare. A club record crowd of 2,332 attended a friendly against a star-studded West Ham United side in a benefit game to raise money after freak floods in the town.

Neil Cugley arrived from Ashford Town as the new team manager in 1997 to start a great period of progress for the 'Seasiders’. In his first season at the helm, Invicta finished as Kent League runners-up and was promoted to the Southern League Southern Division, which was renamed the Eastern Division a year later.

The turn of the millennium saw Folkestone reach the Premier Division as several crowds rose to four figures. However, this wasn’t enough to stop financial constraints kicking in. Players were released, but the side went back down to the Eastern Division at the end of the 2002-03 season.

A decent following campaign saw a fifth-place finish and promotion, thanks to the restructuring of non-league football. Invicta were placed in the Isthmian League Premier Division. The 2005-06 season saw Folkestone reach the first round of the FA Cup for the first time, where they went out 2-1 away to Chester City.

Jimmy Dryden signed from neighbours Dover Athletic to bang in the goals, but in 2008, the club struggled financially, with money being owed to HM Customs & Excise. The club became insolvent and reformed during the 2010-11 season and had ten points deducted. Despite this, Invicta finished in second place in the league.

Leatherhead and then Godalming Town were defeated in the playoffs to secure Premier Division football for the 2010-11 season. Their spell in the top flight lasted just twelve months. In 2011-12, Invicta ended again in the play-off places but went out 2-1 in the semi-final to Dulwich Hamlet. 

They reached the same stage the following season. This time, a 1-0 defeat to Maidstone United ended the promotion dream. 2012-13 saw Invicta end in second place. Hastings United were defeated, but a penalty shoot-out defeat to Leatherhead at Cheriton Road saw the team fall at the final hurdle. 

It was to be a fourth successive season of playoff agony for the men in stripes as Merstham won the final after Whyteleafe had been defeated in 2014-15. However, Invicta put the playoff pain to bed in 2015-16 as they were crowned as Division One South champions.

The side, under Cugley, adjusted to their higher status and reached the playoffs in 2017-18, which ended in defeat in the semifinal to Hendon. On either side of the two seasons abandoned due to the pandemic, Folkestone ended in sixth position. 

Cugley stood down as manager after an amazing twenty-six years in charge in November 2022. He was replaced by the duo of Roland Edge and Michael Everitt. They were relieved of their duties a year later to be replaced by Andy Drury, who initially began as player-manager. He was succeeded in March 2025 by Jay Saunders.

With a new artificial pitch installed at Cheriton Road, Invicta marched to the league title in 2025-26 to be promoted to the National League South.

Folkestone Invicta FC will play in the National League South in the 2026-27 season.

My visit

Folkestone Invicta 1 Hastings United 0 (Tuesday 8th September 2015) Isthmian League Division One South (att: 343)

Following a week of night shifts, I wanted some adventure and to catch what could have been the last of the late summer nights. I had a plethora of fixtures to choose from, but in the end, it was a conversation many years earlier that had swung it.

Mum and Dad had visited Folkestone during a week's holiday in Kent, also enjoying a ferry ride over to Boulogne for the day. Dad said that Folkestone had a nice old town around the harbour. I had to have a look, and the chance to take in a derby game also added to the attraction.

My Network Railcard was renewed before I jumped on board the Javelin train from St Pancras. I listened to the England v Australia ODI as the fast service hurtled towards the Kent coast. In less than an hour, I was getting out at Folkestone Central station. 

It was just past 5.30, so I had a bit of time to look around. The Samuel Peto Weatherspoons pub was an outstanding building inside and out, but the beer was uninspiring, and it stank of food. 

Instead, I followed my research and had a fine refreshing pint of Brighton Ale in Kipps Alehouse on The Old High Street. Continuing down the hill, I arrived at the harbour. It turned out to be a bit of a disappointment, if truth be told.

The Folkestone Harbour station was closed a few years earlier and was in a terrible state. A few nice yachts and boats sat in the water, but there wasn’t a lot else. The large Grand Burstin Hotel had seen better days. A coach party from Scotland was alighting. From posters, it appeared the area was looking to attract a niche Ska music market.

The areas, I guess, that were once packed with visitors parking and waiting to catch the passenger ferry looked old and unloved. A fairground was beginning to arrive and set up. The sky threatened a drop or two of rain, so I headed up the extremely steep steps built into the cliffs back into town.

I was finding my bearings pretty well and was soon in the Firkin real ale establishment in Cheriton Place. It was small and homely, and most importantly, the beers were good. A couple of blokes were sitting in the corner; one in an Invicta top. They confirmed that I was in the best boozer in town.

We went together round the corner to the main bus station and jumped on the service to Cheritan. It dropped us at the stop for Morrisons, which was bang opposite the Stripes club. I was introduced to more fans and enjoyed a beer from a box before paying my £8 admission, along with £1.50 for a programme, and a £1 go on the golden gamble and golden goal time.

The Fullicks Stadium, to give Cheriton Road its sponsor’s title of the time, really was a gem. It was everything I was hoping for from a venue I hadn’t previously visited. As I entered, an open grassed area in front of the Stripes Club, I was greeted by a refreshment hatch. 

Further along was the covered seated Brian Merryman Stand. This was formerly for standing spectators and was known by everyone as The Grandads' Stand. Its conversion to seats was required when the roof was damaged on the former seated facility opposite in the summer of 2004. 

This was now an open terracing with the changing rooms, club offices, and Wilf Armory (Invicta Club) Bar & Suite further along. To my left was the Cheriton End Stand, which was a long, low terraced cover along the full length behind the goal. The Cricket Ground End was an open terrace.

As usual at a new ground, I watched proceedings from several vantage points. Invicta started the game as unbeaten league leaders, with Hastings just outside the play-off zone. The sides had already fulfilled their league fixture at Pilot Field with Folkestone coming away as 4-1 victors.

United should have taken a very early lead, but they fluffed their lines before their keeper, Josh Pelling, came out to clear a through ball. It fell to Ronnie Dolan, who smashed home against his former club from outside the area after just three minutes.

Ashley Miller came close to doubling the lead when his shot hit the post with Pelling stranded. He was then denied by the linesman’s flag, which was not exactly a popular call. Hunger got to me, so I perambulated to purchase a pretty good cheeseburger. 

I headed back to the cricket field end. The ground behind, which formerly hosted Kent CCC games, was now missing its roof over the terrace and had a new pavilion and leisure centre.

My friends caught up with me, and we headed upstairs to the bar, which had a view of the pitch. The England v Switzerland game was on TV. It probably accounted for a few not attending the match?

Just before the break, Hastings were correctly awarded a penalty by referee Philip Rowley after Sam Adams had been upended by Nat Blanks. A diving Tim Roberts pulled off a fine save from Adams' spot-kick to preserve the slender lead.

After the interval, the game went from end to end. It was a decent affair, with no lack of passion. In the sixty-fourth minute, the referee made what was said to be a controversial decision.

I don’t wish to sound like Arsene Wenger, but I genuinely didn’t see the incident. I was in the loo with a couple of old regulars. We heard shouts of “Off, off, off”. I remarked jokingly that they’d probably tasted the pies. They laughed until one said, “Hang on, we don’t sell pies!”

A fan told me that Hastings skipper Jack Walder had put in a terrible challenge worthy of a straight red card. Invicta’s Liam Friend took exception and brushed his head against Walder’s. The livid home fans were taken aback when Walder received a caution, while Friend was sent off.

The decision fired up all the players as well as the crowd, who were most unimpressed. Wave after wave of United attacks were thwarted as Frankie Chappell and young substitute Callum Wraight put in outstanding displays, while Invicta’s front two worked tirelessly on the break.

Hastings carved out a chance for Jack Harris, but his shot in the final minute was deflected over the bar for a corner. The final whistle blew to joyous scenes from the vast majority of the crowd.

I wandered back the five or ten minutes to Folkestone West station with one of my new pals. It had been an excellent choice of games. To round off a good night, England had won at football and cricket, and I was back in my local in Kingsbury in time for a couple of nightcaps.

Even better, my pals started arriving the next morning as Yorkshire retained their County Championship title at Lord’s against Middlesex. Life was good!

Wimbledon

The story of Wimbledon FC of southwest London is a warning to all supporters of what can happen when success attracts owners the club could well do without.

Formed in 1889 as Wimbledon Old Central FC and playing on Wimbledon Common, the club played in local football. In 1905, they dropped ‘Old Central’ from their name to become Wimbledon FC, although the change didn't bring much luck, as they folded owing to financial difficulties in 1910.

They reformed a year later as Wimbledon Borough before reverting to Wimbledon within a few months, and then moving into Plough Lane in 1912. The club joined the Athenian League in 1919 and then the Isthmian League two years later.

The 1930’s were to see many great triumphs at Plough Lane. Isthmian League titles were secured in 1930-31, 1931-32, and 1934-35; the same season that the club reached the final of the FA Amateur Cup Final for the first time. In the showpiece, Wimbledon were defeated 2-1 by Bishop Auckland in a replay at Stamford Bridge. A fourth consecutive Isthmian League crown was added the following season.

The Don's second Amateur Cup Final came in 1946-47. This time it was Leytonstone who triumphed 2-1 at Highbury. Further Isthmian League wins came in 1958-59, 1961-62, and 1962-63 before the club completed the double by finally lifting the Amateur Cup with a 4-2 victory over local rivals Sutton United at Wembley. 

An eighth Isthmian League title was claimed in 1963-64 before Wimbledon turned semi-professional and joined the Southern League. To view the Wembley win against Sutton United, watch here. Wimbledon competed well without winning the league, but they were thrust into the consciousness of the nation’s sports-loving public during the 1974-75 season for an incredible FA Cup run.

Entering the very first qualifying round, they saw off Bracknell Town, Maidenhead United, Wokingham Town, Guildford Dorking United, Bath City, and Kettering Town to find themselves in the third-round proper. They travelled to top-flight Burnley and pulled off an astonishing 1-0 win. 

My drawing of Plough Lane, along with former Wimbledon team kits.
Click on the images to enlarge them.

Their reward was a trip to Elland Road to take on reigning league champions Leeds United. Incredibly, their keeper Dickie Guy pulled off a penalty save from Peter Lorimer as Wimbledon drew 0-0. The replay was moved to Selhurst Park, where a crowd of over 40,000 saw Leeds go through with a deflected goal. 

To see the Leeds encounters, click here and here. The success helped spur the club on as they lifted three consecutive Southern League titles in 1974-75, 1975-76, and 1976-77 under the guidance of Allen Batsford. These triumphs led to winning the vote to be elected into the Football League to replace Workington for the 1977-78 season.

Batsford resigned in January 1978 to be replaced by a young Dario Gradi, who led The Dons to promotion in 1978-79. Their spell lasted just one season before they were relegated back to Division Four. In 1979 chairman at the time, Ron Noades, tried to do a deal with the Milton Keynes Development Corporation to relocate Wimbledon there. 

He and his directors even bought out non-league Milton Keynes City FC as part of the plan. It was never fully executed. Noades was a man who, over the years, owned Southall, Crystal Palace, Brentford, as well as Selhurst Park and the land where Imperial Fields, the home of Tooting Mitcham United, would later be built. 

Moving a football club lock, stock, and barrel, apparently held no fears for him! Noades bought Crystal Palace and moved on in 1981, taking Gradi with him. The Dons won promotion once more under Dave Bassett but couldn't prevent another relegation in 1981-82. However, his appointment was to prove a master stroke.

Bassett built a powerful team mixing experience with players who’d been released from bigger clubs and the club's youth system. This led to consecutive promotions in 1982-83 and 1983-84. After just two in the second tier, the team, with no star names but an unbelievable fighting spirit, won promotion to the top flight of English football. 

Many people tipped the ‘Crazy Gang’s stay to be a short one, but they were in for a big shock. Bobby Gould took over from Bassett, who moved to Watford with madcap Chairman Sam Hamman running things. One day in May 1988 was to be their greatest ever.

Wimbledon beat Liverpool in the FA Cup Final in a game many pundits predicted would be the most one-sided ever. It was one of the greatest cup shocks of all time. To view the amazing achievement, click here. Unfortunately, they didn't get to compete in European competition because of the ban on English clubs after the Heysel disaster. Europe didn't know just quite what they missed!

The club was not everyone’s favourite by any means, as the purists didn't like their high-tempo football mixed with some physical tactics, which they claimed bullied opponents. Players such as John Fashanu, Vinnie Jones, Nigel Winterburn, Dennis Wise, Alan Cork, Warren Barton, and Dave Beasant were certainly no shrinking violets, but they could play as well. Many moved on elsewhere for large transfer fees.

The club unveiled plans for a new all-seater stadium in Merton, but nothing came of it. New managers came and went before it was announced that Plough Lane was beyond development for top-flight football after the Taylor Report's findings needed to be implemented following the Hillsborough disaster. Instead, they moved to Selhurst Park to share with Crystal Palace.

Joe Kinnear took over as manager and slowly improved fortunes on the pitch. In 1994, the Wombles, as they were sometimes called from the mid 70's after the TV animation of furry characters who lived on Wimbledon Common, managed to finish sixth in the Premier League, their highest ever finish.

Wimbledon also managed some good runs in both the FA and League Cups during this period. Hamman had investigated plans to move the club to Dublin, but was stopped in his tracks before he sold the club to a Norwegian consortium. Home support was never massive at Selhurst Park, but that allowed large numbers of away fans to fill the ground.

Kinnear resigned in 1999 due to ill health, before Egil Olssen, and then Terry Burton had time in charge before the club was relegated in 1999-00. In the following two seasons, they just missed out on the playoffs before Burton was controversially sacked.

It was announced in 2001 that the club, under the chairmanship of Charles Koppell were looking at relocating to Milton Keynes. This was met with widespread protest from fans, but on this occasion, the owners would win, whilst the fans would have their club stolen from them in probably the most disgusting development in the history of English league football, of which full details can be found on the AFC Wimbledon section.

The Dons spent one last season under Stuart Murdoch in London before they went into administration and moved to Milton Keynes, but retained the club's name. At this point, AFC Wimbledon was formed by the vast majority of fans who wanted nothing to do with "Franchise FC" as their old club was being dubbed. 

In their first season at the National Hockey Stadium, all the players were sold by the administrator as the club was relegated in front of slightly improved crowds. The club was taken out of administration by Pete Winkelman at the end of the season. The construction of Stadium MK started soon after, as the team name was changed to Milton Keynes Dons and the club colours changed to all white, with a new crest.

Unbelievably, they listed Wimbledon's honours as their own. This was only changed when the Football Supporters Federation demanded they be returned to their home in the London Borough of Merton in return for accepting MK Dons fans and calling off their appeal for all fans to boycott the club's fixtures.

It is a very sorry tale of a very decent old club getting over ambitious, with some very dubious business taking place involving owners and businessmen, and at least one local council. At least there is a happy ending as the soul of Wimbledon FC lives on at AFC Wimbledon.

My visits

Wimbledon 1 Hull City 4 (Saturday 7th April 1984) Division Three (att: 4,495)

It wasn't until I reached secondary school in 1977 that Plough Lane hosted League Football, yet within nine years, the Dons were in the top flight as The Crazy Gang steamrolled all before them. My first visit was for the top of the table third division clash between the home side and Hull City. I was at college at Boreham Wood, just north of London, at the time. 

I met up before the game with friends in the newly formed Hull City Southern Supporters Club, whose first-ever meetings I attended. The Tigers sprang a huge surprise with a 4-1 victory, which led to me gracing the turf in celebration at the end. The ground hadn't changed much, save for the high fences since their Isthmian League days and really struggled to meet demands. 

Those of us in the away end even gave an ironic cheer when Wimbledon scored a late consolation. The irony would later come home to roost as the club missed out on promotion by one goal to Sheffield United after an agonising evening in Burnley, the Thursday after the other games had finished.

The aforementioned away Wandle End was a steep bank of open terracing with segregation down the middle, for the rare occasions that enough home fans turned up to make it worthwhile opening both sections. To the left was terracing with the South Stand perched at the rear, which contained about ten rows of seats. 

The home end was a terracing half the size of the one it faced, with a basic roof at the back, while The Main Stand may have held 1,200 seats and was about fifty yards long with terracing on either side. The ground was a ten-minute walk from Wimbledon Park tube station and slightly longer to Wimbledon station. 

Dave Beasant let a soft shot from Brian Marwood under his body after just 15 minutes as City went ahead. Andy Flounders doubled the lead just before the break, and Gareth Roberts made it three just after. A Billy McEwan penalty after 62 minutes made it 4-0, with a late consolation from Glyn Hodges.

Wimbledon 3 Hull City 1 (Saturday 26th April 1986) Division Two (att: 5,171)

The Tigers and the Dons faced each other again in the old Second Division. Wimbledon were on their way to promotion to the top flight despite many of their home attendances being around 4,500. They were a good side who pummeled City on this occasion. The only changes since my previous visit were high fences around the edge of the pitch. 

I had the consolation of a good drink with the City fans at the Alexandra pub near Wimbledon station before the game. Wallace Arnold took a coach to the match from Scarborough, which doubled up as a shopping trip for those who fancied it. Our drivers got the hump when we refused to take the tube from the West End.

Andy Flounders netted City's consolation goal on a lovely afternoon as the City fans sang "He's the famous Bobby Doyle, and he's off to Mexico"; half in jest and mainly in admiration of the tough Scottish midfielder.

Further calls

In 2005, I went to watch a greyhound meeting at the nearby Wimbledon Stadium, which wasn't on as I got the wrong night! I walked back to the nearest National Rail station at Haydons Road along Plough Lane to be greeted with a high fence surrounding the site where the stadium once stood. 

A supermarket company bought the land but failed to gain planning permission to build there. I could just see the sorry-looking flattened wasteland through a chink in the fence.

October 2020

I went past Plough Lane a couple of times within a fortnight on walks during the pandemic, primarily to take a look at the new Plough Lane Stadium, on the site of the former Wimbledon Stadium, famous for greyhound, speedway and stock car racing. It was demolished before a new arena was built as a home to AFC Wimbledon.

My walks continued further up the road, to where at least a modest monument commemorates the former home of the Dons on the corner of Durnsford Road and Plough Lane outside the opulent blocks of flats.

The pictures of the former Plough Lane stadium on this page have been taken from the internet.