THE LATEST IN THE RACE FOR THE SSMFL PREMIER DIVISION TITLE

SPARTAN SOUTH MIDLANDS LEAGUE PREMIER DIVISION
CURRENT TABLE - TOP SIX ONLY

POS	TEAM	P	GD	PTS	FORM
1	HODDESDON TOWN	26	+39	60	WWWWWW
2	LONDON COLNEY	25	+34	56	WWLLWW
3	AFC DUNSTABLE	25	+43	55	DLWWWW
4	HERTFORD TOWN	27	+34	51	DLWWLW
5	BERKHAMSTED	25	+27	46	LWWLWD
6	HOLMER GREEN	26	-2	44	LWWWWL

Hoddesdon Town are sitting proudly on top of the Spartan South Midlands League Premier Division on a record of 60 points from a possible 78 on offer from their 26 league games played so far. Since one of the last times we looked at the race for the title on Wednesday 9th December 2015 they have picked up 25 points in 10 league games played which equates to 2.5 points per game - Their nearest rivals have 2 ppg (London Colney) and 1.86 ppg (AFC Dunstable) in that same period.

Huge credit must go to The Lillywhite's manager Gavin Kelsey and assistant Ray Greenall who joined over the Summer and have transformed the club after their disastrous finish of 19th last season. Since their unexpected 2-3 home defeat to Biggleswade United on Saturday 19th December they have drawn 1-1 in their local derby versus Hertford Town followed by a seven game winning streak - Could they make it eight and nine against Leverstock Green? They travel to Pancake Lane on Tuesday evening before welcoming them to Lowfield on Saturday. 

POTENTIAL CHAMPIONS??

With a gap of 9 points down to fourth placed Hertford Town and games in had for the top three sides some people may say the title race in now down to just three sides? I would say with 42 games played in a season it's far from over and with a good run of form teams from lower down the table could still crash the title party.

THE NEXT LEAGUE GAMES FOR THE TOP THREE

DATE	HODDESDON TOWN	LONDON COLNEY	AFC DUNSTABLE
16/2	Leverstock Green	-	St Margaretsbury
20/2	LEVERSTOCK GREEN	HERTFORD TOWN	WELWYN GARDEN CITY
27/2	Welwyn Garden City	HADLEY	Harefield United
1/3	-	OXHEY JETS	WEMBLEY
5/3	HADLEY	BIGGLESWADE UNITED	STOTFOLD

London Colney have had some excellent wins in their last six league games against Welwyn Garden City, Berkhamsted and AFC Dunstable but they have also lost to Bedford and Hoddesdon Town which could prove crucial at the end of the season.

AFC Dunstable had a slight wobble drawing versus Bedford and suffering a defeat to Biggleswade United but have since recorded four wins on the spin so they are in full contention to finish higher than the third place they achieved last season.

It's been a great season so far for current sixth placed Holmer Green who since their credible seventh placed finish in 2006 have ended up in 19th, 20th, 20th, 1st (Division One), 17th, 20th, 22nd, 12th and 20th - they will be very please with a top ten finish come the end of the campaign.

POTENTIAL CHAMPIONS?

Looking at the table tenth placed Hadley could go up to just two points behind Hoddesdon Town if they win their six games in hand (A massive IF due the number of games they have to play but it is possible). They gave a good indication of their good from in their last game when they recorded a convincing home 5-1 against Hertford Town.  

POS	TEAM	P	GD	PTS	FORM
10	HADLEY	20	+27	40	WWLWWW

POTENTIAL CHAMPION 2016/17??

One of the stories of the season comes at Biggleswade United who appointed Barcelona born Cristian Colas as Head Caoch in May 2015. He is a UEFA Pro licence holder who previously worked with Spanish clubs in his native Catalunya and Finish club's PK Keski-Uusimaa and Kapyllan Pallo. His start to life in the Spartan South Midlands League didn't go well as United only recorded one victory in their opening twelve games but in their last twelve fixtures they have turned it around winning an incredible ten games, drawing one with just one solitary defeat being a narrow 0-1 against Tring Athletic. It looks even better when you read that in eight of those games they have recorded clean sheets. If they can keep their team together and build on what they have achieved this season they will be definite title contenders for the 2016/17 season.

BIGGLESWADE UNITED'S INCREDIBLE CHANGE OF FORM

	P	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	PTS	PPG
	12	1	2	9	7	23	-16	5	0.42
	12	10	1	1	23	6	+17	31	2.58

FACTS AND STATISTICS ABOUT THE SEASON SO FAR

MOST GOALS SCORED AT HOME - HERTFORD TOWN (48)
LEAST GOALS SCORED AT HOME - LONDON TIGERS (7) 

MOST GOALS SCORED AWAY - WELWYN GARDEN CITY (37)
LEAST GOALS SCORED AWAY - COLNEY HEATH (7) 

LEAST GOALS CONCEDED AT HOME - TRING ATHLETIC (8)
MOST GOALS CONCEDED AT HOME - HAREFIELD UNITED (47)

LEAST GOALS CONCEDED AWAY - HODDESDON TOWN & AFC DUNSTABLE (8)
MOST GOALS CONCEDED AT AWAY -  BEDFORD (48) 

MOST GOALS SCORED - HERTFORD TOWN (82) 
LEAST GOALS SCORED - HAREFIELD UNITED (21) 

LEAST GOALS CONCEDED -  HODDESDON TOWN (17)
MOST GOALS CONCEDED - OXHEY JETS (82) 

MOST DRAWS - COCKFOSTERS (10) 
LEAST DRAWS - OXHEY JETS (0) 
 
The race for the golden boot (figures include cup games) it's AFC Dunstable's BJ Christis leading the way on a total of 35 from 33 starts and 2 substitute appearances followed by Ivan Machado (Hadley) on 30 (1) and 30 goals. Dean Allen of Holmer Green has scored 29 times in 28 starts and Hoddesdon's Mark Summers has netted 29 times in 29 starts and 10 substitute appearances. 

Machado has been with Hadley for five seasons and previously played for St Albans City, Christie played for Berkhamsted last season netting 37 times in 50 games and previously represented Dunstable Town, Barton Rovers and had previous spells with AFC Dunstable. Summers followed Kelsey from St Mags to Hoddesdon Town where he scored 30 in 51 games during the 2014/15 campaign - He has also played for Hertford Town. Allen has been a goal machine for Holmer Green scoring 24, 36, 27 and 17 goals in the past four seasons - He had a short lived spell with Aylesbury United in the Southern League Division One (Central) at the beginning of the 2013/14 season but quickly returned to Holmer Green after only 4 appearances - The only goal he scored came in the local derby versus Aylesbury FC. 

WHERE ARE THEY NOW? 
where are the previous ten champions of the SSMFL Premier Division now playing? 

2014/15 - Kings Langley - 3rd place in the Evo Stik Southern Division One (Central) - Step 4
2013/14 - Hanwell Town - 19th place in the Evo Stik Southern Division One (Central) - Step 4
2012/13 - Dunstable Town - 6th place in the Evo Stik Southern Premier - Step 3
2011/12 - Royston Town - 4th place in the Evo Stik Southern Division One (Central) - Step 4
2010/11- Chalfont St Peter - 5th place in the Evo Stik Southern Division One (Central) - Step 4
2009/10 - Aylesbury - 9th place in the Evo Stik Southern Division One (Central) - Step 4
2008/09 - Biggleswade Town - 10th place in the Evo Stik Southern Premier - Step 3
2007/08 - Beaconsfield SYCOB - 8th place in the Evo Stik Southern Division One (Central) - Step 4
2006/07 - Edgware Town - 1st place in the SSMFL Division One - Step 6
2005/06 - Oxford City - 7th place in the Vanarama National South Division - Step 2

If you are local to the Spartan South Midlands League area which covers from Milton Keynes down to North London why not pay a club close to you a visit.