A VERY RARE DEFEAT FOR THE SAINTS AS THE EAGLES WIN THEIR FIRST GAME OF THE SEASON

Stotfold entertained St Panteleimon in the Spartan South Midlands League Division One yesterday evening. Both sides are expected to be up at the top of the table battling for promotion this season as they were in fifth and second positions when football came to end for the 2019/20 season in March. 

This was my second visit to the JSJ Stadium (aka New Roker Park) and it has to be one of the best at Step Six in the local area. With the current restrictions and rules in place the whole evening was run very professionally by the club with numerous stewards in place and hand sanitiser placed randomly around the ground. Each time a ball went out of play and into the spectator area it was cleaned and sanitised before being used again. 

The game played in front of a crowd of 82 people which up from the 76 who had seen the 1-1 draw with MK Irish at the weekend. Luke Gregson's side had been knocked out of the Vase by Thurlow Nunn First Division South side Little Oakley in their first game of the season and been beaten by Bedford in the league before the draw with MK Irish. 

The Saints had won all three of their games played so far being a 0-3 victory at Hillingdon Borough, a 1-2 win at Langford and a 5-2 home victory over London Tigers on Saturday. 

Stotfold had the better of the play in the first half and looked more dangerous but went in at the break 0-1 down when Bilal Aalouache scored easily after some good work down the right hand side. 

In the second half Liam Gooch in the home goal made a number of good saves as the visitors looked to add to the lead before Gregson headed home impressively at the far post following a free kick from the left hand side. Many fans have said the hangtime the player-manager had in the air was reminiscent of Cristiano Ronaldo at the peak of his game. 

Gregson was involved again when Stotfold added a second. Another free kick was swung into the box and when jumping for the ball he collided with goalkeeper Donald Manaj. With Manaj on the floor injured the ball was bundled home by Kim Forsythe. I'm sure even the most ardent of Stotfold fans will watch the replay and think they got away with that one as 99% of the time the referee would of blown up for a foul on the goalkeeper. 

The final score of 2-1 was greeted with celebration and relief by the Stotfold squad and fans - they had worked very hard at the back against a very strong St Panteleimon side who will be challenging for the title this season.

Defeat for The Saints is very rare so for Stotfold this could be a pivotal result. Prior to the result last night they had played Seventy-Six league games, after entering Saturday football in the 2017/18, in which they had only lost three which is an amazing record. 

ST PANTELEIMON DEFEATS 

2019/20 (SPARTAN SOUTH MIDLANDS LEAGUE DIVISION ONE)

FA VASE - LONG BUCKBY (HOME) - 3-4

CHALLENGE TROPHY - MK ROBINS (AWAY) -D 2-2 (Lost 14-13 on PKs) 

LEAGUE - WINSLOW UNITED (AWAY) L 2-4 and NEW SALAMIS (AWAY) L 0-2 

2018/19 (MIDDLESEX COUNTY LEAGUE PREMIER DIVISION) 

FA VASE - CRAY VALLEY (HOME) - L 1-3 

MIDDX INTERMEDIATE CUP - PFC VICTORIA (HOME) - L 0-1 

LEAGUE - INDIAN GYMKHANA (AWAY) - L 0-5 

2017/18 (MIDDLESEX COUNTY LEAGUE DIVISON ONE C&E)

MIDDX JUNIOR CUP - CHAPE LONDON (HOME) - D 1-1 (Away win on PKs)

ANAGRAM RECORDS TROPHY - BROADFIELDS (HOME) - D 0-0 (Home win on PKS)

DIVSION ONE CUP - NEW HANFORD (HOME) - Game was won but was awarded to away side. 

Both Stotfold and The Saints are on the road on Saturday. The Eagles go to London Lions and the early season table toppers go to Rayners Lane. 

MATCH HIGHLIGHTS 

HERTS SENIOR COUNTY LEAGUE WEEKEND FIXTURES & NEWS

PREMIER DIVISION 

Chipperfield Corinthians v Glenn Sports 

Cuffley v Welwyn Garden City u23 

Bush Hill Rangers v Letchworth Garden City Eagles 

Cockfosters Res v Hatfield Town 

Harefield United Res v Sandridge Rovers 

Ware Sports v Belstone 

Wingate & Finchley Development v Colney Heath Res

The Premier Division looks to be a very competitive one with only one team left without a defeat - Wingate & Finchley Development have drawn two and won two of their four games. Royston Town Reserves, who are not in action this weekend, top the early season table with four wins and one defeat in their five games played - Liam Dulson and Tom Newman both have three goals in each for Royston. Belstone (three wins from four) and Harefield United Reserves (three wins from five) are three points behind Royston in the table. 

At the bottom of the table Chipperfield Corinthians, Ware Sports and Sandridge Rovers are the only teams left without a win. Sandridge Rovers have only scored two goals in their five league games played so far. 

One of the games of the day comes at Wodson Park where Bush Hill Rangers (two wins, two draws and one defeat) entertain Letchworth GC Eagles (two wins, one draw and one defeat) - It's a game both teams will need to win to move up towards the top of the table. 

BUSH HILL RANGERS WILL ENTERTAIN LETCHWORTH GC EAGLES ON SATURDAY

DIVISION ONE 

Aldenham v Hertford Heath

Bovingdon Res v Wheathampstead Wanderers 

Bushey Rangers v Buntingford Town 

Evergreen v Tring Athletic Res 

Hatfield United v Knebworth 

Oracle Components v Hinton 

Oxhey v Old Parmiterians 

Standon & Puckeridge v Sun Sports Watford

In Division One Knebworth have lost all three league games (scoring just one goal and letting in seven) they have played so far but will go into Saturday's local derby at Hatfield United in good spirits following their 0-4 victory at Bovingdon 'A' in the Aubery Cup First Round at the weekend. 

DIVISION TWO 

Baldock Town Res v Broxbourne Badgers 

Hemel Hempstead Rovers v Oxhey Jets Development

Lemsford v Oxhey Res 

Letchworth Garden City Eagles v Hadley Vets 

Sandridge Rovers Res v Ware Sports Res 

Tring Town AFC v Chipperfield Corinthians Res

Wormley Rovers Res v Waltham Abbey Res

In Division Two Hemel Hempstead Rovers have made a great start to life in the Herts Senior County League winning all three of their games so far with Charlie Rance in great form scoring five goals in just two goals played - That total includes four goals in their 8-1 victory over Hadley Vets. 

DIVISION THREE 

Bedmond Sports v Stevenage Borough Community 

Bovingdon 'A' v Hemel Hempstead Rovers Reserves 

Buntingford Town Res v Oxhey Jets Vets

Harpenden Rovers v Hatfield Athletic 

Hinton Res v Hatfield Town u23 

Knebworth Res v Evergreen Res

Lemsford Res v Sarratt Res

Stanmore Jafferys v Mill End Sports 

Oxhey Jets Vets lead the early Division Three table with Tim O'Mara netting five goals in just two games played. It's good to see a player who score an FA Cup hat-trick for Oxhey Jets first team in August 2008 against Hertford Town still representing his club!

Across the divisions it's only Hemel Hempstead Rovers and Letchworth GC Eagles Res (3 games) of Division Two and Hatfield United (2 games) of Division Three who still have 100%.  

CLASSIC PROGRAMMES - REGGAE INTERNATIONAL v CRICKETERS - 1976

Here's a classic programme from over 40 years ago as the fantastically named Reggae International took on Cricketers in the Edmonton Sunday League at The Henry Barrass Stadium on Sunday 12th September 1976 with a 2.30pm kick off. 

The league for the 1976/77 season ran with eight divisions and the programme firstly reports of the sad loss of Alf Frasi who had passed away in the North Middlesex Hospital in July 1976. Alf had been helping the league out and could of been seen every Sunday at The Barrass Stadium in the past seasons prior to his death. 

Reggae International were in there second season in the league and 'thrilled us with their fast flowing football that brought them second spot in the second division' in the 1975/76 season. The programme reports they had added George West and Douglas Clarke to their squad - although on the team sheet it states George Best so I'm not sure of the spelling of his surname. 

Reggae had three teenagers, McLennon DaCosta, Andre Grant and Pat Campbell, in their squad and the club made use of the gym at the Downhills School in Tottenham. 

Cricketers have finished the 75/76 campaign with 20 points from a possible 42 on offer - They had previously been called Santos and had won the 74/75 Division Four title. As their name suggests they were based at The Cricketers Pub on Chase Side in Enfield. Their players Terry Callcutt, Norman Gilder and Jeff Aylott had all joined from a club named Juventus. Gilder, Calcutt and David Evans had scored well over 350 goals between them for the club in the four years they had been with Cricketers. 

Reggae International were Division Two champions for the league in 1976/77. 

The Alf Frasi Cup (for Division Six clubs) was played for up until the 2000/2001 season when Mavericks won the competition.

DO YOU KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT REGGAE INTERNATIONAL OR CRICKETERS? PLEASE COMMENT BELOW WITH ANY INFORMATION.

HERTFORD AND DISTRICT LEAGUE WEEKEND FIXTURES

PREMIER DIVISION

Allenburys Sports v Mill Lane 

Bocas Jogabonito v Bengeo Trinity 

Kulture Klub Athletic v MKS Carpentry 

Stotfold Town v Ware Trinity 

Westmill v Wormley Rovers Vets

DIVISION ONE

Ickleford v Hertford Heath Res

Sheering v Elizabeth Allen Old Boys 

Thundridge United v Nazeing 

Watton-at-Stone v Albury 

DIVISION TWO 

Bengeo Trinity Vets v Inter Hoddesdon 

Bullys Crusaders v Stotfold Junior Res

Buntingford Wanderers v Much Hadham 

Greenbury United v Waltham Abbey 'A' 

Hertford Heath 'A' v Mangrove 

A FEW OF LONDON'S UNIQUELY NAMED SUNDAY LEAGUE TEAMS

BAYERN NEVERLUSEN play in the Metropolitan Sunday League Ron Pope Premier Division. Despite their confident name they do occasionally lose games but have won both games they have played this season - 4-0 against Grand Athletic and 7-0 against Bermondsey Town. 

They play their home games at the Samuel Montagu Centre in Kidbrooke. They are one of the many teams with succesful You Tube and social media channels. 

Wouldn't it be great to see MOTTINGHAM FOREST play football league side Nottingham Forest in a charity game? Mottingham is just South of the A20 and Eltham Palace in South London. Forest play in the Woolwich and Eltham Sunday League Pat Tanlsey Division Four. They play their home games at the nearby Metrogas Sports Ground, SE9. 

The uniquely named JEFF'S CHIPPY FC currently play in the Central London Super Sunday League and play home games on Clapham Common. You would think the name comes from sponsorship of a nearby chip shop but it doesn't - The club can trace it's history to the city where the oldest football club in the World play. 

Jeff’s Chippy was a chip shop in Sheffield and for many years they sponsored Nether Edge FC, for whom a number of players and people now associated with the club played for in a highly memorable and legendry match in 1989. 

Nether Edge lost the game 17-0. Sadly the shop closed down but the name lives on to commemorate the momentous defeat. The club was officially founded in January 1998 at Clapham Common when some of the players had moved to down to the Capital. Their first game was a 7-6 victory with a last minute winner scored by Dan Mackie who had overslept and travelled across London by taxi to make the Second Half. 

There have been more than a few REAL ALE MADRID teams in Sunday and Six-A-Side football over the years. This club play in League Five of the Southern Sunday Football League. They tweeted at the weekend that for the first time in one of their games they had too many players turn up and didn't have to play with only seven men for once. It was also great jesture to see Sporting Continental giving them a kit to play in for this season. 

In League Seven of the Southern Sunday League there is OLYMPIQUE MAYONNAISE who play their home games at Wandsworth Common. 

ROVING REPORTERS were formed back in 1965 by three local newspapers journalists - one of whom was John Motson prior to his career with the BBC. The club joined the Barnet Sunday League in 1966 in it's first season and are the only club left in the league to this day. Motson played for the club in the early seasons when he was employed by the Barnet Press. He is still involved with the club as a Life Vice President. They are currently in Division Four of the Barnet Sunday League and play their home games on the Enfield Playing Fields. 

There is more than one PSG in the world as PALACE SAINT-GERMAIN were founded in 2016. At the name suggests the team who play in the Croydon Municipal Sunday Premier League are based close to Crystal Palace and have the famous tower of their badge as shown. 

BOSTON CELTICS FC play in the Hackney and Leyton Sunday League and play their games on the famous Hackney Marshes. 

Like the aforementioned Real Ale Madrid the Camden Sunday League have SURREAL MADRID who were formed back in the late 1980s. They are currently in Division Two of the CSL. 

 PLEASE CONTACT @thecoldend IF YOU KNOW OF ANY OTHER QUIRKY NAMED TEAMS?

 

LONDON FA SUNDAY CUPS FIRST ROUND FIXTURE DETAILS

London FA Sunday Challenge Cup (Sponsored by Amateur Footballer)

FIRST ROUND

Sunday 11th October

Catford Wanderers (2008) v Under The Radar

South West Rangers v AFC Balham 

East Stars v Panathanaikos 

A.C. United (Youth) v Omonia (London) 

Impact FC v The Wrongens

Westminster Wanderers v Wandsworth Elite

Xavelhas v Springhill United 

S.W. Alumni of Graveney v Battersea Park Rangers

Pekunspor Pekun v Continental 

Clapham Rovers v South London Panthers 

Parklife v M Boys FC

SE Dons v Peckham Rye 

Its a huge game in Round One as SE Dons take on Peckham Rye of the Woolwich and Eltham Alliance Premier Division. The SE Dons play in the Orpington and Bromley Sunday League Senior Division and have been a huge success over the past few seasons with their highlights gaining over 100k views + each week. Peckham Rye also have a successful You Tube channel and social media accounts. 

Baiteze Squad FC BTZ v Ground Hoppers 

AFC Brixton v Golden Eagles 

S.A.H.A v Orpington Rovers

Oakwood A Team v The Bandits 1st 

Club Santacruzense De Londres Mens v AFC Putney 

El Valiente v Rising Ballers 

Takers v Olympia 

Kedares Town First v Mile End Baiteze Squad 

Park Royals v Dumlupinar Yeni Malatya Spor

AFC Kumazi Strikers v The Wall

Kizilirmak Main v Hornsey & Highgate 

Hatcham Vista v Bayswater R.K

Metrogas Sunday v Kenningwell United 

AFC Hammersmith Town v Club Assyria 

Grand Athletic v Jam 

Bayern Neverlusen v Highgate & Muswell Hill - Home Win walkover 

BYES - FC Elmstead, Gower All Stars, Highgate Albion and Lambeth All Stars. 

London Sunday Trophy First Round (Sponsored by H&M Freight Services)

FIRST ROUND

Sunday 4th October

Wheatsheaf Athletic v West Norwood  

Streatham Stanley v Spartans 

Blackheath FC v Kabba United 

S.A.H.A XI v South Warriors 

Crayford Athletic v FC Elmstead (1958) Elmstead Hawks 

London Lionhearts v Bermondsey Town 

Shepherd's Tuesday v Sloane Sundays SLO 

Greenwich Mariners v Petts Wood Seniors (Petts Wood Ravens)

FC Kawooya v Belmont Athletic

South London Giants v Brockley Res

Brockley v Woolwich '90 

Baldon Sports MET v Crayford Arrows Res

Sporting Continental 1's v Bosjam 

Cosmos United v Jeff's Chippy 

Ladzio v Riefield Vipers 

Westminster Wanderers 2nd XI v AFC Wilgar 

Versace v Hacquenye

Middlesbrough Supporters South v FC Ballr 

Recreativo Hackney v BG Club 

Exonians v Asianos 

Jewdinese First v Highgate Albion Rese

Sudbury Athletic (Hujjat) v Inter Mill Hill 

Mehmetcik Galata v Enfield United

Komi Kebir v AFC Oakwood

GTFA A v Turkmenkoy Aydin Spor Kulubu 

Fairlop v Yeni Bogazici Dogan Spor F

North London Colts v FC Lokomotiv Thunder 

Panda FC NLD v Fenerbahce Kanarya 

West One First v Pekunspor 

North London Raiders A v Edmonton Rovers

Sunday 18th October 

Northumberland Park Rangers v Hendon United Sports Club A 

Selsdon Town v Milldean - Away Win walkover

London FA Sunday Junior Cup (sponsored by Football Unites)

FIRST ROUND

Sunday 4th October 

Newlands Football Club Blues v Mottingham Forest 

London All Stars v South London All Stars 'A' 

Crayford Arrows Seniors v South London Doves 

New Cross Rovers v AFC Charlton 

Springhill United Old Boys v Rosendale Sports

Young Stars Reds v Lambeth All Stars 'A'

Greenwich Hotshots v Petts Wood Seniors Vultures 

FC United of Bromley v Selhurst Sunday

Peckham Cosmos v Abbeywood Argyle 

Hatcham Beckenham Manor v Parklife B Team 

Beckenham Rovers v Orpington Eagles 

South London Athletic 'A' v FC Forza Greenwich 

Blase Ballers v Slade Green Railway

Chislehurst v Springhill United Res

Sporting Club Thamesmead Sunday Spitfire v Russellersmal 

AFC Sporting Greenwich v The Beach Pub 

Rising Talents v Petts Wood u21 

Italia Wasteels v Baldon Sports 'B' 

Victoria Line Velocity v Tooting Celtic 

Westminster Wanderers U23s v Chiswick  

Merton Athletic v Balham & Clapham Albion 

West London Dynasty XI v AFC Bluebirds 

Norton v Aberdeen Supporters Club London Branch 

Ewell Corinthian v Putney Pacers  

Kew Antigua 'A' v Wimbledon Wolves 

Wimbledon Commoners v Clapham Common 

Parthenope v Ewell Dons 

Clapham North End v AFC Tadworth 

Balham Badgers v FC Team 

Hampton Terriers v Sopranos 

Clapham Wanderers v Royal Southwark 

Manor Park Wanderers v Lymore Gardens Sunday 

Lions United v East London Kings 

City East v Inter Cross  

ProPanthers v Boundary Estate 

FC BKT v UBLCFC Old Boys 

Hatch Lane United v New Copa

Baddoo v Finchley Hibernians 

AFC Edmonton v London Academics 

OakHill v Hackney Wednesday 

London Sportif v Clapham Phoenix 

Burreli v Nissi 

Harbut Rovers v Bingol Zaza

Grenfell Athletic v NLR

Armenian Youth Association v Highgate Albion 3rds 

Enate United v Blues FC

Sherfield Town v AFC Brasenose 

Heavyn Football Club H's v UK-FC FC 

Apoel (UK) v Northern Eagles FC 

Atletico Edmonton v AFC Rose Blue 

Danson Albion v Woolwich Common

Junction Elite v RCG Football Club u23 

Isle of Dogs Football Club Yellows v Vale County 

The Auld Shillelagh v NLO 

AFC Shooters v Akanthou 

The Gun (Pub) v Birkbeck Orient 

Philippine v Enfield Albion 

North London Panthers v London Ravens 

AC Milano v Eagles Land 

London Wednesday v Union Canal - Away Win walkover 

Woodside v Brotherhood FC - Away Win walkover

Old Fortronians v Real Ale Madrid CCFC - Home Win walkover

Chelsham Athletic v AFC Mortlake - Home Win walkover 

FC Shebu Stars Allstars v Westminster Wanderers 3rd - Away Win walkover 

HITCHIN SUNDAY LEAGUE WEEKEND RESULTS