Blast from the past

Andrew Cornell looks back on Blues’ games on September 19^th

There have been six debuts by Blues players on this date, the most recent being Ernie Cooksey in 1998 while the most important was Bill Carter, mainstay of the Stortford defence for most of the 50s with 166 appearances. Bill made his debut in a wining FA Amateur Cup Preliminary Round match against Hertford Town, unfortunately we went out in the next round.

 

Only two players have played their last games on this date, the most recent being Ian Brownjohn who came on as a sub in a defeat by Hitchin Town in 1992.

 

Plenty of goals have been scored on this date, back in 1998 we scored 3 at Hendon and still ended up on the losing side. This was a relegation season and the match and result typified the season with Blues having a player sent off and a shot cleared off the line at 3-4. Hendon took the lead on 15 minutes through Whitmarsh but Stortford fought back straight away with Steve Conroy scoring only two minutes later. Hendon took the lead again on 38 minutes thanks to Junior Lewis but at 2-1 at half time it was an open game. Sadly Blues came out for the second half allowing Hendon to make it 4-1 within 8 minutes of the restart. Sean McCarthy then pulled one back after coming on as a substitute and gave Blues hope in the 83^rd minute, pulling it back to 4-3 with his second goal. But then there was the shot cleared off the line and in the 88^th minute Whitmarsh completed his hat trick and made the game safe for Hendon.

 

There was another 5-3 game back in 1970, but in our favour this time, when we played Canvey Island at Rhodes Avenue in the FA Cup. According to the Herts & Essex Observer the weather that day reminded spectators of the 1970 Mexico World Cup – it was that hot. It was certainly an eventful game with the Islanders taking the lead after only 9 minutes, Horsman scoring on their first attack. It took Blues a while to get into the game, finally equalising just before the half hour through Tim Clarey. Stortford were getting on top now and Steve Devaux put them in the lead in first half injury time. The second half saw Canvey defending in depth and it took until the 68^th minute for Gough to increase Stortford’s lead. Almost immediately sub Nickson pulled one back for the Islanders and Blues were in a much closer game than they should have been. IN the last quarter hour Stortford finally made the game safe with goals from Whyte and Allaway although even then Hosman scored a third for the visitors.

 

2015 Hemel Hempstead Town 1 BSFC 2 – Isthmian League Division 1

Lovelock, Vanderhyde, Herd, Abdullahi, Smith, Allen, Sellears, Church, Buchanan, Johnson, Walsh Subs: Fanimo, Merrifield, Labonne Unused: Ekim, Furlonge Scorers: Church, Buchanan

 

2009 BSFC 2 Dorchester Town 0 – Conference South

Eyre, Nunn, Patterson, Champion, Goodacre, Cooper, Harris, Bowditch, Brayley, Sheringham, Nicholls Subs: Angus, Jackman, Smith Unused: Green, Wright Scorers: Sheringham, Jackman

 

2000 Yeading 0 BSFC 3 – Isthmian League Division 1

Tucker, Foot, Kimble, Sedgwick, Bowen, Hercules, Hayes, Southam, John, Paul, Langer

Subs: Gunn Unused: Comerford, Williams Scorers: Hercules, Hayes, Paul

 

1998 Hendon 5 BSFC 3 – Isthmian League Premier Division

King, Edwards, Campbell, Clark, Clifford, Cooksey, Forbes, Greene, Conroy, Gammons, Ikazoboh Subs: Smith, Cooper, McCarthy Scorers: Conroy, McCarthy (2)

 

1992 Hitchin Town 3 BSFC 1 – FA Trophy 1^st Round Qualifying

Mallett, Jordan, Claridge, Harrigan, Hopkins, L Burns, White, Burns, Petrou, Dance, Sailsman Subs: Pritchard, Brownjohn Scorer: L Burns

 

1987 Slough Town 0 BSFC 0 – Isthmian League Premier Division

Taylor, Nunn, Goodchild, Hull, Hopkins, Cassidy, Weddell, Hoddle, Gayle, Zacchau, Smith Subs Unused: Wood, McCayna

 

1981 BSFC 3 Leatherhead 4 – Isthmian League Premier Division

Moore, Blackman, Brown, Smith, Baldry, Avery, Sullivan, Knapman, Worrell, Simmonds, Clarke Sub: Radford Scorers: Sullivan, Knapman, Simmonds

 

1978 Aveley 1 BSFC 1 – Isthmian League Division 1

Carrick, Holden, Bradford, Smith, Chattaway, Carvill, Neill, Eason, Ferry, Dear, Worrell,

Sub: ??? Scorer: Eason

 

1972 Hendon 0 BSFC 0 – Isthmian League

Moore, Davenport, Lawrence, Mitchell, Still, Hounsell, Leakey, Merrifield, Dear, Smith, Francis Sub Unused: Bunker

 

1970 BSFC 5 Canvey Island 3 – FA Cup 1^st Round Qualifying

Mollison, Lawrence, Mitchell, Clarey, Sharkey, Pannell, Whyte, Allaway, Devaux, Chappell, Gough Sub: ??? Scorers: C;arey, Whyte, Devaux, Allaway, Gough

 

1964 Stevenage Town 4 BSFC 1 – FA Cup 2^nd Round Qualifying

Cherry, Rolph, Atkinson, Gough, Neeves, Duley, Taylor, Welsby, Smith, Saggers, Francis Scorer: Atkinson

 

1959 BSFC 0 Essex County XI 0 – Friendly

D Cook, Rolph, Atkinson, P Cook, Newman, Wilson, Adamson, Yates, Phelan, Horton, Francis Scorers: ???

 

1953 BSFC 3 Hertford Town 1 – FA Amateur Cup Preliminary Round

Sullivan, Lloyd, Giles, Hanley, W Carter, E Carter, Hobson, Yates, Rolph, Johnson, Williamson

Scorers: Rolph, Williamson, Yates

 

1936 Hoddesdon Town 1 BSFC 4 – FA Cup Preliminary Round

Parker, Springham, Brooks, Polybank, Ship, Hill, Clark, Elliott, Halls, Ring, Sambrook

Scorers: Elliott, Sambrook, Halls (2)

 

1931 BSFC 1 Old Johnians 0 – FA Cup Preliminary Round

Vasey, Spring, Freeman, I Lawrence, Piper, H Lawrence, Robertson, Braithwaite, Badcock, Oliver, Little Scorer: Little

 

1925 Cheshunt 9 BSFC 0 – FA Cup Preliminary Round

Jeary, Marsh, Hickling, de Boltz, Chapman, Raybould, Bavin, Wright, Hayward, Thurley, Brazier