Blast from the past
Andrew Cornell looks back at Blues’ games on October 11th
Twice before on this day we have played an FA Cup third round qualifying tie. The most recent was in 2008 when we were drawn at home to Rugby Town. The visitors were playing in the Southern League Premier Division, one level below Blues, but as we were to see the FA Cup proved to be a leveeller once more. The first half was a very cagey affair with both teams sounding out the other. Just before half time Stortford seemed to be getting into their stride with King heading against the bar before Essandoh hit s post.
Blues came out strongly in the second half and took the lead just before the hour when Danny Harris seized a rebound from Peter Dean’s header. When Rugby had a defender sent off on 67 minutes for a second bookable offence it seemed fairly straightforward. However as often happens the 10 men came back and equalised on 73 minutes when Neil King was left unmarked. The same player hit the bar later before Wixon put a nervy Blues through with a last minute penalty.
Five years earlier we were drawn away to Maidstone United. Isthmian Premier against Kent League seemed a bit of a mismatch, but this is the FA Cup after all.
The game was played at Sittingbourne, where Maidstone ground share. The Stones really went at Stortford from the off, determined to unsettle the Blues. After 18 minutes Desborough had to save from a Davey header while Bunn and Rainford had chances for Stortford. The rest of the half was mostly one way traffic towards Desborough’s goal. On 35 minutes Appleton missed a sitter at the far post but on the stroke of half time Edwards scored after another move started by a long throw.
This seemed to shock the Blues into action and soon after half time a good move saw Southam’s shot parried only for Bunn to score the equaliser. After this Stortford took control of the game with Hudson in the Maidstone goal making at least 3 good saves from McKeown and Cooper, but they had to settle for a replay. The replay was just as close and it took a 90th minute winner from Southam before Stortford went through 3-2.
We played another FA Cup match on this date back in 1945. This was the first season after the war and the FA Cup must have started later that year because we were only at the Preliminary Round stage. Stortford had a home replay against Hoddesdon which was a more daunting task than it would be today with both teams then members of the Spartan League, We won impressively though 4-1 thanks to a Westwood hat-trick.
In 1980 we played an early match in our FA Trophy winning run on this date. Drawn away to Chelmsford City at their impressive but crumbling New Writtle Street ground Blues won with goals from Mitchell and Simmonds.
On the whole this day has been good to Blues with 9 wins out of the 17 games played and only 4 defeats, lets hope this continues.
2014 Farnborough 0 BSFC 1 – Conference South
Gregory, Miller, Herd, Tabiri, Allen, Fitzsimons, Auger, Church, Suarez, McCall, Shulton
Subs: Young, Anderson, Sellears Unused: Sykes, Melaugh Scorer: Suarez
2008 BSFC 2 Rugby Town 1 – FA Cup 3rd Round Qualifying
Eyre, Jones, Koko, Mason, King, Champion, Okojie, Edwards, Essandoh, Harris, Dean
Subs: Howell, Wixon Unused: Hopkins, Chick Hyem Scorers: Harris, Wixon
2003 Maidstone United 1 BSFC 1 – FA Cup 3rd Round Qualifying
Desborough, Allman, Gwillim, Rainford, Cooper, Barnett, Langer, Southam, Bunn, McKeown, Wiltshire Subs: Renner, Black Unused: Beale, Hayes Addai Scorer: Bunn
1997 BSFC 1 Harrow Borough 2 – Isthmian League Premier Division
King, Barnaby, Sedgwick, Jordan, Shuttlewood, Thomas, Wardley, Walker, Adekola, Cooper, Comerford Subs: Dean Unused: Pike, Riley Scorer: Cooper
1993 Purfleet 0 BSFC 2 – Isthmian League Division 1
King, Jordan, Harrigan, Edmonds, T Burns, Walker, Das, Scott, Fortune-West, L Burns, Ingielewicz Subs Unused: Macciochi, White Scorers: Fortune-West, L Burns
1988 St Albans City 2 BSFC 2 – Isthmian League Premier Division
Taylor, Jackman Sherwood, Moore, Boyce, Hoddle, Ryan, Weddell, English, Zacchau, Cowley Subs: Gayle, Milbourne Scorers: Boyce, Weddell
1986 BSFC 2 St Albans City 0 – Isthmian League Premier Division
Taylor, Wickenden, Templeton, Hopkins, Hull, Cassidy, Nunn, Staunton, Hardy, Weddell, Newbury Subs: Fletcher Unused: Tomkins Scorer: Newbury (2)
1980 Chelmsford City 1 BSFC 2 – FA Trophy 1st Round Qualifying
Moore, Smith, Brown, Blackman, Bradford, Avery, Mitchell, Knapman, Radford, Simmonds, Sullivan Sub Unused: Worrell Scorers: Mitchell, Simmonds
1977 BSFC 1 Hitchin Town 4 – Isthmian League Division 1
Dickinson, Muggeridge, Searey, Chattaway, Tuddenham, Blackman, Neill, Dear, Millar, Melvin, Thake Sub Unused: Blackaller Scorer: Dear
1975 BSFC 2 WycombeWanderers 2 – Isthmian League Division 1
Kitson, Harris, Davis, Flack, V Clarke, Mulkern, Leakey, MacKenzie, Watson, Twigg, Gaine
Sub Unused: C Clarke Scorer: Watson (2)
1969 BSFC 2 Maidenhead United 0 – Athenian League Premier Division
Cherry, Mitchell, King, Clearey, Neeves, Hill, Whyte, Duggan, Devaux, Hewitt, Moss
Sub: ??? Scorer: Duggan, Neeves
1958 Boreham Wood 2 BSFC 2 – FA Amateur Cup 1st Round Qualifying
Cook, Lloyd, Atkinson, Hanley, Newman, Williams, Adamson, Yates, Horton, Rapson, Wacey Scorers: Adamson, Yates
1952 BSFC 0 Slough Centre 4 – Delphian League
Kerridge, Bayford, Watts, Lambert, Hubbuck, Atkinson, Whittaker, Massett, Brown Johnson, Giles
1947 BSFC 2 Crown & Manor 1 – Spartan League Premier Division
Sullivan, Hubbuck, ????, Graham, ?????, Douglas, Giles, Lambert, Broom, Yates, Turner Scorers: Yates (2)
1941 BSFC 6 Army XI 3 – Friendly
1930 Hertford Town 2 BSFC 4 – FA Amateur Cup 1st Round Qualifying
Vasey, Spring, Freeman, I Lawrence, Chapman, Mayes, H Lawrence, Haylock, Badcock, Piper, Deemer Scorers: Badcock (2), Piper, Haylock
1924 BSFC 5 Bush Hill Park 1 – FA Amateur Cup `1st Round Qualifying
Jeary, Whiffen, Piper, Osborne, Chapman, Brown, Clarke, Wright, Raybould, Hayward, Bennett Scorers: Raybould, Wright (3), Bennett
