Blast from the past
Andrew Cornell looks back at Blues’ games on January 1st
In 2017 we had a derby with Chelmsford here, losing 3-1, while in 2015 we had a very forgettable thrashing by Boreham Wood. In 2012 and 2013 after several years losing to Braintree on New Years Day it was a change for two years to play and beat Histon on the first day of the year. This was the furthest south and shortest away trip in our second and last season in Conference North and we were looking for revenge after a loss to the same opponents on Boxing Day. This was also Reece Prestedge’s 150th game for Stortford, he would eventually pass 200. Histon almost took the lead on 4 minutes as a free kick was put over the bar from 8 yards by Fitzsimons, while at the other end a cross from Prestedge was almost put in his own goal by Hawkins. After 10 minutes Francis uncharacteristically lost posession just in his own half to Hoban who advanced on the goal and beat Carter from the edge of the box – 1-0 to Histon. There were more goal chances in the first quarter hour for Spence and Francis, while at the other end Mills forced a save from Carter. For the rest of the first half there were few chances until with half time approaching Prestedge volleyed just over from 25 yards.
Blues came out looking determined to get back into the game and within the first 5 minutes Baker shot into the side netting and Cawley forced a save from 12 yards. Bad luck then as Johnson’s shot was deflected on to the bar before Sappleton forced a save on 54 minutes. For all Stortford’s pressure Histon still looked dangerous on the counter but the equaliser came with 10 minutes to go via a Sturrock header from a Johnson cross. Further goals from Baker and Melaugh gave us a 3-1 win over a shell shocked Histon who played well, although it could not be said the win was undeserved.
New Year’s Day has only been a Bank Holiday since the 70s but there were plenty of times before that when it fell on a Saturday or other match day. It seems strange now to think that Cup Rounds were often scheduled on this day as it was just another Saturday. In 1972 we played Walthamstow Avenue in the first round of the London Senior Cup. This was when the London Senior Cup was a prestigious competition and Avenue were strong opponents so a 1-0 win through a Dennis Francis goal was a most satisfactory result.
A few years earlier in the mid 60s we faced Herne Bay in the FA Amateur Cup first round. At the time Stortford were charging through the ranks of amateur football being in the running for promotion to the Athenian League Premier Division while Herne Bay were having a good season themselves, topping the league one division below. Blues were favourites entering the competition at this stage while the Kent side had come through the qualifying rounds but it was a close game with Stortford happy to go through with a single goal from Pat Duggan.
2017 BSFC 1 Chelmsford City 3 – Conference South
Voss, Rodgers, Richens, Hickford, Lazzari, Adebowale, Kouassi, Fagan, Barnwell, Moncur, Greene Subs: Morgan, Herd, Cundle Unused: Wiltshire, Ngassa Scorer: Greene
2015 BSFC 0 Boreham Wood 5 – Conference South
Wright, Miller, Herd, Tabiri, Bailey-Dennis, Hayles, Sellears, Merrifield, Walker, Church, Simmonds Subs: Anderson, Sykes, Auger Unused: ?????, ?????
2013 BSFC 3 Histon 1 – Conference North
Carter, Burns, Herd, Prestedge, Bailey-Dennis, Francis, Johnson, Spence, Sappleton, Cawley, Baker Subs: Melaugh, Sturrock, Abdullahi Unused: Waller-Lassen, Anderson Scorers: Baker, Melaugh, Sturrock
2012 Histon 2 BSFC 3 – Conference North
Archer, Jones, Dunbar, Abdullahi, Francis, Anderson, Gayle, Wickham, Subuola, Prestedge, Shulton Subs: Dadson, James-Lewis Unused: Artemi, Lettejallow, Hahn Scorers: Francis, Prestedge (2)
2011 BSFC 1 Braintree Town 2 – Conference South
Kitteridge, Jones, Bakare, Bowditch, McNaughton, O’Cearuill, Ming, Prestedge, Jackman, Morgan, Gaisie Subs: Vernazza, Matata, Hahn Unused: Mason, Duncan Scorer: O’Cearuill
2010 Braintree Town 2 BSFC 0 – Conference South
Eyre, Nunn, Palmer, Lettejallow, Angus, Champion, Lathrope, Southam, Brayley, Sheringham, Riddle Subs: Essandoh, Shulton Unused: M Jones, Sulaiman, R Jones
2009 BSFC 0 Braintree Town 3 – Conference South
Eyre, Jones, Mason, Cooper, Goodacre, Champion, Green, Deen, Essandoh, Smith, Dean
Subs: King, Higgins, Harris Unused: Hyem, Hasler
2008 Braintree Town 2 BSFC 1 – Conference South
Welch, Jones, Lunan, Williamson, Goodacre, Gillman, Harris, Champion, Pearson, Midson, Deen Subs: Fazackerley, Evans Unused: Taylor, Mason, Martin, Young Scorer: Pearson
2005 Hornchurch 3 BSFC 1 – Conference South
Elliott, Allman, Gwillim, Rainford, Lewis, Gillman, Howell, Goodwin, Morison, Hakim, Martin Subs: Langer, Jackman, Parmenter Unused: Riches, Young Scorer: Rainford
2004 Carshalton Athletic 2 BSFC 1 – Isthmian League Premier Division
Desborough, Allman, Kyruacou, Rainford, Cooper, Barnett, Howell, Southam, Morison, Bunn, McKeown Subs: Riches, Drew Unused: Roach, Beale, Hayward Scorer: Howell
1994 BSFC 1 Uxbridge 2 – Isthmian League Division 1
King, Jordan, Harrigan, Comerford, Hopkins. Walker, Das, T Burns, Fortune-West, L Burns, Ingielewicz Subs Not Used: White, Scott Scorer: T Burns
1990 BSFC 1 Dagenham 0 – Isthmian League Premier Division
Taylor, Jackman, Tamblyn-Jones, Hopkins, Harrigan, Ryan, Bedford, Risley, Young, Gayle, Quane Sub: Adebowale Not Used: Stapleton Scorer: Gayle
1987 BSFC 0 Hitchin Town 4– Isthmian League Premier Division
Taylor, Mayes, Nunn, Glozier, Hull, Hopkins, Cassidy, Fergusson, Weddell, Wood, Johnson
Subs: Hardy Not Used: Tomkins
1986 Hendon 1 BSFC 1 – Isthmian League Premier Division
Taylor, Wickenden, Tomkins, Bright, Hull, Whitton, Hopkins, Nunn, Hardy, Taylor, Newbury
Subs: Flynn Scorer: Hardy
1983 Hitchin Town 0 BSFC 2– Isthmian League Premier Division
Welsh, Wickenden, Brown, Smith, Elley, Hull, Avery, Lynch, Worrell, Simmonds, Sullivan
Sub Not Used: Bradford Scorers: Lynch, Worrell
1981 BSFC 0 Billericay Town 1– Isthmian League Division 1
Moore, Blackman, Brown, Smith, Bradford, Avery, Sullivan, Knapman, Radford, Simmonds, Clarke Sub: Worrell
1977 BSFC 1 Woking 2– Isthmian League Division 1
Kitson, Tucker, Davis, Flack, Clarke, Melvin, Smith, Dillsworth, Gough, Twigg, Gaine
Sub: MacKenzie Scorer: Dillsworth
1972 BSFC 1 Walthamstow Avenue 0 – London Senior Cup 2nd Round
Moore, Sedgley, King, Smith, Still, Sharkey, Whyte, Lawrence, Devaux, Merrifield, Francis
Sub Not Used: Mitchell Scorer: Francis
1966 BSFC 1 Herne Bay 0 – FA Amateur Cup 1st Round
Cherry, Rolph, Atkinson, Gough, Neeves, Duley, Saggers, C Duggan, Hayward, P Duggan, Francis Scorer: P Duggan
1955 BSFC 4 Hornchurch & Upminster– Delphian League
Sullivan, Duncan, Hardy, Lloyd, Carter, Hanley, Bow, Yates, Horton, Giles, Burridge
Scorers: Horton (3), Burridge
1949 BSFC 1 Letchworth Town 3 – Spartan League Premier Division
Richardson, Cox, Bradford, Lambert, Cook, ??????, O’Sullivan, Giles, Mather, Jones, Page Scorer: Giles
1938 BSFC 1 Hertford Town 0 – Spartan League Division 1
Turnbull, Lowe, Wooten, Polybank, Ship, Gardener, Myers, Haylock, Millar, Elliott, Hanratty Scorer: Myers
1927 Stansted 1 BSFC 0 – Herts & Essex Border League
Boxall, Wright, Bennett, Osbourne, Bass, Raybould, Hayward, Clarke, Patmore, Gillis, Thurley
1910 Broxbourne Rovers v BSFC – Friendly – lost
