Blast from the past
A LOOK BACK AT BLUES’ GAMES ON AUGUST 8
A year ago today Blues opened their Vanarama National League South campaign as an Elliott Buchanan hat-trick gave us a stunning 3-0 home win against Havant & Waterlooville.
Until this season, August 8 was the earliest we had ever started a league season, with our other Conference South game on this date coming in 2009 when we hosted Newport County. This was the second time the Welsh side had been our visitors on the opening day of the season.
Despite the high temperatures, the game started at a frantic pace, with Newport going close early on with a free-kick that Nicky Eyre comfortably saved.
As the first half progressed Newport looked the side most likely to score but their goal attempts were either off target or Eyre was a match for any accurate shots, the first of which came from Foley in the 11th minute. Later, midway through the half Rose had a shot which was always rising as it went over the bar.
Stortford started to move the ball around towards the end of the half with Charlie Sheringham (left) starting to show promise, although he had two headed chances that went wide in the 18th and 40th minutes.
The Blues had the first real chance of the second half, with Mark Wright’s free-kick blocked by the wall before a similar effort was saved by Glyn Thompson in the Newport goal.
A period of scrappy play followed with neither side creating much in the way of goalscoring opportunities.
Substitute Rory Hill quickly made his mark when he made a superb run out of his half beating his marker and running across the box to shoot, the well saved rebound fell to Sheringham who also missed.
Ashley Nicholls latched onto the rebound, only to see Thompson pull off a fine save, and the game finished goalless.
There have been some interesting friendlies on this date too. Back in 1989 we beat Leyton Orient 1-0 in a game that saw Carl Hoddle return to Rhodes Avenue after his transfer to the Orient. A few years later we had a rare visit from a Midlands team as VS Rugby came to Hertfordshire and in 1998 one of the many away friendlies at the start of a long nomadic season was a trip to Canvey Island to lose 5-1 to a team on their way up the pyramid.
As a lot of players get signed in the close season it is not surprising to see that no fewer than 22 players made their debut on this date. Some of course were fringe players or reserves playing in a Herts Charity Cup game but among the better known were Carl Zacchau and Martin McCayna 29 years ago today, or more recently, Rob French or Ryan Lockett.
2015 BSFC 3 Havant & Waterlooville 0 – Conference South
Lovelock, Vanderhyde, Herd, Merrifield, Lee, Allen, Sellears, Church, Suarez, Buchanan, Fanimo Subs: Smith, Lobjoit, Ekim Unused: Okosieme, Bailey-Dennis Scorer: Buchanan (3)
2009 BSFC 0 Newport County 0 – Conference South
Eyre, Jones, Wright, Lettejallow, Goodacre, Angus, Harris, Bowditch, Jackman, Sheringham, Nicholls Subs: Hill, MacKenzie, Taylor-Forbes Unused: Jones, Champion
2006 Berkhamsted Town 0 BSFC 3 – Herts Charity Cup 1st Round
Young, Jones, Kirtland, Champion, Stewart, Morgan, Richards, Fowler, Charalambus, Lockett, Simpson Sub: Moules Unused: Ratcliffe Scorers: Champion, Fowler, Lockett
2002 BSFC 3 Hitchin Town 0 – Herts Charity Cup 1st Round
Hayward, Denney, Riches, Southam, Wolf, Keepence, Hyatt, Sugrue, Langer, Mitchell, French
Subs: Paul, Allison, Taylor Unused: Beale, Desborough Scorer: Riches, Southam, Langer
2000 Wingate & Finchley 0 BSFC 5 – Friendly
Scorers: Hayes (3), Paul (2)
1998 Canvey Island 5 BSFC 1 – Friendly
Scorer: Smith
1996 BSFC 3 VS Rugby 2 – Friendly
Scorers: Wardley, Forbes, Walker
1995 Cheshunt 1 BSFC 3 – Friendly
1992 Stevenage Borough 5 BSFC 1 – Herts Charity Cup 1st Round
King, Boyce, Baxter, Sedgwick, Foster, Murray, Burns, Fearey, Bedford, Petrou, Pritchard Subs: Katsiounis, Everson, Scorer: Fearey
1989 BSFC 1 Leyton Orient 0 – Friendly
Scorer: Stapleton
1987 BSFC 4 Letchworth GC 3 – Herts Charity Cup 1st Round
Taylor, Nunn, Hopkins, Hull, McCayna, Fergusson, Cassidy, Weddell, Herrera, Zacchau, Barker Sub: Goodchild Scorers: Nunn, Hopkins, Fergusson, Zacchau
1981 Hertford Town 3 BSFC 3 – Herts Charity Cup 1st Round (BS won 4-3 pens)
Moore, Worrell, Baldry, Smith, Sullivan, Avery, Fishenden, Knapman, Radford, Simmonds, Mitchell Sub: Smith Scorers: Radford, Simmonds, Mitchell
1978 BSFC 3 Cambridge City 1 – Friendly
1970 BSFC 6 Leyton 1 – Friendly
Scorers: Brooks (2), Neeves, Whyte, Allaway, Devaux
Supporters’ Club race night
Blues’ Supporters’ Club are holding a race night in the Mitre Suite on Friday December 9., kick-off 7.30pm Admission costs £10 which includes a sausage & chips support. Further details to follow.
