Club History
Hendon, who during 2007/08 celebrated their Centenary Season, have an illustrious and proud history. An earlier club called Hendon FC reached the FA Cup Quarter Final in 1883, but any comparison between them and todays club ends with the use of the same name. In fact, the two Hendons met twice in 1932 when the current club were called Hampstead FC. Both were friendly games, the second of which was held to raise funds for the ailing Hendon club.
The present club began it's existence as Christchurch Hampstead Football Club. Hendon FC, sadly lost it's ground at Claremont Road in September 2008, but the club is now looking to the future at their new home; sharing Wembley FC's Vale Farm.
In their very first season Christchurch Hampstead competed in the local Finchley & District League and finished Champions of the Third Division. From then on in their fledgling years they enjoyed constant success, but not before they had the first of four name changes!
Season two, and now playing as Hampstead Town FC, they won the Second Divsion title and twelve months later completed their hat-trick of three titles in their first three seasons when the club was crowned Finchley & District League Champions.
Hampstead Town moved onwards and upwards and entered sides in both the London and Middlesex Leagues where the title winning success continued.
Incredibly, and on the back of virtually non-stop success, in 1914 the club reached the big time and were elected to the Athenian League after only six years of existence.
Although they made their debut in the league that autumn, only two games were played, both away and both drawn, due to the outbreak of war. With most football then suspended, Hampstead Town had to wait another five years before the war finally ended and they were able to resume hostilities on the field.
Temporary leagues were formed during the war years and the club participated in the London United Senior League, true to form winning it at the first attempt!
At the end of their eventual Athenian debut season, the club finished a highly creditable fourth, the lowest ever finishing place in the club's 12 season history! It wasn't long before the club had their name engraved on the Championship trophy and in little time at all they became a highly respected, well established and major force in senior football. They went on to claim the title three times and finished runners-up five times. After almost 50 years in the Athenian League, it was time to move on.
Swept along with the exodus of clubs from the Athenian League, Hendon were accepted into the Isthmian (now Ryman) League in 1963 and have stayed there ever since, enjoying the unique distinction of enjoying unbroken membership of the top division for 44 years. Success continued as in their first Isthmian season the runners-up spot was achieved, while the championship followed a year later. Hendon, during their first 11 seasons in the Isthmian League never finished lower than 6th. Two championships and three runners-up bearths have been achieved.
Hendon made the short 5 mile trip from Claremont Road to Wembley on five separate occasions for the FA Amateur Cup, winning the trophy three times.
Did you know?
- Hendon have played in the FA Cup First Round 19 times, the Second Round 6 times and the Third Round once, taking Newcastle United to a replay.
- 100,000 watched Hendon against Northern gians Bishop Auckland in the 1955 Amateur Cup Final at Wembley.
- Following an invitation from the FA to test the system, Hendon were the first club to play under floodlights at Wembley Stadium.
- In the early 1950s, Hendon became the first team in Britain to win a floodlit cup tie when they won a London Challenge Cup match against Arsenal at Highbury.
- Hendon have won all of their last three visits to Highbury - probably a unique record. The other two matches came in the 1964/65 season, when Arsenal were beaten 4-3 in a London Challenge Cup tie and Finchley were downed 4-1 in a FA Amateur Cup semi-final.
- Claremont Road staged 3 England Amateur International games and a Great Britain v West Germany Olympic qualifier.
- The club's original colours were blue. In 1997/98 Hendon ditched their now familiar green shirts in favour of the original blue. Following complaints by the supporters the green was duly restored when the kit was next changed two seasons later.
- The record attendance at Claremont Road was 9,000. Northampton Town were the visitors for an FA Cup tie.
- Rugby Challenge Cup ties have been staged at Claremont Road, plus two Gaelic Football matches. The Rugby and Gaelic games, all played in recent years, each attracted gates of between three and four thousand.
- England footballer and cricket international Denis Compton was born in Hendon and played for the club before his Arsenal career. His brother Leslie was also with the club prior to joining Denis at Highbury.
- England's three highest capped Amateur Internationals since the war were all Hendon players. Rod Haider (65 caps), John Swannell (61) and Mike Pinner (52) lead the way with Peter Deadman (40) and Laurie Topp (32) making it 5 Hendon players in the top ten of England cap winners.
- The first ever County Cup Final for Womens football was played at Claremont Road.
- The club has had five names throughout it's history: Christchurch Hampstead (1908), Hampstead Town (1909), Hampstead FC (1926), Golders Green (!933) and Hendon since 1946.
- Hendon played their last match at Claremont Road on Saturday 20th September 2008 when they entertained their close rivals Wealdstone in an Isthmian Premier encounter, thus ending their residency that began way back in 1926.
- The centennial club book Hendon FC - The First 100 Years was published in 2008 and is an enjoyable read for lovers of the game. The book is available through the club or from London League Publications at www.llpshot.co.uk