On This Day: 15th January

Greensnet Editor
Fri 15 Jan 2021, 08:01

We begin our look back at on-field events on 15th January by going back a full century to find the first occasion on which the club played a game on this date and Hampstead Town duly opened proceedings in exciting style as then were held to a goal-less draw by Southall in the Athenian League at The Avenue ground.

Six years later and a trip to Cheshunt in the league ended with the Ambers winning 4-2. Harry Shearcroft and Cecil Wise were the goalscorers for Hampstead and then in 1938, the third and final pre-World War 2 fixture saw Barking visit Claremont Road in the Amateur Cup and leave with a 2-1 defeat thanks to goals from Ron Graves and Fred Boston.

After the war it was another Amateur Cup tie against another set of East Londoners, this time Ilford in 1949, who visited Claremont Road and saw Roy Stroud (2), Ted Hornsby (2) and Bob Avis score to see the Greens progress into the next round 5-1.

That gave way to a 17-year wait until the next game on this day and the Greens once again met Southall, beating the West Londoners 2-0 in the Middlesex Senior Cup with Geoff Riddy and Laurie Churchill on the scoresheet. Six years later goals from Rod Haider, John Connell and Roy Butler saw Staines Town overcome in the same competition as Hendon continued their road to eventual success with a 3-0 win.

Moving into the semi-professional era and a local FA Trophy replay against neighbours Barnet at Underhill in 1980 ended with the Bees winning by the only goal of the game, a scoreline and result that was matched three years later by Hitchin Town at Claremont Road in an Isthmian League match.

Fast forward to 1991 and goals from Mark Xavier and Colin Tate saw Wealdstone beaten in the Middlesex Senior Cup 2-1 at Claremont Road and exactly a year later the two sides met again at Watford’s Vicarage Road in the same competition, this time the Greens went one better beating their rivals 3-1. Tate was once again on the scoresheet along with Kenny Gayle and Marc Das.

Steve Heffer’s strike saw a visit to Basingstoke Town in the League end with a 1-0 win in 1994 and just beyond the dawn of the year 2000 Forest Green Rovers knocked the Greens out of the FA Trophy 4-1, midfielder Jon Daly with the Hendon goal.

Just a year later a late equaliser condemned the Greens to a replay against Wembley in the Middlesex Senior Cup, Jason Solomon scoring what looked like the winner until the final few minutes and a thrilling FA Trophy tie in 2005 ended 4-3 to Slough Town. Dave Sargent and John Frendo netted for the Greens either side of a stunning Ross Pickett overhead kick. Frendo also had a penalty saved late on to deny Gary Farrell’s charges a replay. That defeat made it 14 goals conceded in just three matches.

Six years later and Tooting & Mitcham United came to Vale Farm deep in relegation trouble and were beaten 4-1 with two goals from Lubo Guentchev, one from Lee O’Leary and one from current Edgware Town assistant manager, Eddie Munnelly, his solitary goal for the club.

Two years ago today saw Hayes & Yeading United visit Silver Jubilee Park in the Middlesex Senior Cup and inflict a 9th straight defeat on the Greens thanks to a pair of Duncan Culley goals.

There have been 16 games played on 15th January over the years with half of them ending in wins, two having been drawn and six lost. 29 goals have been scored and 21 conceded.