v bishop's stortford, 25/04/15

THE OFFICIAL MATCHDAY PROGRAMME / £3.00

Vanarama Conference Southv Bishop’s Stortford 25.04.2015 / 15:00

ISSUE 27

MATCHSPONSORS

PROGRAMMESPONSORS

MATCH BALLSPONSORS

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u EUFCOffi cial www.eufc.co.uk 03

Ebbsfl eet United Football ClubFounded 1946

Stonebridge Road, Northfl eet, Kent DA11 9GN

Club ContactsMain number 01474 533796a [email protected] b www.eufc.co.uk

u @EUFCOffi cial

Club DirectoryChairman Dr Abdulla Al Humaidi

Vice chairman Peter VarneyDirectors Stuart Butler-Gallie,Fenlon Dunphy, David TestaHonorary Associate Director

Jessica McQueen

General manager Dave ArcherClub secretary Peter Danzey

Finance manager Cheryl WanlessCommercial administrative assistant

Dean PooleyAdministrator Matthew Faithorn

Communications manager Ed Miller

Maintenance manager Chris PilkintonDeputy maintenance manager

Colin StevensMaintenance team

Peter Norton, Tony PilcherHead groundsman Craig Freeman

Catering DRS CaterersKit manager Maggie Danzey

Club photographers Dave Plumb, Paul Jarvis

Safety offi cer Philip GrinterStewarding Centre Circle Events

Head steward Duncan Cole

Goalkeeping coach Ron HillyardChief scout Steve Gritt

Physiotherapist Jamie CrosswellAssistant therapist Lewis Hards

Youth Academy manager Daryl McMahonYouth Academy coach Steve Watt

Club HonoursWinners

FA Trophy 2007-08Southern League 1957-58

Southern League Cup 1977-78Southern League, Southern Division

1974-75, 1993-94Southern League Champ’ship Cup 1978-79

Ryman League Premier 2001-02Conference South Promotion Final 2010-11

Ryman Full Members Cup 2000-01Kent Senior Cup

1948-49, 1952-53, 1980-81, 1999-2000, 2000-01, 2001-02, 2007-08, 2013-14

Kent Floodlight Cup 1969-70John Ullman Cup 1982-83

Runners-UpSouthern League SE Zone 1958-59

Southern League, Southern Div. 1988-89Southern League Cup 1957-58

Southern League Champ’ship Cup 1958-59Conference South Promotion Final 2013-14Kent Senior Cup 1947-48, 1976-77, 1990-91,

1997-98, 2005-06Kent Senior Shield 1947-48, 1951-52

ProgrammeEditorial & Design Ed Miller

Photography Dave Plumb, Paul JarvisPrint Bishops Printers, Portsmouth

i Farewell to all that... the view for many a Fleet fan down the years from the Stonebridge Road terrace, rarely better than when under lights – as in this photo from three years ago. The past has been (mainly!) fantastic, now here’s to the future...

Snapshot

Cover photo courtesy of Glen Wilson / popularstand.wordpress.com

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u EUFCOffi cial www.eufc.co.uk 0525.04.15 v Bishop’s Stortford

��Boardroom

VICE CHAIRMAN

T here is no hiding from the fact it has been a disappointing season. Indeed today will see us finish in our lowest

league position for 15 years. We go into the match in ninth position and with the investment we made in the team earlier this year we were optimistic of at least a play-off place. The most successful clubs are built on stability so it is disappointing that we have felt it necessary to part company with Jamie Day but we have to do what we believe is right to bring success on the pitch – and it was the unanimous view of the board that an immediate change needed to be made. Daryl McMahon and Steve Gritt will take charge of the team today and it would be nice to finish on a high after the recent disappointing defeats.

I must thank the 250 fans who travelled to St Albans last week which is special when you consider that there was nothing riding on the game for us and that we had lost to Bath City a few days earlier. With a £15 adult admission charge you certainly made the St Albans directors happy with the additional revenue as they have had to make significant playing-budget cuts in recent weeks.

Everywhere I have travelled this season you have supported us in large numbers and swelled the

attendances. Our average gate here of 940 has been brilliant and I hope you will stick with us next season as we strive to find the formula for progress on the pitch. We have frozen our season ticket prices and with the early bird offer being £190 for adults, £150 for concessions and £75 for juniors, I think they are great value – and don’t forget U12s will still get in free.

There will be local derbies against Dartford and Maidstone to look forward to (and possibly Margate) and it will be a challenge to accommodate all those who want to attend with our reduced capacity.

Off the pitch we are set for a busy summer. Although we were granted planning consent on 8th April we remain in negotiation on the conditions attached to that consent and we hope those negotiations

can be concluded sooner rather than later. The construction tenders are now back and our design team are in discussion with the various contractors.The freehold acquistion is progressing nicely so everything is falling into place.

When you return next season you will hopefully see the new stand beginning to take shape. During the summer it will be necessary for us to strictly control access in and out of the stadium for safety reasons and the Swanscombe End car park will become a storage compound so that will be closed off completely.

The London Paramount project is progressing well and the team running it are working incredibly hard on both the consultation and planning processes. Over the page in today’s programme you will see details of the latest consultation events so please drop in and see them.

Finally I would like to welcome the directors, officials, players and supporters from Bishop’s Stortford FC to Stonebridge Road. They looked after us very well earlier in the season and we look forward to repaying that hospitality today.

Enjoy the game, have a great summer and see you all next season.

i It was another very impressive turnout of Fleet fans at St Albans last weekend

We’re not shirking the issue as we strive for successPeter Varney

“ THE MOST SUCCESSFUL CLUBS

ARE BUILT ON STABILITY... BUT

WE HAVE TO DO WHAT WE BELIEVE IS RIGHT TO BRING

SUCCESS ”

shirking the issue as we strive for successPeter Varney

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t: 01622 686441 e: [email protected]

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Official Government Test Environmental Data. Fuel consumption figures mpg (litres/100km) and CO2 emissions (g/km). Vauxhall Corsa Excite: Urban: 44.1 (6.4), Extra-urban: 65.7 (4.3),Combined: 55.4 (5.1). CO2 emissions: 120g/km.# †£7995 price based on 1.0 3dr. Offer available on orders from 18 November 2014 which are then registered by 31 December 2014, subject to availability. Offer available toprivate individuals and small businesses 1-24 (purchase only, excluding B2B). All other sales categories are excluded; cannot be used in conjunction with any other offer. Prices shown are list price at the time of publication, for detailsrefer to Vauxhall’s current price guide. UK-supplied vehicles only. Participating Retailers only. #Official EU-regulated test data are provided for comparison purposes and actual performance will depend on driving style, road conditionsand other non-technical factors. A £99 Admin Fee (security checks and fuel) will be added to all purchases, this includes £20 worth of fuel. Telephone calls may be recorded for training purposes. E&OE.

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��FleetNews

LONDON RESORT COMPANY HOLDINGS (LRCH) is now into its Stage 4 public consultation events which take place this and next month, which will obviously be of interest to Fleet fans from both a local and club perspective.

There are 10 events enabling you to share your views on the emerging London Paramount entertainment resort masterplan, a range of proposed transport options and a scaled model of the resort.

LRCH hosted a series of workshop sessions about the Resort in February and March which served as an opportunity to discuss key topics that arose out of previous rounds of consultation. A report on the workshops “Your Feedback from Stage Three” is available to download at www.londonparamount.info.

If you are a local and regional business or supplier LRCH will be holding supply chain events later this year. To register your interest, please email [email protected].

Public get Paramount dates

Two players in particular re-signed last week, who were among a lengthy line of long-term stricken players in an injury-hit 2014/15 campaign, were delighted to put pen to paper at the Fleet during the week.

Aiden Palmer, who at one stage faced the prospect of calling time on his football career, has roared

back into action in recent weeks and been rewarded with a one-year contract extension. He said, “It was a no-brainer to extend my deal. The club have done so much for me over the last few months with scans, etc. I love it here and my aim is to go up to where the club belongs. It’s been a painful season but I say stick with

us and next year we will get it right...” Likewise Michael West, out for more than a year, has also earned a new contract after fighting back to fitness. And joining him is the player with the most current appearances in the squad, Joe Howe, who signs for a sixth season – alongside Lloyd Harrington and Alex Osborn.

Five alive as Fleet re-sign players for 2015/16

Weds 29 April Gravesham Old Town Hall 4pm–8pm

Thurs 30 April Bluewater (Lower Winter Garden) 10am–9pm

Fri 01 May British Legion, Greenhithe 4.30pm–8.30pmTues 05 May Princes Park, Dartford FC 4pm–8pmFri 08 May St Botolph’s Church Hall 11am–3pmSat 09 May Swanscombe Leisure Centre 2pm–5pmMon 11 May Dartford Civic Centre 3.30pm–7.30pmTues 12 May Northfleet School for Girls 4.30pm–8.30pm

Weds 13 May Eastgate (Springhead Parkway) 4pm–8pm

Thurs 14 May Gravesham Civic Centre 3.30pm–7.30pm

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IT STARTED WITH A SPARK in the corner of the Main Stand at Valley Parade, catching alight some rubbish under the wooden seats of a wooden stand. Within four devastating minutes, the stand had been reduced to a burnt-out shell.

Thirty years ago, on 11th May 1985, 56 people attended a game of football but would never return home. Of those who lost their lives, 54 were Bradford fans and two were supporters of visiting Lincoln City. Eleven casualties were children.

Hundreds more spectators were injured and thousands witnessed an event that many have described as ‘the worst day of their lives’.

For the people of Bradford, the emotions are still raw and the memories are always there. They may be less prominent at times, more present in others, but they never go away.

On this 30th anniversary of the fire disaster, for the first time there is

to be a national commemoration in memory of all those affected.

The FA have invited clubs to observe a minute’s silence across the weekend commencing 25th April.

For those attending matches today, we thank you for sharing this moment of remembrance with us.

The disaster led to improvements in the construction and safety of football grounds that ensure, hopefully, that nothing like Bradford 1985 can happen ever again.

Furthermore, the Plastic Surgery and Burns Research Unit (PSBRU) at the University of Bradford was

established in the wake of the disaster. Known locally as ‘the Bradford Burns Unit’, it was set up by Dr David Sharpe who treated many people on that fateful day and stands as a lasting memorial to the fire disaster.

The PSBRU depends entirely on public donations for its continued survival and if you would like to donate to the

Bradford Burns Unit Memorial Appeal you can do so via:

• www.fire-anniversary.brad.ac.uk/donate • Text 70070 with the code VPFA56 followed by the amount you’d like to donate (e.g. to send £5 text ‘VPFA56 5’ to 70070

Bradford City club and fans appreciate deeply this response of the national football community to the Commemoration, which has transcended all the usual rivalries within the game.

Bradford fire disaster remembered

Nine-year-old Cameron Taylor has received some special thanks from the Fleet dressing room for his efforts in motivation throughout the season.

The big Fleet fan, who has enjoyed two matchdays as a mascot this season, made his own special display that he sent to the Fleet to show his support to the squad throughout 2014/15. Featuring photos from the season made into a collage, Cameron’s certainly showing a keen eye for design, having also won the competition to design a Fleet-themed Christmas jumper.

Before every game, Cameron has also taken the time to send the Fleet management a letter to be read out

to his heroes to give them that extra push and belief before heading on to the pitch. And two of his most treasured possessions this season include a shirt from Joe Howe and some boots courtesy of Aiden Palmer.

Well done Cameron, we hope it’s been a season to remember for you personally!

Cameron crafts a message to the squad

PITCH HIREDo you want to play at the Fleet? Stonebridge Road is available for hire in various time slots in a two-week period between May 2 and May 16, with prices starting from £250. That includes pitch hire, dressing rooms and car parking. See www.eufc.co.uk for more details.

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25.04.15 v Bishop’s Stortford

If anyone fancies a game of five-a-side today, you could do worse than taking on today’s mascots who are so numerous they could indeed form their own mini football team. First up we have seven-year-oldGeorge Gingell (below left), a pupil at Craylands School. He plays for Swanscombe Tigers U7s and his favourite Fleet player is Danny Kedwell. Away from Stonebridge Road he supports Chelsea and most admires Diego Costa. The football, Minecraft and drawing fan will be here today with his dad. Another

seven-year-old is Karolina Quinn (below), who attends St William of Perth school and plays for the school’s girls’ Reds team. She’s a big Preston Edwards fan (when not supporting Sheffield Wednesday!) and she’s here today with her mum and dad. Her hobbies are tap and ballet dancing and football. We also have three brothers (right): 13-year-old Callum Leonard, who plays for Ebbsfleet United youth, attends Strood Academy and loves athletics and socialising. He admires Adam Cunnington for the Fleet and also

(another Chelsea fan!) Diego Costa. Nine-year-old brother Hayden loves swimming and football and is a pupil at Hilltop School. His favourite man in red is Dean Rance,

while he also favours Chelsea and Eden Hazard. And last, but by no means least, we have little Owen, aged five, who already has a healthy love of football. Another Hilltop School pupil, he tells us his favourite Fleet player is Danny Kedwell. And just to outnumber Karolina four to one, he’s also a Chelsea fan and likes Gary Cahill the best! This is the second year back for the three lads who very much enjoyed the occasion last season against Dorchester and they would like to remember their much-loved dad John this afternoon.

Hi Kent charity collection

And then there were five...

Hi Kent is carrying out its annual coin collection at today’s match. Collectors will have bright red cans and buckets and welcome all donations!

Hi Kent is the county’s registered deaf and hard-of-hearing charity, and has been in existence since 1986.

They run volunteer-staffed hearing-aid clinics all over the county, including at the Library in Northfleet, Age UK North West Kent Centre and St Gregory’s Court in Gravesend and Fleetdown Library in Dartford,

plus many others in the surrounding area. They

also hold lipreading classes at the Adult Education Centres in Gravesend and Dartford. Most of the people who are

helped by Hi Kent are elderly people with a

hearing loss.In 2007 Hi Kent was the

only voluntary organisation in Kent to win the Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service.

Hi Kent do a great job helping the quarter of a million deaf and hard- of-hearing people in Kent so please give generously!

CALLING KIDS FOR EUFC YOUTHEbbsfleet United U10s are holding open trials for a new intake for the 2015/16 season. The trial dates are May 9th, 16th and 30th and they will take place at Elite Venue, Dunkirk Close, Gravesend DA12 5ND. For more information, call Nathan Bullas on 07884 088039 or email him at [email protected]. The youth section are set to attain full academy status from U9s upwards. Players receive excellent coaching and guidance from qualified coaches including a UEFA B-licensed coach and receive full kits, training gear and bag.

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10 www.eufc.co.uk u EUFCOffi cial 25.04.15 v Bishop’s Stortford

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��Today’sVisitors��

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Founded1874

NicknameThe Blues

GroundProKit UK Stad.

Capacity4,525

Last Year15th

H ow many of you, when eagerly studying that fixture list after it emerges each season, always cast an eye to the last game and

think... what if? What if we’re champions by then, what if we need to win to get into the play-offs or even what if we need a point in that one to stay up?

After last season’s heartbreaking defeat to Dover Athletic in the promotion final, the release of the 2014/15 fixtures must certainly have had many of us looking at this

game against Bishop’s Stortford and hoping that it would be a celebratory occasion.

But here we are after an admittedly ‘lively’ if disappointing campaign with nothing to play for... though after the events of midweek, there proved to be time enough left for yet another twist in the tale of this odd season.

Whereas this game had nothing at all riding on it bar pride and a desire to finish the season on a high for both sides, the departure of Fleet manager Jamie Day has eyes once again fixed firmly towards Stonebridge Road.

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Daryl McMahon takes charge for the fourth time today and Fleet fans will be intrigued to see if he can wring any magic from a squad that has admittedly misfired and lacked consistency during the season run-in.

Bishop’s Stortford and their manager Rod Stringer will hope to take advantage of the home turmoil to hold on to 16th place (the best they can achieve), which Blues fans will likely accept as an achievement in a campaign that has been haunted by the spectre of relegation early on.

Stortford’s budget cuts in the summer were well publicised and they lost key players in Reece Prestedge (to champions Bromley) and, of course, Matt Johnson to ourselves. They stuttered badly in the early part of the season and though there was a brief revival, the Blues were in the bottom three just over halfway through the campaign.

Yet their form picked up markedly towards the end of winter and a mini squad overhaul, coupled with the 1-1 draw against the Fleet in February, saw them launch a period of decent form that ultimately hauled them well out of trouble.

There is a decent spine to their side now, with players like Greg Pearson, Frankie Merrifield, Anthony Church, Adam Bailey-Dennis and Sheldon Sellears (who scored against the Fleet in the away fixture) capable of pushing Stortford forward next season if they stay at the ProKit UK Stadium. Keep an eye out also for defender Ashley Miller who won the double of players’ and manager’s player of the year awards for this season (as Matt Johnson did last season). Sellears won the supporters’ player of the year award.

All that remains now is to wish all Fleet supporters a restful summer. The break will do us all good, to return fighting fit, primed and ready for yet another season. Ed Miller

Last time out 18.04.15 Vanarama Conference South

Bishop’s ST. 0

GOSPORT B. 1

BISHOP’S STORTFORD: Larkins, Miller, Lee, Tabiri, Bailey-Dennis, Hayles, Sellears (Walker), Church, Pearson, Merrifi eld, Edgar (Barrington). Subs not used: Peters, Marlow, GillAttendance: 390

One from the archives 1988

i The year Stortford lost to the Fleet in our then-record-breaking FA Trophy run. Note the late Carl Hoddle, brother of Glenn, fi ft h from left in the back row

Our previous clash 14.02.15 Conference South

BISHOP’S ST. 1

EBBSFLEET U 1

FLEET: Edwards, Pooley, Jeff ord, Johnson, Langmead, Bonner, T Lewis, S Lewis,

Kedwell, Cunnington, Marsh (Shields 70). Subs not used: Turner, Kiernan, Gower, Clark

Attendance: 605

Sellears (11)

Kedwell (30)

This was another afternoon of toil for the Fleet as they battled hard for three points but had to settle for one against a rejuvenated Stortford. The home side began quickly and Frankie Merrifield flashed one across goal early on. And on 11 minutes he supplied the killer cross for Scott Sellears to divert the ball past Preston Edwards for the opening goal. But the home side would have been disappointed with the manner of

Fleet’s equaliser 20 minutes later, Danny Kedwell finding a gap to nod home Theo Lewis’ free kick. Kedwell, Adam Cunnington and substitute Shields tried their best to grind down the Stortford defence in the second half but found no way through – and it was the home side who could have taken the points, forcing a number of corners and putting the Fleet under some considerable pressure in the closing minutes.

�

Carter (90)

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��Today’sVisitors

Matt Gill GoalkeeperMatt only took up goalkeeping at the age of 15 and was a product of the club’s Academy, quickly progressing to play matches for the reserves. In 2011/12, he played in

a couple of Conference North matches and won a Herts Senior Cup winners medal. He left the club at the beginning

of the following campaign to play for Banbury, Waltham Abbey and Ware before returning.

Jake Larkins GoalkeeperJake played regularly for the West Ham U21 side before spending time on loan in 2012/13 with Billericay Town and Grays Athletic. He signed for Leyton Orient in 2013, playing a couple of games for them before his release. He turned out

in several pre-season friendlies for Stortford but didn’t make his debut until February – in the 1-1 draw with the Fleet.

George Allen DefenderGeorge is on a renewed loan for the current campaign from Stevenage where he was the youth team skipper. He also had a spell on loan in 2012/13 with Banbury United. George

has now played more than 70 times for Stortford.

Adam Bailey-Dennis DefenderHaving started this season with newly-crowned champions

Bromley, Adam returned on loan to the ProKit UK Stadium for a second spell in December. He first joined the Blues in 2012, following a three-year spell at Braintree Town. Earlier

in his career he was at Colchester United, Billericay Town, Great Wakering Rovers and Aveley. During his time at Braintree,

Adam played more than 100 matches and was virtually ever present when they won the 2010/11 Conference South title.

Rod was appointed manager in December 2011, having previously won the Conference South with Braintree in 2010/11. Prior to that, he was also very successful at Aveley, taking the Ryman League Division 1 North title in

2008/09, having also managed Essex Senior League sides Barking and Barkingside. In his playing career he played for Harlow Town, Stansted, Sawbridgeworth Town and Ford United. Rod has now completed over 100 matches in charge

of the Blues and won the Skrill South manager of the month award last October – a period that saw his Stortford side defeat the Fleet 3-2. He has also led Stortford to County Senior Cup and Charity Cup Final victories.

the skipper

Anthony Church / Midfi elder A central midfi elder who began his career with Dagenham & Redbridge before having spells with Newport County, Redbridge and Ilford, he moved north to study at Loughborough University and joined Ilkeston Town, helping them to the Northern League title in 2008/09. He also represented the English Universities side. Anthony then enjoyed a successful time at Boston United which led to a spell in full-time professional football with Grimsby Town in 2011/12. During this period Anthony also had a loan spell with Alfreton before a move to Chelmsford in 2012. He signed for the Blues in 2013 and has now made 70+ appearances, scoring 16 goals.

Meet the Blues

the boss / rod stringer

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Christopher Wreh Liberian international who played for

Monaco before a £300,000 move to

Arsenal saw him involved in the Gunners’

famous Double win of 1997/98. He also

played in the 1998 FA Cup Final and

scored in that year’s Charity Shield. His

career waned after that and he arrived at

Bishop’s Stortford in 2003, missed his fi rst scheduled game and continued to skip

training until shown the door by manager

Martin Hayes. He did, however, manage

one appearance from the bench!

A famous ex...

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familiar face

Johnny Herd / Defender Currently on the treatment table so not likely to appear today, Johnny joined the Blues on his departure from the Fleet at the end of our 2011/12 season. A semi-regular at left-back, he played 23 times for Liam Daish’s side, but eventually fell behind Joe Howe in the pecking order. He had joined in summer 2011 after leaving Southend United, where he’d played 42 times in the Football League, memorably setting up a goal against Chelsea in an FA Cup tie at Stamford Bridge.

Anthony Furlonge DefenderAnother Blues player in his second spell at the club, he first arrived on loan in 2012 from Stevenage. His favoured position is right back but he can play in the centre of defence or midfield. Whilst with Stevenage, Anthony also had a spell

on loan at Thurrock and went on to play for Tonbridge Angels and Hayes & Yeading.

Rickie Hayles DefenderA signing from Lowestoft Town just before Christmas, Rickie

spent played 24 times for the Trawlerboys. He spent last term with AFC Hornchurch and played for the Urchins against Lowestoft in the Ryman League Play-Off Final, as he had

done when the two sides met in the 2012/13 final. In three spells with the Urchins he totalled 150+ appearances. Rickie

has also played for Canvey Island, Thurrock, East Thurrock, Ilford, Tilbury and Eton Manor.

Kenzer Lee DefenderKenzer arrived at the ProKit UK Stadium in February, another to make his debut against the Fleet. He joined West Ham as a schoolboy and developed through their Academy, signing a professional contract in 2012. Since 2013, Kenzer – who can

play in midfield as well as central defence – has had spells at Oxford United, Banbury United, Aylesbury United and Redbridge.

Ashley Miller DefenderSigned last season for a second stint with the Blues, Ashley had a six-match spell on loan with Stortford from West Ham back in 2008. After a brief time at Concord Rangers, he played 48 times for Canvey Island in 2012/13, winning the manager’s

and player’s player of the season awards. Ashley has made more than 70 appearances for the Blues and has netted 10 goals and was awarded the BSFC players’ player of the year and the manager’s player of the year trophies for this current season.

Connor Peters DefenderAnother player signed in March, Connor mainly plays in the left-back role. He was formerly with Swansea City and Dagenham & Redbridge and has been capped for Antigua &

Barbuda, making his debut last September.

Marcel Barrington MidfielderMarcel joined the Blues on loan from Leicester City. Formerly with Stoke City, he signed a one year deal last summer with the Foxes and has played for their development squad. Earlier

this campaign he had a month on loan at Nuneaton Town.

Meet the Blues

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Anthony Edgar MidfielderSigned last month, Anthony was a product of the West Ham youth setup and had a spell on loan with AFC Bournemouth in 2009. He later played for Yeovil Town and more recently

had spells at Barnet and Dagenham & Redbridge.

Ben Marlow MidfielderSigned on loan from West Ham in January, Ben had played at U18 and U21 levels for the Hammers and had a loan spell with Canvey Island before Christmas. He has since been

released by the Hammers.

Frankie Merrifield MidfielderSigned at the end of October, Frankie is an ex-AFC Wimbledon

player having first joined the south London club’s youth system at the age of 16. He played in the Football League for the Dons and was loaned out to Harrow Borough in

November 2012. He left AFC Wimbledon in July 2013 and joined Hayes & Yeading, going on to make 42 appearances.

This season he had eight outings for Hayes & Yeading before joining the Blues.

Sheldon Sellears MidfielderA close-season signing but Sheldon is no stranger to the

Blues having played for the youth and reserve sides, as well as a few first-team outings. After leaving Stortford, Sheldon played for Waltham Forest and Aveley before joining Canvey

Island at the start of last season. He made 56 appearances for the Gulls and was named in last season’s Ryman Premier

League Team of the Year. This season’s supporters’ player of the year, he was the goalscorer against the Fleet back in February.

Joe Tabiri MidfielderJoe arrived at Stortford last summer, having originally joined

the youth setup at Barnet in 2006. Whilst with the Bees he had loan spells at Welwyn Garden City, Staines Town, Farnborough, Wingate & Finchley, Lewes, Grays Athletic,

Havant & Waterlooville and Dover Athletic, for whom he signed permanently in 2010. After Dover, he moved to

Maidenhead United and spent last season with Cheshunt.

James Walker StrikerA December signing from Eastbourne Borough, James

counts Charlton Athletic, Hartlepool United, Bristol Rovers, Leyton Orient, Notts County, Yeovil, Southend, Hereford and Gillingham within his list of former clubs, all of whom apart

from Charlton he made Football League appearances for. He also played for Woking, Dover Athletic and had a spell playing

football in Australia. James has played international football for Antigua & Barbuda.

danger man

Greg Pearson / Striker Greg returned to Stortford in February for a second spell and netted the winning goal at Basingstoke in his first match back. He began his career as a schoolboy with Coventry before joining West Ham in 2001 on a two-year scholarship. Whilst with the Hammers he had loan spells with Barnet (scoring against the Fleet at Stonebridge Road in 2004), Lincoln City and Canvey Island. After over four years at Upton Park, Greg joined Rushden & Diamonds during which time he had a loan spell with Hucknall Town. Following this he began his prolific first spell with Stortford in 2007, going on to score 42 goals in 66 matches. He won the Conference South player Award for season 2007/08 and the Golden Boot. He then transferred to Burton Allbion in 2008, scored on his debut for them and helped them into the Football League, in all scoring 37 goals in 128 appearances for Albion. Greg had spells on loan with Aldershot and Crewe before joining Grimsby Town in 2012, later playing for Kidderminster, Nuneaton, Hednesford Town, Brackley Town and Oxford City.

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9th

10th

10th5th

10th

18th

15th

16th15th

17th

pyramid progress

Club connectionsFit, non-cup-tied striker wanted for FA Cup legend

A man who has gone down in FA Cup folklore is Roy Essandoh and he served both the Fleet and, in several diff erent spells, Bishop’s Stortford well. The Belfast-born striker was your typical journeyman, having had brief spells at Motherwell, East Fife, in Finland and then with Rushden & Diamonds, before his agent famously responded to an appeal on Ceefax (you might have to look that one up, kids...) from then-Wycombe manager Lawrie Sanchez who was in desperate straits and looking for a fi t, non-cup-tied striker. So up pitched Roy and, without having ever attended training and on a two-week contract, he had a couple of outings as substitute before landing a place on the Wycombe bench for an FA Cup quarter-fi nal at Leicester City in 2001. Classic underdogs, Wycombe nonetheless kept Leicester at bay and brought Essandoh on late in the game. In Roy of the Rovers style, he struck a last-minute winner that booked them a place against Liverpool in the semi-fi nal. He didn’t even know the names of all his teammates that day (one of whom he was later reunited with at Stonebridge Road in the form of Paul McCarthy). After that heady period, he was released by Wycombe and went on to play for Barnet and Cambridge City before the fi rst spell at Stortford in 2002. He played for Billericay and Grays before heading back to Stortford for a second go in 2003. Andy Ford signed him on loan in 2004 and he went on to score 11 goals in as many games, earning a permanent contract in the process and becoming a fans’ favourite. But after a lightning start to his Fleet career, the following season wasn’t quite the same and he was released in September 2005 after playing 58 games and scoring 19 goals, including a stunner at Exeter City. He returned to Bishop’s Stortford for a third and longer spell, scoring more than 60 goals for the Blues before spells at Glenavon, St Neots Town, Braintree and Bury Town brought his career to a close. He is now a personal trainer in the Cambridge area.

i ... at Bishop’s Stortford

i Roy at Wycombe...

social issuesB. Stortford

N/AThe Fleet

3,291 likes

Bishop’s Stortford

1,194 followersThe Fleet

6,529 followers

L D w L W LBLUES FORM: last six league games

9 goals scored, 11 goals conceded3 games at home, 3 games away

year formed / 1874• Levi Strauss receives patent for his classic ‘jeans’ design• Winston Churchill born• ‘Sphairistikè’ is patented - which soon evolves into modern tennis• Disraeli wins fi rst general election to be held by secret ballot• Children banned by law from working as chimney sweeps

BStortford 2-15.indd 15 23/04/2015 13:49


The season in stats��Infographics ��

��

The number of players used this season40Top scorer (all comps): Matt Godden12

Most minutes on pitch this season: Anthony Acheampong

3,018Highest attendance (v Hemel Hempstead T)1,636

Lowest attendance (v Hendon)676

Fleet Attack

Fleet Defence

25.04.2015 v Bishop’s Stortford

56 goals scored

11th best in division

Failed to scored: 12 times

Goal diff erence: 6th best in division

41 goals conceded

3rd best in division

Clean sheets: 14

Second-best away stats in division

The most common scoreline of the league season (six times)0-1

Conference SouthTop scorer: Justin Bennett (Gosport) / 24 goals

Highest scorers: Bromley (78 goals)

Best defence: Gosport / Havant (39 goals)

Lowest scorers: Staines Town (38 goals)

Worst defence: Farnborough (98 goals)

Highest attendances:

• 2,938 Bromley v Weston-s-Mare

• 2,035 Bromley v Boreham Wood

• 1,988 Bromley v Ebbsfl eet United

• 1,636 Ebbsfl eet United v Hemel Hempstead Town

BStortford 18-37.indd 16 23/04/2015 16:28


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The times of goals scored (blue) and conceded (red)

Social media growthBeginning to end of season

4,811 followers, August 2014

6,529 followers, April 2015

3,064 likes, 08.2014

3,292 likes, 04.2015

Conference SouthBest average away gates

Fleet

Wealds.

B. Wood

St Albans

Hemel H

652

626

577

572

567

Conference SouthBest average home gatesBromley

Fleet

Wealds.

Chelms.

Basing.

1,081

940

720

661

602

Website statistics*1.05m page views

155,388 unique visitors

266 news stories and match reports

92% UK visitors

1% US visitors, 0.8% Australian, 0.7% Irish

* in the year to date

BStortford 18-37.indd 17 23/04/2015 16:28

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BStortford 18-37.indd 18 23/04/2015 14:06

��StatsFigures

Vanarama Conference South Pl W D L F A W D L F A GD Pts H A H A

1 Bromley 39 11 2 7 33 23 12 6 1 45 21 34 77 1077 489 0-1 2-1

2 Boreham Wood 39 12 4 4 39 20 10 2 7 36 21 34 72 312 560 1-1 3-1

3 Basingstoke Town 39 10 4 6 27 22 11 3 5 38 20 23 70 602 519 1-5 0-1

4 Havant & Waterlooville 39 12 3 4 33 19 9 4 7 27 20 21 70 602 504 1-0 0-2

5 Whitehawk 39 12 3 5 32 18 9 3 7 28 28 14 69 258 458 3-0 0-1

6 Gosport Borough 39 8 7 4 28 18 10 3 7 33 21 22 64 524 435 0-3 2-2

7 Concord Rangers 39 10 5 5 39 24 7 6 6 18 20 13 62 311 502 2-0 0-1

8 Hemel Hempstead T 39 6 7 6 30 33 10 4 6 34 27 4 59 572 567 2-2 1-1

9 Ebbsfleet United 39 8 5 6 25 20 8 4 8 31 21 15 57 940 641 N/A N/A

10 Chelmsford City 39 8 4 7 33 30 9 1 10 29 37 -5 56 661 546 0-2 5-1

11 Eastbourne Borough 39 11 5 4 33 21 3 7 9 18 29 1 54 574 498 0-0 1-1

12 Wealdstone 40 5 5 10 22 32 9 7 4 34 24 0 54 720 636 0-0 1-0

13 Bath City 39 9 4 7 31 26 6 3 10 27 30 2 52 491 485 0-0 1-2

14 St Albans City 39 9 4 7 29 25 6 2 11 21 28 -3 51 570 573 4-1 0-1

15 Sutton United 39 7 4 8 24 26 6 7 7 25 26 -3 50 552 517 3-0 1-2

16 Bishop’s Stortford 39 4 8 8 29 38 8 2 9 26 27 -10 46 389 404 - 1-1

17 Weston Super Mare 39 6 3 10 29 43 7 2 11 25 41 -30 44 290 564 0-1 2-3

18 Hayes & Yeading United 39 6 3 10 21 26 5 6 9 18 29 -16 42 270 469 1-2 2-0

19 Maidenhead United 39 5 4 11 24 35 4 9 6 28 34 -17 40 406 505 1-0 4-0

20 Farnborough 39 4 3 12 19 43 4 3 13 23 55 -56 30 356 450 3-0 3-0

21 Staines Town 39 3 0 16 17 43 4 3 13 21 38 -43 24 301 452 3-2 2-0

Home Away Avg. Gate ResultLATEST LEAGUE TABLE

BStortford 18-37.indd 19 23/04/2015 14:06


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��StonebridgeRoad ��

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��StonebridgeRoad

In thebeginning...Regardless of where you watch your football from in Stonebridge Road,

the beginning of the stadium transformation this summer – starting with the demolition of the roadside stand – is a watershed moment in the

history of this football club. Ed Miller recalls the development of a side of the ground that Fleet fans have called home for several generations

BStortford 18-37.indd 20 23/04/2015 14:06


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For sure, it’s not the Kop or the Stretford End. Comparisons to Highbury’s North Bank or Chelsea’s Shed End

would probably draw ridicule from all quarters. But whether you’re a Halfway Liner, a member of the Tea Hut brigade or just an innocent party caught somewhere in between, it’s our terrace and we’ve loved it for as long as we’ve stood there.

For most of us who walk without question to the same spot that we’ve stood on for five, 10, 20 or 50 years, it’s a way of life, a home from home on a Saturday afternoon or Tuesday evening – and it’s provided us with some of the best (and worst!) memories of our lives.

But after today we must navigate to pastures new, as the Liam Daish Stand is demolished to make way

for the shiny stadium that the vast majority of us have desired for as long as we can recall – and that we’ve known must be embraced if the club is to progress towards its stated ambitions... ambitions which are by no means new and which have been an (albeit unlikely) dream ever since the first Gravesend & Northfleet match on this ground in 1946.

But Stonebridge Road, of course, goes back further than 1946. After the 19th century version of Northfleet United outgrew its previous Six Bells, Huntley Avenue and Portland Meadows grounds, football at Stonebridge Road became established.

In the early part of the 20th century, APCM (which was to become Blue Circle) released to Northfleet United Football Club what it called “a nice little plot of land at the bottom of Stonebridge Hill.”

The road had got its name from the ‘stone bridge’ of the previous century that had spanned the River Ebbsfleet as it flowed into the

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In thebeginning...

“ IT’S A WAY OF LIFE, A HOME FROM

HOME, AND IT’S PROVIDED US WITH SOME OF THE BEST (AND WORST!) MEMORIES OF OUR LIVES ”

i Last days of the Rosherville Stand: Stonebridge Road in the mid-1950s when the small Plough End stand was new and the road side ‘Rosherville’ stand was about to be demolished and replaced. Note Stonebridge Road, minus any devel-opment, running behind the ground as you look at this picture

g Our home as it looked 83 years ago, in 1932. The Main Stand and tea bar are relatively unchanged, as is the location of the turnstiles (bottom right). The curve of the old Rosherville Stand is noticeable here and there seems to be a scoreboard of some kind at the unterraced Swanscombe End. The undeveloped area around the ground, however, is completely unrecognisable

h Fans queue at the turnstiles in 1920. The Plough pub is visible to the right and behind that, to the left , is the spire of Huggens College (now Wallis Park)

BStortford 18-37.indd 21 23/04/2015 14:16



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nearby Thames. (So to those who say we’re named after a railway station, just point them in the direction of the history books...) Before the football club set about turning the area into a sporting venue, it was little more than marshland and water meadows with a pond (called the Plough Pond, which was situated in front of the Plough pub and not far from the intended playing area) situated at what would become the entrance. Behind it, where Wallis Park now stands, was the gothic grandeur of Huggens College

The ground opened in 1905, little more than a field with a refreshments bar, changing rooms, a small sheltered area and a seven-foot fence all around the boundary.

The Main Stand, of course,

followed over the next few years and was, by 1914, much as we recognise it now. As for the road side, that remained unadorned until the club acquired a small, oddly-shaped curved stand with ornate

pillaring from the formerly glorious Rosherville Gardens in time for the 1908/09 season to serve as extra seated accommodation – though it was barely a third the length of the present stand.

Thus it remained throughout Northfleet United’s remaining 20 years or so of existence and when Gravesend & Northfleet took to the field for the first time in 1946, there was little more than a white picket fence separating much of the road-side area from the field of play.

As the club geared itself up to the demands at the top level of non-league football, the stadium – then, as now – needed rehabilitation in kind. Chairman Arthur Norris-Telling drove the refurbishments, with a little help from the Supporters Association and his own good

“ WHEN GRAVESEND & NORTHFLEET

TOOK TO THE FIELD FOR THE FIRST TIME IN 1946, THERE WAS LITTLE MORE THAN

A PICKET FENCE SEPARATING MUCH OF THE ROADSIDE AREA FROM THE FIELD OF PLAY ”

gi Through the Fifties and Sixties: this 1962 shot (top left), from an FA Cup match against Wycombe, shows the Stonebridge Road stand full to the brim, with the picket fence that preceded the wall. Part of the fence was still in use on the Halfway Line in 1965 as you can see behind Jim Towers in the photo above. ‘The Best Beers in Town’ is the advertising message emblazoned across the top where ‘The Liam Daish Stand’ is now painted

g The entrance to the ground and corner of the Northfleet End in 1966 – again it’s a good example of the fencing surrounding the field of play before the wall was constructed. Note the shabby galvanized sheet metal separating the side of the stand from the ground entrance

BStortford 18-37.indd 22 23/04/2015 14:06

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fortune on the football pools! Floodlights arrived in 1953 (the Fleet being the first Kent club to install them) and the old Rosherville stand was demolished.

In its place came banks of

terracing, built to a height to match the new covered Northfleet (Plough) End and in 1957/58, the long roof was added, boasting covered accommodation of 8,000 in an overall ground capacity of 14,000.

Stonebridge Road was by then a rival to many a smaller Football League stadium, with three impressive covered stands and a large bank of terracing at the Swanscombe End.

jh Making a grand entrance: manager Walter Rickett in 1966 outside the ‘canopy’ built above the turnstiles in the 1950s. Right: it’s still there into the Nineties, minus the lights. Below right: with help from ICON, the 2015 version has been spruced up, but the canopy has been gone for 17 years

BStortford 18-37.indd 23 23/04/2015 14:07


The existing turnstiles were also improved, with 12 entrances and a canopy added above them to give Stonebridge Road quite an imposing facade for the time.

But as time took its toll, it’s fair to say the Stonebridge Road terrace – like its fellow Main and Plough End stands – suffered a decline. By the late 1970s, if not sooner, it was starting to look dated, with crumbling terraces, rust and flaking paint.

Successive financial problems failed to arrest the decline as it became an effort simply to keep the club going.

But when host to a packed crowd, the rough-around-the-edges stadium was still a sight to behold. And there were plenty of packed houses in between the sparse home gates against the likes of Bideford, Dunstable, Hounslow or Burnham. There was, of course,

the 12,000 that crammed in to see the Sunderland game in 1962. But thousands visited for the other FA Cup games that season. There was the Southern League Cup Final in 1977, the 6,000 who came for the Nottingham Forest friendly in 1980. In the Nineties, there were more modest but still impressive

1,500–3,000+ crowds for the 1994 visit of

Havant Town, the 1995 FA Cup games against Colchester United and Cinderford Town. In 2002 came the 6,000-plus for the tussle with Canvey Island and then we had the

visit of Notts County, the FA Trophy semi-finals, games against Dartford once more and, finally, the capacity crowd at home to Dover in last May’s promotion final. All of them memorable and woven into the

fabric of Stonebridge Road’s history.Nonetheless, there was no

denying the old place was ageing. Midway through the 2004/05 season, the Northfleet End was shut because of unsafe terracing and the behind-the-goal lads spent a few months camped on the Halfway Line with their drum – everyone got along swimmingly as you might expect when noisy youths pitch up behind grumpy, slightly older blokes...

So not until new terracing and crush barriers were installed in 2005, was there much change to the road side of the ground. One absence was the canopy above the turnstiles (see previous page) which was removed in 1998, a casualty of decades of turning lorries carving a chunk out of the overhang!

“A grand old lady that has seen much better days, now sadly rusting, peeling, crumbling and flaking simultaneously” was how one visiting national journalist described it in 2007 – though when KEH concluded its takeover in 2013 and subsequently set about adding a new roof and a host of cosmetic refurbishments, there was certainly something of the old glory restored to the place.

What follows in the following pages is a tribute to our humble old home, ridiculed as decrepit by our rivals perhaps, but equally loved by many non-league football fans down the years. Photographer, author and grounds historian Mike Floate said of Stonebridge Road in his book Football Grounds Frenzy, “Stonebridge Road stands out as probably the best old-style non-league ground left in the country.

“The [main] stand is over 100 years old yet still looks superb and sets the ground off well... [the Stonebridge Road terrace] as with all such structures generates a great atmosphere, which is best described


��

“ [THE STONEBRIDGE ROAD TERRACE]

AS WITH ALL SUCH STRUCTURES

GENERATES A GREAT ATMOSPHERE,

WHICH IS BEST DESCRIBED AS

TIMELESS ”

i The advertising hoardings above the roadside terrace changed from time to time, with beer, the Evening Post, Reliance Coaches and the Gravesend Reporter all featuring down the years. Note the Ancient Order of Foresters sign (far right of photo) whose hoarding stayed for years but we were never quite sure if they’d paid their invoice or indeed who they were! The photo is from 1985 and shows Ernie Batten in action against Bromley

BStortford 18-37.indd 24 23/04/2015 14:07


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as timeless and the memory of the great end terrace, now lost, is one I treasure and miss enormously.”

We shall all treasure and miss enormously our favoured vantage

points as the ground transformation begins this summer. But as with Northfleet United’s original move to Stonebridge Road 110 years ago, as with the demolition of the old

Rosherville stand and the building of the new terraces and stands in the 1950s, it is but another chapter in the evolving history of our great football club. Bring it on.

i Project Restoration: following the KEH takeover, the ground looked better than ever. The process included removing the old, battered roof from the Liam Daish Stand, replacing it with a brand new structure and then a paint job for the entire

ground to restore it to former glories. Note the Halfway Line advertising board – where’s that going to go now?!

i Signs of the times: clockwise from top left : the weatherbeaten clock, which worked off and on (mainly off ) for years; the tea bar and old club shop (note the cartoon man on the sign, who also appeared in the Main Stand. Was he based on Jimmy Jackson?!); a photo from 1990 showing a supporters’ match (that’s Jeff Chick taking a throw-in!) but noteworthy for showing the shabby and dilapidated terrace; and fi nally the ‘legendary’ Snipers’ toilets – read a fi nal tribute to their passing on page 41!

BStortford 18-37.indd 25 23/04/2015 14:07

DATE OPPONENT Venue Comp. Result Score Att. Pos.

Tue 12 Aug CONCORD RANGERS H VCS W 2-0 1,046 6th Edwards Sessegnon ❚ Palmer ❚ McMahon ① Acheampong Clark ❚ Osborn Fraser Sheringham ① Godden Cook Corcoran, Huke, Johnson, Harrington, Hall

Sat 16 Aug HAVANT & W’LOOVILLE H VCS W 1-0 814 6th Edwards Sessegnon Palmer McMahon ① ❚ Acheampong Clark Osborn Corcoran ❚ Sheringham Godden Cook Johnson, Bricknell, Huke, Rance, Hall

Sat 23 Aug Whitehawk a VCS L 0-1 278 8th Edwards Sessegnon Palmer McMahon ❚ Acheampong Clark ❚ Osborn Corcoran Sheringham Godden Cook ❚ Bricknell, Johnson, Huke, Fraser, Hall

Mon 25 Aug WEALDSTONE H VCS D 0-0 936 8th Edwards Sessegnon Howe McMahon ❚ Acheampong Clark Osborn Corcoran Sheringham Godden Cook Bricknell, Fraser, Huke, Johnson, Hall

Sat 30 Aug Basingstoke Town A VCS L 0-1 506 10th Edwards Sessegnon Howe ❚ McMahon Acheampong Clark ❚ Johnson Fraser ❚ Bricknell Godden Cook Huke, Sheringham, Rance, Osborn, Hall

Sat 06 Sep ST ALBANS CITY H VCS W 4-1 1,034 7th Edwards Huke Howe McMahon Acheampong Clark Osborn Rance Sheringham②❚ Bricknell ② Cook Godden, Fraser, Johnson, Palmer, Hall

Tue 09 Sep Weston-super-Mare A VCS L 2-3 499 10th Edwards Huke Howe Fraser Acheampong Clark Godden Rance Sheringham ② Bricknell Cook Palmer, Johnson, Mazzone, C. Johnson, Hall

Sat 13 Sep Hayes & Yeading United A VCS W 2-0 263 8th Edwards Howe Palmer Johnson Acheampong ❚ Clark Osborn Rance ❚ Sheringham ① Bricknell Cook ① Hall, Godden, C Johnson, Huke, Fraser

WED 17 SEP CHARLTON ATHLETIC H KSC 2 L 0-2 337 n/a Hall Pooley Palmer Rance Acheampong Corcoran Sanderson Johnson ❚ Sessegnon Godden Cook Howe, Sheringham, Tracey, Denny, Edwards

Sat 20 Sep SUTTON UNITED H VCS W 3-0 879 5th Hall Howe Palmer McMahon Acheampong Clark Johnson Rance ❚ Sheringham Bricknell ② Cook ① Godden, Huke, Sessegnon, Pooley, Edwards

Sat 27 Sep HYTHE TOWN H FAC 2Q W 7-1 738 n/a Hall Howe Palmer McMahon Huke Clark Johnson Rance Sheringham②P Godden ③ Cook Bricknell, M-Neave ①, Sanderson, Tracey, A’pong, Sess, Edwards

Sat 04 Oct Farnborough A VCS W 3-0 329 4th Hall Howe Palmer McMahon ① Acheampong Clark Johnson Rance ❚ ① Sheringham Bricknell ① Cook Godden, Sessegnon, Sanderson, Huke, Edwards

Tue 07 Oct EASTBOURNE BOROUGH H VCS D 0-0 944 4th Hall Howe Palmer McMahon Acheampong Clark Johnson Rance ❚ Sheringham Bricknell Cook Godden, Huke, Sessegnon, Corcoran, Edwards

Sat 11 Oct BASINGSTOKE TOWN H FAC 3Q L 1-2 953 n/a Hall Howe ❚ Palmer McMahon Acheampong Huke Johnson Rance Sheringham ① Bricknell Cook Godden, Sessegnon, Clark, Corcoran, Sanderson, Mazzone, Edwards

Sat 18 Oct Hemel Hempstead Town A VCS D 1-1 729 4th Hall Howe Palmer ❚ McMahon ❚ Acheampong Clark Johnson Rance Sheringham ① Bricknell ❚ Cook ❚ Huke, Godden, Sessegnon, Corcoran, Edwards

Tue 28 Oct HAYES & YEADING UTD H VCS L 1-2 891 4th Hall Sessegnon Palmer McMahon Acheampong Clark Johnson Rance Sheringham Bricknell Cook Osborn, Corcoran, Huke, Pooley, Edwards

Sat 01 Nov Staines Town A VCS W 2-0 369 3rd Hall Howe ❚ Palmer McMahon ①P Acheampong Clark Johnson Rance Sheringham Godden Cook ① Bricknell, Corcoran, Sessegnon, Huke, Edwards

Sat 08 Nov BATH CITY H VCS D 0-0 893 3rd Hall Howe ❚ Palmer McMahon Acheampong ❚ Clark Johnson Rance Sheringham Godden Cook Kiernan, Huke, Corcoran, Bricknell, Edwards

Sat 15 Nov FARNBOROUGH H VCS W 3-0 849 2nd Hall Huke Howe ❚ McMahon Acheampong Clark Kiernan Rance Sheringham Godden ③ Cook Sessegnon, Johnson, Bricknell, Mazzone, Edwards

Sat 22 Nov Eastbourne Borough A VCS D 1-1 734 3rd Hall ❚ Sessegnon Howe McMahon Huke ❚ Clark ① Kiernan Rance ❚ Sheringham Godden Cook Corcoran, Johnson, Bricknell, Palmer, Edwards

TUE 25 Nov GOSPORT BOROOUGH H VCS L 0-3 702 4th Hall Sessegnon Howe McMahon Huke Clark ❚ Kiernan Rance Sheringham Godden Cook Palmer, Bricknell, Johnson, Corcoran, Edwards

Sat 29 Nov HENDON H FAT 3Q W 1-0 676 n/a Hall Sessegnon Howe ❚ Corcoran Acheampong Clark Johnson ❚ Rance Bricknell Godden Cook Huke, Sheringham, Palmer, C Johnson, Hughes

Sat 06 Dec Maidenhead United A VCS W 4-0 511 3rd Hall Sessegnon ① Howe McMahon ① Acheampong Clark Johnson Corcoran Bricknell ①P Godden ① Cook Sheringham, Pooley, Huke, C Johnson, Hughes

Sat 13 Dec WELLING UNITED H FAT 1 D 1-1 876 n/a Hall ❚ Sessegnon Huke ❚ Corcoran Acheampong ① Clark Johnson Rance Bricknell Godden Cook Pooley, McMahon, Kiernan, Shields, Hughes

Sat 20 Dec WESTON-SUPER-MARE H VCS L 0-1 810 5th Hall Sessegnon Howe McMahon Acheampong Clark Shields Rance ❚ Bricknell Godden Cook Kiernan, Corcoran, Huke, Johnson, Hughes

TUE 23 Dec WELLING United A FAT 1r W 3-2 616 n/a Hall Huke Howe Rance Acheampong ❚ Clark Johnson McMahon Osborn ❚ Godden ① Kiernan ① Bricknell, Cook ①, M-Neave, Shields, Hughes

Fri 26 Dec Chelmsford City A VCS W 5-1 779 4th Hall Huke Howe Johnson Acheampong Clark ① Marsh McMahon ① Bricknell ②P Godden Cook ❚ Kiernan, Shields ①, Osborn, Pooley, Turner

Sun 28 Dec BASINGSTOKE TOWN H VCS L 1-5 897 5th Hall ❚ Huke Howe Johnson ① Acheampong Clark Shields McMahon Bricknell Marsh Cook Godden, Turner, Pooley, Corcoran, Osborn

Thu 01 Jan CHELMSFORD CITY H VCS L 0-2 1,069 8th Hall Pooley Howe Day ❚ Acheampong Clark Johnson McMahon Osborn Marsh Cook ❚ Shields, Bricknell, C Johnson, M-Neave, Turner

Sun 04 Jan Boreham Wood A VCS W 3-1 375 7th Hall Pooley Howe Johnson Acheampong Osborn ❚ Shields McMahon Bricknell ② Marsh Cook ① Kiernan, Day, C Johnson, M-Neave, Turner

Sat 10 Jan FOREST GREEN ROVERS H FAT 2 W 1-0 1,018 7th Edwards Pooley Howe S Lewis Huke Clark Shields McMahon Kedwell T Lewis Kiernan Johnson, Cook, Osborn, Rance, Turner

Sat 17 Jan Sutton United A VCS L 1-2 696 8th Edwards Fish ❚ Howe ❚ S Lewis Langmead Clark Marsh McMahon Kedwell ①P T Lewis Shields Cunnington, Johnson, Rance, Pooley, Turner

tUE 27 Jan BRAINTREE TOWN A FAT 3 D 1-1 404 n/a Edwards Fish Howe Langmead Acheampong Clark ❚ Johnson S Lewis Kedwell Cunnington ①❚ T Lewis Kiernan, Shields, Pooley, Day ❚, Hall

Sat 31 Jan Gosport Borough A VCS D 2-2 562 8th Edwards Fish Shields Langmead ❚ Bonner Clark Johnson S Lewis Kedwell Cunnington ② T Lewis Kiernan, Marsh, Acheampong, Pooley, Hall

tUE 03 FEB BRAINTREE TOWN H FAT 3r W 2-0 813 n/a Edwards Fish Kiernan Pooley Acheampong ❚ Clark Rance S Lewis Kedwell ① Cunnington ① T Lewis M Johnson, Langmead, M-Neave, C Johnson, Hall

SAT 07 FEB NORTH FERRIBY UNITED A FAT QF L 0-1 610 9th Edwards Fish Jefford Langmead ❚ Acheampong Clark ❚ Johnson S Lewis Kedwell Cunnington ❚ T Lewis Pooley, Kiernan, Gower, Shields, Hall

Tue 10 FEB STAINES TOWN H VCS W 3-2 717 8th Edwards Fish Shields ❚ Pooley Langmead Bonner Johnson S Lewis Kedwell Cunnington ② T Lewis ① Jefford, Marsh, Gower, Clark, Hall

Sat 14 Feb Bishop's Stortford A VCS D 1-1 605 8th Edwards Pooley Jefford Johnson Langmead Bonner T Lewis ❚ S Lewis Kedwell ① Cunnington Marsh Shields, Gower, Kiernan, Clark, Turner

Tue 17 FEB BROMLEY H VCS L 0-1 1,227 9th Edwards Clark ❚ Jefford T Lewis ❚ Langmead Bonner Shields S Lewis ❚ Kedwell ❚ Cunnington ❚ Kiernan Johnson, Pooley, Gower, Day, Turner

Sat 28 Feb HEMEL HEMPSTEAD TOWN H VCS D 2-2 1,636 9th Edwards Fish Jefford T Lewis Langmead ❚ Bonner Godden ① S Lewis Kedwell ① Cunnington Shields Rance, Osborn, Gower, Pooley, Acheampong

Sat 07 Mar Bromley A VCS W 2-1 1,988 8th Hall Fish Jefford ❚ Rance Langmead Bonner Godden ① Johnson S Lewis Cunnington ① Shields Osborn, T Lewis ❚, Gower, Acheampong, Edwards

Sat 14 Mar MAIDENHEAD UNITED H VCS W 1-0 819 7th Hall Fish Jefford ❚ Rance Langmead Bonner Godden Johnson S Lewis Cunnington ① Shields T Lewis ❚, Osborn, Marsh, Acheampong, Edwards

Sat 21 Mar Havant & Waterlooville A VCS L 0-2 956 9th Hall Fish Jefford ❚ Rance Langmead Bonner ❚ Godden S Lewis ❚ Cunnington ❚ T Lewis Shields Kedwell, Marsh, Acheampong, Johnson, Turner

Sat 28 Mar Concord Rangers A VCS L 0-1 552 9th Hall Fish Jefford T Lewis Langmead Bonner Shields S Lewis Godden Cunnington Rooney Osborn, Kedwell, Rance, Acheampong, Turner

FRI 03 Apr WHITEHAWK H VCS W 3-0 1,002 9th Hall Fish Palmer T Lewis Langmead Bonner Godden ② S Lewis ❚ Cunnington ❚ T Lewis Rooney Acheampong, West ①, Marsh, Rance, Turner

Mon 06 Apr Wealdstone A VCS W 1-0 901 9th Hall Fish ❚ Palmer T Lewis ❚ Acheampong Bonner Godden S Lewis Kedwell Cunnington Rooney West, Marsh, Rance, Clark, Turner

Sat 11 Apr BOREHAM WOOD H VCS D 1-1 790 9th Hall Fish Palmer T Lewis Acheampong Bonner ❚ Godden S Lewis Kedwell Cunnington ① Rooney West, Marsh, Clark, Johnson, Turner

TUE 14 Apr BATH City A VCS L 1-2 309 9th Edwards Clark Palmer T Lewis Acheampong Bonner Godden S Lewis ❚ ① Marsh Cunnington Rooney West, Osborn, Shields, Johnson, Turner

Sat 18 Apr St. Albans City A VCS L 0-1 777 9th Hall Fish Palmer Johnson Acheampong Bonner Godden S Lewis ❚ Kedwell Cunnington Rooney West, Shields, Clark, Marsh, Turner

Sat 25 Apr BISHOP'S STORTFORD H VCS

Fixtures Results 2014/15

Fixtures 22-23.indd 12 23/04/2015 13:15

DATE OPPONENT Venue Comp. Result Score Att. Pos.

Tue 12 Aug CONCORD RANGERS H VCS W 2-0 1,046 6th Edwards Sessegnon ❚ Palmer ❚ McMahon ① Acheampong Clark ❚ Osborn Fraser Sheringham ① Godden Cook Corcoran, Huke, Johnson, Harrington, Hall

Sat 16 Aug HAVANT & W’LOOVILLE H VCS W 1-0 814 6th Edwards Sessegnon Palmer McMahon ① ❚ Acheampong Clark Osborn Corcoran ❚ Sheringham Godden Cook Johnson, Bricknell, Huke, Rance, Hall

Sat 23 Aug Whitehawk a VCS L 0-1 278 8th Edwards Sessegnon Palmer McMahon ❚ Acheampong Clark ❚ Osborn Corcoran Sheringham Godden Cook ❚ Bricknell, Johnson, Huke, Fraser, Hall

Mon 25 Aug WEALDSTONE H VCS D 0-0 936 8th Edwards Sessegnon Howe McMahon ❚ Acheampong Clark Osborn Corcoran Sheringham Godden Cook Bricknell, Fraser, Huke, Johnson, Hall

Sat 30 Aug Basingstoke Town A VCS L 0-1 506 10th Edwards Sessegnon Howe ❚ McMahon Acheampong Clark ❚ Johnson Fraser ❚ Bricknell Godden Cook Huke, Sheringham, Rance, Osborn, Hall

Sat 06 Sep ST ALBANS CITY H VCS W 4-1 1,034 7th Edwards Huke Howe McMahon Acheampong Clark Osborn Rance Sheringham②❚ Bricknell ② Cook Godden, Fraser, Johnson, Palmer, Hall

Tue 09 Sep Weston-super-Mare A VCS L 2-3 499 10th Edwards Huke Howe Fraser Acheampong Clark Godden Rance Sheringham ② Bricknell Cook Palmer, Johnson, Mazzone, C. Johnson, Hall

Sat 13 Sep Hayes & Yeading United A VCS W 2-0 263 8th Edwards Howe Palmer Johnson Acheampong ❚ Clark Osborn Rance ❚ Sheringham ① Bricknell Cook ① Hall, Godden, C Johnson, Huke, Fraser

WED 17 SEP CHARLTON ATHLETIC H KSC 2 L 0-2 337 n/a Hall Pooley Palmer Rance Acheampong Corcoran Sanderson Johnson ❚ Sessegnon Godden Cook Howe, Sheringham, Tracey, Denny, Edwards

Sat 20 Sep SUTTON UNITED H VCS W 3-0 879 5th Hall Howe Palmer McMahon Acheampong Clark Johnson Rance ❚ Sheringham Bricknell ② Cook ① Godden, Huke, Sessegnon, Pooley, Edwards

Sat 27 Sep HYTHE TOWN H FAC 2Q W 7-1 738 n/a Hall Howe Palmer McMahon Huke Clark Johnson Rance Sheringham②P Godden ③ Cook Bricknell, M-Neave ①, Sanderson, Tracey, A’pong, Sess, Edwards

Sat 04 Oct Farnborough A VCS W 3-0 329 4th Hall Howe Palmer McMahon ① Acheampong Clark Johnson Rance ❚ ① Sheringham Bricknell ① Cook Godden, Sessegnon, Sanderson, Huke, Edwards

Tue 07 Oct EASTBOURNE BOROUGH H VCS D 0-0 944 4th Hall Howe Palmer McMahon Acheampong Clark Johnson Rance ❚ Sheringham Bricknell Cook Godden, Huke, Sessegnon, Corcoran, Edwards

Sat 11 Oct BASINGSTOKE TOWN H FAC 3Q L 1-2 953 n/a Hall Howe ❚ Palmer McMahon Acheampong Huke Johnson Rance Sheringham ① Bricknell Cook Godden, Sessegnon, Clark, Corcoran, Sanderson, Mazzone, Edwards

Sat 18 Oct Hemel Hempstead Town A VCS D 1-1 729 4th Hall Howe Palmer ❚ McMahon ❚ Acheampong Clark Johnson Rance Sheringham ① Bricknell ❚ Cook ❚ Huke, Godden, Sessegnon, Corcoran, Edwards

Tue 28 Oct HAYES & YEADING UTD H VCS L 1-2 891 4th Hall Sessegnon Palmer McMahon Acheampong Clark Johnson Rance Sheringham Bricknell Cook Osborn, Corcoran, Huke, Pooley, Edwards

Sat 01 Nov Staines Town A VCS W 2-0 369 3rd Hall Howe ❚ Palmer McMahon ①P Acheampong Clark Johnson Rance Sheringham Godden Cook ① Bricknell, Corcoran, Sessegnon, Huke, Edwards

Sat 08 Nov BATH CITY H VCS D 0-0 893 3rd Hall Howe ❚ Palmer McMahon Acheampong ❚ Clark Johnson Rance Sheringham Godden Cook Kiernan, Huke, Corcoran, Bricknell, Edwards

Sat 15 Nov FARNBOROUGH H VCS W 3-0 849 2nd Hall Huke Howe ❚ McMahon Acheampong Clark Kiernan Rance Sheringham Godden ③ Cook Sessegnon, Johnson, Bricknell, Mazzone, Edwards

Sat 22 Nov Eastbourne Borough A VCS D 1-1 734 3rd Hall ❚ Sessegnon Howe McMahon Huke ❚ Clark ① Kiernan Rance ❚ Sheringham Godden Cook Corcoran, Johnson, Bricknell, Palmer, Edwards

TUE 25 Nov GOSPORT BOROOUGH H VCS L 0-3 702 4th Hall Sessegnon Howe McMahon Huke Clark ❚ Kiernan Rance Sheringham Godden Cook Palmer, Bricknell, Johnson, Corcoran, Edwards

Sat 29 Nov HENDON H FAT 3Q W 1-0 676 n/a Hall Sessegnon Howe ❚ Corcoran Acheampong Clark Johnson ❚ Rance Bricknell Godden Cook Huke, Sheringham, Palmer, C Johnson, Hughes

Sat 06 Dec Maidenhead United A VCS W 4-0 511 3rd Hall Sessegnon ① Howe McMahon ① Acheampong Clark Johnson Corcoran Bricknell ①P Godden ① Cook Sheringham, Pooley, Huke, C Johnson, Hughes

Sat 13 Dec WELLING UNITED H FAT 1 D 1-1 876 n/a Hall ❚ Sessegnon Huke ❚ Corcoran Acheampong ① Clark Johnson Rance Bricknell Godden Cook Pooley, McMahon, Kiernan, Shields, Hughes

Sat 20 Dec WESTON-SUPER-MARE H VCS L 0-1 810 5th Hall Sessegnon Howe McMahon Acheampong Clark Shields Rance ❚ Bricknell Godden Cook Kiernan, Corcoran, Huke, Johnson, Hughes

TUE 23 Dec WELLING United A FAT 1r W 3-2 616 n/a Hall Huke Howe Rance Acheampong ❚ Clark Johnson McMahon Osborn ❚ Godden ① Kiernan ① Bricknell, Cook ①, M-Neave, Shields, Hughes

Fri 26 Dec Chelmsford City A VCS W 5-1 779 4th Hall Huke Howe Johnson Acheampong Clark ① Marsh McMahon ① Bricknell ②P Godden Cook ❚ Kiernan, Shields ①, Osborn, Pooley, Turner

Sun 28 Dec BASINGSTOKE TOWN H VCS L 1-5 897 5th Hall ❚ Huke Howe Johnson ① Acheampong Clark Shields McMahon Bricknell Marsh Cook Godden, Turner, Pooley, Corcoran, Osborn

Thu 01 Jan CHELMSFORD CITY H VCS L 0-2 1,069 8th Hall Pooley Howe Day ❚ Acheampong Clark Johnson McMahon Osborn Marsh Cook ❚ Shields, Bricknell, C Johnson, M-Neave, Turner

Sun 04 Jan Boreham Wood A VCS W 3-1 375 7th Hall Pooley Howe Johnson Acheampong Osborn ❚ Shields McMahon Bricknell ② Marsh Cook ① Kiernan, Day, C Johnson, M-Neave, Turner

Sat 10 Jan FOREST GREEN ROVERS H FAT 2 W 1-0 1,018 7th Edwards Pooley Howe S Lewis Huke Clark Shields McMahon Kedwell T Lewis Kiernan Johnson, Cook, Osborn, Rance, Turner

Sat 17 Jan Sutton United A VCS L 1-2 696 8th Edwards Fish ❚ Howe ❚ S Lewis Langmead Clark Marsh McMahon Kedwell ①P T Lewis Shields Cunnington, Johnson, Rance, Pooley, Turner

tUE 27 Jan BRAINTREE TOWN A FAT 3 D 1-1 404 n/a Edwards Fish Howe Langmead Acheampong Clark ❚ Johnson S Lewis Kedwell Cunnington ①❚ T Lewis Kiernan, Shields, Pooley, Day ❚, Hall

Sat 31 Jan Gosport Borough A VCS D 2-2 562 8th Edwards Fish Shields Langmead ❚ Bonner Clark Johnson S Lewis Kedwell Cunnington ② T Lewis Kiernan, Marsh, Acheampong, Pooley, Hall

tUE 03 FEB BRAINTREE TOWN H FAT 3r W 2-0 813 n/a Edwards Fish Kiernan Pooley Acheampong ❚ Clark Rance S Lewis Kedwell ① Cunnington ① T Lewis M Johnson, Langmead, M-Neave, C Johnson, Hall

SAT 07 FEB NORTH FERRIBY UNITED A FAT QF L 0-1 610 9th Edwards Fish Jefford Langmead ❚ Acheampong Clark ❚ Johnson S Lewis Kedwell Cunnington ❚ T Lewis Pooley, Kiernan, Gower, Shields, Hall

Tue 10 FEB STAINES TOWN H VCS W 3-2 717 8th Edwards Fish Shields ❚ Pooley Langmead Bonner Johnson S Lewis Kedwell Cunnington ② T Lewis ① Jefford, Marsh, Gower, Clark, Hall

Sat 14 Feb Bishop's Stortford A VCS D 1-1 605 8th Edwards Pooley Jefford Johnson Langmead Bonner T Lewis ❚ S Lewis Kedwell ① Cunnington Marsh Shields, Gower, Kiernan, Clark, Turner

Tue 17 FEB BROMLEY H VCS L 0-1 1,227 9th Edwards Clark ❚ Jefford T Lewis ❚ Langmead Bonner Shields S Lewis ❚ Kedwell ❚ Cunnington ❚ Kiernan Johnson, Pooley, Gower, Day, Turner

Sat 28 Feb HEMEL HEMPSTEAD TOWN H VCS D 2-2 1,636 9th Edwards Fish Jefford T Lewis Langmead ❚ Bonner Godden ① S Lewis Kedwell ① Cunnington Shields Rance, Osborn, Gower, Pooley, Acheampong

Sat 07 Mar Bromley A VCS W 2-1 1,988 8th Hall Fish Jefford ❚ Rance Langmead Bonner Godden ① Johnson S Lewis Cunnington ① Shields Osborn, T Lewis ❚, Gower, Acheampong, Edwards

Sat 14 Mar MAIDENHEAD UNITED H VCS W 1-0 819 7th Hall Fish Jefford ❚ Rance Langmead Bonner Godden Johnson S Lewis Cunnington ① Shields T Lewis ❚, Osborn, Marsh, Acheampong, Edwards

Sat 21 Mar Havant & Waterlooville A VCS L 0-2 956 9th Hall Fish Jefford ❚ Rance Langmead Bonner ❚ Godden S Lewis ❚ Cunnington ❚ T Lewis Shields Kedwell, Marsh, Acheampong, Johnson, Turner

Sat 28 Mar Concord Rangers A VCS L 0-1 552 9th Hall Fish Jefford T Lewis Langmead Bonner Shields S Lewis Godden Cunnington Rooney Osborn, Kedwell, Rance, Acheampong, Turner

FRI 03 Apr WHITEHAWK H VCS W 3-0 1,002 9th Hall Fish Palmer T Lewis Langmead Bonner Godden ② S Lewis ❚ Cunnington ❚ T Lewis Rooney Acheampong, West ①, Marsh, Rance, Turner

Mon 06 Apr Wealdstone A VCS W 1-0 901 9th Hall Fish ❚ Palmer T Lewis ❚ Acheampong Bonner Godden S Lewis Kedwell Cunnington Rooney West, Marsh, Rance, Clark, Turner

Sat 11 Apr BOREHAM WOOD H VCS D 1-1 790 9th Hall Fish Palmer T Lewis Acheampong Bonner ❚ Godden S Lewis Kedwell Cunnington ① Rooney West, Marsh, Clark, Johnson, Turner

TUE 14 Apr BATH City A VCS L 1-2 309 9th Edwards Clark Palmer T Lewis Acheampong Bonner Godden S Lewis ❚ ① Marsh Cunnington Rooney West, Osborn, Shields, Johnson, Turner

Sat 18 Apr St. Albans City A VCS L 0-1 777 9th Hall Fish Palmer Johnson Acheampong Bonner Godden S Lewis ❚ Kedwell Cunnington Rooney West, Shields, Clark, Marsh, Turner

Sat 25 Apr BISHOP'S STORTFORD H VCS

S U B S T I T U T I O N S

KEY. ① = G O A L S B l u e = 1 s t s u b G r e e n = 2 n d s u b O r a n g e = 3 r d s u b P = p e n a l t y VCS = Vanarama Conference SouthFAC = FA Cup FAT = FA Trophy

KSC = Kent Senior Cup

Fixtures 22-23.indd 13 23/04/2015 13:15



There are just 90 more minutes left in the working life of the Liam Daish Stand – but the memories will last a lifetime. We invited Fleet fans to send in some of their favourite recollections from down the years

There are just 90 more minutes left in the working life of the Liam Daish Stand – but the memories will last a lifetime. We invited Fleet fans to send in some of their favourite recollections from down the years

Stand asideCharles WebsterI made my first visit to Stonebridge Road in 1958 with my dad, Grandad and Uncle. We stood on what is now Geeks Corner for a game versus Bath City. I watched the Sunderland game from behind white picket fencing at the Plough End but it was not until I found a place on the Halfway Line that I truly found my spiritual home at Stonebridge Road.

For over half a century it has been the best place to watch football from on the planet. OK, the football’s been a bit iffy most of the time (we don’t experience thick and thin, more like thin and thinner) but the camaraderie, friendship and banter make it a place that you want to return to again and again.

People like Alan Fothergill and Steve Jones have been hugely responsible for

the pleasure I have had there. Their wit (sometimes brutal), their sarcasm and their fruity affection of anything odd or quirky was shared with anybody in that part of the ground, and visiting linesmen and players were fair game for not just their barbs, but from the whole gang. Even the quietist and mildest of fans would occasionally make a “Did he just shout that?” comment and you need a thick skin and a sense of humour to survive in the jungle.

Who can forget the love shown towards visiting players like Graham Heathcote when flying down the wing for Altrincham? He took dog’s abuse, scored and ran to the Halfway Line to stick two fingers up at us! We wouldn’t have it any other way.

We had out heroes - Woon, Woolfe, Brown, Burrett, Idle, Portway. Engage with the HWL and you are a God,

ignore them at your peril. Ladies and gentlemen, I give you Terry Naylor.

I still have childhood friends on the HWL and I wish I could spend more time with them but my radio work has tethered me to the press box ISDN phone line and I look upon my location on the “other side” as being missionary work for the HWL, sharing their culture (sic) with the hoi polio.

Ironically the press box will be moving into the new stand so I will be returning to the HWL, my spiritual home. I hope the old codgers I have loved for so long will give their knees a rest and grab seats close to where they have stood for so long.

After all it’s the best view in the house and the Halfway Line must live on for future generations. Anyway, it’s crap on the other side - the sun gets in your eyes.

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Stand asideRichard AnsonOne of the truly great matches witnessed in that stand was the Alan Crudace testimonial vs a Showbiz XI. Noel Edmonds skipping down the wing, Tony Sitford oozing sophistication, Colin Murphy was hopelessness itself, as was – typically – future England supremo Roy Hodgson. Can’t remember much about the game other than that the club refused to switch on the floodlights despite the onset of total darkness. But who needed it when one star shone brighter than any other, namely Crudace who slotted home a last-minute penalty in a totally uncontrived 5-5 draw. Another classic moment was the 1985 player of the year poll. Word spread to the terraces that Terry Naylor, despite playing every match in a season where we’d used nigh-on 100 players, had failed to gain a single vote. As Tel strode out to commence the second half, the halfway liners were in debate as to how best to break the news to him. It was decided, given the sensitivity of the situation, that resident diplomat Steve Jones would, as always, be the most subtle messenger. And so, as loud as he could muster as Tel trotted out with customary panache, looking every inch the Southern League colossus: “Well done Naylor, you got naff all votes in the Player of the Year...” Super Tel promised to see him outside afterwards...

Micky BowraSome great memories of friends old and new that have shared the football (good and bad!) and loads of laughs on that halfway line. For the vast majority of us (on the halfway line at least) the football has been secondary to the banter and laughs.

However, the one thing I will always remember will be my Dad on the halfway line on December 31st 1994, cheering on the team he had supported since coming to live in the area in 1947 – tragically he had a fatal heart attack on the way out of the ground. But hey, what a way to go!

Ian JohncockAs a relative newcomer to the Halfway Line region only a couple of years back, loitering further back and seeing what

it’s all about (if that doesn’t sound too weird ...), I have been particularly struck by the ritual of throwing 50/50 tickets at the head of one particular individual when the winning number is read out. Any insight into how this tradition came about would be of great interest! Perhaps not as significant an aspect to the Halfway Liners’ history as the Fleet career of Louis Affor, say, but a personal recollection nonetheless...

James MaddenAs neither a halfway liner or a tea-hut fella, but a veteran of 20 years in the same stand, I do enjoy the anonymous nature of not being part of a ‘group’ as such but still close enough to join in the bits of banter as I choose to. My most glorious moment, however, was heading a stray ball straight into the arms of Justin Skinner who promptly took a quick throw-in from which Che Stadhart scored. I’ve dined out on that for years, my very own assist! You wouldn’t get that in a ground with a stupid running track!

Rob MilesI think it was a game against Burton, we scored a crucial goal and the players did some kind of weird celebration. Everyone was cheering but this one old fella looking really irked in the middle of it all, shouting, “We don’t want none of your bleedin’ stupid celebrations. Just stop it you idiots!” Classic tea hut bantz.

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“ WELL DONE NAYLOR, YOU GOT NAFF ALL VOTES IN THE PLAYER OF THE YEAR... ”

i Steve Jones and Terry Naylor: mutual respect

i “Oi, stop your bleedin’ stupid celebrations right this minute!”

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Graham NewmanOne of my first visits to watch the Fleet play was back in 1955 when, as an eight-year-old boy, I first visited the Stonebridge Road ground with my grandfather Albert Harris. My father used to go to watch the London First Division teams with his friends and I had a choice of going with them or watching the Fleet with my grandfather.

I opted for the Fleet and it stayed that way until I was 19 and I started going to watch Arsenal with some workmates. Initially I stood with my grandfather at the Plough End of the Stonebridge Road stand. He always leaned against the upright steel support girder at the back corner of the stand.

Every time I visit Stonebridge Road all these years on I imagine him standing there in his cheese-cutter hat shouting support for the Fleet, giving the officials a bit of verbal too when disagreeing with their decisions and shouting out “Get up, you’re not hurt, he did not touch you” when an opposition player went down. God knows what he would say with today’s play acting and diving, although thankfully more evident higher up the pyramid. He always stood in the same spot for every game he attended, which would be no good these days though as the old

shop/bar building would block his view of the Plough End pitch area. Although I was supposed to stand with him, I used to sneak off and stand behind the Plough End goal as it was a much livelier atmosphere there.

Having moved away from the area nearly 30 years ago, like many others I was in the 40,000-plus crowd at Wembley and subsequently started traveling to watch the Fleet again regularly. I remember thinking on my first visit back to Stonebridge Road after all those years how the place was just the same. All that is about to change big time, but memories of the Stonebridge Road ground I grew up watching football in will always remain with me. The Stonebridge Road stand had its characters all those years ago and still has.

Ed MillerI’ve probably watched football from all four corners of Stonebridge Road, but the bulk of it from the Halfway Line. I started in the Main Stand, one row behind the directors’ box with my uncle (who had sat there since 1946... well, he went home in between, obviously) when I was a teenager. I first stood on the Halfway Line with my dad for the Barnet FA Trophy replay in 1989 and then gravitated to the unruly fellas behind the goal for a few years. My route into the world of the Halfway Line actually came about by way of abusing them in the matchday programme!

As a student, I drew cartoons in the programme for a while (at least until I nearly libelled Sittingbourne FC, was threatened with legal action and then had to quietly withdraw my services). In one of them I’d praised the noise of the ‘Die-Hards’ (as the fans behind the goal were then known) while slagging off the Halfway Liners for being a tad on the silent side. So the next game (which I recall as being a Kent Senior Cup game at Priestfield so it must have been February 1993), I turned up alone to be greeted by someone saying, “Watch yourself, the Halfway Liners are after you”. Sure enough, I was confronted by an angry mob in HWL baseball caps demanding, “So who’s this Ed Miller idiot then?” Their opinion hasn’t changed much 20 years on but I think they’ve gradually forgotten about me since then and I tag along sort of unnoticed there now. And an added bonus is, despite

StonebridgeRoad

j Playing Dartford, a packed stand and under lights – a classic Stonebridge Road scene

i A rare sight in the Eighties with a busy terrace watching John Palmer score against Kettering in 1989

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hitting middle age quite some time ago, I still get called ‘the young lad’. There’s not many places a 42-year-old man can enjoy that sort of boost. When I occasionally bring my daughter, I have to take into account the sometimes fruity language and stand elsewhere. She always asks why we can’t stand with “the strange men”.

Darren SandsHaving lived in Birmingham for a while and been a Walsall semi-regular for a bit, I was used to fans clamouring for one of their team to whack an opposition player. But at one of my first Fleet matches after moving into the area in the Nineties, this was taken to a whole new level. I think it was a game against Halesowen Town and a midfielder had done something to upset the fans on the Stonebridge Road side. He got the ball and someone piped up, “Stop him!” Then the bloke next to him shouted, “Kick him!” And then, as if it was some practiced routine, new voices would take it in turns to gradually worsen the punishment: “Break his legs!” / “Excommunicate him!” / “Guillotine him!” / “Put some tyres around his neck and set fire to them!” and, randomly, “May the 10 plagues of Egypt rain down upon him!” Tasteless? Sometimes. But all good-natured. For the most part...

Paul HarrisonThe Liam Daish Stand... great view, great atmosphere and great comments from

the fans. I will miss the stand but time moves on. Like many I have watched from all four sides down the years but the LD stand is definitely the best place to watch. I will really miss it but I am sure the new stand will be something else. As for a favourite memory, mine is watching some unfortunates being showered in rust in the last season of the old roof in 2012/13 season as the ball hit the stand roof – football-wise most of our best moments saw me watching from other parts of the ground so I have to go back to our 2-0 FA Cup win over Colchester in 1995.

Graham SidwellYes - Colchester match for me, closely followed by the Cinderford replay in the next round. Viewed both from the old

lottery hut which used to be just under the roof at the Plough End of the stand. Fantastic view of the goal which made it 2-0 in the Colchester match and the warmest place on the night we beat Cinderford. It was bloody freezing and we had a blower heater in there.vYears before – in the 1971/72 season when I first started going, my dad and I used to stand in front of the “Sackers” towards the Swanscombe End of the stand. The favourite cry was “No wonder your old woman left you ref/number 5” followed by various obscene allusions to the reasons for a lack of marital bliss in the ref/opponent’s life. When my mum started coming the following season, she decided some of the humour was a touch too fruity for my younger sister and we became posh, moving to the seated stand opposite.

Kevin HaywardForty years I’ve waited for them to move the dugouts closer to me so I could shout at visiting managers and substitutes. FORTY YEARS! Now they only go and do it and I have to shift over the other side!

Mark SmithAll the songs. OK, I say all. It’s usually just the slow version of “Come on you reds!” (maximum two repeats) or, if we’re heading for promotion or something really exciting is happening, you might get a really good couple of choruses of the fast version. But then down the years there have been the random songs. There was the “white bucket” song which as far as I know became legend due simply to the fact there was always a white bucket on the touchline opposite, which for a time had its own website before Ed Miller went ‘Official’! “Olé Olé Portway” of course, “Louis Affor” in tribute to the diminutive striking sensation of the mid-Nineties, “No Idea!” which gave birth to the fanzine and there’s some chap who sings about Ronny Hall every time

i Colchester under the cosh, 1995

i Halfway Line disapproval in 1962, courtesy of the pen of Micky Durling

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there’s a corner in a song that usually ends with something about Tony Sitford’s pants and vest! It’s a very odd place, that stand.

Bob LinesIt’s the villains down the years that have given me so much pleasure – and the halfway liners so much ammunition. Perhaps the best ever was Mark Stimson and Adam Miller celebrating – extremely provocatively – right in front of the thousands packed into the stand the night we lost 1-0 to Canvey Island. Well who had the last laugh that season, eh? I’m praying we can enjoy much the same feeling when our many current detractors head back towards Conference South one day...

Jim JenningsIt’s the characters I remember the most. My earliest recollection as a kid in the fifties was an old chap who my dad used to simply call ‘Tick-Tock’ who spent most of every second half yelling “Tick-tock, ref, tick-tock!” and pointing over-dramatically at his watch. Whether it was to alert him to timewasting (which was not really much of a thing in those days) or that the end of the

game was near, who knows. But old ‘Tick-Tock’ was clearly as mad as a box of frogs. Then there was the late Nigel Handley, though I seem to recall he stood mainly next to the wall behind the goal. He travelled home and away in his little flat red and white cap and was never without a plastic carrier bag containing who knew what! And finally, there was Geordio Armani, so called for his incomprehensible Geordie accent and his ‘impeccable’ dress sense that consisted of an old grey anorak and moth-eaten flat cap. “Way-aye Geordio...!” you used to greet him and he’d then launch into a full-blown 20-minute rant about something or other that you’d never quite grasp as you gradually tried to inch away from him and not get involved.

Frank BlewettWho remembers the Southern League Cup Final against Weymouth in 1977 and the idiot who carried out the little “Gravesend R.I.P.” coffin to the halfway line? He justifiably got a world of abuse and then we only went on to win the cup as well! Whenever I feel down, I just think of him trotting over to us with his little homemade coffin. Hilarious.

Steve JonesMemories – far too many to recall but here are a few:• Watching the glorious Ronny Hall• Listening to the insane Jock Lonsdale PA announcements• The Rastafarian linesman we had for a game just before Christmas one year• The white bucket• Les Cleeveley, in goal for Carshalton, chinning one of our supporters who had run at him on the pitch, then getting sent off for it and then as he left the pitch, getting arrested by the policeman (can’t remember his name) who always attended or games• Insulting countless opposition players, especially Purfleet’s Georgiou Georgiou... Brrrrrinnnggg!• Chalky’s you-know-what...• All the good laughs with my fellow halfway liners.

Steve EastI had forgotton about the copper. A biggish bearded gent from memory, possibly from northern parts originally? He must have done a deal to always be on shift when Fleet were at home. We also had a Special at matches from time to time - Pat was his first name I think, who was also a supporter, but sometinemes attended matches in uniform.

Of course Jock (on the tannoy) was only surpasssed in lack of communication clarity by the late Geordio. Almost impossible to understand in conversation!

StonebridgeRoad

“ WHENEVER I FEEL DOWN, I JUST

THINK OF THAT WEYMOUTH FAN TROTTING OVER TO US WITH HIS LITTLE COFFIN.

HILARIOUS! ”

j Last seaon’s promotion fi nal was the last time the Stonebridge Road side was truly packed to the raft ers

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fl eetphilAh yes, Geordie, it was almost impossible to understand everything he said, as you say, but a true supporter. It’s sometimes the odd ones which you remember most.

Ben GreenIt’s the sheer joyless ingratitude of the Stonebridge Road stand I like the best. “Rust Alert!” was the cry for many a year whenever the ball hit the roof and a shower of metal shards, asbestos and bits of guttering would rain down. And then last season, with a new roof on, the first ball to hit the roof was greeted with, “Give us our bloody rust back!”

David RutnamI think I have only stood in the LD Stand a couple of times. I do remember standing there the very first time I came to watch the Fleet, a mere 20 years ago. In those days I used to puff the odd cigar and no smoking was allowed in the main stand. I don’t remember who we played but we lost quite badly! The pitch had a bare hollow near the Swanscombe End. In fact the whole experience was very underwhelming.

I could not have predicted then that SBR would quite soon thereafter become the premier place on the planet to be. I am waiting to see what the new stand might offer.

I am a bit worried that if all the halfway liners squeeze into the Plough End, my usual spot will be lost. Especially if the extra thousand folk start turning up each week. However, I

want to be with my footballing buddies, so sitting in the new stand might not do it either.

And some more memories from the fans’ forum...Stu ThompsonI didn’t spend much time in the LD Stand, apart from the nomadic period when the Plough End was closed down. But one memory that stands out for me is when the Burton fans joined us under there with their drum. On wheels...

thedoctorOne of my very first Fleet games, Colchester at home in the First Round of FA Cup in 1995, I stood at the front as a wee lad with my dad and older brother. I can remember joining in with the famous “Come on you reeee-eds” that was the standard chant to come out of

there, and still does on occasion. I can also remember getting very confused with a song they were singing about a white bucket!

John PearceMy first ever visit to Stonebridge Road was in the glorious 1962-63 FA Cup run, can’t recall what round it was but we beat Exeter City 3-2. I was just eight years old. I do also have a recollection of the referee making one particular awful decision which caused a deafening cry of derision from the crowd and somebody actually running onto the pitch to confront the referee (I surely can’t have imagined that... can I?)

...Starfi shAnd I bet you moaned about the two goals we conceded John!

fl eetfanwestMy mate (Vectra51) and I stood on the halfway line throughout the 70s, right in front of Chas Webster and his buddies... doubt he’d like to be reminded of some of the stuff that would emanate from them! Great times watching that cracking forward line of Brown, Woon, Woolfe... and the magnificent Kenny Burrett straining his neck muscles to get to every high ball.

fredI will certainly miss friends I have got to know around the halfway line as I guess many will split up and sit or stand in different areas, some of whom I have known for close on 50 years.

i Although this was a supporters’ game in 1990, the stand could oft en be as empty as this in the dark days of the Eighties

i Rust alert! The roof, circa May 2013

i Whereas Fleet fans in the last 15 years have been a little spoilt, with plenty of big games to attract the crowds

BStortford 18-37.indd 33 23/04/2015 14:07


Acid Casualty Playing football on the bit by the Swanscombe End that used to be grass... Happy days!

190GKNA time that always sticks in my mind in the stand was the friendly against Brian Clough’s Notts Forest. One of the halfway liners kept calling out at Trevor Francis referring to him as ‘Jasper’ due to his apparent likeness in appearance to Jasper Carrott. Prior to this I remember as a young schoolboy standing there with my grandfather in the mid-fifties and Jimmy Logie’s last game versus Wisbech with the song ‘Goodbye Jimmy Goodbye’ echoing round the PA system at the final whistle. Some great memories. Let’s hope the new stand gives the youngsters of today some good memories in the future.

cardiff -fl eetI have many great memories from beating Weymouth to win the Southern

League Cup, running the line when we beat Barnet in the Trophy and refereeing Aston Villa in a pre-season friendly. I also remember having to carry around the side of the pitch the half-time raffle results. I got more abuse than when I was a referee...

Halfway HenryWho remembers the Halfway Triangle? A zone of influence where if anyone

committed a foul within a certain radius of us, the over-the-top reaction by fans would get the player sent off! There are so many funny moments I’ve probably forgotten down the years but let me say this: guys, it’s been an honour and a pleasure. To paraphrase – as we grow old as all the old gits before us grew old, age shall not weary us... At the going down of the sun and in the morning, we will remember you!


i Almost 2,000 people packed into Stonebridge Road in 1994 to watch Tommy Warrilow lift the Southern Division shield

j Balmy nights under lights: shirt sleeves indicate a rare spell of warm weather for this 2006 match

i The famous fl ag: Ramsgate Red is just one who’ll have to fi nd a new vantage point

BStortford 18-37.indd 34 23/04/2015 14:07

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Are you one of those men in the shadows?” Fleet director Stuart Butler-Gallie asked

me once, tongue in cheek. “There’s a gloom that descends on that stand and a low grumble of disapproval constantly emanting from it.”

Apart from sounding like the intro to a horror film, ‘the men in the shadows’ did indeed seem like a perfect description for the perenially middle-aged and ‘occasionally’ grumpy grouping of folks standing along the road-side stand. For that’s the aura we like to give off in those

shadows – to unsettle (at least in our younger days when we had a little more vocal projection) the referee,

the poor unfortunate linesman who has to spend 90 minutes within earshot and whichever member of the opposition we decide to dislike the most on any given day.

As Charles Webster pointed out on page 28, “the camaraderie, friendship and banter make it a place that you want to return to again and again”.

Sure, it’s not for everyone. I’m aware there are plenty of people elsewhere in the ground who think some of us are too bellyaching and show a lack of vocal support (have you seen the average age these days? Nobody’s starting up a firm on the Halfway Line).

Gallows humour, Monty Python-esque randomness, a ‘little bit’ of moaning and never happier than when picking on a big, ugly opposition No.5, why exactly would you want to spend a lifetime in the Stonebridge Road stand?

Gallows humour, Monty Python-esque randomness, a ‘little bit’ of moaning and never happier than when picking on a big, ugly opposition No.5, why exactly would you want to spend a lifetime in the Stonebridge Road stand?

The men in the shadows

“ THAT’S THE AURA WE LIKE TO GIVE

OFF IN THOSE SHADOWS – TO UNSETTLE THE

LINESMAN WHO HAS TO SPEND

90 MINUTES WITHIN EARSHOT ”

g The swinging Sixties and the Halfway Line is all the

rage with the ‘young people’. Do you recognise any of these these scoundrels? Back, from

left – Steve Turner, John Pearce, Alan Fothergill, unknown, and

Micky Bowra. And the two at the front, none other than BBC

Radio Kent sports reporter Charles Webster and Dave Dell

“

BStortford 18-37.indd 36 23/04/2015 14:07


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Or that we can be too critical towards our own team (I’d counter that and say that while we are occasionally pushed to extremes, like any football fans, by and large we reserve the barbs for the other team. The rest is gallows humour).

But for those of us who have stood there for decades, there’s simply no other place to watch the Fleet (that is, until August anyway!). We tolerate the same old jokes week in, week out;

we love the random creation of new ones; we hate anyone standing in our spot who we don’t recognise (which is a bit League of Gentlemen, I grant you); and we hate kicking the ‘wrong way’ in the first-half (there’s nothing to get us moaning good and proper even before the first whistle than Fleet kicking towards the Plough End in the first half).

Most of all, we hate it when it’s raining or not segregated and the

away fans congregate under the roof and start singing. There’s nothing we hate more than away fans under our roof. How are we supposed to get any rest?

For those who don’t experience non-league regularly – the Premier League armchair automatons who would baulk at standing for 90 minutes on an often sparse old terrace watching an opposition called, say, Whitehawk – there’s no way of

The men in the shadows

j And the Halfway Line in 1994, about to celebrate the Southern Division championship

j These fellas didn’t need a roof – the Halfway Liners in 1949

BStortford 18-37.indd 37 23/04/2015 14:07


really explaining why we turn up all the time. Or even at all.

I brought a friend once who, on the journey back after the game, wondered why the blokes next to me started appealing to the referee for the final whistle only five minutes into the first half. Or why the biggest cheer was reserved for the moment Wayne Schweiso clattered a winger into the wall after chasing him for 40 yards only to boot him squarely in the backside with not even a pretence of being interested in the ball.

Or why for 25 years just before every Fleet free-kick or corner, someone shouts out “0-0!” such is the absolute conviction that the resulting shot won’t be troubling the goal!

Or why the pessimistic cries of “Abandon it!” when we’re losing to an early goal are part and parcel of the weekly fabric of Fleet football.

Let’s be honest, sometimes the football is completely immaterial. You don’t spend 40 years at Stonebridge Road if you’re a footballing purist.

You go to sing “Wall him, wall him, wall him...” whenever an opposition player comes anywhere near our touchline – and then you cheer heartily if he crashes headlong into it. You go to partake (if you’re lucky) in the merciless taunting of away fans if they’re being thrashed or they concede a last-minute winner. You go to chant “Moan, moan, moan” at a moaning player, without a hint of irony having moaned your way through the game yourself. You go to pick on the bloke from the other team who once dared to answer you back in a previous game and so becomes Public Enemy No.1 for what’s left of

his miserable career.Who knows where we’ll

all find a home in our new stadium. For as much as many of us will miss the gritty realism

of our terraces as we’ve known them since we were kids, I haven’t heard a single word against the rebuilding of the stadium.

So to the men in the shadows, those still here and those watching from a higher tier... thanks for the years of laughter, for sharing the triumph, the adversity and, on occasion, the crushing mediocrity. Let’s hope that when we emerge blinking into the dawn of our brave new world, wherever in the stadium that may be, that we lose none of the spirit that made our side of the ground such a special place to grow up watching football.


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g On tour: the Halfway Liners, led by Mr Webster, pictured at Cinderford in the crucial FA Cup match in 1995. Remember that TV gantry behind us, situated helpfully on a sliding mud ravine that visibly eroded as the rain came down? Health and safety inspectors would have fainted on the spot

BStortford 18-37.indd 38 23/04/2015 14:07

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SEASON TICKET PRICING 2015/16

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Sniper-ventilating

Rather like Glastonbury Festival’s legendary gruesome public conveniences, the Fleet’s unspeakable toilets are as much a part of the

Stonebridge Road ‘experience’ (assuming you’re a man) as anything else. So this nostalgia fest wouldn’t be complete without paying homage to the

squalid public health hazard that is “the Snipers”

Just remember – as you sit warming yourself on the gold-plated new loos in our shiny stand next season, perhaps

with your own attendant to show you to your personal, spotless and uber-hygienic cubicle – that once upon a time you were just a bloke standing against an old set of breeze blocks watching football through a conveniently situated hole in the wall.

Yes, farewell to the Snipers – the aptly-named Fleet toilets, so-called because of their resemblance to World War Two-era gun emplacements. And a shout-out to the ‘architect’ of the said conveniences, who had the presence of mind to install ‘windows’ in them so a man could relieve himself and miss not a minute of the action on the pitch. It really was as close as the Fleet ever got to executive boxes.

Possibly the most cost-effective lavs in non-league football, Fleet

saved money on cleaning bills by just doing away with bits of the roof, so letting nature take its course as a downpour would do as effective a cleaning job as some poor unfortunate with a mop.

For years, there was just a sort of trough in the ground that you’d have to tread carefully around, particularly during big matches – and in the early days of MyFC, some of my favourite moments were seeing new members (if that’s the appropriate word to use in this context) blankly question whether the Snipers were indeed the actual toilets or whether the existing Fleet fans were just having a bit of a laugh by directing them there.

Under MyFC, however, the Snipers became famous nationwide as the Fleet entered and won – thanks largely to a big internet push – a competition to spruce up a particularly shabby set of conveniences.

“Ebbsfleet United awarded

£100,000 for having the worst toilets in England,” screamed the Daily Mail. How proud we were.

Then chairman Phil Sonsara said, “The upgrade is desperately needed and the toilets are archaic.” That was putting it mildly. The Snipers themselves didn’t benefit too much, however, merely getting a set of taps (washing your hands? How quaint...) and a stainless steel contraption to replace the trough in the ground.

Someone suggested recently that we put a plaque on the wall to lament the Snipers’ passing. Another suggested that might be a typo and the only thing left when they get knocked down will in fact be a ‘plague’.

Better still, mount bits of the breeze blocks on pedestals after the toilets get knocked down and sell them off as souvenir items. Your own piece of Stonebridge Road. Just make sure you get a clean piece – if such a thing is even possible.

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BStortford 38-48.indd 42 23/04/2015 13:29


��GenerallySpeaking

Acknowledging the team behind the teamDave Archer

G ood afternoon and welcome to our final match of the 2014/15 season and a warm welcome to the

directors, players and supporters of Bishop’s Stortford.

Well! Where did that season go? They say that the older you get the faster time goes by, but this season seems to have simply flown by. We are all obviously very disappointed not to be involved in the promotion shake-up; however, patience is a virtue as they say and we must all now refocus our efforts to ensure that we put that disappointment aside and concentrate on achieving our goal next season. I still firmly believe that it is only a matter of time before the success we all crave is achieved.

It is that time of year again for me to say thank you to many, many people. It always fills me with pride to see the way our club is run from top to bottom and that doesn’t happen by accident. There is always a team behind the team that goes about its

duties quietly and efficiently.I would like to thank the following

staff members for their hard work and support and for putting up with my constant nagging - Cheryl Wanless, Peter Danzey, Chris Pilkinton, Craig Freeman, Martin Young, Colin Stevens, Maggie Danzey, Jean Osmond, Matthew Faithorn, Dean Pooley, Tony Pilcher, Peter Norton, Ed Miller, Graham McQueen, Sherine Whittle, Albert Poole, Harry Houckham and Chris Wigley.

We are also very fortunate to have attracted such a fantastic group of sponsors to the club and I would like to place on record my thanks for the support of Steve Fleming of Mitsubishi Electric, Angela and Steve Middleton and Steve Sutherland of MiddletonMurray, Paul Wood and Steve Gray of Sykes Pumps – and not forgetting all our Fleet business partners and match sponsors.

We must not forget the fine contribution of our turnstile operators, programme sellers, the Fleet Trust, our caterers and stewarding staff and

EUFC THANKS ITS SPONSORS AND PARTNERS FOR 2014-15

Acknowledging the team behind the teamDave Archer

GENERAL MANAGER

I would like to thank them all for their efforts this season.

Last but by no means least I’d like to thank the board of directors of Ebbsfleet United who continue to support me and my team in everything we try to achieve. And finally a personal and special thanks to my executive vice chairman Peter Varney for giving me the opportunity to work for this wonderful club and its superb fans.

And so we have one final opportunity to enjoy a game of football at our season finale! A warm welcome to Mike Sears of Sealey’s, today’s match sponsors, along with Steve Gray and the team from Sykes Pumps and FFT who have kindly taken our match ball and programme sponsorships. We hope they have an enjoyable day with us. That just leaves me to say once again thank you all for your fantastic support home and away this season. I hope you have a great summer and we all look forward to welcoming you back to a changing Stonebridge Road in August. Up the Fleet!

i Thank you one all... and have a great summer break!

BStortford 38-48.indd 43 23/04/2015 13:29


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Anthony Acheampong

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Theo Lewis

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Leo Mazzone

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Alex Osborn

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Sean Shields

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Michael West

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Matt Godden

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Danny Kedwell

Full kit sponsored byJohn Moore

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Kelvin Langmead

Full kit sponsored by Peter Varney Associates Ltd.

Many thanks to all our sponsors for their valuable backing this season. We hope you enjoy the Presentation Evening when you will receive your signed shirt and football from your chosen player(s).

We are also very happy to take bookings for next season. Anyone who wants to sponsor a player for 2015/16, or simply enquire, please contact Dave Archer on 01474 533796 or email him via [email protected]

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Joe Howe

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Aiden Palmer

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Charlie Sheringham

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BStortford 38-48.indd 46 23/04/2015 13:29


www.eufc.co.uk

��CommunityMatters

C L U B D I R E C T O R

Always look forwardStuart Butler-Gallie

C O M M U N I T Y S P O N S O R

A s we try to secure the right formula for success on and off the pitch, ever mindful that

our ultimate aim is to entertain (and win), the Fleet will continue to strive for closer links with the wider Community. Over the close season we will be providing our partners at The Gr@nd with the opportunity to use the fantastic pitch at Stonebridge Road during the corporate pitch-hire period, being promoted by Dave Archer, as part of their Fit to Football programme aimed at getting men back to football as part of a healthy living plan.

EUFC is also in discussions with Gravesham Borough Council to assist in the forthcoming Gravesham in Bloom competition. The council is looking for volunteers to help make the borough look even more beautiful.

The South & South East in Bloom campaign is the largest horticultural campaign in the region, involving hundreds of communities each year. There is an annual competition which is judged in July. In the last two years Gravesham has been

awarded silver gilt awards. This year the Council is going for gold. Our discussions involve taking control of the Stonebridge Road roundabout immediately outside the ground and working with our friends at No Walls Gardens to turn this into a colourful Fleet badge using appropriately coloured bedding plants.

My hope is that the bureaucracy of having to get Kent County Council consent first will not delay this before the Gravesham in Bloom Competition. Look out for any requests for volunteers on

the website over the forthcoming weeks.

Over the summer we will be putting together our Community Engagement Plan for next season and beyond and will be looking forward to being able to use what will be a great new facility for all as part of the new stand development. Enjoy your break from regular visits to Stonebridge Road (which I know seems to stretch ahead for weeks) and please contact the club with any Community Projects you are involved in that you would like us to know about.

i Over the summer months we will be getting involved in the Gravesham In Bloom initiative and aiming to turn the Stonebridge Road roundabout into a fl oral Fleet badge. The image above is taken from one of last year’s roundabout schemes in Bath Street

BStortford 38-48.indd 47 23/04/2015 13:29

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��PostScript

Squad StatsPLAYER APPS GOALS APPS GOALS

ACHEAMPONG, Anthony 33 (+1) 1 50 (+1) 3

BONNER, Tom 13 0 13 0

BRICKNELL, Billy 17 (+8) 10 62 (+19) 31

CLARK, Kenny 35 2 35 2

COOK, Anthony 29 (+2) 6 83 (+3) 19

CORCORAN, Michael 7 (+3) 0 27 (+17) 0

CUNNINGTON, Adam 16 (+1) 8 16 (+1) 8

DAY, Jamie 1 0 1 0

EDWARDS, Preston 19 0 201 0

FISH, Matt 14 0 14 0

FRASER, Tommy 3 (+2) 0 3 (+2) 0

GODDEN, Matt 28 (+8) 12 38 (+9) 17

GOWER, Mark 0 (+3) 0 0 (+3) 0

HALL, Brandon 29 (+1) 0 35 (+2) 0

HOWE, Joe 27 (+1) 0 171 (+30) 5

HUKE, Shane 12 (+8) 0 32 (+10) 4

JEFFORD, Ben 8 (+1) 0 8 (+1) 0

JOHNSON, Casey 0 (+1) 0 0 (+1) 0

JOHNSON, Matt 28 (+8) 1 28 (+8) 1

KEDWELL, Danny 13 (+2) 4 13 (+2) 4

KIERNAN, Brendan 7 (+7) 1 7 (+7) 1

LANGMEAD, Kelvin 13 (+1) 0 13 (+1) 0

LEWIS, Stuart 18 1 18 1

LEWIS, Theo 15 (+2) 1 15 (+2) 1

McMAHON, Daryl 27 (+1) 7 80 (+4) 19

MARSH, Tyrone 7 (+6) 0 7 (+6) 0

MAZZONE, Leo 0 0 0 (+1) 0

MILLER-NEAVE, Karn 0 (+2) 1 0 (+2) 1

OSBORN, Alex 9 (+8) 0 47 (+22) 9

PALMER, Aiden 18 (+2) 1 74 (+2) 5

POOLEY, Dean 7 (+4) 0 73 (+16) 1

RANCE, Dean 24 (+1) 1 69 (+7) 4

ROONEY, Luke 5 0 5 0

SANDERSON, Jordan 1 (+2) 0 1 (+2) 0

SESSEGNON, Chris 13 (+4) 1 36 (+21) 1

SHERINGHAM, Charlie 19 (+3) 10 19 (+3) 10

SHIELDS, Sean 13 (+5) 1 13 (+5) 1

TRACEY, Shilow 0 (+1) 0 0 (+1) 0

TURNER, Jamie 0 (+1) 0 93 (+1) 0

WEST, Michael 0 (+4) 1 120 (+22) 33

2014-15 EUFC CAREER TOTALSLEAGUE & CUP RECORDS:

Weird & Wonderful

In-Sepp-arable!It appears there really is no shifting the ever-slippery Sepp Blatter as president of FIFA.

The much-criticised 79-year-old Swiss, who has held the office since 1998 amid increasingly vociferous calls for him to stand down, is once again running in the forthcoming 2015 FIFA presidential elections.

Having conveniently triumphed in the 2011 election (by means of being unopposed as the other candidates had been suspended or otherwise withdrawn), Blatter then promised he would not run again in 2015.

That, however, appears not to be the case now we’re actually in 2015 and Blatter recently gathered glowing recommendations from 10 federations while the other candidates (including Luis Figo) received precisely none at a recent CONCACAF (American & Caribbean) congress.

Nowhere was the praise for Blatter more glowing than from the Dominican federation, whose representative Osiris Guzman compared the FIFA president to no less historical figures than Moses, Abraham Lincoln, Winston Churchill, Martin Luther King and Nelson Mandela. Oh, and Jesus.

They’re perhaps not the first people you think of when you hear Sepp Blatter’s name, but full credit to the man himself for seemingly extending the length of his reign to one many dictators would probably kill for.

A look at quirky or heart– warming tales from the wider world of football...

BStortford 38-48.indd 50 23/04/2015 13:29

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MatchOffi cials Referee Sam Purkiss Assistants Andreas Anastasiou Lee Forrester

Today’sFixturesChelmsford C v Boreham WFarnborough v Concord RGosport Borough v BromleyHavant & W v WhitehawkHayes & Yeading v St Albans CHemel H’stead v Eastbourne BStaines Town v Bath CitySutton Utd v Maidenhead UtdWeston-s-Mare v Basingstoke

Next Up AtStonebridge Rd

That’s all folks..!

Thank you very much for your support throughout 2014/15.

Have a happy and healthy summer and we hope to

welcome you all back for the 2015/16 campaign.

Ebbsfl eetUnited

Bishop’sStortford

Anthony ACHEAMPONGTom BONNERKenny CLARK Adam CUNNINGTONPreston EDWARDS (GK)Matt FISHMatt GODDENMark GOWERBrandon HALL (GK)Lloyd HARRINGTONJoe HOWECasey JOHNSONMatt JOHNSONDanny KEDWELLBrendan KIERNANKelvin LANGMEADStuart LEWIS (C)Theo LEWISTyrone MARSHLeo MAZZONEAlex OSBORNAiden PALMERDean POOLEYDean RANCELuke ROONEYJordan SANDERSONCharlie SHERINGHAM Sean SHIELDSJamie TURNER (GK)Michael WEST

Manager Rod Stringer

{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{

George ALLENAdam BAILEY-DENNISMarcel BARRINGTONAnthony CHURCH (C)Anthony EDGARAnthony FURLONGEMatt GILL (GK)Rickie HAYLESJohnny HERDJake LARKINS (GK) Kenzer LEEBen MARLOWFrankie MERRIFIELD Ashley MILLERGreg PEARSONConnor PETERSSheldon SELLEARSJoe TABIRIJames WALKER

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© Ebbsfl eet United Football Club. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced by any means without the written permission of the copyright owners. The views expressed within this magazine are not necessarily those of Ebbsfl eet United Football Club

MATCH RESULT: H / T: �� F/ T: �� ATTENDANCE: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

SCORERS: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

BOOKINGS: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

��Teamsheet

Offi cials Sam Purkiss Andreas Anastasiou

27-21GOALS F / A

Won 6Drawn 4

Lost 4

Bishop’s StortfordHead-to-head

BStortford 38-48.indd 52 23/04/2015 13:29

v bishop's stortford, 25/04/15

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