To quote that old 70s Glam Rock Classic ‘Hello, hello. It’s good to be back, it’s good to be back. Yes the eagerly awaited return to competitive football and fans being allowed back in (albeit limited) after what has been some eventful and worrying times the Country has faced for some considerable time. First let me pay respects to two people with whom I had a lot of dealings with the SSML, Mike Appleby and Isaac Jempeji, both of whom we lost to the Coronavirus, such a tragedy and great loss, they will be missed. We also lost John Thompson (Management Committee) may they all Rest in Peace. The enforced ending of last season and the summer break has seen the SSML lose two clubs, FC Broxbourne Borough have due to current circumstances decided to end adult football while Unite MK have merged with Milton Keynes Robins to become Milton Keynes Irish. The league does have one new club this season as Berkhamsted Comrades join Division Two. May I also welcome Chris Hartley, the new referee appointing officer for Divisions One and Two. However some things remain unchanged and I still have to deal with that Grumpy Old Woman from Biggleswade (currently enjoying life in quarantine following her recent holiday) and that pain in the arse at Oxhey Jets, just kidding, my job would be extremely boring without you and the many other hard working volunteers that keep our clubs ticking over at grassroots levels.
MONDAY 31st AUGUST/TUESAY 1st SEPTEMBER/WEDNESDAY 2nd SEPTEMBER
MIDWEEK HEADLINES
The new campaign kicked off with the chance to dream of gracing that hallowed turf in Greater London as all the 21 Premier Division clubs and 4 lucky lottery winners from Division One sought glory in the Emirates FA Cup. Two cases of giant-killing both involved all SSML ties that saw Division One Clubs defeating Premier Division clubs. Eynesbury Rovers were top scorers in a goal feast at The Alfred Hall Memorial Field, the hosts scoring seven for the third time in their FA Cup history. Harefield United recorded their best FA Cup result with a 5-2 win on their travels while Broadfields United equalled their best ever FA Cup result. Tring Athletic suffered their fifth successive Extra Preliminary round defeat while the wins for Edgware Town and Oxhey Jets saw both clubs in the Preliminary Round for the first time in four years. The top three crowds for SSML clubs playing at home all featured Division One clubs.
Midweek Stats: 22 games played of which 12 were home wins, 6 away wins and 4 draws.
Highest Attendances: 285 Winslow United v Newport Pagnell Town, 236 New Salamis v Colney Heath and 210 Park View v Hashtag United.
THE EMIRATES FA CUP Extra Preliminary Round
Just like fine dining the Emirates FA Cup served up a starter (Monday), main course (Tuesday) and a dessert (Wednesday). On Monday night London Colney travelled to Woodford Town and got off to a flyer when taking the lead after 8 minutes however the hosts hit back to level on the half hour before securing the tie with two second half goals. Having wetted our appetite we were treated to a welcomed banquet 24 hours later, Division One side Winslow United, in front of the large crowd, made it into the Preliminary Round for the first time when coming from behind to defeat Premier Division side Newport Pagnell Town by the odd goal in three. New Salamis marked their debut in the competition in fine style with a solitary goal success over Premier Division Colney Heath, this being the first time in six years the Heath have exited the competition this early. Goals were certainly on the menu in the first half at both Eynesbury Rovers and Wroxham, for Arlesey Town the long midweek trek to Wroxham will be one to forget in a hurry as the hosts raced into a 5-0 lead at the break however that was it as the second half proved uneventful. For Eynesbury Rovers it was a case of playing first half catch-up as visitors Desborough Town edged ahead three times to lead 3-2 at the break, but the second half proved a different story as the hosts it five with reply to win 7-3 equalling their highest number of goals scored in a FA Cup tie (7-1 v Hitchin Town 1951/52 and Halstead Town 1995/96). Harefield United were another of our clubs who faced a long midweek journey (god forbid if the SSML fixture secretary was to send them to North Bedfordshire on a Tuesday night), the Hares travelled to Gloucestershire and an encounter with Hellenic League side Tuffley Rovers, with a hat-trick from Richard Pacquette the highlight of the 5-2 win the journey home was certainly one to savour. Further travelling successes came with Harpenden Town and Potton United, the former winning 2-0 at Redbridge while Potton enjoyed a 1-0 win at Peterborough Northern Star. Broadfields United and Leighton Town both enjoyed 3-0 wins, Broadfields defeating visiting Loxwood (thus equalling their best ever FA Cup result) whilst Leighton saw off visiting Abingdon United. Having entertained Sky Sports at Second Meadow where the club unveiled new signing Nacho Novo (formerly with Glasgow Rangers) Biggleswade United set off on their long midweek excursion to face Woodbridge Town, where it took a last gasp equalizer from Charisma Agyemang to send the tie to penalties with the SSML side winning 7-6, with the secretary from Biggleswade United hiding behind the sofa unable to watch the final spot kick. Another penalty shoot-out drama was seen at Ardley United where after a goalless game Edgware Town booked a date in the Preliminary Round with a 6-5 spot kick win. In an all Premier Division SSML affair Leverstock Green overcame Wembley 3-1 while Oxhey Jets recorded a solitary goal success against visiting Bishop’s Cleeve to complete the list of Tuesday night SSML winners. Alas it is a case of putting those new suits back and cancelling the open top bus parade in May for Aylesbury Vale Dynamos, Tring Athletic, North Greenford United and London Lions. Wednesday night’s dessert menu proved to be slim pickings as the SSML celebrated just one more success, hosts Dunstable Town winning on penalties against Thame Rangers after a last gasp equalizer from the home side. FA Cup debutants Park View being edged out by the odd goal in three at home against Hashtag United while Crawley Green were well beaten at West Essex and Baldock Town failed in a penalty shoot-out against visiting St Margaretsbury. Full results and goalscorers are listed below.
3-1 Woodford Town v London Colney (Parrott [2], Rama) / (Kalil-Diawara) Attendance: 247
0-0 [5-6 pens] Ardley United v Edgware Town Attendance: 123
1-2 Aylesbury Vale Dynamos v Windsor (Ramsey) / (Montague [2] [1 pen]) Attendance: 143
3-0 Broadfields United v Loxwood (Lewis-Robinson, Anderson-Richards, Harewood) Attendance: 75
2-0 Easington Sports v Tring Athletic (Bowden, Walton) Attendance: 90
7-3 Eynesbury Rovers v Desborough Town (Hatch [3], Daniel [2] [1 pen], Brown, Osei-Addo) / (Gladman [2], Wells) Attendance: 132
3-0 Leighton Town v Abingdon United (@ Barton Rovers FC) (McClelland [2], Towell) Attendance: 129
3-1 Leverstock Green v Wembley (Weeks, Smith, Mannion) / (Ibraham) Attendance: 111
1-0 New Salamis v Colney Heath (Portou) Attendance: 236
1-2 North Greenford United v Brimscombe & Thrupp (Mills [pen]) / (Smith, Barnes) Attendance: 118
1-0 Oxhey Jets v Bishop’s Cleeve (Cameron) Attendance: 110
0-1 Peterborough Northern Star v Potton United (Pyman) Attendance: 97
0-2 Redbridge v Harpenden Town (Anthony, Rickman) Attendance: 134
2-5 Tuffley Rovers v Harefield United (Mann, Birkett) / (Pacquette [3], Farhall, McCorkell) Attendance: 144
3-2 Walthamstow v London Lions (Osei, Scully, Dash) / (Kyte [2]) Attendance: 292
2-1 Winslow United v Newport Pagnell Town (Coles, Freshwater [pen]) / (Burnside) Attendance: 285
2-2 [6-7 pens] Woodbridge Town v Biggleswade United (Ray, Southgate) / (Agyemang, Parkinson [pen]) Attendance: 207
5-0 Wroxham v Arlesey Town (Cooper, Spooner, Huckerby, Taylor, Miles) Attendance: 235
2-2 [2-4 pens] Baldock Town v St Margaretsbury (Piggott, Furness) / (Roberts, Partridge) Attendance: 140
1-1 [5-4 pens] Dunstable Town v Thame Rangers (Unknown) / (Prudden) Attendance: 137
1-2 Park View v Hashtag United (James) / (Snith [pen], Aromolaran) Attendance: 210
6-3 West Essex v Crawley Green (@ Redbridge FC) (Mignot [4], Taylor, Woodbridge) / (Draycott, Watson, Ingham) Attendance: 152
AND FINALLY
For one club there was a sett-back before a ball was kicked this week, a family of badgers took up residence at Leighton Town thus the club had to move its Extra Preliminary Round tie to neighbouring Barton Rovers FC.
Back on the air-waves this Sunday it’s the Non-League Show on Three Counties Radio (Herts, Beds & Bucks), a show all about local non-league football. The popular show presented by Ollie Bayliss has been increased to two hours each week and moves to a new day and time, every Sunday afternoon from 2.00pm – 4.00pm and is the perfect opportunity to catch up with our local non-league scene at all levels.
25 SSML clubs took part on FA Cup action and 13 progressed to the Preliminary Round. Some other stats for you:-
FA Cup 2020/21 Extra Preliminary Round Review
First time in Preliminary Round ever
Winslow United (3rd campaign)
Equalling best run to Preliminary Round
Broadfields United (3 campaigns)
First time in Preliminary Round in a while
4 years – Edgware Town, Oxhey Jets
Into Preliminary Round and long time since last KO in Extra Preliminary Round
10 years – Dunstable Town
First time Knocked Out in Extra Preliminary Round for a while
11 years – North Greenford United
6 years – Colney Heath (5 campaigns)
Consecutive Extra Preliminary Round KOs
5 – Tring Athletic
Source FA Cup Factfile