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Cast your mind back two years and think back to our FA Vase match that year. You may recall Hadley played a team called Enfield in the Second Qualifying Round on a fairly bright day at Brickfield Lane. For 90 minutes the Bricks bombarded the Enfield goal. Chance, after chance, after chance. But we simply could not score. And what happened? You guessed it, the away side snatched a goal and we lost the match 1-0 and departed the Vase for the year.
Fast forward to the present day and we welcome another side from Enfield to Brickfield Lane in the Second Qualifying Round in the FA Vase. This time it is Enfield Borough, who play their trade in the Spartan South Midland League Division One, and who were only established in 2016. A different club, and hopefully a different result!
Our visitors do actually play their matches in the London Borough of Barnet, at Wingate and Finchley’s home ground. They come to Brickfield Lane having had a rather eventful start to their season. The four competitive games they have played in so far have seen 21 goals scored, of which they have netted nine. It has rained goals in their games, just over five per match on average, and at the risk of cursing it, one suspects there will be a few scored today. By which team, who knows.
Our visitors' most impressive outing came in the previous round of this competition. They dispatched Tower Hamlets, who play at the same level of the non-league as us, at home, winning 3-2. It was even more impressive given Enfield Borough went down to 10 men. Two goals from Richard Ennin and a goal from Frankie Chandler were enough to seal their place in the next round.
It would be fair to describe Borough’s league form as patchy. They followed up their Vase match with a 2-5 home defeat to Bedford, but then won 3-0 at home to Amersham Town. Their last match saw them lose 5-1 away to a strong Buckingham Athletic side. Based on their alternate win loss record, they are due a victory today, although we will do our best to avoid that!
This will not be an easy game. Whilst Borough reside a step below Hadley in the non-league pyramid, they have already defeated a side at our level, and following our exit at the hands of MK Robins last year, we know that there are some excellent sides playing the level below. Borough clearly have an appetite for goal, and they have yet to fail to score in a match. Once again, our defence will need to be on its toes.
Having lost to a side bearing the name Enfield two years ago, we do not want to do so again. It’s time to put that memory to bed. Win today and we are a step closer to Wembley.
COMMEEE ONN YOOUUUU BRRIIICKKKKSSSS!
Match Preview by Oliver Deed
On Saturday, it is a case of fourth meets fifth in the Essex Senior League as Hadley travel to Hoddesdon. Unlike most of our opposition this season, we have a long history with Hoddesdon Town and it is a ground that we know well. In fact, a league commentator dubbed this a “Retro Spartan” tie, which feels apt. Question is, who, in this modern day story, will act as the defeated Athenians and who will take the spoils and rise like the Spartans of two millennia ago?
These are two teams closely matched on paper. Hadley lie fourth with nine points from four games, and Hoddesdon Town are fifth with nine points from five. Our opponents have scored 13 goals in their last three matches, which included a 5-3 win at home to Enfield and a 5-2 away win at Ilford. It would be fair to say, they score goals. 10 goals in two matches. That is a lively record in anyone’s book. This will be a test for the defence – Town are unafraid to throw their punches.
Cyrus Babaie has been responsible for five of their goals this season, but rumour reaches these shores that Blue Gallagher and Liam Mulligan are dangerous propositions as well. With options in midfield and attack, Hoddesdon Town are a side full of vim and vigour, ready to challenge at the higher echelons of the table. For Hadley, life is a little more difficult when a side has more than one point of attack and Town clearly have a few, so the Bricks defence will have to be on their toes.
At the other end, Town do leak the occasional goal. They have conceded 18 goals in seven matches, including three goals against league leaders Cockfosters, Takeley, West Essex and Enfield. The philosophy seems to be, you score five, we score six, which is an admirable and highly entertaining way to play football. If you are a neutral, Hoddesdon Town is the place to head, as there have been 38 goals in seven matches involving our opponents so far this season – an average of more than five so far!
Therefore, we are expecting a few blows to be exchanged at Lowfield on Saturday. This will not be the “shock and awe” war advocated by the neoconservatives that used to run the US Government in the early naughties. This 90-minute war will surely involve the exchange of blows, in the form of goals and tackles, followed by the triumph of a victor without peace terms being agreed. But who will be the Spartans? Time will tell.
Match Preview by Oliver Deed
They do not come much harder than this. Hadley make the journey north to face high-flying Stansted, who come into the fixture fresh from dishing out a 5-0 thrashing to Southend Manor on Saturday. If one were to use an aviation analogy, this game will be as difficult as landing a plane in strong crosswinds.
Whatever way you look at it, this will be a tough fixture for the Bricks. Not only are Stansted unbeaten this season. They have won all but one of their seven matches this season which has seen them climb to third in the Essex Senior League behind Cockfosters and Hashtag United, and progress to FA Cup Second Qualifying Round where they will play Peterborough Sports. By anyone’s standard that is an outstanding start and the Airportmen will want to maintain their momentum.
So, what is the story of their success? Goals. They score goals. Lots of them. 16 and counting so far. They also do not concede many either, having kept clean sheets in their last four outings. Football can be a simple game at times. If you score goals and you do not concede them, you will win lots of matches.
Back in early September, the Airportmen opened their campaign with a thrilling 3-2 victory over our previous opponents, Takeley, in the FA Cup Extra-Preliminary Round. Having dispatched Basildon United in the Preliminary Round, they progressed to the Second Qualifying Round last Tuesday with an impressive 1-0 victory away at Coggeshall Town FC, who play a division above. That will be the first time Stansted have appeared at the Second Qualifying Round of the competition, since 1997-98, which has clearly been a boon to the Airportmen’s league form.
In the league, their most impressive victory came a few weeks back, away at early title favourites Walthamstow, where two goals from Jordan Palmer were enough to secure the points. With a draw at home to Clapton (2-2) and a win away at Enfield (1-0), they have maintained an unbeaten league record and only dropped two points in the process. Saturday’s 5-0 win at home to Southend Manor established their credentials as early challengers for the league.
The goals have been spread out among the players. Jack Mitchell leads the scoring charts with three goals so far this season and five of his colleagues, including Palmer have notched twice this season. George Moorse scored two in the five-goal victory on Saturday and, with his confidence sky high, he could be one to watch tonight. They are captained by imperious centre-back Billy Coyne, who also scored on Saturday, and has been an important part of the defence that has not conceded in four matches. The Stansted squad are one that must be full of confidence, with big contributions from several members.
This is one of the most intriguing matches of the midweek schedule in the Essex Senior League. These are two sides that will hope to be competing at the top of the table come the end of the season and a victory for either will lay down a marker to the rest of the league. Hadley, who struggled last season in midweek away fixtures, will be hoping for a repeat of the Hullbridge Sports game which saw the Bricks win 2-0 on a dreaded Tuesday night away day in early September.
Lose this match and the Brick’s season will be temporarily grounded. Repeat the Hullbridge Sports exploits and it will be take-off for the Bricks, no matter how strong the crosswinds are.
Match Preview by Oliver Deed
Think about this for a second. Competitive football has been back for under a month. I must admit, it does feel slightly longer but, alas, we did not get back at it until 1 September away at Hullbridge Sports. Since then we have played five times, including some adventures in the two FA competitions we are lucky enough to have enter. By the end of September, we would have played seven times. It is good to have football back and one can only hope it remains although the Prime Minister might have other ideas!
The sixth match of the season will take place at Brickfield Lane as we welcome Takeley, who make the trip down from the very heart of Essex. Our opponents have had a tricky start to the season and have yet to win in their five matches to date. In large part that is down to the opposition. They have faced title favourites Hashtag United twice already this season, once in the league and once in the cup, and they opened the season against Stansted who have had a brilliant start. They would have been disappointed not to have secure three points away at West Essex but can take solace in the fact they have scored in every game to date. They even score three times at home to Hoddesdon, only to lose 3-4 in what was clearly a bit of a thriller.
For those of you with good memories, you will recall Takeley were one of the sides competing at the top of the table, not far behind the top four. They were a team with a lot of quality, and we were lucky to escape Station Road with a 2-0 win last season.
Sadly, we never got to play the return fixture at Brickfield Lane, so this will be only the second fixture between the two sides. The Takeley squad has had something of an overhaul in the summer and last season top scorer Bryn Thorpe is no longer at the club. However, Nicholas Barrett who bagged 10 goals last season does remain and should he play, he will be one to watch. So far Takeley have scored seven goals and seven different scorers, so that is a hard one to unpack. Basically, if you are a Hadley player, you need to watch absolutely everyone!
From a Hadley perspective, the victory in the Homophone Derby was the perfect tonic to our two previous league defeats. We were comfortable throughout the match and we deserved the 2-0 victory, which came through quickfire goals from Luke Alfano and Alfie Bartram. Luke has been superb so far this season, scoring three times already, and Alfie showed everyone what he is capable with a man of the match performance. Long may all this continue. Takeley will hope to secure their first win this season and the Bricks will hope we can maintain their 100% home record. To five wins in seven in September would be a good return for the month. And if the Prime Minister pulls the plug on the season, that is not a bad record for the season! Although, lets hope it does not come to that.
COMMME ON YOUUU BRRIICCKKSSS!
Match Preview by Oliver Deed
The Oxford English Dictionary defines a homophone as the following: “Each of two or more words having the same pronunciation but different meanings, origins, or spelling, for example new and knew”. When this FA Vase tie was published it would be fair to say that some of the more eccentric among us were quite excited. Would this be the first instance of a “Homophone Derby” in English football? That is a question to which your correspondent has yet to find an answer, but the research is, one promises, ongoing.
Hadley welcome Hadleigh United to Brickfield Lane for the First Round Qualifying of the FA Vase. The Brettsiders make the journey down from south Suffolk with the metaphorical wind behind them. They sit pretty at the top of the Eastern Counties League Premier Division having won three of their opening four league fixtures. A disappointing pair of losses in the FA Cup and the opening league fixture of the season, have been followed up by three wins in three, including two on the road. On Tuesday night they put Haverhill Rovers to the sword and won 3-0 at home to claim top spot in the league. Only time will tell whether they can hang onto that position, but this has been a promising start.
The goals have been spread around the team so far this season, although Joel Glover and Joseph Yaxley have both bagged three to date. Glover was Hadleigh’s top scorer last season netting 17 times which was an impressive return from a striker playing in a side that were 19th in the table when the season was abruptly halted. Manager Christian Appleford will be hopeful Glover can continue in his rich vein of form, and the usually miserly Bricks defence will have to be watchful of Hadleigh United’s key goalscorer.
What of their recent form in the FA Vase? Last season, the Brettsiders were knocked out by Leighton Town in their first game in the competition, which is something Hadley supporters who witnessed the match against MK Robins last year can relate to! Looking further back, they do have pedigree in this competition having made the last 16 of the competition back in the 1994/95 season which they then bettered in the 2012/13 by making the Quarter Finals. United were eventually knocked out by Tunbridge Wells on, what must have been, an amazing day out for the club’s players, supporters and officials.
With both sides out of the FA Cup, the Vase represents the final chance for cup glory and a visit to Wembley. For Hadleigh United, this is an opportunity to piece together a run like that witnessed eight years ago. For Hadley, this is an opportunity to right some wrongs from our recent history. In the past two seasons, the Bricks have been dumped out of the competition by Enfield and Milton Keynes Robins at the first time of asking and we have never progressed beyond the Second Round. It also provides an opportunity to regain some of the momentum that has been lost in the defeats to Hashtag United and FC Clacton.
Oh, and there is that little matter of who will triumph in England’s first Homophone Derby (we think). Maintaining the dream of a trip to Wembley and securing etymological bragging rights are at stake. So with that in mind, all that is left to say is:
COMMME ON YOUUU BRRIICCKKSSS!
Match Preview by Oliver Deed
On Saturday 15 May 2021, two sides will walk out at Wembley Stadium to contest the 140th final of the FA Cup. Since the competition began, it has been won by 43 different sides and contested by a further 14. It would be a very considerable stretch to think either Hadley or FC Clacton will add their names to the roll call of clubs who have graced the final, but that will not stop them from wanting to win this FA Cup Preliminary Round tie and take a step closer to the impossible.
This is, on paper at least, a meeting of equals. Both sides ply their trade at Step Five of the non-league pyramid. FC Clacton, also known as the Seasiders, play in the Eastern Counties League Premier Division where they have been for over a decade now. When the pandemic hit last season, they were firmly rooted in midtable, troubling neither the relegation nor promotion spots. Like the Bricks, they have chalked up a win and a loss in their league campaign so far this season (both are 6th place at the time of writing) and the Seasiders won on the road to secure their berth in the Preliminary Round of the FA Cup. Two second half goals from Mekhi McKenzie and Charlie Thompson were enough to knock out Hoddesdon Town two weeks ago.
In recent years, our hosts have not had a particularly good time of it in the FA Cup. The last time they progressed past this stage of the competition was in 2013/14. That season, the Seasiders progressed to the Second Qualifying Round and took North Greenford United to a replay before succumbing to a 3-1 away defeat. Last season the club exited at the hands of Step Four side Witham Town who needed a replay and extra time to beat FC Clacton in the Preliminary Qualifying Round. This effort was all the more valiant, given Clacton had been reduced to ten men in the 17th minute in the replay. They will hope for a more straightforward fixture this year.
Who should the Bricks look out for? Mekhi McKenzie and Jordan Lartey have returned for another season at the Austin Arena, with both bagging 12 goals last season in the white and blue. McKenzie’s name has been on the scoresheet twice already this season and Lartey will be hoping to open his account for the season. Midfielder Charlie Thompson has also notched twice this season and he will be one to watch in the middle of the park. The Seasiders are managed by Tom Austin who was first appointed in February 2018. In his first full season as manager, FC Clacton finished 6th in the league, constituting the club’s highest finish in 15 years. In his second full season Austin had guided FC Clacton to 11th place before the season was null and voided due to the pandemic. He will be hoping to build on a successful start as FC Clacton manager and progressing to the next stage of the FA Cup would form a constituent part of that success should they beat the Bricks on Saturday.
For both sides, the match represents an opportunity to bounce straight back from recent league defeats. Whilst Hadley were beaten by Hashtag United on Monday night, FC Clacton suffered a 2-1 home defeat to top of the table Brantham Athletic. 2-0 down at half-time, the home side pulled one back in the 50th minute through winger Finley Caro but they were unable to find the equaliser resulting in their first loss of the season. There is no better opportunity to move on than by winning an early season FA Cup fixture.
So, it is off to the seaside we go. The sun will shine, the fish and chips will impress, and the beers will flow. For the Bricks, a seaside visit is a rarity and is, possibly, the highlight of any FA Cup campaign in lieu of a final appearance at Wembley. As John Glover-Kind once wrote, in a song popularised by Mark Sheridan, “Oh! I do like to be beside the seaside! I do like to be beside the sea! Oh I do like to stroll along the Prom, Prom, Prom! Where the brass bands play, "Tiddely-om-pom-pom!". Glover-Kind should have added something about enjoying it even more when you win an FA Cup tie, an outcome us Bricks will be hoping for come 5pm on Saturday. All it leaves me to say is...
COMMME ON YOUUU BRRIICCKKSSS!
Match Preview by Oliver Deed
As the football season nears its end, pundits and commentators often dub matches between two sides battling for the title, or against relegation, as “six-pointers”, to denote the importance of the occasion. It is unusual to see a fixture at the start of the season described as such, but Hadley’s visit to Hashtag United has that sort of feel to it.
Why, you might ask? Well, three reasons. Last season, both sides were in the top four when the pandemic struck, with Hashtag United looking like a good bet to secure promotion. Added to that, the two matches between these sides were pulsating affairs. Both ended 2-1 to the home side, with the margin of victory reflecting the tight nature of each match. Last but not least, both sides have got off to flying starts this season having won their FA Cup fixtures, and opened their league accounts with 4-0 home wins, which left Hadley top by virtue of alphabetical order. If that pretext does not whet your appetite nothing will.
Hashtag Untied have been on a meteoric rise since they were established in 2016. Founded by YouTuber Spencer Owen, the club has accumulated a large social media following and joined the Eastern Counties League Division One South in the 2018-19 season. Under the stewardship of Jay Devereux, the Tags won promotion to the Essex Senior League at the first time of asking. When last season was abandoned, they were second in the league, only a point behind Saffron Walden Town, with three games in hand. Had the season been settled on a points per game basis, they would have been secured their second promotion in a row and deservedly so.
Putting football to one side for a moment, it is fair to say Hashtag United’s decision to join the footballing pyramid was not universally welcomed by a minority of non-league traditionalists, some of whom considered the club to be a bit of a celebrity circus, given the context within which they were founded. This could not be further from the truth. There are still those who find their presence in the pyramid slightly jarring. Yes, their founding was slightly unorthodox, but that is irrelevant now they have entered their third season in the pyramid.
In fact, Hashtag United have been a very welcome addition to the Essex Senior League and to non-league football in general. Through their excellently crafted social media output, the club have raised the profile of non-league football among a generation of people whose primary online consumption consists of YouTube videos and a host of social media platforms like Instagram and Twitter. Their home gates always hover above the 200 mark (sometimes tipping 300), and it is a pleasure to host or visit them, as their management team and support staff conduct themselves impeccably. Many of the hundreds of thousands of viewers of their videos would not engage with non-league football without Hashtag United, so the club have brought a new audience to the game. Surely, you can only conclude the following; the non-league game would be poorer without Hashtag United involved.
Back to the football. This match is likely to be a terrific one for the neutral. Both sides like to play attacking football and score goals. Hadley have scored six goals in two matches, as have Hashtag. Both sides also got through their FA Cup Extra Preliminary Round matches. For the Tags, that was a notable achievement as they beat Park View 2-1 to win their very first fixture in the competition. They followed that up on Saturday with a 4-0 win at home to Ilford. George Smith (remember him), Toby Aromolaran, Lee Hursit and Ross Gleed were all on the scoresheet.
The prolific George Smith continues to be the Hashtag dangerman. Last season he scored 26 goals in 34 appearances and he has already notched twice this season. Hadley are well aware of his quality, as he opened the scoring for the Tags at Brickfield Lane and scored both goals in their victory back in February. Smith’s supporting cast included the impressive Ross Gleed who will also be hoping to continue his form from last season. The addition of winger Toby Aromolaran, who joined the club having played for Tilbury and Coalville Town, has bolstered an already impressive squad. Keeping these three quiet will be a difficult but essential task if Hadley are to leave Bowers and Pitsea with the points tonight.
All in all, whichever way you look at it, this is an early season “six-pointer”. If one of these two sides can secure victory tonight, it will back up their excellent start to the season so far and send a real statement of intent to the rest of the league. Let us hope the mighty Bricks can do the business!
COMMME ON YOUUU BRRIICCKKSSS!
Match Preview by Oliver Deed
At the start of the season, fixtures come thick and fast. At the start of a pandemic affected season, the fixtures come thicker and faster. Following the terrific win at Hullbridge Sports in the FA Cup on Tuesday night, the Bricks welcome Woodford Town to Brickfield Lane in the first competitive home fixture since we beat West Essex 7-0 on 7th March. Oh, for that result again!
Woodford arrive at Brickfield Lane basking in the glow of their own FA Cup triumph against London Colney. After an impressive 3-1 win, in which ten-man Woodford came from behind to progress to the next stage of the competition, the Towners and their band of noisy ultras will arrive brimming with confidence. No one in the Woodford set up will be more confident than Sam Parrott whose brace against Colney proved decisive.
Turning back to last season, you can only describe it as something of a mixed one for the East Londoners. When the pandemic struck and play was abruptly halted, they were ninth in the table, sitting on 34 points, a full 23 points behind Hadley who lay five places higher in fourth spot. They were slightly better at home than away, having netted only 13 out of a possible 42 points on the road in the league. If the Towners are to compete for honours in the league this season, they will need to improve on that away record.
Much like Woodford, Hadley were better at home than away last season in the league. At Brickfield Lane, Anthony Clark’s side dropped only two pints out of a possible 42 (the two points dropped were against title-chasing Saffron Walden) remaining unbeaten all season. That constituted the best record in the league, as Hadley scored the most and conceded the fewest goals at home all season, playing some sensational football in the process. The Bricks defence really was miserly, conceding just five goals in 14 league fixtures, whilst at the other end, Hadley found the back of the net 52 times. Home is where the heart is if you play in red and black.
When the sides met at Brickfield Lane last November, two Luke Jupp goals, and a Solomon Ofori strike were enough to secure the three points and a comfortable 3-0 win for the Bricks. The Towners never really got going in that game, failing to match the energy of the ultras who had made the journey over from East London. When you consider Hadley scored, on average, just shy of four goals per league game at Brickfield Lane last season, the result was not a disaster from a Woodford perspective. Sadly, the pandemic put paid to the return fixture which had been scheduled for mid-April. This means Saturday’s match will be the second meeting between the two sides since the club adopted the Woodford Town name in 2017.
A new season brings new beginnings. A new season brings new imperatives. A new season brings new hopes. A strong start in the FA Cup has set up the prospect of a strong season for Woodford Town and Dee Safer and his side will hope they leave Brickfield Lane with three points in the bag. If they succeed, they will have to break down a side that just loves playing at home. The Bricks will be looking to maintain “Fortress Brickfield” and a record that last saw the side lose a Saturday home fixture in the league on 15th December 2018. Whatever happens, it is sure to be intriguing, and as the pace of fixtures intensifies, let's hope the Bricks can follow up on that terrific FA Cup win and hit the ground running in the league.
COMMME ON YOUUU BRRIICCKKSSS!
Match Preview by Oliver Deed
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