HERTFORD TOWN FC

OFFICIAL MATCHDAY PROGRAMME

Season 2019-20

HERTFORD TOWN V TOOTING & MITCHAM BetVictor League South Central Saturday August 17th 3pm

HERTFORD TOWN FC

TEMPORA MUTANUR NOS ET MUTAMUR ILLIS

BETVICTOR LEAGUE SOUTH CENTRAL

VS TOOTING & MITCHAMTHE ACRE CARS STADIUM SATURDAY AUGUST 17TH 3PM

2019/20 OFFICIAL MATCHDAY PROGRAMME

Welcome to the Acre Cars Stadium at Hertingfordbury Park to fans of Hertford Town and our visitors today Tooting & Mitcham for this long-awaited opening fixture of the 2019-20 season.

Today’s game also ushers in a new era for Hertford Town with a new manager (Ben Herd), many new players and a re-vamped and re-named ground.

We are optimistic that we have turned the corner after the turbulence of last season and that the forthcoming campaign will be an exciting one.

The backing of our fans last year was magnificent considering what a difficult season it was on and off the pitch and we hope to reward that loyalty with improved performances and an exciting brand of football.

Tooting & Mitcham are on e of the legends of the non-league scene and narrowly missed the pay-offs last season so this promises to be a tough game and a good gauge of how far we can go this season.

Enjoy the game and the season ahead Pete Hough Programme Editor

Welcome to The Acre Cars Stadium.

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Club details.

Today’s opponents.

New Dawn for Hertford Town FC.

Hertford Town FC held their Annual General Meet ing at Hertingfordbury Park on May 14th, after a turbulent year marked by problems on and off the pitch, with hopes high that a new era for the club was beginning. 2018-19 was a difficult season in which a chairman resigned, three different management teams took the helm, a rapid turnover of players occurred, mounting debts accrued and a close escape from relegation was only confirmed on the final day. As a consequence of this, the club have looked to turn the corner with a new, longer-term and sustainable strategy with more emphasis on nurturing young, local talent. Interim chair Pete Malady was thanked by the AGM attendees for stepping in to save the club- along with John Jones and Chris Eccles after the sudden resignation of the Chairman on New Years Eve 2018, soon followed by the manager and a mass exodus of players. Two subsequently management teams did well to stabilize things on the pitch and ultimately save the club from relegation but not of the pitch, where debts from player registrations and fines for ill-discipline soared. The AGM approved the appointment of new committee members and a new managerial team of Ben Herd- head of a successful local football academy with a long professional playing career behind him- assisted by fellow ex-pro and experienced youth coach Marc Sinfield. The new management team and committee are committed to a fresh vision for the club with more emphasis given to bringing through young players, balancing the books, improving discipline and building better relations with local clubs and the community. Ben Herd will be player-manager in the coming season and other experienced players will be recruited but the future footballing strategy will favour developing local young players over the ‘revolving door’ policy that has tended to dominate at this club and many others at this level in recent years. It is to be hoped that the loyal Hertford fans, who have backed the club brilliantly through adversity, will relish supporting a team with stronger local roots playing progressive football under a highly-rated young manager.

Talk of the town.

Fixtures.

Date Opponents Comp. Score Att. 1 2 3 4

Sat 17 Aug H Tooting & Mitcham Tue 20 Aug A Waltham AbbeyMon 26 Aug H BarkingSat 31 Aug A Hanwell TownSat 7 Sep H Enfield TownSat 9 Sep A Bower & PitseaSat 14 Sep A WestfieldTue 17 Sep H Chalfont St PeterSat 21 Sep A Harlow TownSat 25 Sep A WareSat 5 Oct H Chertsey TownSat 17Oct H Witham TownThur 17 Oct H Cray ValleySat 19 Oct A Staines TownSat 26 Oct H Ashford T (Middx)Sat 2 Nov H ChipsteadSat 9 Nov H UxbridgeSat 16 Nov H Ware Sat 23 Nov A NorthwoodSat 30 Nov H South ParkSat 7 Dec A Marlow Sat 14 Dec H Bedfont SportsThu 26 Dec H FC RomaniaSat 28 Dec A Barking Sat 4 Jan H Hanwell TownSat 11 Jan A Bracknell TownSat 18 Jan H Staines TownSat 25 Jan A Chertsey TownSat 1 Feb H Harlow TownTue 4 Feb A ChalfontSat 8 Feb H MarlowMon 10Feb A Aveley Sat 15 Feb H Haringey BoroughSat 15 Feb A Bedfont SportsSat 22 Feb H ChipsteadSat 29 Feb A Ashford Town (Middx)Sat 7 Mar H WareSat 14 Mar A UxbridgeSat 21 Mar A WestfieldSat 28 Mar H Bracknell TownSat 04 Apr A Tooting & MitchamSat 11 Apr H Waltham AbbeyMon 13 Apr AFC RomaniaSat 18 Apr NorthwoodSat 25 Apr South Park

League table.

Rising up the greasy pole The visit of Tooting & Mitcham today serves as a reminder that, in an age when the professional clubs increasingly rely on international imports or loans to and from each other, a route to the top for non-league players is still possible. West Ham favourite and one-time England squad player, Michail Antonio started his career in the Isthmian League with Tooting & Mitcham where he was spotted by Reading in 2008. Michail had scored on his debut for the Terrors at Hendon as a 17 year old and this served to entice the scouts to the Imperial Fields. The spectacular impact of England and Leicester striker Jamie Vardy over recent seasons has done most to highlight that the cream of the non-league can rise to the top but, as the XI below indicates, he is far from alone in proving that semi-pros can cut it at the highest level.

Non-league notes.

1. Joe Hart (Shrewsbury)2. Craig Dawson (Radcliffe Borough)3. Ikechi Anya (Oxford City)4. Ashley Williams (Hednesford Town)5. Chris Smalling (Maidstone)6. Sam Clucas (Hereford)7. Jarrod Bowen (Hereford)8. Michail Antonio (Tooting & Mitcham)11. Yannick Bolassie (Hillingdon Town)9. Craig Murray (Workington)10. Jamie Vardy (Stocksbridge Steels)

SUBS: Gary Hooper (Grays); Charlie Austin (Poole); Craig Mackail-Smith (St Albans) Jimmy Bullard (at Dartford) and Kevin Philips (up the road at Baldock) are amongst other recent top pros to have cut their teeth at non-league level. The globalization of professional football has made the route to the top increasingly difficult for semi-pros but the examples of Antonio, Vardy ad many others prove that this is still possible and that professional scouts would do well to look closer to home.

Waltham Abbey (Tuesday August 20th 19.45) CapershottsSewardstone Road Waltham Abbey EssexEN9 1NX

Car Heading south on the A10 leave on the A121 for Cheshunt. Follow the A121 over several roundabouts and then turn left at a roundabout near Sainsbury’s Distribution Centre for Sewardstone Road. Cross the M25 and the Cappershotts Stadium is on your right. 8 miles.

Public Transport Train or 310 bus to Waltham Cross and then 66 bus to Waltham Abbey. Making a day of it King Harold is believed to be buried at Abbey Church Gunpowder Mills– munitions museum is nearby.

Next on the road.

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