Forgotten Friendlies: 1928/29

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Forgotten Friendlies: 1928/29

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Cambridge Town 3 Hitchin 2
(30th August 1928)
Cambridge defeated the re-formed Hitchin Town club by the odd goal of five at Milton Road yesterday (Thursday) evening. Cambridge were inclined to treat their opponents too lightly in the first half with the result that they found themselves two goals down at the interval, both points being scored by [Charlie?] Davis.
In the second half, however, Cambridge played with fine combination and dominated the game, a hat-trick by Bennett giving them victory.
Wakefield, who returned to the [Cambridge?] side, had to leave 20 minutes after the start owing to his injured knee troubling him.
Saffron Walden Weekly News Friday 31st August 1928

Hitchin Town 3 Watford O.B. 1
(25th December 1928)
HITCHIN TOWN celebrated Christmas Day by defeating a Spartan League (First Division) team - WATFORD OLD BOYS - in a friendly game. There was a good crowd of home supporters present, including many who have been friends of Hitchin football in the past.
The teams lined up under Mr Jim Grimes, once a Hitchin player himself, as follows:
HITCHIN TOWN: E.Bacon; B.Hailey, J.T.Barker; C.M.King, P.Crawley, J.Mudd; A.S.Furr, H.French, J.Thomson, E.Bullard (captain), and G.Pateman.
WATFORD O.B.: R.Jefford; A.Emerton, D.Sutherland; H.Emerton, S.W.F.Burden, G.Beech; A.Enstone, H.Gilbert, H.Hill, F.Saunders, and A.Lancaster.
It had been hoped to play S.F.Duller as left-back and captain, but the famous county player, who learnt his football at Hitchin British School, although an interested spectator, was unable to take the field owing to an injury to a rib.
The visitors were early on the aggressive, and the combined attacks of Gilbert, Hill and Saunders gave bacon a very anxious time. The visiting forwards, however, missed several good chances of scoring through erratic shooting. The Watford middle line were backing up well, and Burden was particularly conspicuous in this respect.
The Hitchin team were not playing at all well together, but 'Sonny' Furr was playing a clever game on his wing, and through him most of the attacks on the Watford goal began. It was following one of this player's centres that FRENCH netted the only goal of this half, about ten minutes before the interval.
Hitchin started the second half well, and in the first minute Bullard got in a strong shot that brought Jefford to his knees. Following a long shot by Crawley, a melee began on the visitors' goal line. PATEMAN ran in from his wing and put the ball over the prostrate form of the custodian into the net.
The homesters continued to press, but in a breakaway SAUNDERS netted for the visitors. The rest of the game was Hitchin's, but the Old Boys were defending well, reinforcing the rearguard by the middle line. However, FURR got through the defending ranks after a run down the touchline to crash home the best goal of the match with a well-directed cross-shot.
Beds & Herts Pictorial Tuesday 1st January 1929

Hitchin Town 2 London Caledonians 1
(12th January 1929)
Hitchin went all out to defeat this well-known London amateur club in their home friendly fixture on Saturday.
A pleasant game was seen, with some fine football, especially from the two members of the Caledonian's first eleven, who were playing.
The Hitchin team was a rather unusual one; Tom Olney was in his right place, as was also Cherry at left back. Williams, a new player with Hitchin blood, played a stout game at right-back. The halves were G.Pateman, Furr (son of the well-known local footballer, George Furr) and J.Mudd. Harold Grimes was excellent at outside-right; H.Muncey being equally good in the inside position. Stan Brown made a capital centre-forward, especially in the first half, his play in the latter stages of the game being marred by a suggestion of an old leg injury. Martin was at inside-left and C.Davis, who was in an unusual position, that of left-wing, put across some excellent centres and was one of the best players on the field.
Hitchin's first goal came when Brown gave Davis the ball, he centring to Muncey, who when the goalkeeper ran, put it behind the custodian into the net.
The second goal also came from Muncey, who gave the goalkeeper no chance, after he had the ball tipped to him by Brown. With a team such as that which played on Saturday, the Town should do well at St Neots on Saturday.
Hertfordshire Express Saturday 19th January 1929

Hitchin Town 1 Wood Green 3
(1st April 1929)
HITCHIN GO DOWN IN FRIENDLY
(By 'Brigadier')
Yesterday HITCHIN TOWN had to admit defeat by a better team when they met WOOD GREEN (the Spartan League First Division team) in a friendly match on the Bedford Road ground. The visitors ran the 'Canaries' off their feet in the first half, while they had the advantage of the wind. Trussell was injured early on, and had to leave the field. J.West came on in his place, and he home team had to be considerably re-arranged. The visitors deserved their lead of three goals clear at the interval. Their scorers were HAWKINS (2) and RIST. The homesters rallied well in the second half but had considerable bad luck, the visitors' goal appearing to bear a charmed life. SAGGARS, however, netted from a penalty kick.
HITCHIN: E.Bacon; B.Saggars (captain), R.G.Trussell; T.Cheshire, P.Crawley, G.Pateman; J.E.Davey, J.C.F.Thomson, E.Bullard, A.Tasker, W.Barker.
WOOD GREEN: A.L.Upson; W.Humphreys, J.Gavid; C.L.Scotter, J.Wells, J.F.Broadway; R.Court, S.Mitchell, R.Hawkins, W.Weddle, J.T.Rist.
Referee.- Mr J.Sharp
Beds & Herts Pictorial Tuesday 2nd April 1929

Hitchin Town 2 RAF (Henlow) 2
(11th September 1929)
Fine football was seen on the Bedford Road ground on Wednesday evening, when a Hitchin Town eleven entertained the RAF (Henlow) in a friendly game. Hitchin's team, containing no fewer than seven new players, did well to share the honours after being two goals down.
Mr J.Sharp had the following players under his control:
HITCHIN: T.Olney; Parker, J.T.Barker; A.Soloman, A.Powderham, C.E.Burges; McDonald, Stride, H.Pateman, A.Whitworth, W.Barker.
RAF (HENLOW): A/c Maylin: Cpl Pond, A/c Lowe; L.A/c Hayes, Cpl Robinson, A/c Thomson; A/c Martin, A/c Kelly, F/O Rule, A/c Oates, A/c Chellow.
From the kick-off, the visitors made the pace, running through in formation time after time. Parker, the new Hitchin back from Walsworth, although heavily taxed by men much heavier and more experienced, defended excellently, and Tom Olney was equal to the calls. The Hitchin front line started several dangerous attacks, particularly on the right wing, where Stride, a young player from West Ham, put up a really spectacular exhibition of dribbling and shooting at goal. His colleagues, during this period, were not backing up properly, and Maylin, although he had not played for two seasons, was not to be beaten. The 'Airmen's' attacks became more frequent and more dangerous, and after several narrow escapes, the home citadel fell to KELLY, who netted from close range. Early in the second half, in a hot attack, RULE, receiving from Oates, put the 'Airmen' further in front.
The home quintette now improved, and became very dangerous. STRIDE eventually turned a shot from Barker into the net, after the winger had run through cleverly. Later, in a goal-line melee, in which Maylin several times saved, BARKER equalised with a sharp drive.
Beds & Herts Pictorial Tuesday 17th September 1929

Hitchin Town Reserves 3 Metropolitan Police 4
(28th September 1929)
HITCHIN RESERVES DEFEATED
Policemen Too Strong
HITCHIN TOWN RESERVES on Saturday met the METROPOLITAN POLICE in a friendly game at the Butt's Close ground. The friendly spirit was emphasised by the lending of Muncey to the visitors, who arrived twenty minutes late with one man short. It was a good game.
Hitchin opened strongly, and the Policemen's goal had a narrow shave in the first minute. The Town quickly opened the scoring by a deft push from A.PATEMAN after a fine dribble by Barker. Bacon had to go down at fulllength to save from Snow, and Birch hit the post, the ball rebounding for a corner. Play was transferred, and H.Pateman had a good opportunity, but was nudged off at the critical moment.
After 20 minutes, CHANDLER opened the visitors' account with a fine shot after a solo run. Just before the interval, BUTTERFIELD scored for Hitchin from a corner. Half-time: HITCHIN 2 POLICE 1
The second half, for long periods, was a ding-dong struggle and the superior physique of the Policemen told against the home team during the last quarter of an hour. After three minutes MUNCEY scored for the Police, and nearly repeated the event by a shot that went just behind. Birch kicked into an open goal, but was given offside. During a struggle in the visitors' goal-mouth, BRISTOW had the misfortune to head the ball into his own goal.
The Police were then quite at the top, and BIRCH scored a third by a great shot which hit the further post. CHANDLER added a fourth, and time came with the score: - HITCHIN 3 POLICE 4.
HITCHIN: Bacon; Kitchener, Parker; R.G.Pateman, P.Crawley, Bennett; A.Pateman, Butterfield, Wombwell, H.Pateman, Barker.
POLICE: Lanigan; Clift, Bristow; Freeman, Jones, Sparks; Birch, Snow, Bosley, Muncey, Chandler.
Referee: Mr C.Freeman, Luton.
Beds & Herts Pictorial Tuesday 1st October 1929

Hitchin Town 2 Tufnell Park 4
(26th October 1929)
HITCHIN FRIENDLY GAME
Isthmian League Team Win Cleverly
Hitchin Town on Saturday entertained Tufnell Park's Isthmian League team in a friendly match. The visitors were by far the cleverer side, and outplayed Hitchin in the first moiety after the latter had opened the scoring. The 'Canaries', however, brought things to a more equal issue by a courageous rally after the interval and by energy and stamina kept the visitors at bay for the rest of the game. Hitchin had a fair share of the play, and, with more opportunism in the forward line, might have finished level or won. As it was, Wombwell, who had been put in the centre-forward position at the last minute, was off form, and, ruffled by unsportsmanlike barracking, usually contrived to do the wrong thing. At the beginning he he almost spoiled a clever move on the part of Murphy, Hitchin's new find, who played at inside-right, but, happily, the attack ended successfully. The visitors then became more dangerous, and by dint of accurate passing, and tricky dribbling and clever headwork, scored four times before the interval. Webster scored for Hitchin early in the second half, and this greatly encouraged the homesters. Virtually the rest of the game was theirs, but Wombwell's lapses brought many a promising movement to an abrupt finish. The end came without further score.
[Match Report]
After Hankins had won the toss, and decided to kick into the Butts Close goal with the sun in his eye, the Hitchin forwards opened the game with several promising attacks on the right wing, but the Park defenders cleared sturdily. Lockey and Clark started an attack after Trussell had mis-kicked, but Saggars cleared well out of a sustained struggle in the goal area. Burden put the ball forward to Murphy, who had cleverly tricked Ling and Viercant, when WOMBWELL ran up, took the ball off his colleague's foot, and put it into the net, Murden being taken by surprise.
The Park retaliated, and Trussell cleared nicely with a header. Clark obtained possession, and after making a clever run, centred well into the goalmouth. Cawthorne got in a header, but Faulkner saved spectacularly. In the next attack, however, the custodian slipped in attempting to stop a similar shot, and CAWTHORNE found the net. The visitors now had things more or less their own way, and the home defenders found themselves in a tight corner. Faulkner was playing a great game, and Saggars and Trussell defended sturdily, but another goal came five minutes after the first, VINE netting with a long shot just under the bar. The visitors continued to press and the home goal had narrow escapes in close-range attacks, started by the wingers. Faulkner stopped a fast shot from Cawthorne, but failed to clear; Cowan ran in and shot, but the goalkeeper saved in fine style just under the bar, caught the ball and cleared. Lockey headed in from Clark, and Faulkner brought off another save just under the bar, and Cawthorne, rushing up, collided with the post and was slightly injured. In the next attack, CLARK netted with a rising cross-shot from close in. The Canaries rallied, and West put in some good work on his wing, but the inside men did not follow up. Davey got in two good shots from the wing, but the backs cleared. A third the goalkeeper saved brilliantly. Murphy made a promising try after temporarily exchanging positions with Davey, and running in from the wing, but Murden again saved well. Shortly before the interval, the Park forwards resumed the offensive, and COWAN turned a shot from Clark into the net with a header.
Half-time score: HITCHIN TOWN 1 TUFNELL PARK 4.
End to end play marked the opening stages of the second half, both custodians coming in for a good deal of work, and doing well. In a sustained attack on the Park goal WEBSTER ran into the struggle, shot at a clear gap in the forest of legs, and netted. This put a different aspect on the game. The Hitchin quintette rallied and attacked hotly. West shot in and brought Murden to his knees, and followed up with a first-timer that hit the side net. Hitchin were already a much better team, and all departments helped to back up the efforts of the forwards. The backs now became rather too eager in their backing up and on one occasion a run through by Cawthorne boded ill for Faulkner, but Cheshire beat the attacker, and cleared. Davey put across a centre which Tasker, although heavily tackled, headed on to the crossbar, Wombwell missing the rebound. The visitors' pace had now slackened, but the homesters kept up the offensive in dangerous fashion.They were unlucky to lose Davey for some ten minutes after he hurt his side in an encounter with Ling. Cheshire again foiled the visitors when a goal seemed inevitable - Lockey having an open goal - by shooting over his own crossbar. Play now became more equal, Wombwell trying hard to redeem his good name, but was upset by the barracking to which cerain sections of the crowd subjected him. This spoiled the efforts of the other forwards who now endeavoured to score by shooting at goal instead of passing. The final whistle found Faulkner clearing after saving brilliantly from the visitors, who had made a last-minute rally.
HITCHIN: S.Faulkner; Ben Saggars (captain), R.G.Trussell; S.W.F.Burden, F.Webster, R.C.Cheshire; J.E.Davey, F.Murphy, H.Wombwell, A.Tasker, and E.J.West.
TUFNELL PARK: V.Murden; A.E.Hankins (captain), E.Viercant; H.Downs, H.Pease, E.W.Ling; W.Clark, W.G.Lockey, J.Cawthorne, D.Cowan, and J.B.Vine.
Referee: Mr H.W.Hillyard, Hitchin.
Beds & Herts Pictorial Tuesday 29th October 1929

Hitchin Town 1 Lea Bridge Gas 3
(2nd November 1929)
HITCHIN MISS A PENALTY
Defeat by Lea Bridge Gas Works
This match, between Hitchin Town and Lea Bridge Gas, drew the smallest gate on the Hitchin ground this season, probably owing to the large numbers who went to Hertford, and to the cold wind. Those who did attend were disappointed, for the game was dull and uninteresting, except for short periods. Indeed, the most entertaining incidents of the afternoon were probably contributed by a dog, which gave a splendid display of dribbling and heading a ball before the game commenced, and a spectator standing on a form did a fine backward somersault when he tried to catch the ball. There was little to choose between the teams; the Gas men were, perhaps, a little faster and trickier, but Hitchin did not deserve defeat on the run of play.
Lea Bridge won the toss, and Muncey kicked off ten minutes late. Shepherd and Mitchell immediately initiated a quick movement and MITCHELL sent a fine shot into the corner of the Hitchin goal before the first minute had elapsed, and before Hitchin had got into stride. Hitchin pressed, Crawley kicked over the bar, and Muncey missed a golden opportunity from right in front of goal by a similar fault. The game then swung to the other end, and after several close shaves and scrambles in the goalmouth, the Gas men scored again through MITCHELL. In a few minutes, however, the homesters gained fresh heart from a goal by BARKER. Half-time came with the score: - HITCHIN TOWN 1 LEA BRIDGE GAS 2.
Early in the second half, STEVENS increased the visitors' lead with splendid shot. A penalty kick was given against Lea Bridge, but Grimwood brought off a fine save from Crawley's shot. Butterfield nearly scored for Hitchin with a shot which bounced off the crossbar, and a number of corner kicks were cleared. The players began to get tired, as there was no interval at half-time, and the game ended with the score as stated.
HITCHIN TOWN: T.Olney; Kitchener, Cherry; R.G.Pateman, Crawley, Burges; Austin, Butterfield, J.Muncey, Thomson, Barker.
LEA BRIDGE GAS: Grimwood; Martin, Dyson; Brand, Oliver, Tillett; Shepherd, Mitchell, Stevens, Greenfield, Fletcher.
Beds & Herts Pictorial Tuesday 5th November 1929

Hitchin Reserves 2 London Welsh 1
(16th November 1929)
HITCHIN RESERVES BEAT LONDON WELSH
Friendly Struggle in the Rain
Hitchin Reserves entetained the London Welsh to a friendly match on Saturday, and won by the odd goal of three. Rain fell continuously and marred the play, but the handful of spectatos who braved the elements were rewarded with a game well worth watching. The Welshmen were a much more lively side than the 'Canaries', and on the play a draw would have been a more fitting result.
Cherry won the toss, and decided to kick into the Butts Close goal. Foothold was difficult, but the ball travelled quickly from end to end. The homesters finished weakly, and the Welshmen opened the scoring, JAMES netting with a high shot well out of Olney's reach. Both teams missed chances. The visitors' right wing were most dangerous. Olney and Newall played well, but just before the interval, however, BARKER brought off the difficult feat of netting from the corner flag without any other player touching the ball. Half-time: HITCHIN RESERVES 1 LONDON WELSH 1.
In the second half the home goal had many narrow escapes. T.Williams hit the bar, and Jenkins shot wide. Thompson was instrumental in giving the homesters the lead. After a brilliant solo run through he passed to Abbiss. The latter drew the defence, and then passed to PATTISON, who netted. Both goals had more escapes, but the final whistle found the 'Canaries' leading by the margin of one goal.
HITCHIN RESERVES: T.Olney; W.Kitchener, V.Cherry; R.G.Pateman, J.C.F.Thomson, E.James; J.Austin, W.Reeves, A.Pattison, B.Abbiss, W.Barker.
LONDON WELSH: G.Newall; G.Jones, J.Williams; J.Evans, G.Edwards, G.Morgan; J.Jenkins, Bush, W.James, R.Gillay, T.Williams.
Referee: Mr C.Freeman.
Beds & Herts Pictorial Tuesday 19th November 1929

HITCHIN TOWN 4 G.E.R.ROMFORD 1
(21st December 1929)
FRIENDLY
Hitchin Beat Premier Club
By BRIGADIER
On Saturday, HITCHIN TOWN entertained the G.E.R. (Romford), a club in the premier division of the Spartan League, to a friendly game. Unfortunately weather conditions were unfavourable, and only a comparatively small crowd watched the game. The visitors had only ten men, but in the second half, Abbiss, of Hitchin, turned out with them.
Faulkner won the toss and Hitchin had the wind behind them. The homesters soon took the offensive, and Joe Muncey delighted the spectators with spectacular runs, and good centres. From one of these MURPHY headed in; the ball hit under the bar, and as it came down Pallant pushed it out. The referee awarded a goal. The home forwards pressed, and TASKER scored. Faulkner saved from Lees at point blank range.
Half-time: HITCHIN 2 ROMFORD 0
Hitchin re-started strongly, and OYSTON netted from Murphy's pass. The visitors rallied, and Faulkner saved brilliantly from Abbiss. Play was transferred, and MILLARD netted after receiving from Muncey, and MERRIN scored Romford's only goal.
HITCHIN: S.Faulkner (captain); F.Webster, G.Trussell; G.Cheshire, S.F.Burden, R.G.Pateman; J.Muncey, J.Oyston, S.Millard, A.Tasker, F.Murphy
G.E.R. ROMFORD: H.Pallant; W.H.Double, J.Ball; A.Reeves, C.Maris, W.Green; L.Welsh, S.Lees, B.Abbiss, E.Merrin, W.Andrews.
Referee: Mr Cyril Freeman.
Beds & Herts Pictorial Monday 23rd December 1929