WEEKLY BULLETIN – 1ST MARCH

FIXTURES

• Saturday 2nd March away to AFC Sudbury League kick-off 3.00pm. Coach leaves at 11.30am.
• Tuesday 5th March home to Brentford B Friendly kick-off 7.30pm.
• Friday 8th March home to Luton Town X1 Roy Izzard Testimonial kick-off 7.30pm.

Admission prices for the Brentford and Luton games are adults £6, concessions £4, teenagers £2, under 13’s £1 while over 80’s have free admission. We recommend you buy your tickets online but if you are unable to tickets can be purchased on the night.

Please be aware of the parking restrictions for the Luton game as follows—

On this evening we will have an absolute jam for demand for car parking places, so we really have to manage demand in advance. So as well us having to restrict parking to players/playing staff, Club Officials, Match Officials, Disabled and “special” guests, we will also have to operate a “closed” list with an absolute maximum of 80 car parking spaces for this game. Regrettably we cannot extend this to spectators, media and scouts. So it really will have to be that if anyone turns up without an allocated space and their name is not on our list, whoever they are, they will be turned away and advised to either street park or use one of the town’s Car Parks.

We trust you see our challenge of trying to fit a quart into a pint pot (so to speak), so somewhere down the line there will have to be some unpopular decisions made. As always we’ll do our very best, but we have to make the best and most appropriate judgment calls that we can.

MANAGERS NOTES WITH MARK BURKE

AFC Sudbury

Tomorrow sees us travel to AFC Sudbury for one of our most vital matches in our season to date.

It is one that we need to get a positive result from, to alleviate any concerns of relegation, and one that can get our season back on track and an aim of finishing in the top 10.

I watched AFC Sudbury in their defeat away to Kettering Town on Tuesday night and they reminded me very much of us. A team that likes to play football on the ground, with technically good players, unfortunate with the outcome of some of the chances they created but lacking confidence after conceding a goal.

We have prepared for the match with a fresh approach in training, reverting to basic principals of how we are going to play and then look to build on these principals during the match as confidence grows.

I see it being a cagey affair and that it is why it important we are focused, disciplined, solid defensively and ruthless in attack.

We cannot afford to make silly mistakes that have cost us in recent matches, and we need to put on a thoroughly professional performance to come away with something.

Sudbury will have former Canary and current Luton Town loanee playing up front for them on Saturday.

Player News

• Lewis Barker played 30 minutes for Baldock Town on Tuesday night as he looks to get fully match fit and available for selection for the final run into the end of the season.
• Dan Emovon returned to full training this week.

Ex Canary Player News
Just 1 week to go until we celebrate Roy Izzard’s Testimonial match, and a good response to last weeks appeal,

I would like to make a further appeal to all ex Hitchin players, staff, officials, volunteers and Hitchin Town Supporters Football Club players to contact Fraser Melvin on info@htcfc.co.uk and let him know if you are able to attend and if you have any pictures of any events that relate to Roy or the Football Club.

INTERVIEW WITH CHARLIE HORLOCK
I spoke to club captain Charlie Horlock this week . This is the interview in full—

Club captain Charlie Horlock was keen to speak to supporters to address the current difficult period the club are going through. He said to me that supporters must be thinking what the hell is going on after ten consecutive defeats. He knows that there is no point denying it has been an unacceptable run and that what started as a blip has unfortunately worsened.

Charlie thinks our biggest problem has been conceding soft goals which have really undermined the team. Not all performances have been bad (apart from Long Eaton and Berkhamsted) and opposition teams have felt they have done well to beat us. But good periods of play have been undermined by soft goals and there has also been a lack of clinical finishing. Injuries definitely played a major part in the downturn in results and being a young squad has not helped as there has been a more fragile mentality. But Charlie maintains this is still one of the strongest squads since he has been at the club. He felt that while we were probably punching above our weight when we were in the play-off positions earlier in the season we did get there on merit.

In the longer term Charlie feels the players will benefit from this bad run and will come out of it stronger. The players need to think about the good things they achieve in the game and not dwell on errors which can create a tension among them. Confidence has been knocked and players have sometimes been taking the safe option with passes and going square and backwards. We need to be braver and need to execute our game plan better. We have to be more robust to prevent soft goals amore ruthless with our chances. We have to trust ourselves more and this is being addressed.

Charlie maintains the players are a really good group and are united. They are going in to every game with a positive attitude and he feels their good characters will lead to a turnaround in results. Indeed Charlie thinks the whole club is full of good people—players, management, officials, volunteers and supporters and he is impressed the way everyone has stood together.

At Monday’s training session the players had their own meeting and Charlie used his leadership group made up of senior players to spell out the situation we are in. The squad were told not to feel sorry for themselves and it was stated the losing run was unacceptable and the right mentality was needed and business heads had to be engaged. Charlie said the players took on board the messages given and were united. They have to roll their sleeves up and scrap for every ball.

Charlie wanted to thank our supporters for their incredible support with increasing numbers despite the losing run. The players really are determined to repay them for the loyalty that has been displayed. Charlie also backed manager Mark Burke and his management team. He said Mark was the main reason he stays at Hitchin and is one of the good guys. The players really owe him.

Finally Charlie strongly believes that out of this adversity we will come out stronger and the players will learn from it. Everyone is pulling together and there is a real determination to turn things around.

Many thanks to Charlie for confronting this difficult period in our season.

ROY IZZARD TESTIMONIAL
Ahead of the game with a Luton Town X1 next Friday I am told details of the special guests attending will be revealed over the coming days. I am in the strange position of not knowing who will be coming so I will be excitedly looking forward to finding out which of my many playing heroes over the last 50 years will be returning to Top Field.

FEELING WELCOME AT TOP FIELD
We have been trying really hard to make newcomers to Top Field feel safe and welcome regardless of age, gender, ethnicity or sexual persuasion. So we were delighted to receive the following message from Katie who attended Saturday’s game with Bromsgrove and gave us permission to share her message. Kate Deller who has been dedicated to improving the match day experience at Top Field said she felt immensely proud to receive Katie’s email.

Acceptance
As someone who is transgender, it’s always been my aim to go to football, as what I see as my true self.

Anyone who knows football, will tell you that in the past ( and even now) that they can be quite hostile places to go -with chanting and language not for the faint hearted.

Not that I was expecting anything like that at Hitchin Town, but nevertheless I still had a bit of trepidation as I walked past the swimming pool on my way to Top Field, to watch Saturday afternoons game against Bromsgrove Sporting. ( I had actually gone to a match previously in February 2020, but the match was called off).

I couldn’t remember the last time that I attended a match, it was probably eight or nine years ago. I had a Stevenage season ticket, when they first entered the league ( but I never went as Katie).

As a teenager and younger, I spent many Saturday afternoons and Monday evenings at New Writtle Street following my local team Chelmsford City, who I still see as a sleeping giant. In their last home match against Yeovil Town they had an attendance of over 1,500.

One of my claims of fame, is that I saw Jimmy Greaves sent off-playing for Barnet against Chelmsford ( he did have a spell at Chelmsford) it ended with the game being abandoned, as he refused to leave the pitch.

Getting back to the present day, as you can imagine- I had a few nervous emotions as I entered the ground through the turnstiles, but that soon evaporated and I was soon engaged with a man from Welwyn Garden City ( their game had been postponed so he had come along to Hitchin Town).

The next thing that happened, was that I was approached to buying a 50/50 ticket – it really was like being transported back into time, and I loved it . ( I never did find out if I won).

Entering the bar, there were probably a few looks in my direction, but then people have got to look somewhere haven’t they.

My friend and I found a quiet spot, and continued doing what we had been doing since lunchtime ( talking football). His afternoon, was to get worse as his beloved Bolton Wanderers got thrashed 4-1.

Just before 3pm, we found a nice spot along the side of the pitch and the game commenced. I was doing it, watching a game of football as my true self and feeling comfortable and safe while I did it.

At half time, we went into the bar again for some refreshment, and once again no problems or issues, and once the queue had died down – I felt confident enough to walk down to the tea bar , I got a portion of chips for myself and my friend Jonathon.

The game wasn’t the best spectacle that I had ever attended, but it did improve in the second half, but Hitchin lacked that spark which comes with confidence. Hopefully that will change in the coming weeks.

The game ended, and I thanked the staff manning the gate as we left the ground. Disappointed for Hitchin, but buzzing inside on what for me had been a very special day. Doing what I’ve been doing for 50 years watching football. I’ve seen Arsenal win leagues and cup finals, but maybe this was the best result of all.

Katie

FA CUP
It seems incredible that in the week this season’s FA Cup progressed to the quarter-final stage I have just completed the entry form for the 2024/25 FA Cup, FA Trophy and FA Youth Cup!.

ACADEMY UPDATE BY MICHAEL JONES
On Wednesday we hosted Bedford Academy.

The game got off to a slow start with both teams struggling to create clear cut chances. The young Canaries looked more dangerous and in the 37th minute took the lead through Alfie Tebbenham after some excellent build up play which started with Lucas Knapp in goal. It was not long before the lead was doubled thanks to a good solo effort from Henry Silver. This gave Hitchin control and later on in the match a Lewis Holt goal and another goal from Henry Silver completed the scoring in a comfortable 4-0 win.

We now travel to F2 academy on Wednesday.

HTWFC UPDATE BY KARLA CHAFFEY
Another week goes by where the weather causes our fixtures to be cancelled.

So next up on Sunday 3rd March 2024, 14:00:
Buntingford Town Women FC v HTWFC Firsts
The Bury, Buntingford

LGCE Ladies v HTWFC Canaries
Pixmore Playing Fields, Letchworth Garden City

We are recruiting a manager for our First Team. Please get in touch with Callum via our website. Keep up to date with all our news, fixtures, results and so much more on https://www.hitchintownwomenfc.co.uk

BY ROY IZZARD