While our season is now over I will continue to produce a weekly bulletin to keep supporters up to date with all the news from Top Field. I will also look back over the season with Mark Burke.
TOP OF THE TABLE
This is the final current form table based on the last six games and Hitchin are top!
ATTENDANCES
We finished eighth in the final attendance league table with an average of 493. Many thanks for your great support.
MANAGER’S NOTES WITH MARK BURKE
We finished the season in exactly the way I wanted by playing attractive football and winning games. In the first half against Ilkeston I thought we played some of our best football of the season and we fully deserved to be 1-0 ahead at half time. We said to the players they had done really well but they had to ensure we were not punished for spurning those good chances in the first half.
We did not start the second half particularly well but once we scored the second goal we were able to relax and play as we did in the first half. I enjoyed the carnival atmosphere created by another large crowd and the only blot on the copybook was to concede a penalty in injury time that was converted to deprive us of a clean sheet.
It was pleasing to see we were top of the table in the final current form league table and while we finished twelfth in the actual league table we were only two points behind the team that finished seventh.
MARK BURKE
PRESENTATION NIGHT
The club presentation night took place on Thursday. It was well attended and well organised by Mick Docking and Paul Sprague. Chairman Terry Barratt opened the speeches by congratulating the team on their season and thanking all the volunteers and helpers without whom the club would not exist.
Then Mark Burke took over and again thanked the various sections of the club for the great work they had done—ground staff, volunteers, media team, management committee, coaching team, back room staff and the supporters. Then the awards were presented. It was interesting to note that there were three different winners of the various player of the year awards with close voting in each category as it was hard to separate so many good performances.
The full list of awards were as follows—
- Matthew Malarowski award (Volunteer of the year) Roger Berry and Steve Maxted
- Supporters player of the year Ashley Hay
- Managers player of the year Toby Syme
- Players player of the year Diogo Freitas-Gouveia
- Chairmans award Paul Harris (Pipeman)
- Gerald Lincoln award (for sportsmanship) Toby Syme
Mark then highlighted some of the funny moments of the season which has become an annual highlight. Various other presentations were made to individuals to thank them for their work during the season.
THANKING VOLUNTEERS
I thought that this week I should thank everyone who plays their part in Hitchin Town FC functioning as well as it does. When I thought of just how many people are involved I realised that I could easily inadvertently miss someone out so it would be a dangerous thing to do. But at the presentation night our volunteer coordinator Kate Deller made a brilliant speech that perfectly illustrated just how many people are involved in getting games on at Top Field and she did it without mentioning individual names. I thought it definitely deserves to reach a wider audience so I am reproducing it here—-
Firstly, I would like to thank our volunteers, starting with all of those that spend hours working on the pitch ensuring that the players have that amazing space to play on. As Pipeman said in his report the pitch looked better in the last match than it did in the first match this season.
Those who work tirelessly behind the scenes, contacting opposition, the Leagues, and volunteers, ensuring that everything is in place to get each match set up. Those who prepare accounts for the Club and Canary Club. Those who attend management and League meetings to ensure the Club is running well.
Those who help choose the merchandise, source it, work out quantities and order it to keep the club shop stocked up each match day and keep the chocolate well stocked. Those who work online setting up match tickets and answering e mails. Those who run our Twitter, Instagram and Facebook Pages keeping them up to date and relevant. Those who keep our website updated.
Those who ensure the ground is structurally sound to keep supporters and players safe. Those who consult with Herts County Council and the league to ensure everything is ship shape. Those who plan match days, security, food, volunteers. Those who look after the mascots or offer to be first aider. Those who clean the kit, get it all ready and load the coaches or place in the changing rooms.
Those who turn up to each match to help marshall the car park, the ground, those who sell the 50/50 tickets, re stock the toilet rolls, those who clean the changing rooms and toilets. Those who help on the turnstiles ensuring supporters a speedy access into the ground with a happy smile. Those who work on our match day tannoy, our radio commentators ensuring great commentary and up to date information. Those who attend to the match day app and ensure it is updated with players, goals and incidents for the league. Those who liaise between coaching staff and league.
Those who prepare each programme edition, collating articles, and adverts. Ensuring there are enough for each match and that they are full of wonderful articles. Those who prepare each match poster and send to print, those who deliver them to the cafes, pubs and shops that advertise our games and events. Those who tirelessly run the Supporters Trust bringing in extra funds for the players budget.
Those who continuously trying to find where we can get sponsorship or commercial opportunities to raise extra funds to make the Club a better place. Those who continually try and boost funds by thinking of new ideas, those who put on quizzes and events spending hours preparing for 2-day Cider and Cheese Festivals.
Those who spend time in the Physio room ensuring it is the best space it can be for the players. Those who ensure a warm welcome in the boardroom for visiting officials, those who write fantastic articles and match reports. Those who take our amazing photographs.
Those who pick litter, empty the bins, and keep our fixture board updated. Those who go to suppliers collecting materials. Those who paint and polish and clean. Those who save us a fortune by fixing tools and machinery. Those who plumb and concrete, who level and sweep, mop and hoover.
I truly hope I have not missed any jobs, each volunteer is so important to this Club, and we are all so grateful. A massive thank you to you all.
Now there is an award, and this year was very difficult to choose a single person so it goes to two of our volunteers who work tirelessly on match days doing whatever they can to help the safe passage of supporters. These people are also the first to put their hands up for extra volunteering on Sundays or evenings cutting hedges or painting stuff. They have also raised a huge amount of money for the club by separately running different things that everyone can get involved in. Along with Chris Newbold’s eBay sales this season they have managed to raise a staggering £3889.40 towards ground improvement. Put your hands together for Roger Berry and Steve Maxted winners of the Matthew Malarowski award.
KATE DELLER
All I can say is you have brilliantly highlighted just how many people are involved in running our wonderful club and how grateful we should all be.
BRETT’S BLOG
I am really pleased to say that Brett Digger Donnelly has specially written a new blog for this week’s bulletin. He may not win any literary awards and he presents me a great challenge to edit his blog and try and add punctuation, grammar and the correct spelling! But he is quite unique and always entertaining and he remains a huge fan of the club. I asked him to write this blog so he could report on the celebration match to remember our former keeper Steve Graham which took place at Top Field last Sunday.
Roy has asked me to put together a small report on Sunday’s memorial match for Ex-Hitchin player Steve Graham. Firstly I offer my deepest condolences to all the Graham family. I have lived directly behind the Graham’s family home for 15 years now and would regularly chat with Steve either over the fence or around the estate. Big Greeb as he was affectionately known would always stop for a chat that would invariably end up on the topic of football. Steve should have been a top goalkeeper. But during his time at Watford, the young tearaway slipped up on a few occasions. Youthful exuberance got the better of him at times and professional clubs won’t have that. He then played locally for Hitchin and Stotfold amongst others but he always wished he’d behaved better during his younger years. Something I can fully get onboard with!!
Sadly due to his untimely death, we decided to organise a memorial match in his memory. A fitting way to celebrate his life. His older brother Kris got a side together (known as Kris’ Geordie Boys) to go up against Steve’s old school pals. This is where I came in. Kris asked if I could help with the venue and football stuff.. it was my pleasure. Hitchin Town came in to allow us to use the ground, a lovely tribute to an ex player. My cousin Paul organised kits for the sides and Lauren Bliss & Sean Turner set about getting the school side together. So we arrived last Sunday to a grey but warm day with two sides with lads on Kris’ team a long way over the hill, beer bellies and all that comes with getting old. Against Lauren and Sean’s team of younger more spritely and fit looking side.
What was great to see was nearly all the lads involved were from Hitchin and a vast number from the Westmill estate. Local boys playing at the home of football. What could be better. On Kris’ team, we had a lot of ex Hitchin youth players as well as Stuart Lochhead, Callum Donnelly, Luke Donnelly and myself who had progressed into the first team. In fact with cousin Paul on Kris’ team I think it was the first time all this Donnelly generation had been together in one team. What could go wrong?
The crowd, which must have got to about 200, must have all been rooting for the school team as no one wants that many Donnelly boys gloating! Anyway the game started at a good tempo, our vast experience paying dividends. Kris’ Geordie Boys went 1-0 up but after 20 minutes the old boys tired and Steve’s school team led by the youngest most spritely 37ish year old man I’ve ever seen in Sean Turner started to run riot. Three injuries inside 10 minutes meant the Geordies were up against it. 3-1 at half time. Could we get back into it? Was Meatheads rally call going to work… was it bo###x!! The young lads did continue to run riot, however Lochhead did miss 2 unreal chances, then blamed a bad knee. The school side ran out worthy 5-1 winners—I think I counted correctly. The only blot was the indiscipline of Kris’ side. One booking (me and it was not for dissent!) and one red card (Paul)– apologies from us!! The ref knew exactly what he was doing.
A great event with so many old faces, its just so sad that we meet on these occasions. A massive thank you and well done to Kris Graham and the Graham family for allowing us to celebrate Steve’s life, Lauren for organising everyone and bringing oranges, Sean Turner for getting his team in line and Paul for getting kits sorted. And finally Martin Tomlin for his efforts in looking after the ground and generally helping out. A great day had by all and some money raised for a charity of Steve’s family’s choice.
From me, well done to Hitchin Town and everyone associated, players, management, committee and fans. Very good season. One I must admit I was a little concerned about early on but Burkes turned it round and the games I watched Hitchin were great value for a top half finish. Hopefully next season they can push on again. Finally from me, I thank you for the support I have got from everyone at the club in my role at Stotfold FC We’ve had a great 2 seasons and at the time of writing this I have just found out that we have Dereham in the interleague playoff. Any of you holidaying in Norfolk this weekend get down and support us. I will get the beers in after.
Thanks
DONNERS
Many thanks to Brett for this blog ang good luck on Saturday.
ACADEMY UPDATE BY MICHAEL JONES
Unfortunately due to exam preparations from other Academies our games programme has taken a hit. We have continued training to keep developing for the start of next season as well as some end of season friendlies. We are also continuing to help our players who are due to graduate, with their next destinations.
We are still recruiting for September, anyone who is interested please register here – https://www.northhertsarena.co.uk/next-trial-dates
The next scheduled open training session is Friday 2nd June at The Arena, Norton Road, Baldock, Hertfordshire, SG7 5AU on the all weather pitch between 12noon – 2pm.
HTWFC UPDATE BY KARLA CHAFFEY
I’d like to firstly pay tribute to the HTFC First team on the solid performances these past few weeks. Having watched them at the start of the season with a couple of individuals making comments in the crowd about ‘here we go another season with relegation looming’ to those individuals praising the First Team. So a huge well done to Burkey, management and the players for an entertaining season. It has been lovely visiting Top Field with the crowds growing. I look forward to seeing how next season rolls.
So onto us, the HTWFC First team completed the small journey to Stotfold to play against league leaders Stotfold Women FC. The game was fairly even throughout with the Firsts showing early dominance ending any chance of a quick opening goal for Stotfold. Stotfold got their opener with a minute to go to half time. The Firsts however bounced back in the second half with Beary getting on the score sheet to get things level. The Firsts sadly lost Beary to injury and the pitch at Stotfold started to tire out the legs of the First team. Stotfold punished Hitchin the in the closing moments of the game to see them add an additional two goals.
Fixtures for Sunday 30th April 2023,
HTWFC Firsts v Sherardswood Ladies FC
14:00 Kick off at The Buffs Football Club, Clothall Road, Baldock, SG7 6PE,
No designated car parking spaces at this location so please park responsibly and do not block, roads or driveways.
BY ROY IZZARD