WEEKLY BULLETIN – 29TH SEPTEMBER

FIXTURES

• Saturday 30th September Home to Kettering FA Cup kick-off 3.00pm. Tickets must be purchased online and season ticket holders will need to purchase a ticket as we have to share the gate receipts. If there is a replay it will be on Tuesday 3rd October kick-off 7.45pm.
• Monday 2nd October Home to Leverstock Green Herts Senior Cup kick-off 7.45pm. Tickets must be purchased online and again season ticket holders will need to purchase a ticket as we have to share the gate receipts.
• We have reduced prices for the Leverstock Green game to help our supporters at a time when we are having an unprecedented run of home games. Adults will pay £8, concessions £5, teenagers £3 and children under 13 £2. As ever over 80’s are free.
• Wednesday 4th October Home to Shefford & Campton FA Youth Cup kick-off 7.45pm. Admission prices are adults £5, concessions £3, teenagers £2 and children under 13 £1. Over 80’s are free. Tickets can be purchased online or you can pay by cash or card on the night.

MANAGER’S NOTES WITH MARK BURKE

BARWELL

Last Saturday we played out a goalless draw against a youthful Barwell side. From a technical point of view, I thought there was some good football on display from both sides, however it did lack a little excitement with chances at a premium.

Overall, I was pleased with a point that saw us extend our unbeaten run up to Tuesday to 5 matches, with the last 3 matches earning consecutive clean sheets and we maintained our position in the top 10 of the League.

Another positive to come out of the match was the return of Jack Snelus after recovering from the injuries he suffered in a car crash in August.

KETTERING (LEAGUE GAME)

We played Kettering away on Tuesday night, and probably put on our best display of the season which resulted in a 4-nil win. It was a good team performance and I was very pleased with the way we defended. To achieve four consecutive clean sheets makes me very happy as a former defender! We also worked really hard throughout the entire game and were clinical in taking our chances.

KETTERING (FA CUP)

I am sure some supporters will expect a comfortable victory on Saturday after our 4-0 win at Kettering on Tuesday. However, I have been in the game long enough to know that the result on Tuesday night will mean nothing on Saturday as the FA Cup is a knockout competition and players always raise their game when the stakes are so high. We can also anticipate that the Kettering manager will demand an improved performance from his players who will be determined to wipe out the memory of Tuesday.

It is important we look to continue the way we have been playing with composure and urgency added to the confidence gained from our performances. We must not let that confidence turn into complacency and this will be key to being successful on Saturday. I also hope that our supporters will play a key part. At recent games there has been an excellent atmosphere and the singing has been much appreciated. Kettering are likely to have a big following so it is important our supporters also turn up in numbers and get behind the team.

LEVERSTOCK GREEN

If there is no FA Cup replay we will play Leverstock Green on Monday in the Hers Senior Cup. We were beaten finalists last year and I am looking to go all the way again. We will not be taking our lower league opponents lightly and will look to continue to play with the same intensity as in recent games.

MARK BURKE

MONTHLY ONLINE DRAW BY PAUL SPRAGUE
We launched our online monthly 50/50 draw in April this year and we are pleased it has been welcomed by our supporters just as much as our matchday 50/50 draws. The online draw offers the opportunity to enter either as a one off entry or a monthly subscription and enable entrants to support the club whilst being in with a chance to win a great cash prize.

As the name suggests all ticket proceeds are split 50% to the Club and 50% into the prize jackpot. Play, Fund, Win then select a winner at random each month. There are no charges and so every penny raised either goes to the Club or to our winners. Since its launch in April the draw has contributed nearly £450 to the club and nearly £450 to our prize winners. Thanks for everyone who has supported this as it really does make a difference.

This weekend is the deadline to get your ticket for the September draw. Find out more here: https://hitchintownfc.club/monthly-online-draw/

ACADEMY UPDATE BY MICHAEL JONES

FA YOUTH CUP
On Monday 25th September we travelled to Kempston Rovers in our rearranged game in the FA Youth Cup due to our minibus breaking down the week before.

This was a very competitive match with both teams giving absolutely everything to get into the next round. Kempston took the lead midway through the first half but not long before half time the young Canaries equalised via an own goal which meant the teams came in at half time level at 1-1.

The second half continued in the same manner and again Kempston took the lead, which they held until the 85th minute when who else but Bentley Assiedou scored to level the game. This spurred on the young Canaries and in the 90th minute Daniel Lineman gave Hitchin the lead for the first time in the match and late into added time Imanol Beta completed the win to make it 4-2.

This now sets up a home tie against a very strong Shefford Town & Campton on Wednesday 4th October

FIRST TEAM APPEARANCE
On Tuesday 26th September Chris Khoo came on as a 70th minute substitute in Hitchin Town’s 4-0 win against Kettering Town. Chris really gave a good account of himself in his second competitive appearance for the first team, after coming on as a late sub away to Mickleover. Henry Silver was also named in the squad on Tuesday.

Academy Head Coach Stephen Gleeson said “It was great to see Chris get 20 minutes for the first team on Tuesday. He has been working hard in Academy and First Team training and it was great that Mark Burke rewarded him Tuesday. I was really pleased with how he played, especially as he joined me in the centre of the pitch and he did everything I asked of him. I am looking forward to watching him keep developing as the season goes on”

YOUTH DEVELOPMENT FIXTURE
On Wednesday 27th September our development team hosted Kings Lynn. The development squad got off to a bad start conceding inside a minute after a mix up at the back. The young team took the game to Kings Lynn but could not get back into the game going into the break at 1-0 down.

In the second half they started on the front foot and after creating plenty of chances which they did not take they eventually went down 3-0.

Head Coach Stephen Gleeson “Really disappointing to concede early due to a defensive mix up but credit to the lads they kept trying to get on the ball and created plenty of good chances. Kings Lynn really punished us in the second half but overall I am really pleased with the effort and commitment from the group and it gives us plenty to work on before our next match”.

HOME SWEET HOME
Can we ever have had as many consecutive Saturday home games as we are currently experiencing? Going back to 2nd September when we hosted Welwyn Garden City that game was the first of what will be seven consecutive Saturday home games up to 14th October. I doubt this has happened before in our history and If we do not draw on Saturday we will have played eleven home games out of thirteen fixtures between 19th August and 14th October!

There are positives and negatives to this run of home games. It is putting a lot of pressure on Steve Barker and his team of ground volunteers and it is huge credit to them that the pitch continues to look so magnificent every game. Also under intense pressure are Mick Docking and Peter Barnes our programme editors who have had no rest at all as they have had to keep producing programmes every week and have still managed to keep the high quality. Even our volunteers are not getting a break with the seven consecutive Saturday home games.

But the positives of home games is that it does help us financially. Being drawn at home in cup games means vital extra bar receipts as well as extra catering and club shop income. It also means extra 50/50 income and as we are lucky to attract good sized crowds it means that even though we have to share the gate receipts we will still benefit financially.

HTWFC UPDATE BY KARLA CHAFFEY
Results from last Sunday:

Real Bedford Development 3 – 2 HTWFC Firsts
Watton Ladies FC 1 – 0 HTWFC Canaries

Our next round of fixtures in the Beds and Herts Women’s League are :
Watton Ladies v HTWFC Firsts
Watton FC, Ottway Walk, Welwyn, AL6 9AT

Buntingford Ladies FC v HTWFC Canaries
The Bury, Buntingford

Both matches are at 14:00 kick off.

We are also looking for new sponsors for the women’s set up. We are looking for sponsorship for training kits and tracksuits. If this is something you are interested in please get in touch with Callum on HTLFC.ClubSecretary@gmail.com.

SINGLE USE PLASTICS BY MICK DOCKING
The diligent amongst you will have noted in the news this morning that with effect from October there will be a restriction on the use of single use plastics offered by take-away outlets.

Sadly, this will impact upon us as far as allowing beer to be taken into the ground. For some years we have prohibited the use of glass and offered plastic alternatives to glasses. These sadly no longer meet the test – being intended for single use only. However, fear not, because in anticipation of this change we have commissioned reusable plastic pots that will comply with the new rules. We thank Flip Connect for sponsoring these.

There is one downside – because these new pots come at a cost, we want to encourage their return, which we hope to achieve by asking for a refundable deposit of a pound. This extra quid will be charged when you buy a takeaway beer at the bar. Bring back the plastic pot and you will be reimbursed.

For those who cannot be bothered to claim their deposit back we ask that you place your empties in the green bins which will be placed around the ground for this purpose. Reusable plastics only in the green bins please.

We apologise for the extra inconvenience, but perhaps it will help in the battle against plastic waste in some small way.

The Kettering game escapes the new rules – it’s still September – but prepare for the new regime thereafter.

BY ROY IZZARD