WEEKLY BULLETIN: 2ND JANUARY
Upcoming Fixtures
Saturday 3 January vs Stotfold (H) – Southern League
Saturday 3rd January – KO 3PM
We welcome Stotfold to Top Field in the Southern League Division One Central.
The last time we faced Stotfold in a competitive match was in December 1988 in the Televised Sports Cup. Stotfold won 3-0.
Tickets
Where possible we advise purchasing online. As well as being cheaper, it will ensure your quick and easy entry into the ground through the turnstiles.
Please purchase your tickets online here:
https://hitchintownfc.ktckts.com/brand/match-tickets
The online box office remains open until 30 minutes after kick off.
If you do need to buy your tickets in person, our Matchday ticket office will be open from 13.30-15.15 , and can be accessed from the rear car park (behind the Canary Club). Once you have purchased a ticket at the Matchday Ticket Office you will then present your ticket at the turnstiles for entry. More details here:
https://hitchintownfc.club/admission-prices/
Turnstiles open at 14.00
Parking
Unfortunately supporter parking is not available in the club car park (unless you are a registered blue badge holder and have made prior arrangements).
Food and Drink
The Canary Club bar is open from 11.00 with some of the lowest prices in Hitchin! Drinks can be taken into the ground in a reusable plastic cup. (£1 deposit required). You can exit to the bar during the match and will be re-admitted via the side gate by showing your hand-stamp.
Please enter the ground as early as possible before kick off to avoid congestion at the turnstiles. We have the following options inside the ground and you can still exit to the Canary Club Bar too:
Mad Squirrel Brewery are serving a great range of craft beers, ciders and lager. They are located adjacent to the main stand.
Canary Kitchen will be open from when the turnstiles open serving a great range of food and soft drinks including our signature HTFC Pies.
Club Shop
Get your matchday programme, teamsheet, chocolate bars, sweets and HTFC merchandise from the club shop.
For full details on the facilities at Top Field see our Matchday Info page here:
https://hitchintownfc.club/matchday-info/
We look forward to welcoming everyone to Top Field and hope that everyone has a great afternoon.
Garden House Hospice
As one of our three nominated charities we support Garden House Hospice at various times throughout the season in many different ways. For our match on 3rd January we are supporting GHH’s Crisis appeal. There are lots of ways to support on the day.
- For Saturday’s matchday 50/50 draw we are donating the club’s share of the draw to the Crisis appeal – so please buy some tickets as you come in through the turnstile. Not only are you supporting Garden House but you could be in with a chance of what could be a record jackpot
- Garden House Hospice will have representatives next to Mad Squirrel Brewery and around the ground – you can speak to them to find out more about the fantastic work they do and find out more about the crisis appeal
- Garden House Hospice will have collection buckets and card readers for you to make a donation to the appeal
- The Garden House Hospice Chairman – Richard Dearden will be saying a few words at half time
- Scan the QR code below to make a donation online
Please show them as much support as you can in their hour of need.
There is no midweek fixture.
Manager’s Notes
Last Weekend vs Barton Rovers
Saturday we travelled to last season’s playoff semi-finalists Barton Rovers who have also had another good start to this season. This was going to be another tough battle between two strong teams in a local derby.
The game started off with both teams having a chance but the header from the Barton player was a comfortable one for Tyler McGregor to deal with in goal and Taylor Rhiney smashed ours over the bar. The game then became one where we were in control and playing the majority in the Barton half. We were working hard to find openings to break down the Barton defence but we were unable to cause the keeper any problems. Barton had the occasional breakout attempt but our defence stood firm and allowed Tyler to have a quiet half. We then did score after some good play allowed Kye Tearle to cross the ball for Taylor Rhiney to score to give us the lead. Taylor then had another chance to score but blazed the ball over the bar and his next chance he was adjudged to have been offside before he put the ball in the back of the net. Lewis Franklin then nearly doubled the lead after a great individual run resulted in an excellent block by the Barton defender.
Half Time and it was a very tight game in difficult pitch conditions. We had been the dominant team and had the lead in a game of few chances. We knew in the second half Barton would throw everything at us and we knew we needed to remain solid in defence to keep them out. The next goal was going to be very important to determine the result of this game. We praised the group for their professional performance so far and gave them a few areas to improve on in and out of possession.
Second half and as predicted Barton threw everything at us in the opening minutes but we stood firm to stop them creating anything meaningful. We then broke out from one of their attacks and this allowed Taylor Rhiney to cross the ball for Lewis Franklin to score with an excellent header. This goal gave us the control of the result and knocked the momentum that Barton were trying to build up. The game then became scrapy and the heavy pitch was starting to take its toll on all the players who had put in a very hard working shift. We were able to see out the game with some great game management which limited Barton to shots that were unable to hit the target.
A very solid 2-0 win in difficult conditions to a local rival. We asked for the players to deliver a solid professional performance and to make sure they gave absolutely everything for our huge travelling support. I believe they did this and it was a very accomplished performance which sent everyone home happy.
Thank you to everyone who braved the cold to take over Barton’s ground and make it a very special afternoon.
Home Derby against Stotfold
Saturday we host Stotfold In our next derby game. Stotfold had a slow start to the season but then had a run of 5 league wins which then propelled them up the table into playoff contention. Stotfold have had some excellent results against teams in the playoffs so far this season with wins over Hertford, Biggleswade Town, Biggleswade FC and Ware FC.
Stotfold also now have Hitchin’s ex assistant manager Eddie Mac as their manager as well as plenty of ex-Canaries in their playing squad. I am sure everyone involved will have the extra boost as it’s a local derby with the ex-Canaries having that extra motivation to play well back at Top Field.
Stotfold have a great mix of players within their squad and have plenty of individual talent, experience, pace and goals.
As always we are looking forward to the challenge of facing another strong team. We need to make sure we can continue putting together the strong performances to make sure we keep getting the points that we need.
I am expecting another big crowd Saturday and can’t wait to see all our supporters as we start the new year at Top Field together.
New Year
I would like to wish everyone a very happy new year. I would like to thank everyone who has stood by us in 2025 despite relegation and offered the club and the players the support it needs. We have had excellent support both home and away and this has really helped have a positive impact on the pitch. The positivity and atmosphere you have created have made the games and the wins even more enjoyable. I hope you can see the players have been giving everything for you and this great club and let’s hope we can keep the momentum going and keep pushing on to reach our objectives. We need to continue to stick together as one and let’s make sure 2026 is a good year for our club.
Thank you for your continued support.
Player News
- George Morrall remains out injured.
- Toby Syme will miss Saturday as he is away.
- Josh Coldicott-Stevens is back in the squad for Saturday after missing our trip to Barton Rovers.
Academy Update
If you would like to be part of the academy or would like to find out more information on what we offer please register your details using this link – https://extranet.wearescl.co.uk/SCLSPEnquiry/
Michael Jones
Player and Team Sponsorship
Just to report that with the team’s great performances over the past couple of months, this earned the Club the sums of £340.50 for November and £380.50 for December,
This means that the total money earned by individual player and team achievements during this season currently totals £1,582.00. Bearing in mind that we are only half way through the season, we are already nearing our best ever season total since Roger Berry started this initiative in the 2016-17 season – that was £2,080.00 in the play-off final season of 2017-18.
The December money when collected will be added to our Ground Improvements Fund, which currently stands at £4,407.61 for this season at the end of November – thanks to the generous addition of over £3,200 from the Cider and Cheese Festival profits.
At the end of a year that started with us in a tough situation, but ends with everything looking upwards, we’d like to thank the players for their sterling efforts this season, and to all of you who have continued to sponsor goals, results, points, clean sheets, penalty saves……it helps so much with the “small” things that people can often take for granted. Fixing a broken tap, new signage for the ground, painting the ground, carpentry and woodwork…. It all costs, and your generous support is really appreciated and helps with those small things that we just see happen.
Going forward, if you are in a position to make a small sponsorship – it can be as little as 50p. – for goals, Taylor Rhiney hat-tricks, penalty saves, every time a new player makes his debut….I sponsor £1 every time we kick towards the Fishponds Road second half because I prefer it…..you can sponsor whatever you want so long as it is realistic. If you can, please see Roger on Match Days or email him at roger.berry@hitchintownfc.club .
Finally, a massive thank you to Roger (Berry) who has tirelessly run this sponsorship initiative for the past nine years – collecting new sponsors, co-ordinating the achievements, collecting the pledges and ensuring that the money is safely deposited into the Ground Improvements Fund. Another one of those jobs that just “happens”. The measure of his success is that many people who walk past him at a game owe him money! But seriously a massive thank you Roger for all your efforts.
Chris Newbold
Merchandise Update
We have had a restock of replica shirts and so some of the sizes that had been out of stock in December are now back available again.
Remember we have our 2026 Calendar on sale online and in the Club Shop – priced at £12.
Paul Sprague
Ex-Canaries Update
I met Lucas Kirkpatrick in the Barton Rovers boardroom at half-time last Saturday. Unfortunately Lucas is currently injured and he told me it would be up to six months before he could return to the Barton team. He played 203 games for Hitchin scoring 29 goals and he told me he still always looks out for our results.
Matt Lench is now recovered from injury and back in the Chesham team. He scored against Horsham on 20th December.
Jake Hutchinson is having a great season at Folkestone Invicta who are top of the Ryman League Premier Division. He scored against Ramsgate last Saturday, making it 8 goals in his last 10 games and 16 for the season. For Hitchin Jake scored 24 goals in 44 appearances.
First Games of the Year
Just as our Boxing Day record was poor we have also failed to shine in the first game of the new year in recent seasons winning only two of the seven games played. But as we proved at Barton history can easily be changed!
- 01/01/2025 Barwell home won 2-0 attendance 485
- 05/01/2024 Nuneaton away drew 2-2
- 02/01/2023 Needham Market away lost 3-0
- 15/01/2022 St Ives home won 4-0 attendance 546
- 2020/2021 no game due to Covid
- 01/01/2020 Kings Langley home lost 1-0 attendance 327
- 01/01/2019 Royston away lost 1-0
- 06/01/2018 Banbury away lost 1-0
Roy Izzard