WEEKLY BULLETIN: 5 JUNE

Manager’s Notes

Player News

Lewis Franklin

Lewis Franklin has decided to leave Top Field to progress up the football pyramid and has taken an opportunity to experience Step 2 football. I first met Lewis when he joined our Academy while playing for Baldock Town. Lewis then progressed into a staff member working for Hitchin in the community and in football worked his way up the pyramid playing for Welwyn Garden City and Stotfold before joining Hitchin. Lewis is an excellent player and has always given 100% to the team and has given us some brilliant memories most notably last season’s added time winner against Stotfold. 

Lewis committed early to staying after relegation from Step 3 despite interest from other clubs. Lewis made a massive impact this season and adapted to a new position really well and this further enhanced his impact on the team. Lewis had offers to leave throughout the season but wanted to help us reach our objectives, which he did. 

At the end of the season Lewis had spoken to me about wanting to stay at Hitchin but also wanting to explore any opportunities that came from higher up the pyramid. He again had a few opportunities at Step 3 but turned these down straight away. 

Although it’s disappointing to lose such an influential player, Hitchin has been built on providing an environment to allow players to showcase what they can do to help them progress up the pyramid. 

I know you’ll all join me in thanking Lewis for all his commitment and contributions to our club and in wishing him all the very best at step 2. 

Liam Brooks

Liam Brooks has decided to leave the club due to the commitment required for Step 3 football. Liam rejoined the Canaries under Brett Donnelly. Liam always gave us much needed experience e and technical ability while also chipping in with some very important goals. Liam also was able to lead the line for us on many occasions which although it was not his preferred position he always caused the opposition problems. We wish Liam all the best for the future. 

New Signings

The wait is now over for the announcement of some new signings and I’m sure you’ll all be pleased with the additions to the club and I hope you are all excited to see them in a Canaries shirt. 

Simeon Olarerin

Simeon joins us from Berkhamsted where he helped them achieve promotion to Step 3 before suffering with some injuries this season which hampered his game time. Simeon also has experience at Step 3 with Hendon as he was with them from a very young age and played with Kieron Forbes during this time. Simeon will be an exciting addition to our back line and will be able to add the athleticism needed at Step 3.

Sean Duodu 

Sean is a player I tried to sign when we were at Step 3 but unfortunately the time was not right. Sean has scored plenty of goals at Step 4 for AFC Dunstable and this season was able to earn a move to Berkhamsted where he helped them reach the play offs. Sean also scored the winner for Berkhamsted this season against us in the Charity Cup. Sean will give us a new dimension to our front line and will cause plenty of defenders problems. 

Tyler McGregor 

Tyler needs no introduction after spending most of the season on loan to us from Real Bedford. Tyler came into our team last season and helped us achieve promotion as well as a cup win with important saves all season, especially in both play off games against Thame United and Biggleswade FC and a penalty save in the shootout against Bishops Stortford. Tyler is already a supporters favourite and I’m sure he will continue to grow from strength to strength. 

Rio Deall

Rio rejoins us after signing for Hemel Hempstead. Rio found his game time limited at Hemel before a dual registration at Royston Town and then Real Bedford. Rio struggled to find his form in these different environments but I am excited to help Rio recapture his best form again in a Hitchin shirt. Rio is a very attacking player with plenty of pace and he can also play as a wide player which adds further depth to our group. 

Daniel Stokoe 

Daniel Stokoe returns to the Canaries after a stint abroad. Dan left Hitchin last summer and played for Hanwell Town and Bishops Stortford at Step 3 before moving abroad. Dan is now looking to commit 100% to Hitchin and is keen to emulate the excellent season his brother Luke has had at Step 3 Banbury United. Dan will give us the technical ability needed to unlock defences as well as plenty of energy in the midfield. 

Luke Stokoe 

Luke joins us from Step 3 Banbury United after deciding not to renew his contract with them for another year. Luke had an excellent season helping Banbury finish only 10 points outside the play offs in a very competitive league. Luke re-joins us and is again 100% committed to have an even better season than the one he has just had. Luke can play as an attacking midfielder or deeper in the pitch as he showed last time he was in a Canaries shirt. 

I know everyone will give a warm welcome to the new Canaries and will be just as excited as I am to see them all on the pitch.

We will of course be continuing to look to strengthen our squad further as we prepare for Step 3 football. 

Academy Update

We had our Go Karting team bonding day last week and this was a huge success with 29 of our academy players/staff in attendance. 

The best drivers of the day were as follows:

1st Place – Lewis Franklin 27.815
2nd Place – Alex Boughton 27.921
3rd Place – Michael Jones 28.447

Notable mention goes to Will McNiell, who despite only having one leg due to injury, was able to post a time of 29.454

Blue Joy was voted worst driver of the day and I can’t give you his time as he was not high enough to be registered on the top 20 leader board. We believe the reason for this poor showing was the fact he could not see in the Go Kart past his bent knees! 

If you would like to be part of the academy or for further information please use this link

– https://extranet.wearescl.co.uk/WebFormsLive/webenrolment.aspx?page=~/webcontrols/coursedisplay.ascx&CourseInformationID=5398

Or email Michael.jones@wearescl.co.uk

Michael Jones

Mark Burke Testimonial vs Luton Town (11 July)

We were pleased to announce that our game with Luton Town on Saturday11th July  will be a testimonial game for club legend Mark Burke to mark his 40 years of service to Hitchin Town FC.

He well deserves this honour having fulfilled roles as player, manager, company secretary, community and development manager and being involved in all major developments at the club. I have had the honour of working alongside Mark for all his 40 years and we have never had an argument as we  have shared our love of this great club and worked side by side to do our best to move the club forward. Mark was a really accomplished centre back who was always so consistent in his performances over such a long period and a really successful manager.

The one thing I noticed with Mark was wherever Hitchin went everybody seemed to know him and had great respect for him. He seemed to be highly regarded throughout non league football and that is the greatest compliment to him. Nobody deserves to be honoured more than Mark and his contribution to Hitchin Town FC is immeasurable.

I hope you can support a true club legend on 11 July.

Here is a link to the article outlining Mark’s career. 

Pre-Season Match Tickets Go on Sale

Match tickets for our pre-season games against Barnet (Tuesday 7^th July, 7.45 kick off), Luton Town (Saturday 11^th July, 1pm kick off) and Dagenham and Redbridge (Tuesday 14^th July, 7.45pm kick off) will go on sale online from midday Friday 5^th June. Prices will be as follows:

For the Barnet and Luton games:

Online:

Adult £15, Concession 60-79 £10, Teenager £5, Child Under 13 (accompanying an adult) £3, Seniors Over 80 FREE

Matchday at Ticket Office Window:            

Adult £17, Concession 60-79 £12, Teenager £6, Child Under 13 (accompanying an adult) £4, Seniors Over 80 FREE.

For the Dagenham and Redbridge game:

Online:

Adult £10, Concession 60-79 £6, Teenager £3, Child Under 13 (accompanying an adult) £1, Seniors Over 80 FREE

Matchday at Ticket Office Window:            

Adult £12, Concession 60-79 £8, Teenager £4, Child Under 13 (accompanying an adult) £2, Seniors Over 80 FREE.

Please remember that season tickets already purchased will be valid for all of these games. Although the Luton Town game has now been designated as a testimonial game for Mark Burke, season tickets will be valid for this testimonial game. This would not normally be the case for any future testimonial games.

Chris Newbold

Season Ticket Sales Update

These are progressing well. The chart below shows sales so far compared with total sales for the three previous seasons:

As you will see, these are progressing really well for the new season, and they do represent a tremendous saving on single game prices.

Costs are £210 Adults, £150 Concessions (60-79), £50 Teenagers and £30 Child Under 13 (accompanying an adult). Valid for the three pre-season matches and 21 League games in Southern League Premier Division Central.

Chris Newbold

Hitchin Town Forum

We are all aware that we have a great media team and social media set up. And we still have the Hitchin Town Forum. Whilst this may not appeal to those who like the quick delivery and brief communications that Facebook, X, Instagram and the likes offer to a large amount of our supporters, it does offer a platform for debate, discussion, expression of views and also for fans to get to know each other. And also to pass on information to a good number of our older fans who might not wish to spend their time on the aforementioned social media platforms.

Believe it or not, the Forum has been going for 21 years in total now. It hasn’t been without its challenges and unacceptable postings which infringed the Club’s Code of Conduct. These were addressed, and although it went through an age where usage was minimal and people would say “The Forum is dead”, it is now thriving again, a completely friendly and civilised communication platform where respect is observed, even if we disagree which of course we do at times! And it has been great to welcome a few new contributors. We hope there will be lots more.

The Club does its publishing of news primarily via Facebook, X and Instagram as they do offer more graphic opportunities, and we have to be aware that in 2026 these platforms offer far greater reach to the wider spectrum of our supporters. There have been comments from Forum contributors who don’t use social media platforms that the same information is not shared with them in a similarly timely fashion, so we are doing our best to make sure that all of the information published to the social media platforms gets to the Forum in a timely and prompt fashion, and I’d like to thank Darren White and Rupert Russell (two Forum contributors who do have Social Media access), who have been making sure that this is happening.

The Forum still serves a real purpose and service and ensures inclusion for an again growing number of our supporters who do want to stay in touch. It has three separate Forums: one for discussion about our Club, players, fixtures, the current team, topics of the day, another dedicated to all of our history, where all historical facts can be posted (and a massive thanks to Anthony Brown for his efforts here), and one for general football talk, where all other non-Hitchin football matters can be raised and discussed.

Finally, from me a big thanks to Nick Sopowski who has looked after the Forum since its inception, and to Brian Gray who is the Forum Administrator and has shown a tireless faith and belief in its value to a growing number of supporters. Although the large majority of contributors are our older supporters, all ages are welcome and we would love to hear from you. Take a look: https://forum.hitchintownfc.club/viewforum.php?f=1

Chris Newbold

The Hitchin Town Walking Football Revolution is Here

Walking Football isn’t just a sport, it’s the perfect way to boost your fitness, meet new friends, and rekindle your love for the beautiful game.

Hitchin Town FC is delighted to run weekly sessions designed for anyone aged 45 and over, completely regardless of ability or experience.

“I forgot how much I missed the dressing room camaraderie until I started playing again.” — a comment made by one of the Hitchin Town walking team players.

The Rules? Keep it on the deck. No running, no tackling, loads of time on the ball, and absolutely no pressure. It’s football the way it was meant to be played: with a smile on your face!

Whether you want a casual kickaround or fancy representing the club in local friendlies and tournaments, there is a place for you here. Our motto is “don’t knock it ’til you’ve tried it!”

🗓️ Next Session: Join Us Tonight!

Our numbers are growing week by week, but we are always keen to welcome new faces. Come along and see what it’s all about!

• When: Tonight, Friday 5th June | 7:00 PM – 8:00 PM
• Where: The Arena, Norton Road, Baldock SG7 5AU

🏆 Tournament News: Maulden Cup Bound!

The revolution is hitting the road! Hitchin Town has officially entered a team into the upcoming Maulden Tournament on Saturday 13th June, taking place over in Flitwick.

This is a fantastic opportunity for our players to test their skills against experienced local sides and gain matchday experience. 👉 We still have room for 1 or 2 more players in the tournament squad! If you fancy pulling on the jersey, let us know ASAP.

✉️ Get in Touch

Ready to lace up your boots or have a few questions?

• Email: barryswain@live.co.uk
• Phone / WhatsApp: 07970 464286
• Facebook: Give our dedicated page a like and follow for the latest updates: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61589079573247

Community Update

Coaching Courses at The Arena

Summer Holiday Courses

The Arena, Baldock – Football Holiday Camps

We will be staging 5 weeks of football holiday camps at the Arena, Baldock over the School Summer holidays starting on Tuesday 27th July and finishing on Thursday 27th August. Each camp runs for 3 days Tuesday – Thursday over the period.

Preston Primary School – Multi-Activity Holiday Camps

We will also be staging 3 weeks of multi-activity holiday camps at Preston Primary School over the School Summer holidays starting on Tuesday 4th August to Thursday 20th August. Each camp runs for 3 days Tuesday – Thursday over the period.

Junior Ability Counts

Our Junior Ability Counts sessions at the Arena, Baldock on Monday’s and begin again on the 8th June and run for 6 weeks until 13th July from 5-6pm.

We will also be extending our Junior Ability Counts sessions by offering additional sessions on a Wednesday at the Arena from 5.30pm – 6.30pm from 10th June and run for 6 weeks until 15th July.

The sessions are open to 5 – 16 year olds with physical and or SEN but be able to walk.

Safe Hands Goalkeeping Course

Our Safe Hands Goalkeeping sessions at the Arena, Baldock begin again on Wednesday 10^th June for 6 weeks from 5.30-6.30pm with Hitchin Town 1^st Team goalkeeper Josh Mollison. The sessions are open to 6 – 14 year olds

Coaching in Schools

We continue to work in our local schools delivering coaching sessions at:

• Preston Junior Wraparound Care, Lunch Time Clubs and PPA
• Oughton Primary Lunch Time & After School Clubs and PE Lessons
• Icknield Infants After School Clubs and Morning Clubs
• St Mary’s Morning and After School Clubs, PE Lessons & PPA Cover
• Woolgrove Lunch Time Clubs
• Brandles PE Lessons
• Samuel Lucas After School Clubs everyday Monday – Friday (Excluding Thursday)

If there are any schools requiring support for their PE, PPA, After School and Breakfast Clubs please contact Josh Mollison on info@htcfc.co.uk

Mark Burke

HTFC Hosts Community Walking Football Session