RECKLESS GUIDE TO HENDON FC

HENDON

Middlesex Senior Cup Semi Final
Wednesday 21st February  2018

Kick Off 7.45pm

Stadium Silver Jubilee Park Townsend Lane Kingsbury London NW9 7NE

Club Colours Green Black and White

Nickname The Dons or Greens

Key Personnel

Gary McCann is the current Gaffer at Hendon and made over 200 appearance for the club before an injury halted his playing career. He took over the reins way back in 2005.

Brief History of the Club

Formed in 1908 it was originally known as Hampstead Town and then briefly as Golders Green until 1946. The club moved to Claremont Road in 1926 and during the 1950's and 60's became one of the top Amateur clubs in the Athenian League winning the title three times. They have also won the FA Amateur Cup three times. Transferring to the Isthmian League 1963 they won that twice as well! During the Summer of 2010 the club were bought out by the Hendon FC Supporters Trust.

Brief Directions by Road

Find the A5 heading towards Kingsbury, Turn into Kingsbury Road (The Red Lion Pub is on the corner) and then take the third turning on the left Townsend Lane. You will find the ground down the hill by the park.

Car Parking

Car parking is limited at the ground unless you are very early, but there is plenty of unrestricted parking surrounding the area.

Directions by Train

The closest National Rail station is Thameslink Hendon. Locals Buses are 83 and 183 – alight at Slough lane on the 83 and Townsend Lane on the 183.The nearest Underground is is Kingsbury (Jubilee Line) which is a goodly 20 minutes walk to the ground.

Eating and Drinking Locally

There is very little if anything in the immediate vicinity so there take advantage of the well appointed bar at the ground,where the food is very good too. Crinkle cut chips allegedly are on sale – that will do!

Ground Description

Since leaving the lovely old and much missed Claremont Road in 2008 - the plot now exhibits some horrendous looking flats (my humble opinion of course) – the club ground shared with Northwood, Staines Town, Wembley (Vale Farm) and Harrow Borough. It presently shares with Edgware Town

The ground has plenty of cover and firm hard standing with a seating area behind one goal and three other separate covered terrace areas. The Main stand seats around 200.

Claremont Road Main Stand

Admission Prices

Prices on the evening are £5.00 adults and Free to Under 18's. There may be a small supplementary charge to sit in the main stand.

Previous Meetings and Memories

The two clubs were regular opponents in the 1940's and 1950's in the Athenian League and big crowds for the times were attracted. Over 6,000 (no not including me or even Steve Percy) watched a 5-4 Barnet FA Cup win in 1948 at Underhill. Dexter Adams Barnet's legendary Manager in the 1960's was a fine centre half for Hendon and England at Amateur level and made over 300 appearances for them.

The first big game between the clubs I can recall is the 2-2 FA Cup draw at Claremont Road in 1971, Bees got through the replay thanks to Les Eason and Paddy Powell, as was so often in those times. Eason scored in both games.

Powell and Eason(left) following up to score that day

Two years later virtually to the day another FA Cup tie ended 2-2 at Underhill but the Greens went through comfortably in the replay 3-0 and eventually went out to Newcastle United in Round 3.

Celebrity Watch and Interesting Info

In the 1970's I went to the ground fairly often with my mates when Barnet weren't playing, as I was a pupil at Whitefield School which was across Clitterhouse Park when the club lived in Claremont Road.

Striker Ian Dowie moved from Hendon to Luton Town in 1988 for £30,000. 

Ian Dowie

Other famous residents? Our very own Dennis Signy OBE lived locally as did the famous sporting Compton Brothers, Denis and Leslie. 

Dennis Signy

Former Race Director of the London Marathon and once a 10,000 metres world record holder David Bedford OBE is a Director at the club. Sir Henry Cooper was local as was one of my childhood heroes Oliver Postgate, the creator and writer of Children's TV programmes Pogles Wood, Nogin the Nog, The Clangers and Ivor the Engine. Chur der Kuff................!!

Thank you to my chum John Paul Patrick Hunt for his contributions to this Guide. He is on the right.