Woods THE OFFICIAL NORTHWOOD MATCHDAY PROGRAMME 2017-18 MATCHDAY THE OFFICIAL NORTHWOOD versus ARLESEY TOWN Saturday 13th January 2018 Kick-off 3.00pm EVO-STIKEVO-STIK LEAGUE LEAGUE SOUTH, SOUTH, EAST EAST Northwood FC UP Founded: 1926 FRONT Northwood Park, Chestnut Avenue, Northwood HA6 1HR VICE-CHAIRMAN & EDITOR Tel. 01923 617081 KEN GREEN elcome back to Northwood Park this afternoon, and we are pleased to see all Wour supporters new and old, and also extend our welcome all connected with Arlesey Town; we trust they enjoy their stay with us and have a safe journey home later. Life President: Pat Byrne Arlesey had far better of the exchanges between Chairman: Ian Barry the two clubs last season, winning both Southern Vice-Chairman: Ken Green League fixtures with 3-0 scorelines. This time around, Club Secretary & Treasurer: Alan Evans though, was better from the Woods’ point of view; (Tel. 07960 744349) we played at Arlesey back in August, and first 46 Webster Gardens, Ealing W5 5ND half goals from Meshach Williams and Mahlondo Commercial Manager: David Mosely Martin gave us a 2-0 interval lead. The home side Youth Officials: Lisa Bennett & Richard Elderfield pulled one back through Elias Moses, but Evans Additional committee members: Kouassi’s stoppage time goal made sure of the David Blincko, Shamira Hamirani, points. Marc Harding, Sarah Wheeler Coaches: Jake Heracleous Late Thursday afternoon brought the shock news & Rob Patwell that manager Simon Lane had been poached Physio: Dan Daggett by our divisional rivals Egham Town, and he resigned his position in order to take up the reins of the Surrey club. So much for the plans for his Northwood project, which would see young players Matchday Programme: Ken Green developed, brought through and guided forwards Photographs: James Brown in their football careers; half a season and Simon is gone. It’s such a pity, as there was plenty of excitement around the club when the campaign got CLUB HONOURS underway just 24 games ago. Still, I expect that his #NorthwoodRising hashtag will quickly reappear as Isthmian League Division One North champions: 2003 #EghamRising… Isthmian League Division Two runners-up: 2000 Isthmian League Division Three promotion: 1997 Simon’s last game in charge turned out to be Isthmian League Cup winners: 2002 Tuesday’s home fixture with promotion-chasing Isthmian Charity Shield winners: 2002 AFC Dunstable, which features a stirring fightback Isthmian Associate Members Trophy winners: 1993, 2000 Middlesex Senior Cup winners: 2007, 2016 from a two-goal interval deficit to take a point Middlesex Senior Cup finalists: 2000, 2002, from a 2-2 draw with the second-placed outfit. Middlesex Senior Cup semi-finalists: 1992, 1993, 1997, The visitors went ahead after just five minutes, 1999, 2006, 2008, 2010 extending their advantage a similar period before Middlesex Senior Charity Cup finalists: 1994, 2003, 2005, 2012 the interval. But three minutes after the restart top Middlesex Intermediate Cup winners: 1979 Middlesex Junior Cup winners: 1938 scorer Jermaine Osei collected a cross from Lewis Middlesex Junior Cup finalists: 1935, 1936 Hobbs and turned to shoot home. Northwood’s London Spartan League Premier Division champions: 1992 equaliser arrived on 81 minutes when Mahlondo London Spartan League Premier Division runners-up: 1990 Martin crashed home a great free-kick, and was well London Spartan League Cup winners: 1990, 1992 deserved on the second half showing. Hellenic League Division One champions: 1979 Hellenic League Premier Division Cup finalists: 1982 Thanks for your support here this afternoon! Our Hellenic League Division One Cup winners: 1979 Middlesex League Premier Division champions: 1978 next Evo-Stik League South, East fixture is also here Middlesex League Premier Division runners-up: 1972, 1977 at Northwood Park – we take on Barton Rovers Middlesex League Challenge Cup winners: 1975, 1977, 1978 here next Saturday, 20th January; kick-off is at Harrow, Wembley & District League champions: 1933, 3.00 p.m. as usual. We hope to see you then! Ken 1934, 1935, 1936, 1937, 1948, 1949 2 Northwood v Arlesey Town CHAIRMAN IAN BARRY ood afternoon, and welcome to stock and think about how to go about finding Northwood Park to our visitors a permanent replacement. Arlesey Town for this Evo-Stik League G In the meantime, enjoy today’s game and get South fixture. behind the lads as they go for those three I’ve had to rewrite these notes just before points! publication deadline due to Simon Lane’s shock decision on Thursday afternoon to Up the Woods!! resign from his post as Northwood manager, just half-a-season into the long-term project which we agreed. Ian And on top on this, on Friday morning I entered the clubhouse to discover that we had been burgled following a darts match the evening before. It never stops here, let me tell you, so as I await the arrival of the police, these notes are not as lengthy as I would like and I shall write more for the website next week. However, I will say that Simon and I have had a couple of chats lately to address a few areas “ I was completely where I felt we needed to improve and I had nothing but positive signs from him to suggest that he was still in it for the long haul and that shocked to receive we were building something for the future. So I was completely shocked to receive this the news of Simon’s news. It was especially disappointing that I had a good conversation with my fellow Chairman at Egham on Saturday, and all the resignation “ while he was clearly plotting this move to recruit our Manager. The coaching staff Jake and Rob have agreed to look after the team for this afternoon’s fixture against Arlesey Town, before we take www.northwoodfc.com 3 CLUB MATTERS ALAN EVANS All change on the playing front and 50 up for on Tuesday night that tally reached fifty-one the season as Mark McLeod was drafted in on dual- registration from Harrow Borough for his debut. It wasn’t quite the plan at the start of the season but for various reasons, we have had Of course this means that many players have to cast the net far and wide this season in also moved on and the last two of these have respect of registering players for the first-team. been in the past two weeks. Tayshan Hayden- Goalkeeping issues early on meant that we have Smith had been pretty much an ever-present now played nine different players between the since the start of the season and had picked up sticks with Spanish-born Xavi Comas the current several Man of the Match awards for his hard- holder of the gloves after coming in to replace working midfield role but he has now taken up Brendan Hazlett when he went away for the an offer to join Isthmian Premier side Merstham Christmas period. We started of course with ex- where he made his debut as a substitute at Tottenham ‘keeper Harry Voss with us on loan Leatherhead on Wednesday night as they from Bishop’s Stortford but he was badly injured lost 2-1. Then, on Thursday we transferred our in training and we then fielded a string of stop- second top scorer Mahlondo Martin to league gaps including Mohammed Ayoubi, Montel rivals Chalfont St. Peter in a sidewise move that Joseph, Borja Loeches-Teixeira, Brannon Daly is always frowned upon; more for just a little and the ill-fated Andrew McCorkell (two games, more to cover expenses. Having finally found got sent off, gave away a penalty and conceded some goalscoring form which had seen him seven in one game!). Matt Nolan also ably stood score five times in our last four games, it is very in for Hazlett on Boxing Day. disappointing that a player chooses to move on to start afresh once again at a new club. But it’s not only in goal where we have seen changes and we have also had our share of Evans Kouassi of course left the club almost two centre-halves! Anyway, there were two new months ago now following our defeat at AFC players making their debuts at Egham Town Rushden & Diamonds. He joined our National last Saturday with Tyler Hatherly joining the League South neighbours Wealdstone but Woods from Hertford Town having been part unfortunately injury has ruled him out ever of their side that was promoted from the since but hopefully he will get back to playing Spartan South Midlands League last season soon. We do still hold his registration if he needs after London Colney turned down their chance some game time. That same Rushden game also at a higher level. The second was Matt Hall who saw us lose impressive left-back Pat Adamson has signed on a dual-registration basis from to a broken leg and we are all hoping that he National League South side Hemel Hempstead will be able to return to the squad in the weeks Town. A former Watford youngster, Matt had to come. a year north of the border with Ross County before returning south last summer. Those two The aim of course is to have a more settled side meant that no less than fifty players had made as the rest of the season progresses and one an appearance for Northwood this season and that we can then build on for next season but 4 Northwood v Arlesey Town in the meantime, I will no doubt be kept busy average of just 83. with arranging for players to be signed-on or transferred up until the deadline at the end of The League also produce a far-play table each March! week which takes into consideration cautions & dismissals throughout the season and the FA Vase Memories Woods are currently 10th best in that table while today’s visitors Arlesey Town are well ahead For those older Northwood fans, the FA Vase of us in 4th place, some fourteen points better always conjures up fond memories of victories off.