Hendon F.C.

Hendon F.C.
Hendon
HendonFcCrest.png
Full name Hendon Football Club
Nickname(s) The Greens, The Dons
Founded 1908 (as Christ Church Hampstead)
Ground Vale Farm
(Capacity: 3,000)
Chairman Simon Lawrence
Manager Gary McCann
League Isthmian League Premier Division
2010–11 Isthmian League Premier Division, 15th
Home colours
Away colours

Hendon Football Club are an English football club based in Hendon, in the London Borough of Barnet. They currently play in the Isthmian League Premier Division.

In the 2003-04 season they finished fourth in the Isthmian League Premier Division. However, they declined the automatic place in Conference South to which they were entitled and remain in the Isthmian Premier.

Contents

History

The current club was originally formed as Christ Church Hampstead in 1908, a year later the club dropped "Christ Church" in favour of becoming Hampstead Town FC. "Town" was then dropped from the title in 1926. Six seasons later another name change saw the club become Golders Green FC after some debate. It was only at the commencement of season 1946/47 that the present name of Hendon was adopted due to the ground lying within the Borough of Hendon. The Borough has long since become the London Borough of Barnet, but as Barnet Football Club already exist, another change is very unlikely. Even now the club is often mistakenly referred to as "Hendon Town", though it has never been called that.

The Hampstead Town side of 1919–20

In their early years, the club enjoyed constant success. Joining the local Finchley and District League in 1908, they won the Third Division at the first attempt and were promoted. In the following season the Second Division was won and the hat-trick was complete when a year later the championship was secured to give the club three titles in its first three years of existence. As the club progressed into the Middlesex and London Leagues the title winning went on and then with senior status the club applied to become members of the Athenian League. Accepted in 1914, just six years after their formation, the club had to wait another five years for its debut in the League due to the outbreak of War. At the start of hostilities a temporary league - The London United Senior League - was formed and won.

When football finally resumed in 1919, Hendon finished their long awaited first Athenian season in fourth place. However, they did not have to wait long before the first of three Athenian League championships found their way to Claremont Road. They were also to finish as runners-up five times. Recognised as a major force in senior football, the club was to spend almost 50 successful seasons in the Athenian League.

Hendon became part of the exodus of clubs from the Athenian League into the Isthmian League in 1963. Since then the club have remained ever present in the top division and are the division's longest serving members. The first season in the Isthmian, ended as runners-up to Wimbledon, but twelve months later the championship flag was flying proudly over Claremont Road. In their first eleven seasons in the League, Hendon enjoyed remarkable success, never finishing out of the top six, a level of consistency not since repeated by the club.

In the club's heyday in the 1960s and 70s, Hendon saw remarkable success in cup competitions, with the team's best ever run in the FA Cup and good success in the FA Amateur Cup. The club's best run in the FA Cup saw them reach the Third Round where they held Newcastle United to a 1-1 draw at St. James' Park before losing the replay at Watford's Vicarage Road ground. Meanwhile, Hendon appeared five times in Amateur Cup Finals at Wembley Stadium, winning on three occasions. The stadium, just five miles west of Claremont Road, was filled to its 100,000 capacity when Hendon met northern giants Bishop Auckland in the 1955 final. Hendon also became the first club to play under floodlights at the stadium when they were invited to try out the new system.

The late 1980s and early to mid 90s saw the side regularly struggling to finish in the top half of the table, and saw some close brushes with relegation, but the team always managed to scrape through and maintain their position in the Premier Division. The club's darkest hour came during this period when in 1994 the receivers were called in after former chairman Victor Green lost interest in the club in favour of Stevenage Borough, but the club was saved at the 11th hour by businessman Ivor Arbiter, at the time owner of distribution rights for Fender in the U.K.

Consistency was found in the last few years of the 20th century and early in the 2000s as the club began to re-establish themselves as a force in the Isthmian League with regular top half finishes culminating in third place in the 2002-2003 season and fourth in 2003-2004 along with a place in the newly formed Conference South division. However, this was turned down and Basingstoke Town were offered their place instead and the club elected to remain in the Isthmian League. The close season saw the whole backroom staff, headed by Dave Anderson, defect to AFC Wimbledon along with four first team players. Of the remainder of the squad only four first team regulars remained, the rest choosing to find other clubs to play for.

The club began the 2004-2005 season with a new manager, Tony Choules, who brought together a new squad that were immediately on the pace, but dropped off it in October and November as a constant flow of red cards saw key players regularly suspended. Choules resigned on 4 November 2004, his assistant Gary Farrell immediately taking on the job as manager. After just three months in the job, Farrell was sacked as the club languished in 21st place (inside the relegation spots), and popular ex-goalkeeper Gary McCann was appointed in his place. Hendon recovered to finish in mid-table (11th).

2005-2006 saw the supporters of the club look towards taking control of the uncertain future of the football club, in the belief that owners Arbiter Ltd would cease funding the team as of the end of the season. On January 7, 2006 the first official step towards this was taken as over 70 people almost unanimously agreed to take the legal steps required in forming a Supporters' trust. As it turned out, the transfer of ownership didn't take place and Arbiter Ltd continued to fund the club beyond the end of the season. In the meantime, the Trust worked towards ensuring long term plans were in place should they be necessary in the future.

At the end of the 2005-2006 season the club were thought to have been relegated to the First Division as the 19th-placed team with worst points per game ratio across the Northern, Southern and Isthmian Premier leagues. However, Canvey Island's resignation from the Conference and demotion to the Isthmian League First Division North earned Hendon a reprieve, and they will continue in the Premier Division.

The 2007-2008 season was one of the most enjoyable in recent years. For much of the season the club was in the top two of the table, but unfortunately missed out on a play-off spot on the final day of the season. The club were also runners-up in the Middlesex Senior Cup and London Senior Cup.

The 2008-2009 season saw the club leave their Claremont Road home, and they led a nomadic existence, playing home games at various venues. At the beginning of the season, the supporters trust took responsibility for the running of the club, and started working towards taking ownership of the club. This takeover of ownership was finalised in August 2010. In August 2009, the club began a three year groundshare agreement with Wembley FC, and they now play their home games at Wembley's Vale Farm ground.

Backroom staff

Position Name
Manager England Gary McCann
Assistant Manager England Freddie Hyatt
Player/Coach England Junior Lewis
Goalkeeping Coach England Paul Faulkner
Sports Therapist England Mark Findley

Former players

Hendon's former players include a number who in recent years have gone on to play as professionals in The Football League or Premier League. Notable names include Iain Dowie, Phil Gridelet, Junior Lewis, Jermaine Darlington and Peter Taylor

Looking back further, England's three highest capped amateur internationals since the war were all Hendon players. Rod Haider leads the way with 65 caps, followed by goalkeeper John Swannell (61) and Mike Pinner (52). Peter Deadman (40) and Laurie Topp (32) also made the top ten list of cap winners for the amateur side. Gold Coast/Ghana international E.B. Wallace-Johnson turned out for Hendon in the 1951-52 season. Meanwhile, Denis Compton, born just two miles from Claremont Road, played for the club before leaving for Arsenal where he was to become one of England's most famous sportsmen, playing for his country at both football and cricket. Leslie Compton was also with the club before following his brother to Highbury.

Honours

  • European Amateur Champions
    • Winners 1972–73
  • FA Amateur Cup
    • Winners 1959–60, 1964–66, 1971–72
  • Isthmian League
    • Champions 1964–65, 1972–73
    • League Cup winners 1976–77
  • Athenian League
    • Champions 1952–53, 1955–56, 1960–61
  • Full Members Cup
    • Winners 1994–95, 1997–98, 1998–99
  • London Senior Cup
    • Winners 1963–64, 1968–69, 2008–09
  • Middlesex Senior Cup
    • Winners 1933–34, 1938–39, 1955–56, 1957–58, 1959–60, 1964–65, 1966–67, 1971–72, 1972–73, 1973–74, 1985–86, 1998–99, 2001–02, 2002–03, 2003–04
  • Middlesex League
    • Champions 1912–13, 1913–14
  • London League
    • Division One champions 1912–13
  • London Amateur Division
    • Champions 1913–14
  • Finchley & District League
    • Champions 1910–11
  • Middlesex Intermediate Cup
    • Winners 1964–65, 1966–67, 1972–73
  • Middlesex Charity Cup
    • Winners 14 times
  • London Intermediate Cup
    • Winners four times
  • George Ruffell Memorial Shield
    • Winners 2001–02, 2003–04

Club records

  • Attendance: 9,000 v Northampton Town, FA Cup first round, 1952
  • Goalscorer: 176 Freddie Evans (1929–35)
  • Appearances: 787 Bill Fisher (1940–62)
  • Defeat: 2–11 at Walthamstow Avenue (Athenian League)
  • Win: 13–1 v Wingate, Middlesex Senior Cup, 2 February 1957
  • Sale: £30,000, Iain Dowie to Luton Town

Stadium

Claremont Road

Until 26 September 2009, Hendon played in the suburb of Cricklewood, within the London Borough of Barnet, at a ground simply known by the local road name; "Claremont Road". In the 1990s, Claremont Road served as an occasional home for the fairly nomadic rugby league team then known as London Crusaders. Until its demise as a football ground, Claremont Road remained a popular location for production companies with over 30 films, television programmes and adverts being shot there over the years including Nuts TV and the home ground of Fash FC.

Claremont Road, had been living on borrowed time since the site was sold to a property developer for approaching £20 million. It had been assumed that the last match would have taken place in April 2006 but the fans and the club enjoyed a stay of execution until September 2008 when after 81 years, the club were forced out. Claremont Road was officially opened on September 18, 1926 before an FA Cup tie with Berkhamstead and was soon amongst the best known non-league grounds in England. William Harbrow Ltd constructed the stand and the original bench seats were only replaced in 1993 when the club received some bucket seats from Watford FC¹s Vicarage Road. Claremont Road became such a popular venue it went on to host three England Amateur International matches and a Great Britain v West Germany qualifying match for the Olympic Games. The attendance record of 9,000 was set for the visit of Northampton Town in a FA Cup tie in 1952.

Former Hendon FC chairman Ivor Arbiter, who died in July 2005, put in hand plans to move the club from the increasingly decrepit Claremont Road ground. The land where the stadium, clubhouse and banqueting suites stand was put on the market, to be sold for housing, while the plans were put in place to move Hendon FC to Barnet Copthall Athletics Stadium. The move, however, stalled for a number of reasons, the most compelling of which was a deed of covenant preventing the stadium and associated buildings from being used for any other purpose than football or being returned to park land (the ground is surrounded by Claremont Park). The validity of the covenant, regarding its relevance in the modern era was challenged by Barnet Council and the matter is in the hands of the Lands Registry Commission, who will make the final decision on whether the covenant can be lifted. The cost of a move to Barnet Copthall was significantly under-estimated and instead of £300,000 as originally thought, the figure was subsequently estimated to exceed half a million pounds causing the planned move to be abandoned.

On 26 September, The Ryman Football League and Hendon FC both issued statements regarding the future of Hendon Football Club following the enforced closure of Claremont Road.

The Board of the Ryman League has been working with Hendon Football Club Limited and representatives of the Hendon FC Supporters Trust over the last two months to enable a continuation of the Club. The Board was disappointed this week to receive a letter from a Director of the Company closing the ground with immediate effect and explaining the reasons behind the decision. The Company wishes to transfer its membership of the League to the Supporters Trust but the League is not able to deal with that until the Company has satisfied The Football Association and the League itself in relation to the transfer of membership. The Board wishes to enable the Club to continue to play football while negotiations are ongoing; to that end the Board will allow Hendon FC Limited to play its home matches on suitable alternative grounds until the end of the current season. The League requires the Company to deposit with the League within 7 days a sum of £10,000 as a bond to be held against any indebtedness of the Company to the League. The League will charge the Company under League Rule for failing to keep its ground in good playing condition and amenities in good working order throughout the Playing Season. The Board expect the Company to resolve the transfer of membership by the end of the current season; otherwise the Company's continuing membership of the League may be in doubt.

After the closure of Claremont Road, Hendon's home games were played at Harrow Borough's Earlsmead ground, Northwood's Chestnut Avenue, Staines Town's Wheatsheaf Road and Wembley's Vale Farm.

Vale Farm

Vale Farm

On Wednesday 6 August 2008, the Board of the Hendon Football Club Supporters Trust (the Trust) held a special general meeting (SGM) at Hendon Football Club's Claremont Road ground. Trust members were asked to approve a proposal that the Trust should reach an agreement in principle with Hendon Football Club's current owners, the Arbiter Group, to take ownership of the Club by 31 October 2008. All Trust members in attendance voted to approve the proposal and a letter setting out the agreement in principle has now been signed by both parties.

In addition, Trust members were advised that steps have now been taken to secure the permission of the relevant football authorities for the Club to enter into a groundsharing agreement with Wembley F.C. All parties are working towards securing agreement in time for the Club to play at Wembley F.C. Vale Farm ground. This agreement will be effected as soon as possible.

Simon Lawrence, Chairman of the Trust, said:

"While it is desperately disappointing to have to leave Claremont Road, we have been aware for some time that our time there will come to a close at some point and we have been in discussions with Wembley Football Club for quite a while."

As of July 2009, Hendon FC confirmed that they have secured a long-term groundsharing agreement with Wembley F.C. for the shared use of their Vale Farm ground.

Previous club

Prior to the founding of the present club, there was a previous club with the same name which appeared in the FA Cup between 1877 and 1887. One of the former club's players, Charles Plumpton Wilson made two appearances for England in 1884.

References

External links


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