Hendon’s match with Tiverton Town last Saturday was made into a special occasion as the club recognised former star Dermot Drummy, who died in November 2017.

Drummy played 348 times for Hendon in two spells from in the 1980s, scoring 62 goals and enjoyed much success with both Arsenal – where he had been an apprentice – and Chelsea’s youth teams. He also spent a season managing Crawley Town in 2016–17.

Always a team player, Dermot’s death hit his former team-mates hard and it was decided to hold a day of celebration for his life in the week of what would have been his 58th birthday.

The match was dubbed Dermot’s Game and as well as bucket collections for MIND and the Samaritans, a number of his former team-mates came to celebrate his career.

Ten stars from Dermot’s squads in the late 1980s were at Silver Jubilee Park and it gave many of Hendon’s older fans to chat with players who did so much for the club in the period.

By a happy coincidence, with Dermot in the No.7 shirt he wore with such distinction, the 10 would have made for a very formidable line-up:

1. Dave Root
2. Erskine Smart
3. Roger Wade
4. Andy O’Brien
5. Alan Campbell
6. Bob Dowie
7. Dermot Drummy
8. Duncan Hardy
9. Mick Kiely
10. Colin Tate
11. Gary Keen

A number of fans mused how this team would have fared if they had played in the game. Apart from the obvious age issue – Dermot left the Greens 30 years ago – but in their prime, the team would have been far too strong for Step 3 of Non-League football.

Dermot’s family was also at the game and they were blown away at the hospitality they were afforded. Two even have intimated they want to get involved with the club as volunteers.