With football called to a halt for the time being and it being difficult to look forward, Greensnet has taken the opportunity to take a look back at games in the club’s history that took place on 7th January.

The first recorded instance of the club playing on the 7th January was 110 years ago in 1911 when Hampstead Town took on Pinner in a Willesden League fixture with Town winning 2-1. In 1928 Southall were the victors in an Athenian League game 4-2, Oscar Reinke scoring both goals. Five years later fellow Athenian Leaguers Bromley ended our interest in the London Senior Cup with a 2-0 win at Hayes Lane (not the current ground).

There was another 11-year break before we returned to action on 7th January when, in 1933, Golders Green comprehensively beat Midland Bank 6-0 in the Amateur FA Senior Cup thanks to goals from Ronnie Rowe, Freddie Evans, Jimmy Spalton (2) and Herbert Knott (2). Six years later and eventual champions Walthamstow Avenue netted five times without reply in an Athenian League match at Claremont Road.

Moving into the post-war era, in 1950 Roy Stroud netted a hat-trick as Metropolitan Police were despatched 7-0 in the London Senior Cup. Ernie Joyce scored twice whilst Bill Reay and Bob Avis completed the scoring and six-years later Hendon began their run to winning the 1955/6 Middlesex Senior Cup with a 2-0 win over Yiewsley, Denis Roden and Miles Spector the goalscorers.

In 1961 another run to the final of the Middlesex Senior Cup was kicked off in spectacular style with Spector scoring a hat-trick in a 6-1 win over Hayes. Mike Candey, Jimmy Quail and Terry Howard also scored as the Greens ended up losing 3-2 in the final against Hounslow Town. Quail was again on the scoresheet in 1967 as an own goal and one from Tony Harding sealed a 3-1 London Senior Cup success against Tooting & Mitcham United.

During the semi-professional era it wasn’t until 1978 that the club was in action on this day and in another Middlesex Senior Cup tie that sparked a run to the final, Staines Town were beaten 2-1 in a replay with Alan Campbell and an own-goal doing the damage. This time Enfield were the eventual champions beating the Greens 2-0 in the final. In 1984 an Isthmian League tie with Hayes finished all-square, 1-1, Steve Hudson sealing a point for the Greens.

In 1992 future Football League man Simon Clark salvaged a 1-1 Middlesex Senior Cup draw with Wealdstone – the Greens would win the replay before being knocked out by Wembley – and three years later Mick Browne’s side were beaten 2-0 at Hitchin Town. Once again there was an 11-year hiatus before Braintree Town beat the Greens 2-1 at Claremont Road in 2006, Blaise O’Brien’s penalty not proving enough for Gary McCann’s struggling side to take a point from the game.

A penalty from Darren Currie was enough to seal the points in 2012 from a trip to Imber Court as we overcame Metropolitan Police in an Isthmian League match 1-0 and five years later Casey Maclaren and Karl Oliyide were the heroes as the Greens finally sealed their first league win at Silver Jubilee Park.

The club’s 17th and to date, most recent match on 7th January came last year when a trip to Needham Market ended with the hosts winning 5-1, Shaun Lucien’s outstanding free kick proving no more than a consolation alongside the sight, for the hardy handful of travelling support, of manager Lee Allinson’s playing debut.

Across the club’s 113-year history there have been 17 matches on 7th January. 9 of those were won, 2 ended all-square and 6 in defeat. 37 goals were scored whilst 27 were conceded. Full details of each of the matches mentioned above can be found in the extensive on-line archive