We move our ‘On this Day’ series on to January 26th and a day that has provided little succour over the past 91 years or so. Those of a nervous disposition ought to look away now.

Things began well enough with a 2-1 win over Botwell Mission, later to become Hayes, in the Middlesex Senior Cup in 1924 thanks to goals from Cecil Wise and Freddie Young. Then, in 1929 in the same competition a very local derby with Hendon Town ended 7-0 with Stanley Moore, Harry Shearcroft and C Graves netting two goals each and George Bucci adding one.

That was the last occasion to date on which we picked up a victory in a competitive match, a run of 13 consecutive matches which began in 1935 with a thumping 5-1 defeat in Suffolk in an Amateur FA Senior Cup tie at Harwich & Parkeston, T Edwards with the Golders Green goal.

Woking were beaten in 1946 however this was a friendly match, A Lovell netting a hat-trick and Harry Shearcroft also finding the target, then in 1952 a return to competitive action ended with a 3-2 defeat to Finchley in the Middlesex Senior Cup, Arthur Phebey and Cliff Nock scoring for the Greens.

Five years later and a 1957 Amateur Cup tie at Briggs Sports saw Miles Spector hit a hat-trick, however the treble was in vain as the East Londoners scored four of their own to triumph in a seven-goal thriller.

Harwich & Pakeston provided the opposition again in 1974 in an Amateur Cup 2nd replay at Colchester United’s Layer Road and again, the two sides were unable to be separated as Rod Haider and Derek Baker netted in a 2-2 draw. Then, in 1980, another Middlesex Senior Cup tie ended in defeat as Staines Town netted the only goal of the game at Wheatsheaf Lane.

Two years later goals from Peter Anderson, Pat Morrissey and Phil Brown secured a 3-3 draw against Boreham Wood and in 1985 another match with Leytonstone-Ilford ended goalless, just as had happened in yesterday’s round-up, only two years previously.

Fast forward to 1988 and the long trip to Cumbria to take on Barrow in an FA Trophy replay ended with the Northern side winning 2-1, Alan Campbell netting for the Greens and a further three years on Wokingham Town won an Isthmian League match by the same scoreline, Hendon’s goal coming via a home player.

Yeading knocked the Greens out of the Middlesex Charity Cup in 1993, the club’s last appearances in the competition, 2-0, and a fifteen year wait until another game on 26th January provided no relief as Harlow Town won 3-1 in the Isthmian League in 2008, Brian Haule with the Hendon consolation.

Two years later a visit of Tooting & Mitcham United at Vale Farm ended without score and two years ago, in 2019, Jimmy Gray’s side picked up another valuable point against fellow strugglers Beaconsfield Town in another match that ended without the ball hitting the target, Romario Jonas seeing red for the Greens late on.

Of fifteen competitive matches to have taken place to date on this day only two have been won, five have ended all-square and 8 have been lost. 23 goals have been scored and 28 conceded.