The 17th February has seen the Greens take to the field on no fewer than 18 occasions over the years beginning in 1912 with a London League match against West London Old Boys that we unfortunately do not have the scoreline for.

A 1923 Athenian League match, our last league match on this day for 6½ decades, ended in a 1-1 draw against Southall, Cecil Wise the goalscorer for Hampstead Town and in 1934 the two sides met again, this time at Claremont Road in the Middlesex Senior Cup, and Freddie Evans helped himself to a hat-trick in a 6-1 success. Ronnie Rowe grabbed two and Herbert Knott the other in that rout.

As the crew of HMS Cossack board the German tanker Altmark in neutral Norwegian waters freeing 299 British internees after hand-to-hand fighting in 1940, Golders Green were slipping out of the London Senior Cup following a 3-1 defeat at Walthamstow Avenue. Les Fontana was on target. There was better wartime luck in 1945, however, as Tufnell Park were beaten 3-2 in the Herts & Middlesex County League. Laurie Topp grabbed a rare brace and Charlie Fair the third.

1951 saw a degree of revenge against Walthamstow Avenue in an Amateur Cup replay as two goals from Bob Avis saw Hendon to a 2-0 win to take them into the last-8 where they would meet Wimbledon but there was disappointment in 1962 as a fierce storm hit Hamburg in West Germany killing 265 and Hayes scored the only goal of a Middlesex Senior Cup tie at Church Road.

Two years later in 1964 there was a thriller in a London Senior Cup replay as defending was put on the backburner for both sides with Croydon Athletic being beaten 7-4. Gerry O’Rourke grabbed four goals for the Greens with two from Laurie Churchill and one from Peter Slade doing the damage. The goals continued to flow, albeit less plentifully, four years later in 1968 as two each from Micky Drabwell and Tony Harding saw a 4-0 win over Maidstone United in the Isthmian League.

Keith Searle grabbed a brace sandwiching a Tony Bass goal in 1973 as Sutton United were beaten 3-0 at Gander Green Lane in 1973, on the day that Henry Kissinger met Mao Zedong in Beijing and in 1981 a Middlesex Charity Cup tie with Wealdstone finishes 2-2 thanks to goals from Peter Anderson and Paul Currie.

Dermot Drummy scored what proved to be nothing more than a consolation goal as the Greens bow out of the Middlesex Senior Cup in 1987, Harrow Borough coming out 2-1 winners at Earlsmead and three-years later in 1990 Carshalton Athletic beat the Greens 3-1 at Colston Avenue in an Isthmian League match, Martin Duffield with the goal.

A rare clean sheet in February 1996 at Claremont Road saw the points shared against Chertsey Town in a 0-0 draw that saw former West Ham man Bobby Barnes make his second and final appearance for the club and the club’s winless run extend to a tenth match. Two years later in a Full Members Cup Quarter Final two goals from Michael Banton and one from Nas Bashir saw Dagenham & Redbridge beaten 3-1 at Claremont Road to set up a last-four clash with Maidenhead United.

In 2001 Slough Town dished out a 1-0 win in the Isthmian League before 13-years later in 2014 Staines Town are beaten 3-2 in a Middlesex Senior Cup quarter final in which Jefferson Louis signed off his Hendon career with his 26th goal in just his 33rd appearance, Michael Murray and Anthony Thomas were also on target.

We end today’s look back on this day in history with a visit to Thurrock three years ago today on a sunny day which was settled by a super solo strike from Ashley Nathaniel-George at Ship Lane. Highlights of that game can be found on the Back of the Net YouTube channel and by clicking here.

Of 18 matches to have been played to date on 17th February 9 have been won, three drawn and five lost with one result unknown. 38 goals have been scored and 23 conceded.