The 2nd day of March brings with it a mixed bag in terms of on-field results for Hendon over the years although we begin in 1912 with a game, the result of which is currently unknown. The opponents were French side Boulogne giving Hampstead Town an early taste of football against continental opposition.

The competitive action kicked off as late as 1929 as an Athenian League match against Windsor & Eton ended in a 2-1 defeat, Harry Shearcroft was the man on target and half a dozen years later Walthamstow were held to a 2-2 draw at Claremont Road with Billy Breagan and T Berry on target, the latter with his only goal for the club.

Moving on into the wartime Herts & Middlesex County League in 1940, Tufnell Park were beaten 3-0 thanks to goals from Harry Tomlinson (2) and Mac Cochrane, this on the day that Soviet armies hastened the conclusion of the Winter War in Finland by occupying Tuppura Island. After the war in 1946 the Greens were clattered 6-0 by Sutton United at Claremont Road as Ho Chi Minh was elected president of North Vietnam and Dutch troops landed on East Bali.

Tommy Lawrence scored twice and Jack Rawlings the other in 1957 as Hounslow Town were beaten 3-2 at Claremont Road in the Athenian League and in 1963 Southall beat the Greens 2-1 in the Middlesex Senior Cup, Miles Spector’s goal not enough to salvage so much as a replay.

That set off a run of four games without a win on 2nd March which was added to in 1968 by Wealdstone’s 1-0 win in the same competition at Lower Mead and then a 1974 Amateur Cup defeat by Leatherhead in what proved to be the club’s final game in the competition that had seen them reach the final at Wembley Stadium on five occasions and lifting the famous old trophy thrice. On the same day, Richard Nixon was judged by a US grand jury to have been involved in the Watergate cover-up.

A 1985 home game against Billericay Town ended goalless before goals from Martin Duffield, Colin Tate and an own goal in 1991 saw the Greens to a 3-1 win over Kingstonian as the UN votes in favour of US resolutions for a cease-fire in the Gulf War with Iraq.

A year later in 1992 as Moldova were admitted into the United Nations, Enfield came out on top in a derby match at Southbury Road 1-0 and just a year later again in 1993, Barry Blackman’s goal secured a 1-1 draw with Aylesbury United at Claremont Road in the league.

Neil Price finally picked up his second win as Hendon boss in 1996, exactly three months after his third as his side finally clicked at Hayes Lane to defeat Bromley 5-2. Dave Stephenson, Martin Duffield, Michael Banton, Simon Clarke and an own goal did the damage and a 1999 Middlesex Senior Cup semi-final saw Junior Lewis on target twice along with a Steve Heard goal to beat Wealdstone 3-0 and set-up a final at Southbury Road against Wembley.

In 2002 as the US-led coalition began their invasion of Afghanistan as part of Operation Anaconda, Canvey Island came to Claremont Road and won by the only goal before another game against Wealdstone, this time in the league in 2010 saw goals from Jamie Busby and Lee O’Leary, against his old club, secure a 2-0 win at Grovesnor Vale.

Margate provided the opposition in 2013 at Vale Farm in a turgid 0-0 draw notable only for a serious injury picked up by Elliott Brathwaite and we conclude things with a scrappy but valuable 1-0 win against Basingstoke Town at Silver Jubilee Park in 2019, Charlie Smith grabbing the crucial goal that helped keep the Greens alive and send Martin Kuhl’s side ultimately down.

The record across 18 matches on 2nd March have produced an almost symmetrical record of 7 wins, 4 draws and 7 defeats. The difference appears between the 26 goals scored and 23 conceded.