We reach 8th March today on our look back at matches ‘on this day’ and begin in 1913 in the Middlesex League Premier Division with a home match against Walthamstow Grange. The prolific Henry Pennifer led the way with a hat-trick that was added to by Gordon Marchant, Ollie Sumner and Herbert Pike in a crushing 6-0 success for Hampstead Town.

Post-World War I life continued apace in 1919 with a friendly against future Athenian and Isthmian League adversaries, Bromley, at The Avenue Ground where George Garlick and C Preece scored in a 2-1 win and then in 1924, on the day that an explosion at a Utah coal mine killed 171 people, two goals from Cecil Wise and another from Freddie Young saw Southall beaten 3-2 in the Athenian League.

Babe Ruth signed a 2-year contract with the Yankees that would see him paid $160,000 in 1930 whilst in NW2 goals from S Limbury and Stan Moore were enough to grab a point from an Athenian League clash with Sutton United. 11-years later in 1941 the local Claremont Road derby with Tufnell Park saw Golders Green go down 2-1, John Griggs grabbing the goal in the Herts & Middlesex County League.

1952 saw a local derby with Barnet end 1-1 with Roy Stroud grabbing the Hendon goal to secure a point before a 1958 Middlesex Senior Cup semi-final at Wealdstone’s Lower Mead saw a brace each from Tommy Lawrence and Micky Moore, as well as a Miles Spector strike, beat Wembley 5-1 and secure a place in the final where they would meet Enfield.

It was another Middlesex Senior Cup derby in 1969, this time against nearby Willesden that saw a couple of goals from Peter Anderson secure a 2-0 win and progression, then in 1977 in the other Middlesex competition, the Charity Cup, Uxbridge were beaten 2-0 at Claremont Road with Alan Campbell and Road Haider on target, this on the day that Princess Anne announced that she was expecting her first child, Peter.

Substitute Danny Worley grabbed the goal in a 1-1 Isthmian League draw with Croydon in 1986 on the day that 4 French TV crew members were abducted in Beirut and then Andy O’Brien signed off under the gaze of new manager, Frank Murphy, with a crucial 1-0 win in 1997 against fellow strugglers Chertsey Town at Claremont Road thanks to John Ugbah’s strike.

Moving into the new century and a 2003 visit to Gander Green Lane ended in a 2-0 defeat at Sutton United which was followed in 2006 by a 3-0 loss at Chelmsford City. The final 1000+ crowd at Claremont Road in 2008 saw AFC Wimbledon under the tutelage of Terry Brown canter to a 2-0 win and then in 2011, Staines Town crushed the Greens 4-1 at Wheatsheaf Lane in the Middlesex Senior Cup, Dave Diedhiou grabbing the solitary Hendon goal.

That run of four straight defeats on 8th March came to an end in 2014 when Adam Wallace grabbed the only goal of the game at Met Police, this win coming on the day that Malaysia Airlines MH370 mysteriously lost contact and disappeared with 239 people on-board. Finally, in 2016 a visit to Redbridge in the semi-final of the London Senior Cup saw Kezie Ibe net the only goal of the game to secure a shot at winning the trophy, the final to take place against Tooting & Mitcham United at Imber Court.

16 matches on 8th March has seen 8 wins, 3 draws and 5 defeats with 27 goals scored and 20 conceded.