On we move to 29th March with our retrospective ‘On This Day’ series and begin today with a 1913 London League match against Bronze Athletic, close rivals of Hampstead Town in the early days, which was won 1-0 courtesy of a strike from George Garlick.

Six years later in 1919 in the London United Senior League Darracq, presumably a works team from the automotive manufacturers, provided the opposition, and goals from T Poltock and Charlie Allwright secured a 2-1 win. Then, in 1924 a Middlesex Senior Cup semi-final against Southall held at RAF Uxbridge rather than the two clubs’ preferred venue of Craven Cottage, saw the West Londoners triumph 2-1, Freddie Young grabbing the Hampstead Town goal.

In 1930 an Athenian League match at Leyton ended in a 1-0 defeat, this on the day that Heinrich Bruning was appointed German Chancellor and it wasn’t until 1947 when the 100/1 Irish outsider Caughoo ridden by Eddie Dempsey won the 101st Grand National by 20 lengths, that the club were back in action. Bill Reay and Melvyn Griffiths were both on target at Wimbledon but went down 5-2 in South-West London to end their interest in the London Senior Cup. Meanwhile, in Madagascar, the Malagasy uprising against French colonial rule on the island began.

That run of defeats continued in 1958 with a 3-1 reverse at Maidstone United, Roy Thomas on target for the Greens and it was finally halted in 1967, almost 50-years after the last time the club had not tasted defeat on 29th March, when Bobby Cantwell’s goal sealed a 1-1 draw with Corinthian Casuals in the Isthmian League at Claremont Road.

That result began a little run of draws, the next one occurring two years later in 1969 when David Hogwood and Peter Anderson grabbed the strikes in a 2-2 draw against rivals Enfield at Claremont Road, this on the day that Lulu represented the UK at the Eurovision Song Contest with ‘Boom Bang-a-Bang’ and a 1977 Isthmian League clash with Hayes also ended all square, John Butterfield and Bobby Southam on target in the 2-2 draw at Church Road.

In 1983 goals from Barry Henley and Billy Stagg were not enough to stop the Greens extending their winless run beyond 64-years on 29th March, this time Carshalton Athletic came to Claremont Road and claimed a 4-2 win and three years later Hayes once again provided the opposition, this time at Claremont Road, and fought out a 0-0 draw.

It was finally in 1988 that the Greens managed to get themselves back to winning ways, a full 69-years since that victory over Darracq, as Croydon were put to the sword thanks to an Iain Dowie brace and a strike from Neil Wolstenholme. That joy was short-lived, however, as a 1997 visit to St Albans City ended in a 1-0 defeat in the Isthmian League.

2002 saw the first leg in a double-header against Boreham Wood at Meadow Park, the first match ending in a 2-1 win thanks to strikes from Martin Randall and Eugene Ofori and exactly a year to the day later Brazilian Ricardo Alves marked his debut with the Hendon goal in a 1-1 draw on a day caked in glorious sunshine.

Five years later in 2008 and a goal from Belal Aite-ouakrim secured a decent point from a visit to Billiercay Town and just a year later at Vale Farm a Brian Haule strike wasn’t enough to prevent Gary McCann’s side from sliding to a 2-1 defeat to AFC Hornchurch in the Isthmian League.

We finish today’s look back with another home game, this time hosted at Earlsmead in 2014, against Carshalton Athletic and a goal from Leon Smith which left the Robins deep in relegation trouble. This was on the day that same-sex marriages were held in England and Wales for the first time.

18 matches, to date, on 29th March have produced just five wins along with six matches finishing all-square and seven defeats. 23 goals have been scored and 27 conceded.