(Not) On This Day: 4th April

Greensnet Editor
Mon 05 Apr 2021, 10:17

Following a reasonably positive couple of days our look back at what’s happened over the years on 4th April sees less in the way of success and rather more in the way of defeats and disappointments.

A 4-0 Middlesex League win over Liberty in 1914 did not set the tone for what was to come, Alec Tomkins scoring twice along with goals from Gordon Marchant and Arthur Humphreys and even the club’s next match, a 1925 Athenian League 1-1 draw with Summerstown, didn’t hint at what was to come, Vic Rowe grabbing the goal in this one.

The malaise began in 1936 when Southall came to Claremont Road in the Athenian League and won 3-2, Johnny Browne and Eric Duffield on target for Golders Green and then six-years later in 1942 Wealdstone won 2-1 at Claremont Road in the Herts & Middlesex League Cup, Cyril Goodchild with the Green goal.

Bill Reay and Bernard Bryant scored in 1947 as Enfield ran away with an Athenian League fixture, winning 6-2, however just 24-hours after their 11-goal haul against Redhill, the Greens continued their good form in 1953 as they beat Hitchin Town 2-0 at Top Field thanks to a pair of strikes from Cliff Nock, this on the day that King Carol II of Romania passed away.

Normal service was resumed in 1958 as a visit to Hayes resulted in a 4-0 defeat, and just a year later in 1959, although Tommy Lawrence was on target twice, another visit to West London – this time Hounslow Town – also ended in defeat, the hosts coming out 3-2 victors.

Moving onto 1964 and just a week after dishing out a 3-0 defeat to title rivals Wimbledon at Claremont Road, the roles were reversed as the South London Dons won 2-1 to strengthen their own claims for the Isthmian League title. Jimmy Quail was on target for the Greens on the day that former Fulham, QPR, Manchester United and England defender Paul Parker was born and the first driverless trains ran on the London Underground.

Tony Bass was on target in 1972 in a 1-1 draw with Walton & Hersham at Stompond Lane, and then in 1978 a visit to Gander Green Lane saw George Brooks and Tony Field amongst the goals in a 4-2 defeat to Sutton United.

Succour and relief finally returned in 1981 as Anthony Bennett and Kevin Folan scored in a 2-1 win over Wycombe Wanderers at Loakes Park, however it was back to the familiar taste of defeat in 1987 as Kingstonian strolled to a 3-0 London Senior Cup success over the 10-man Greens who had Alan Roughan dismissed, this on the day that German midfielder Sami Khedira was born.

Just a year later and a visit to Nyewood Lane saw Bognor Regis Town canter to a 1-0 win in the Isthmian League before a 1991 visit to Buckingham Road saw Aylesbury United thump the hapless Greens 4-1, Uche Egbe scoring for Hendon. Just a year later, the club finally returned to playing at home for the first time in 50-years – the previous occasion being in 1942 – but the results did not improve as St Albans City came, saw and conquered with a 1-0 win.

Barry Ferdinand was on target in 1995 at Claremont Road against Slough Town, but in a 2-1 defeat, and finally in 1998 the tide began to turn. High-flying Dagenham & Redbridge arrived at Claremont Road and were sent packing with a 3-0 defeat thanks to goals from Junior Lewis, Freddie Hyatt and Paul Kelly.

Four years later in 2002 a Dale Binns strike settled another home match with St Albans City, that before a 2009 visit to Tonbridge Angels ended in a predictable hammering, 5-1 on this occasion, with Jamie Busby on target for the Greens, this on the day that North Korea launched a test missile that entered Japanese airspace.

In spite of all the angst before we end on a high note. Firstly in 2012 as a visit to Concord Rangers saw strikes from Casey Maclaren and Dean Cracknell grab a 2-1 win on the island and three years later took control of the Isthmian League title race with a 2-1 win over leaders Maidstone United at Earlsmead. After falling behind in the first half to a Frannie Collin goal, another outstanding Andre Da Costa free kick levelled things up before the break. The winner came in the second half when Tom Mills was dismissed for a professional foul on Kezie Ibe. Sam Murphy kept his nerve to net the winner from the spot and leave Gary McCann’s men with the destiny of the league title in their own hands.

Of 22 matches played so far on 4th April there have been seven wins, with 2 draws and 13 defeats. 31 goals have been scored and 45 conceded.