Today sees us review the action from 17th April across the history of Hendon Football Club and we begin today in 1920 with the clash of the Athenian League Dons.

Hampstead Town made the visit to Wimbledon and came away defeated, 2-1 by their South London opponents. Two-years later in 1922 and another Athenian League match, this time at home to Chelmsford saw Town come away with a 3-1 win to seal the points, Cecil Wise on target twice and Travers Day with the other goal.

In 1926 Bromley were beaten 3-1 in the same competition thanks to a couple of goals from J Ashby and one from E Lloyd, then 11-years later in 1937 a high-scoring derby match with Enfield saw the E’s triumph 5-2 at Southbury Road with George Bucci and Jack Hill grabbing the Golders Green goals.

A wartime friendly at home to Leyton in 1943 ended in a 3-0 defeat, this on the day that the architect of the Pearl Harbor attack, Admiral Yamamoto made his penultimate flight to Rabaul – he was shot down and killed the following day. Five-years on in 1948 and Bill Reay and Bob Avis scored the goals in a 2-1 win over Barking back in the Athenian League.

Revenge over Enfield was secured in 1954 as goals from John Bartholomew and Charlie Hawes helped the Greens to a 2-0 win over their great rivals, this on the day that former WWF wrestler ‘Rowdy’ Roddy Piper was born. That gave way to a 17-year break before Woking were beaten 3-1 at Kingfield with Bobby Wilson netting twice and John Baker once.

Two-years later the Greens were finally beaten at the 39th time of asking in the Isthmian League as Walton & Hersham won 2-1 at Claremont Road, Fred Pudney’s goal not enough to maintain the club’s hopes of going all 42 matches undefeated, and another year on in 1974, the day that Victoria Beckham was born, John Baker was on target once again to secure a 1-1 draw with St Albans City.

Moving onto 1976 and Baker scored for the third time on April 17th as he got one of the goals in a 2-0 win at Dulwich Hamlet, substitute Bobby Childs grabbed the other. Half a dozen years later Pat Morrissey netted for the Greens in a 5-1 thrashing at Sutton United to make it 10 goals conceded over the Easter weekend.

Stewart Mitchell and Steve Hudson were on target in 1984 to secure a 2-2 draw with Harlow Town at Claremont Road, this on the day that police office Yvonne Fletcher was shot dead during a demonstration outside the Libyan embassy in London. Next up were St Albans City once again in 1990 who won the game at Clarence Park 2-1, Colin Tate on target for the Greens.

That match began a busy decade for the Greens, the first of five matches during the 1990s and the only one that was lost. Malcolm Stewart scored the only goal of the game in 1993 as Kingstonian were beaten 1-0, this on the day that two Los Angeles police officers were convicted for their part in the death of Rodney King which caused the 1992 LA riots. Two-years later Phil Gallagher made it four goals inside 48-hours with one against Molesey, Martin Gittings added two others to secure a 3-1 win over the South Londoners.

Just a year later Michael Banton continued his hot-streak in front of goal with both Hendon goals in a 2-2 draw at Harrow Borough, the second a late equaliser to secure the point and in 1999 Junior Lewis netted a hat-trick in a 6-1 win over Heybridge Swifts at Claremont Road, Paul Whitmarsh was also on target along with Simon Clarke and an own goal.

Moving into the new millennium and a visit to Sutton United in 2004 saw the Greens fall to a 2-0 defeat, before an 11-match winless run in 2006 was emphatically put to bed as Leyton were crushed 4-0 at Claremont Road, goals coming from Jeff Campbell, Dave Hunt, Ross Pickett and Andy Cook to give the Greens hope of avoiding relegation.

Lubo Guentchev was on target twice in 2010 as a visit to Canvey Island brought with it a rare three points on the Essex riviera, Bradley Thomas also scored in the 3-2 win. 7-years later in 2017 goals from Matt Ball and Khale Da Costa ensured that the Greens’ survival were in their own hands going into the final day of the season as their goals secured a 2-0 win at fellow strugglers Harrow Borough.

Just a year later and a low-key Middlesex Senior Cup Final against Staines Town at Uxbridge’s Honeycroft ground finished 0-0 after 90-minutes thanks, in large part, to an astonishing triple save from Tom Lovelock in the final few moments. The Greens did what was necessary during the penalty shoot-out netting all of their first five spot kicks before Lovelock saved from Elliott Buchanan to secure a record 15th title.

Of 22 competitive matches there have been 13 wins, including that penalty shoot-out success against Staines, three draws and six defeats. 46 goals have been scored and 31 conceded.