Today’s first look back at matches to have taken place on this day in the history of Hendon Football Club, and previous guises, is a far more moderate affair with 21 matches having taken place on 22nd April.

We begin 99-years ago today in 1922 with an Athenian League match against Bromley at The Avenue Ground. Cecil Wise and Travers Day, that familiar duo, netted the goals in the 2-0 win. The Lilywhites provided the next opposition a full 13-years later in a 1935 friendly, this time the score ending all-square at 2-2.

After Redhill had spent much of yesterday roundly beating the club in various forms, a 1939 Athenian League visit to the rolling Surrey hills ended 2-2, Bob Thomas scoring the two goals for Golders Green. Five-years later in 1944 on the day that Hitler and Mussolini, by now deposed as Italian Duce, met in Salzburg, a visit to Walthamstow Avenue ended in defeat, the East Londoners picking up a 2-0 win.

Acquaintances were renewed with Bromley once again in 1950 in the Athenian League at Hayes Lane, however the scoreline remained blank throughout the 90 minutes and that goalless scoresheet was emulated seven-years later in 1957 as a visit to Sutton United, also in the Athenian League, ended 0-0.

It was back to Redhill in 1961 and this time the Greens managed to secure an impressive win. Norman Field scored twice in a 4-0 win that was augmented by strikes from David Bell and Graham Davies – that was that for the 1960s.

The next time the Greens took to the field was in 1972 at Wembley Stadium for their fifth and final FA Amateur Cup Final. Lining up against them were great rivals Enfield. Tony Bass and a deflected effort from John Baker that was credited as an own goal gave the Greens a 2-0 win and secured a third title triumph leaving them level with Bromley, Leytonstone and Stockton on three Amateur Cup triumphs, just behind Dulwich Hamlet (4), Crook Town & Clapton (5) and the victors of the Greens’ first final appearance 17-years before, Bishop Auckland (10). Not only did that secure the amateur game’s premier trophy once again but it secured the club’s place in the Anglo-Italian Barassi Cup the following season.

Three-years later in 1975 a visit to Tooting & Mitcham United ended in a 2-0 defeat back in the Isthmian League, and three-years further on in 1978 a visit to Staines Town saw the Swans triumph by the only goal of the game.

That run of defeats continued in 1982 at home to Croydon, goals from Dencell Green and Paul Brown not enough to prevent a 3-2 defeat, this on the day that Brazilian footballer Kaka was born, and a win did arrive again in 1986 as goals from John Knapman, Tony Gibson, Colin Tate and Mick Kiely saw a six-goal thriller go the way of the Greens at Claremont Road, Billericay Town being beaten 4-2.

It all went wrong in 1989 as a visit to Wexham Park saw Slough Town cruise to a 4-0 win before another six-goal thriller half a dozen years later in 1995 against Purfleet, this time the goals being shared equally in a 3-3 draw. Martin Gittings, Uche Egbe and substitute Nick Sweetman netted for Mick Browne’s side as they picked up another vital point.

Junior Lewis scored the Hendon goal in a 1999 defeat to Harrow Borough at Claremont Road, the Reds netting twice to secure a 2-1 win, but there was a return to a goal-fest in 2000 as Farnborough Town were riotously dismantled 5-3 at Claremont Road. Gary Fitzgerald, Davis Haule and Paul Scott were on target for the Greens as well as a brace from Paul Whitmarsh. They were his 69th and 70th – and final – goals in a Hendon shirt.

It was billed as the final game at Claremont Road but proved not to be, not by a long shot, in 2006 as Dave Anderson brought his AFC Wimbledon side for the club’s final home game of the season. There was to be no fairytale for the Greens as the visiting Dons won by the only goal of the game in front of 1,444 supporters. Two-years later everyone descended on Imber Court where Tooting & Mitcham United awaited in the final of the London Senior Cup. The upwardly mobile Terrors were too much for the tired Greens to handle and despite goals from Danny Dyer and Brian Haule the South Londoners won 3-2.

There was another defeat in 2010, this time to champions Dartford at Vale Farm. Casey Maclaren saw red and Jamie Busby scored in the 2-1 defeat to the Kentish side. Five-years later in 2015 and the Greens survived a huge handball scare against Dave Diedhiou to secure another London Senior Cup final spot against, believe it or not, Tooting & Mitcham. Kezie Ibe came off the bench to score the two Hendon goals in the 2-0 win.

Two-years later and after kicking off almost an hour-and-a-half after every other game in the Isthmian League – the two linesmen had been caught in heavy traffic getting to the ground, every single emotion was wrung from the Hendon support against Staines Town. A 98th minute winner from Burgess Hill Town meant that Mo Bettamer’s first-half opener had the Greens going down, in spite of a run of seven wins from their previous nine matches. Moments after the restart Matt Ball sent in a left-wing cross for Casey Maclaren – who had hit the post in the first-half – to thunder a header home beyond Jack Turner. That was enough to secure the club one final season in the Isthmian League and it was one that they wouldn’t forget.

Another couple of years on in 2019 and the Greens were denied safety in their penultimate match of the season as a late penalty award for Chesham United saw the Generals clinch a 2-2 draw at Meadow Park. Shaquille Hippolyte-Patrick’s two goals had earlier looked to have secured Jimmy Gray’s men’s place at Step 3 for another season before David Pearce ensured final day nerves once again.

Of the 21 matches to have taken place to date on 22nd April there have been six wins, six draws and nine defeats. 33 goals have been scored and 35 conceded.