We were devastated to hear yesterday of the death of former player Ray Poole on 13th January 2025, at the age of 82.

Raymond Charles Alfred Poole was born in Hemel Hempstead on 5th April 1942. The club have no information about his early life, however, by the mid-1960s he was playing, usually at left back, for Bromley in the Isthmian League, and he played against Hendon several
times.

Ray signed for Hendon in autumn 1966, playing mainly in the reserves, but filling in for left back Micky Cooper or central defender Roy Sleap when one or other was unavailable.

Ray's debut came on 17th December 1966 in a London Senior Cup 1st round replay at home to Cheshunt, Hendon winning 7-2. He played in the first leg of the Middlesex Senior Cup final against Enfield, Hendon winning the trophy 3-2 on aggregate after extra-time proved to
be necessary in the second leg.

He became the regular first team left back in October 1967, replacing Micky Cooper, who featured rarely in the first team for the rest of the 1967-68 season. Ray scored his first goals for the club in the last two league matches of the season, at home to St Albans City (2-0), and away to his old club Bromley (8-1).

Following centre-forward Tony Harding's departure in summer 1968, Ray began the pre-season campaign at centre-forward, based partly on his stature and partly on his scoring exploits at the end of the previous season. It was an immediate success, as he did the hat-
trick in the first pre-season friendly, a 4-0 win over a Fulham XI.

However, by the end of pre-season he was back at centre-half, a position he had filled very occasionally. Ray played 50 matches during the 1968-69 season, only missing three, and gaining a winner's medal in the London Senior Cup final against Dagenham at Barnet.

In 1969-70, Ray only played in half the League games, usually at left back when Micky Cooper was unavailable or at centre half in the absence of Micky Cannon or Len McKendry. He did, however, play in all 21 Cup games that season.

He left Hendon during the 1970-71 pre-season, moving, from memory, to Maidstone United.

In his club career, Ray played 136 competitive games and scored three goals; in addition he played in 15 friendly matches, scoring four times, including that hat-trick against Fulham XI.

The club passes its condolences onto his daughter, Charlotte, and the rest of Ray's family and friends at this very sad time.