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Congratulations on great season
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Well done to all for great season and for getting a draw today.
Although some of you will strongly disagree, it has to be said that justice has been done and the right club gains promotion. We know only too well the heartbreak of finishing 10 points ahead and still missing out and I wouldn't wish that on another team.
So let's give ourselves a collective pat on the back and hope for even better things next season.
PS A substantial sum from today's gate receipts may soften the blow just a little.
Re: Congratulations on great season
Views: 2464
At Wembley Park as I type. Just coming back from the game. You are right the better team went up. Still proper gutted and I?m only a newcomer! God knows how all the old timers are feeling.
We tried so hard today and every man ran themselves into the ground. Hendon fans will be very proud of the team but to fall at the final hurdle is tough to take.
Damn! They want your blood and guts on the floor before they let you out of this league!
Finally congrats to The pink n? blue army. You were immense today and deserve a promotion.
Hard luck Greens....one more time...damn!
Re: Congratulations on great season
Views: 2479
This old timer (59 years supporting Hendon next January - we have many supporters who've been doing so longer) is disappointed with the result, relieved that we don't have to potentially rebuild half of SJP to cater for National League requirements just yet, and pleased for Dulwich after all their trials and tribulations this season, also that Dulwich have been successful at the sixth time (I think) of asking in the last 8 or 9 seasons.
Now all the Hamlet want to really cement their season is to get back into Champion Hill. More power to their collective elbows in attempting to do so.
I didn't think we were really at the races today, despite leading at half-time. Dulwich had done their homework on us, putting two or three players on our front four whenever any of them had the ball, particularly our wide men. However their potentially most dangerous players (Clunis (7) and Allassani (9)) didn't appear from the far end to achieve a great deal, despite Clunis' thunderous shot against the bar in the second half.
Had the goalkeepers been reversed, I think Dulwich would probably have scored 5 or 6 without reply.
Hendon's season? Only having been at 21 matches out of our 66, and having missed most, if not all, of the first half of each home match when I've been on turnstile duty, I've had to rely a lot on comments from family members and other supporters, match reports, and the videos I've been able to access, so my personal experience this season is limited.
Given the limited experience of most of our squad at this level, we've certainly far surpassed my expectations at the start of the season. Despite our Middx Senior Cup win, Alan Hansen's comment of 25+ years ago - you won't win anything with kids - applies to us, but, by heaven, we came mighty close!!!!!
I commented in a different thread - after the Folkestone match - where I felt this squad was heading. Despite today, I see no reason - other than decimation by larger clubs offering silly money - to alter my opinion expressed therein, that this squad has the potential to be one of the best three I have seen in nearly 60 years of supporting the club.
Congratulations to Gary, Freddie, the rest of the management team, all the players, and to Tom, Rob, and all at SJP, the board, and all our supporters - especially our Scottish friends - for an excellent season. More of the same next season, please.
Re: Congratulations on great season
Views: 2363
Only 59 seasons, Chris - you've got a way to go to match us oldies!
Possibly for the best.
Views: 2495
Gary Mac would've fancied a crack at it and - who knows? - maybe catching a few teams unawares in August and getting some early momentum might have led to a respectable 18/19 season in Connie South.
In reality, I doubt it. There will be as many as half-a-dozen clubs shelling £10k per week up there. As a division, it's getting to resemble Connie North: when a team runs out of the tunnel, you look at 'em and half expect South Sydney Rabbitohs to emerge next.
Then, as pointed-out above, there are ground grading issues. They cost money.
I'd expect a few players to be tapped-up over the summer, so a repeat next season may be a little more difficult.
Looks as if it will still be Isthmian football next term, but a switch to the Southern League - likely to be welcomed by many fans, though probably not by the management & players - is still possible.
"Well done!" again on a great season.
Edited by Morgs at 23:46:18 on 7th May 2018
Re: Possibly for the best.
Views: 2508
It's been a fine season with lots of great moments and quite a few penalty shoot-outs (won and lost).
Yesterday, although we battled really hard and the defence stood firm on the whole, we never really looked too threatening. Dulwich forced us to play a lot of long balls and their huge No.3 seemed to head most of them away. Maybe we needed to take off say, Joseph, to get Big Dave on in midfield to let Casey get forward a bit more to compete for some of the long stuff and at least give us some aerial threat in the box.
I thought the ref was excellent and apart from one slight handbag moment, the players from both teams played hard but fair. I just wish refs applied the law during penalty shoot-outs (for both sides...not just Hendon). The Dulwich keeper was almost laying down a yard off his line as Ollie Sprague took his penalty. I'm sure Ollie is replaying it in his mind as he could've rolled the ball gently into the opposite corner but it's done now.
I hope that our cut of the gate money for both play-off games has covered the extended wages and hopefully there is a little bit to spare too.
Players are bound to move on....that's what happens but those that stay will need to pick themselves up after yesterday's disappointment. We can't have another rebound season like we did after our last play-off defeat.
Re: Possibly for the best.
Views: 2387
Tough one to take yesterday. I'd rather have lost in 90 minutes or extra time than on penalties.
Not wishing to dwell too much on the game or performanc except to say that every player gave absolutely everything they had out there in sweltering conditions. Alas, we just couldn't quite get over the line.
A big thanks to the players, the management and the board of directors for their efforts this season - one which has been at least as memorable as three years ago.
What the summer will bring, no-one knows at this stage. But, as Deadman says above, we need to regroup hard in pre-season and go again next term.
Re: Possibly for the best.
Views: 2407
A downbeat end to a fantastic season. Match was even mentioned in today?s Metro sports section. Think of all the positives from 2017?18 and then look at the negatives:
Positives (in no particular order):
? 3rd in the League ? our joint 3rd-best performance since sponsorship and three points for a win started in
1973?74.
? Niko Muir 40 goals ? only three other players ever achieved that.
? The defeat of Bath ? utterly deserved against a competent National League South team.
? The defeat of Barnet ? it may only have been a strong squad (seven or eight were on the teamsheet in either
the League game before or after Middx Cup tie) and not the full first XI, but we beat a Football League team.
? That night at Slough.
? That night at Dulwich.
? That night at home to Folkestone.
? That afternoon at home to Billericay.
? Middlesex Senior Cup winners.
? That night at Leatherhead.
? Four players with at least 15 goals.
? Casey Maclaren and Dave Diedhiou reached 350 appearances and 18-year-old Keagan Cole reached 100.
Negatives:
Loss to Dulwich in playoff final.
3 bad cup losses in FA Cup (to Win-Fin), London Senior (Balham) and League Cup (to Corinthian?Casuals).
If we can keep most of our squad together, there is so much to look forward to. We are, in the main, a very young squad and if we can build from here, there is no reason why the promised land won?t be reached in April 2019.
Re: Possibly for the best.
Views: 2366
As for the occasion. What a sight. Congratulations to Dulwich - long overdue. No sour grapes, I can't help thinking there have been better Dulwich elevens. Impressed with the number 9. Their Gaffer has a DNA in place with a succession of replacements. They have strong physical presence and dynamic ability. Its a powerful concoction. Understandably we found it difficult to manoeuver the ball. The roaming player on the edge of the box and maybe the inclusion of Big Dave were reflective points. They were physically too strong.
As for our season, the belief in camp and the physical stamina were stand-out positives. There's no denying on the backdrop of the previous campaign the transformation defies belief.
The overall momentum since moving to our new home continues to propel us forward. With about eight weeks until the friendlies start there's hardly time to catch a breath.
Thank you for all your efforts, the directors, management, team and those of whom make it all happen.
Our day will come.
Re: Possibly for the best.
Views: 2413
That's an excellent summary David.
It's been a really really good season and on top of that, we've further established ourselves at SJP and even seem to be picking up some local supporters, who may not have previously had an affiliation with Hendon FC.
Re: Possibly for the best.
Views: 2344
Possibly for the best - silver lining and all that. With all the play-offs done and dusted Ye Olde Non League Matters league table compiler extraordinaire now has Harrow back with us in the Isthmian.
Word on the terraces is that it's this Friday we'll find out what league we're actually going to reside.
If he's anywhere near accurate the Isthmian looks up for grabs.
Let's go up the traditional way.
Ye Olde League matter prediction map
Views: 2667
For those who have not seen it lately
https://www.google.com/maps/d/viewer?mid=1_JqEhxDhFeRtQSkiAIz1qpBX3aU&ll=51.57676303100735%2C-0.9887434686781944&z=8
Where will we be in 2018?19?
Views: 2394
I can exclusively confirm (OK, the exclusively bit is not quite true) that the decision will be announced on Friday.
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