Post by jonw on Mar 29, 2020 20:01:37 GMT
Lightning struck twice on that crazy Sunday afternoon in May 2018 at Hampton & Richmond Borough when Diaz Wright converted the penalty that took Iron back to the National League Premier Division. Amazingly it was on the very same ground that we last won promotion to the top flight in 2011, and the winning goal on that occasion also hit the top right corner of the net at the clubhouse end of the ground. Glenn Poole scored it from a free kick and there were great scenes of joy at the end, as Iron edged closer to the title. However, the title and promotion were not sealed until the next day when results from the Saturday games went our way to confirm that we had won the league.
Over the years there have only been four football grounds outside Braintree that we have won promotion at. At the end of the 1990-91 season we beat Histon 2-1 at home to clinch runners-up spot in our final Eastern Counties League season. At that time promotion was not guaranteed and so there were no celebrations, with it being some time later that it was conformed that our application for promotion to the Southern League had finally been accepted at the fifth attempt.
1996-97 was spent in the Isthmian Division 3 after swapping over from the Southern League part of the pyramid. The season was spent chasing the title so when a 0-0 draw at home to Camberley Town on 12th April secured promotion it was largely ignored. The bigger prize was the title, which we lost to Wealdstone by a point on the final day. This was the last time that we have been promoted on our own ground.
A year later we were again going all out for the title. We were still unbeaten when we travelled to play Marlow on 28th March and won 3-1 to gain promotion with seven games to go. Again, there were muted celebrations as the title was the objective. That was surrendered spectacularly on the final day.
At the climax of the 2000-01 season Iron were closing in on promotion to the Ryman League Premier Division and were due to travel in midweek to Staines Town in the knowledge that a point would be enough to guarantee promotion. Staines’ ground was being rebuilt at the time so the game was to be played at Molesey. However, after heavy rainfall in the area the venue was changed at short notice, catching out many Iron fans, myself included. After arriving at a locked up Molesey ground supporters were advised by a single notice on the gate to hot foot it instead to Carshalton. I’m not sure if anyone failed to get there, but those that did witnessed the 2-2 draw that took us up to the highest level we had played at up to that point.
At the climax to the 2005-06 season we won the Ryman League Premier Division at Chelmsford’s Melbourne Park ground. We went into the local derby at Easter knowing that a win would see off our nearest rivals and first half goals from Eugene Ofori and James Hawes kick started the party.
Younger Iron fans at Hampton who may want to take a trip to the past and visit the scenes of past glories will be pencilling in trips to stadiums at Marlow and Carshalton and an athletics track in North Essex.
Article originally produced in programme v A.F.C. Halifax Town in 2018-19
Over the years there have only been four football grounds outside Braintree that we have won promotion at. At the end of the 1990-91 season we beat Histon 2-1 at home to clinch runners-up spot in our final Eastern Counties League season. At that time promotion was not guaranteed and so there were no celebrations, with it being some time later that it was conformed that our application for promotion to the Southern League had finally been accepted at the fifth attempt.
1996-97 was spent in the Isthmian Division 3 after swapping over from the Southern League part of the pyramid. The season was spent chasing the title so when a 0-0 draw at home to Camberley Town on 12th April secured promotion it was largely ignored. The bigger prize was the title, which we lost to Wealdstone by a point on the final day. This was the last time that we have been promoted on our own ground.
A year later we were again going all out for the title. We were still unbeaten when we travelled to play Marlow on 28th March and won 3-1 to gain promotion with seven games to go. Again, there were muted celebrations as the title was the objective. That was surrendered spectacularly on the final day.
At the climax of the 2000-01 season Iron were closing in on promotion to the Ryman League Premier Division and were due to travel in midweek to Staines Town in the knowledge that a point would be enough to guarantee promotion. Staines’ ground was being rebuilt at the time so the game was to be played at Molesey. However, after heavy rainfall in the area the venue was changed at short notice, catching out many Iron fans, myself included. After arriving at a locked up Molesey ground supporters were advised by a single notice on the gate to hot foot it instead to Carshalton. I’m not sure if anyone failed to get there, but those that did witnessed the 2-2 draw that took us up to the highest level we had played at up to that point.
At the climax to the 2005-06 season we won the Ryman League Premier Division at Chelmsford’s Melbourne Park ground. We went into the local derby at Easter knowing that a win would see off our nearest rivals and first half goals from Eugene Ofori and James Hawes kick started the party.
Younger Iron fans at Hampton who may want to take a trip to the past and visit the scenes of past glories will be pencilling in trips to stadiums at Marlow and Carshalton and an athletics track in North Essex.
Article originally produced in programme v A.F.C. Halifax Town in 2018-19