Flackwell Heath’s hopes of claiming promotion to step 3 at the first time of asking were spectacularly derailed by in Monday’s play-off final as Chris Ayres’ side were thumped 5-0 by hosts Berkhamsted This website uses 'cookies' to give you the best Using this website means you are Ok with this You can change which cookies are set at any time - and find out more about them - by following this link<\/a> motors and property from the Maidenhead Advertiser Follow me on Twitter Flackwell Heath’s hopes of claiming promotion to step 3 at the first time of asking were spectacularly derailed by in Monday’s play-off final as Chris Ayres’ side were thumped 5-0 by hosts Berkhamsted Berkhamsted came into the final at Broadwater as firm favourites having finished second in the Southern League Central Division and having hammered Hadley 5-0 at home in Wednesday’s semi-final Flackwell manager Chris Ayres had said before kick-off the pressure was all on The Comrades but they dealt with that pressure - and the expectation of the nearly 2,000 fans inside the Glencar Community Stadium - superbly as they swatted aside the Heathens following a nervy start Flackwell were hoping to cause a surprise after they saw off Barton Rovers 2-0 in their semi-final at Wilks Park on Wednesday evening.  it wasn’t to be and in truth they were largely second best to a Berkhamsted side who now join champions Real Bedford in taking up promotion to step 3 #Heathens @charliecarter_0 pic.twitter.com/zo4wB3tzj4 Wiktor Makowski’s dismissal just before the hour mark for a high and ugly looking tackle on Watkins didn’t help their cause but the Heathens were already 2-0 down by that point and struggling to impose themselves on their hosts in the way they had in the opening 20 minutes A record crowd of 1,963 packed themselves inside the Glencar Community Stadium in time for kick off and they saw Flackwell create a few dangerous moments in the first half an hour.  The visitors may well have taken the lead in the 34th minute when Matty Ayres smashed the ball off the post after being left unmarked at the far post Had that gone in the outcome might well have been very different but the tables turned shortly afterwards when Andrews managed to get past his fullback and pull the ball back for JJ Lacey to score in the 38th minute It had been a nervy start from The Comrades Flackwell’s challenge then fell away in the second half and their frustration bubbled to the surface Matty Bateman made it 2-0 in the 57th minute diving to head home Tompkins’ cross in the 57th minute In Wednesday’s semi-final win over Barton Rovers the Heathens had kept their cool as Rovers were reduced to nine men scoring twice to seal the side’s passage to the final a hot-headed challenge from him on Watkins in the 58th minute saw him shown a straight red card Makowski’s rush of blood to the head put the visitors firmly on the back foot and Berkhamsted capitalised Connor Tomlinson made it game set and match in the 63rd minute when he got on the end of a Lacey cross to make it 3-0 Dennison pulled off a fantastic save to deny Bateman again in the 72nd minute but there was no stopping the Berkhamsted skipper as he made it 4-0 before Lacey scored again to complete the rout WE ARE GOING UP!!#UpTheComrades pic.twitter.com/m6cEJMpS2m There will be disappointment for the Heathens and their fans this afternoon but in time they’ll reflect on a magnificent first season at this level the management team and the players will now look to use this disappointment as fuel to put themselves in the promotion picture again next season Congratulations to @BerkoFC on a well deserved Playoff Promotion A huge thank you to both sets of supporters, a fantastic turnout & nothing less than the occasion deserved. Last of all a huge well done to our players, management & committee for achieving something that… pic.twitter.com/PsAYXmhzjZ Flackwell Heath FC Voters have had their say in local council elections across Buckinghamshire Construction workers did make a mistake when building a new £1.3million roundabout the RBWM cabinet member for highways has said The Conservatives lost a long-held majority at Buckinghamshire Council and fell one seat short of the 49 needed - but how did the votes fall in the county's south Celebrations for the 80th anniversary of Victory in Europe (VE) Day are set to take place across the area this May © Copyright 2024 Baylis Community Media CIC All right reserved England Golf Men’s Squad member Ben Bolton returned to winning ways with a two-shot victory in the 64th Berkhamsted Trophy held at Berkhamsted Golf Club in Hertfordshire from April 3-5 The 17-year-old from Staffordshire shot a level-par 284 over 72 holes including a three-under 68 in each of his first two rounds a third round 76 opened the door to his rivals but a closing one-over 71 was good enough for the Enville player to beat nearest challenger George Saunders by two shots England Golf Boys’ Squad member Harry Cox finished a further shot back in tied third alongside Bryn Thomas who won the 2024 Spanish Boys’ Amateur Championship last September, said: “It was definitely a tough week Going into the tournament I wasn’t hitting it very well so it was nice to find something after talking with my coach and just going back to the old swing feels but my last two weren’t great – my putter went cold and I started missing a couple of greens But it feels really nice to be able to win when I didn’t quite have my best golf so I’m feeling confident and looking forward to seeing how I can get on in the French Boys’ Championship next week.” The 64th Berkhamsted Trophy attracted a field of 108 players The lowest round of the week was a four-under 67 achieved by 9th place finisher Luke Dennison and Ashley Millington For the full results from the 64th Berkhamsted Trophy, click here Following the news of the theft of over £2 million of stock from its Manchester warehouse last weekend Worldwide Golf Brands reports that the business is 'back up and running' with minimal disruption to the vast majority of its customers the business growth agency for UK and Irish golf clubs has launched a new marketing system that has delivered rapid advances in the service they deliver Brocket Hall has announced that world-renowned putting coach Phil Kenyon is to open a new state-of-the-art putting studio at the Hertfordshire-based venue GolfBusinessNews.com (GBN) is for the many thousands of people who work in the golf business all around the world We cover the full range of topics both on and off the course We aim to supply essential information both quickly and accurately in a format which is easy to use We are independent of all special interest groups Click here to sign up for our free twice weekly golf industry news summary View the latest newsletter here 5/7 High StreetDorchester-on-ThamesOxfordshire OX10 7HHUnited Kingdom publisher@golfbusinessnews.com © 1999-2025 e.GolfBusiness.com Limited | All Rights Reserved. | GBN Privacy Policy The Sunday TimesLiving half an hour from London is never going to come cheap but surrounded by rolling Chilterns countryside Small enough to feel safe but busy enough that you don’t get bored thanks to a buzzy café culture and a timetable’s worth of sporty clubs which offers vitamin drips and cryotherapy While you’ll spot plenty of pedigree pooches here the place also has impeccable historic pedigree — after the Battle of Hastings William the Conqueror received the submission of the English at Berkhamsted Castle It’s thought the castle was rebuilt by William’s half-brother and it was later associated with a roll-call of Middle Ages glitterati Striker Wiktor Makowski notched  his 40th and 41st goals of the season as Flackwell Heath saw off rivals Barton Rovers to book their place in the Southern League Central Division play-off final on Monday Wiktor Makowski netting the first of his two goals against Barton Rovers The Heathens will take on Berkhamstead in their own backyard with the carrot of back-to-back promotions up for grabs if they can pull one final exceptional performance in a season that’s been littered with them They go into Monday’s final at Broadwater as underdogs by virtue of the fact Berkhamsted finished the season five points above them in second place and have home advantage in the final which often proves advantageous Flackwell weren’t expected to feature in the play-offs this season having only been promoted from step five in the last campaign so perhaps they can defy the odds once again They were beaten 2-0 at Berkhamsted in the league back in February and were also on the losing side in a 4-2 thriller at Wilks Park back in November they couldn’t be in much better form having won 11 of their last 13 matches Berkhamsted will also know that Flackwell came within seconds of beating runaway champions Real Bedford away from home in February - a game which finished up 5-5 - so will be wary of the attacking threats they pose Makowski said: “Berkhamsted are a different kettle of fish the motivation is to give back to the club They’ve been fantastic with me and all the other players both this season and last season Everything we do on the pitch is for this club Makowski smashed Flackwell ahead after only four minutes on Saturday clinically steering the ball past Barton keeper Dylan Thompson after collecting a pass from Michael Harding Barton then saw two of their players sent off as momentum tilted definitively Flackwell’s way But they couldn’t kill off their visitors until Makowski struck again in the 90th minute lobbing home via the inside of the post to seal the victory That took his tally to 41 for the season and he’ll be hoping that it’s not 41 and out for the 2024/25 campaign with the final to come on Monday but we were prepared for it,” Makowski added “We trained here on Monday in these conditions when the ball is bobbling about It was a tough game against tough opposition but in the end “We found it harder against 10 men because it fired them up They felt like it shouldn’t have been a red card the game was buried and the goal in the last minute just topped it off If we’d played them at their game we’d have easily lost today and we made them play like we like to play In the end it’s a 2-0 victory and we’re through to the final.”  If you appreciate the sound of a sweetly-struck golf ball, head for Berkhamsted Golf Club on Thursday April 3rd this year when 108 of the UK’s elite amateur golfers will strike their first tee shots in the 64th annual Berkhamsted Trophy Berkhamsted’s 1st and 10th holes will see a procession of this year’s brightest golfing talents from early in the morning as they begin their quest to follow in the shoes of Ryder Cup legends such as Sandy Lyle and Luke Donald and greats of the amateur game such as Peter McEvoy and Gary Wolstenholme all of whom claimed the Trophy before going on to have glittering careers in the sport Competitors have until 12 noon on Thursday 13th March to submit their entries to this classic event, rich in history. Golfers with a handicap of 2.1 or less are invited to apply online at www.berkhamstedgolfclub.co.uk although the ballot is often several shots lower In the 2024 event the ballot cutoff fell at the +2.3 mark The two-tee start signals the traditional opening 72-hole tournament of the men’s elite amateur season in England and for the 64th time Berkhamsted’s unique bunkerless 6,683 yard Par 71 golf course – rated among England’s Top 100 tracks – will offer itself up to a hungry pack of golfers who will expect to dominate such an apparently defenceless golf course far shorter than they usually face in elite modern events golfing connoisseurs have long held Berkhamsted’s golf course in high respect for its strategically-placed mounds and densely tree-lined fairways As the club’s Head Greenkeeper Gerald Bruce says: “Every hole here can beat you up This year’s Trophy will be Bruce’s 39th and last as he retires in May after almost four decades tending to the golf course “This piece of land is totally and utterly unique and in the early mornings it is one of the loveliest golf courses in the world” he said “Each year some of the best golfers in the country drive home after playing in the Berkhamsted Trophy and ask themselves The only golfer to come close to dominating Berkhamsted was English international James Claridge who became the only winner in the event’s history to shoot three successive rounds in the 60s finishing with the lowest winning score to par (-11) in over six decades with gorse frequently crossing the fairway makes you think defensively but I tried to bully it a bit managed to win on his first visit to Berkhamsted “I found Berkhamsted to be a very tough test with the lack of bunkers meaning that you are often hitting of one of the countless fairway and greenside mounds instead” he said “The greens are really subtle and run very true Such is the early-season nature of the event Berkhamsted Trophy competitors have to be prepared to deal with bad weather The event switched to a 72-hole format in 2016 having been a 36-hole event for many decades but in each of the last three years the event has been curtailed to three rounds after heavy rain and sometimes even snow “Playing in the Berkhamsted Trophy is often a test of character as well as golfing talent!” said Dan Blesovsky who joined the club as its new General Manager in late 2024 “Berkhamsted Golf Club has staged the Trophy 64 times now but it will be my first so I am looking forward to it tremendously “Each April this golf club steps forward and offers itself up as a springtime treat to the country’s elite golfers the greens staff and the club management all pull together to stage one of England’s truly classic amateur tournaments “This year we do hope for good weather so we can see all four rounds: a full 36-hole finish to the Trophy on the Saturday always creates huge excitement Our record low 72-hole score is 277 (-7) by Charlie Thornton from Fulford and if somebody hits form like James Claridge did a couple of years ago Hopefully this year we’ll get a thrilling finish as the sun sets on the Saturday evening Whoever lifts the Trophy will have conquered one of English golf’s most demanding challenges.” Blesovsky finished by posing this challenge to his members: “In 2025 after 63 years we are still looking for only our second home winner no other Berkhamsted Golf Club member has ever lifted the Trophy In 2020 the Berkhamsted Trophy became the first elite traditional men’s amateur golf event in the world to announce a switch to a gender-neutral entry policy And in 2026 Berkhamsted Golf Club will celebrate the Centenary of James Braid’s redesign work which he carried out with his work at Gleneagles on the King’s and Queen’s golf courses in mind The golf course layout has remained largely untouched for the last hundred years although comprehensive reconditioning work has recently been carried out resulting in Berkhamsted becoming one of the best-conditioned heathland golf courses in England Boasting not only James Braid but also Willie Park Jnr Berkhamsted’s golf course is laid out on common land within Hertfordshire’s largest expanse of natural gorse and heather Over five miles of bridleways and pathways run throughout the golf course and its 530-acre estate close to the western boundary of Hertfordshire Berkhamsted Golf Club is easily accessible from the A41 five miles west of Hemel Hempstead and just 15 minutes from M1 Junction 8 (St Albans) See www.berkhamstedgolfclub.co.uk for all golf club details Real Bedford and Berkhamsted battled out a combative 0-0 draw at the Glencar Community Stadium on Saturday (22 March) at the top of Southern League Central Division One leaving Real three points clear with two games in hand Berkhamsted – needing a win to make the final weeks of the title race tasty – had by far the better chances of the ninety minutes only to be denied on multiple occasions by Tyler McGregor in the Real Bedford goal as he frustrated the home side with some excellent saves Berkhamsted’s 3-1 loss at home to Beaconsfield in midweek had made this game a must-win for the side chasing Real Bedford at the top of the league and with only the champions gaining automatic promotion Early half chances for Shaheim Ward and Jack Morrell for the Pirates were seen off before McGregor in the Real Bedford goal was called into action for the first time on what would turn into a heroic clean sheet The Pirates’ shot stopper has cut a lonely figure in recent weeks as he watched the team in front of him score three and five goals without response against the league’s stragglers in North Leigh and Northwood The first chance was spurned by former Bedford Town striker Connor Tomlinson who found himself one-on-one with McGregor only for the Real keeper to come out on top before Louie Collier forced McGregor into another smart save A pair of yellow cards for Real were perhaps the only notable talking points for Rob Sinclair’s men in a first half where Berkhamsted were gaining all of the opportunities and McGregor was on hand again to stop the home side taking a half-time lead It was another former Bedford Town man in Adam Watkins who was denied as Real had their number one to thank for keeping them in the encounter The second half followed the same pattern; Tomlinson once again was on the end of a glorious opportunity for the hosts only for his effort at the back post to drift wide before BJ Christie had a goal disallowed for an ever more frustrated side in yellow Bedford efforts were consigned to a stray Ben Stevens strike before McGregor was forced into another stop from Collier and when Matt Bateman’s late header clipped the post and went wide Chris Devane’s men were forced into accepting it was not their day It could have been far worse for the home side if Josh Setchell had planted home a smash-and-grab winner in the second minute of injury time – by far Real’s best opportunity of the match – but the winger struck over the crossbar to maintain the 0-0 scoreline The away point is a better result for Real Bedford beginning with a home game against 16th-placed their own automatic promotion hopes are now out of their hands and they must hope Real Bedford slip up while continuing to win all of their remaining six games Tyler McGregor acknowledged the challenge of the ninety minutes saying “we had to grind it out.” They came here with a game plan and executed it perfectly so we’ll take the point “It was a little bit frantic in the first half We needed to get the ball down and play the way we wanted to instead of spinning it in behind constantly you’re going to have to grind it out and that’s ultimately what we did” “Let’s keep the train rolling!” “Were we good enough with our attacking play “The defence were brilliant but Tyler has really stepped up this season; his game has improved a lot and in big moments Real Bedford are back in action on Tuesday 25 March at the Ledger Stadium as they host Stotfold looking to extend their league lead to six points at the top of Southern League Central Division One England Lacrosse is the national governing body for the sport of lacrosse in England regulate and assist participation of community and elite level lacrosse The Fly 2025 Flash Sale | 20% off tickets from 6pm We use cookies and similar technologies to run this website and help us understand how you use it The Data gathered on this website is covered by the organisation\u2019s Privacy Policy Berkhamsted brought home the final silverware of the 2025 National Schools Lacrosse Championships by storming to the Under 13 crown on the final day of competition They produced a dominant display to defeat Guildford High 6-2 in the final and round off a superb day of lacrosse that saw them dominate the competition from start to finish Despite this being the first time out at the National Schools Championships for our Under 13 teams Berkhamsted took to it straight away with an emphatic performance in the pool stages Wins against North London Collegiate (6-0) put Berko in pole position to be competing for silverware come the end of the day they were really tested in their first knockout match against St Pauls with a 2-2 scoreline seeing them advance on the ‘first goal scored’ rule that would be by far the closest any opposition team would come to stopping Berkhamsted’s run as an 8-1 quarter final win against Claremont Fan Court was then followed by an equally impressive 6-1 semi final victory over Birkenhead The final opponents Guildford High had a strong start to the day too Downe House and St Helen & St Katharine 3-1 though they did lose a tight match against Putney High 0-1 defeating Wycombe Abbey 2-1 in Last 16 and St Catherine’s 3-2 in the quarter final before a big 5-1 win against St George’s Harpenden gave them confidence going into the final Berkhamsted continued their formidable goal scoring form right through to the final and despite Guildford’s best efforts it was the Hertfordshire school that ran out 6-2 winners and 2025 champions U14 Championship: St Catherine’s 1-0 Downe HouseU14 Division 1: St Helen & St Katharine 4-1 GodolphinU13 Division 1: Haileybury 2-1 St Helen & St Katharine and take his cocker spaniels Archie and Maisie for a walk The following morning, for the first time in 39 years, and at the age of 62, he will no longer be the Head Greenkeeper at Berkhamsted Golf Club. Gerald Bruce has announced his decision to retire this summer and after almost four decades Berkhamsted’s unique estate which includes one of England’s most prestigious golf courses will no longer be cared for by the club’s passionate in all this time Berkhamsted GC has never had temporary greens Gerald Bruce and his devoted team have seen to that Bruce has prepared the golf course for three dozen Berkhamsted Trophy tournaments the club hosts over 100 of Britain’s most talented amateurs in the traditional season-opening 72-hole event The 64th Berkhamsted Trophy in April will be the last with Bruce’s involvement and year after year the golf course’s unique mysterious challenge has out-foxed legions of elite golfers “There isn’t a single weak hole at Berkhamsted,” said Bruce “Each year some of the best golfers in the country drive home after the Trophy and ask themselves every hole here can beat you up and yet the golf course doesn’t look like it should be insanely hard Harry Colt and most of all James Braid knew a thing or two and we manage our hazards how the original architects put them together There isn’t a single mound in an inappropriate position and in the early mornings it is one of the loveliest golf courses in the world It has been a great honour to have been responsible for presenting it for our members and welcomed guests for such a long time.” The club’s motto is ‘golf as nature intended’ and Bruce has ensured that Berkhamsted has never wavered from its duty of care over Hertfordshire’s largest expanse of natural heathland “The club will certainly not be the same without Gerald – he has steered us safely through so many changing times over the years The foot-and-mouth disease outbreak in 2001 large-scale projects such as the complete new irrigation system which we installed in 2019 or our wonderful new short game area which we opened only last year and of course the arrival of COVID-19 in 2020 have all presented us with fearsome challenges but Gerald has always inspired his loyal team to face up to them in the most professional and dependable manner.” Blesovsky continued: “We have been exceptionally fortunate to have had a man of Gerald’s calibre running the show and under his guidance Berkhamsted is now one of the best-conditioned natural heathland golf courses in Great Britain he will be a tough act to follow but now the search for Gerald’s successor must begin We look forward to working with the next custodian of the Common and to the new opportunities which this will surely bring!” what will give Bruce the most pride when he looks back upon his career After witnessing Ryder Cup winners such as Luke Donald and Major winners such as Sir Nick Faldo compete on its fairways and seeing the golf club named in multiple England’s top 100 lists the answer – typically of Bruce – is more humble and true to the authentic nature of the golf course “In 2007 we created the Blue Course here at Berkhamsted,” said Bruce “We wanted to give some of our members who couldn’t hit the ball so far their own proper tees presented to the same standard as the rest of the course and measured so as to give them the same level of challenge as the one faced by the bigger-hitters off the back tees To this day we maintain the Blue Course tees to the same standard as everywhere else and I am proud that the Blue has been delighting all who play it for approaching twenty years.” Bruce himself formerly played to a 2 handicap and represented Norfolk at county many times through the 1980s After four years at another English classic Bruce came to Berkhamsted in January 1986 as assistant to Dick Bowey 18 months later Bruce ascended to the top job when Bowey retired I’m easy like a Sunday morning,” said Bruce “I can’t remember the last time I needed to set an alarm to get up There aren’t many mornings when I don’t want to get up and to come here half an hour before everybody else It has definitely been my second home for a huge part of my life Gerald and Julie became grandparents for the first time a few months ago and with another grandchild now on the way he will soon have more time to enjoy life with his wife Julie “I am a family man through and through,” said Bruce I have held a season ticket there for decades I always do the Berkhamsted half-marathon: Archie and Maisie will make sure that I stay fit I am looking forward to having a lot more time to enjoy the simple things in life but the golf club will always be in my heart Dan Blesovsky finished: “Gerald is a credit to himself and his family and all of us here at Berkhamsted Golf Club wish him a long Berkhamsted Golf Club is laid out on common land in a stunningly beautiful expanse of natural gorse and heather with over five miles of bridleways and pathways running throughout the golf course and its 520-acre estate Real Bedford leapfrogged ten-man Berkhamsted in the race for the Southern League Central Division One title after completing a 5-1 win over their league rivals at the Ledger Stadium on Tuesday evening (14 January) Rob Sinclair’s side scored three goals in second half stoppage time to seal a tie that had ebbed and flowed through ninety minutes of flashpoints and incidents in a Southern League game that had almost everything The two sides came into this encounter with just a single point separating them – and at least six points clear of the chasing pack – making this a league title six-pointer at the top of Southern League Central Division One There is still a long way to go in this league season but Real Bedford have gained a psychological edge in winning a game that despite a relatively serene first half an hour sparked into life at the end of the first period The first half was more notable for its hefty challenges than its goalmouth action and despite a first twenty minutes that only included a half chance for both sides Matt Bateman’s second-minute effort was easily kept out by Tyler McGregor in the Real goal before Josh Bowler responded with a save of his own from a lively Josh Setchell at the other end in the opening throws The game kicked into life with ten minutes left on the first half clock however as the tackles started flying in First it was Berkhamsted’s Charlie Johnson whose strong tackle got the ball but the follow through provoked a Real Bedford backlash involving Shaheim Ward and a number of away players as the game’s first confrontation ensued escaped with a yellow card but it had lit the blue touch paper on a game that would then grow into a 1980’s-style physical affair with tackles flying in Drew Richardson’s lunge on the stroke of half-time sparked another set of handbags with Brett Longden and Luke Andrews heavily involved this time as both sides went into the interval fired up if the final ten minutes of the first half were fiery it had nothing on a second half that will go down as a classic forty five minutes It began in dramatic fashion as Josh Setchell beat the offside trap only to be met by an onrushing Bowler in the Berkhamsted goal The away shot stopper could not get there first Bowler was left to foul Setchell outside the area with the referee showing him a straight red card The dismissal of the Berkhamsted goalkeeper changed the complexion of the game and after a lengthy stoppage to allow replacement keeper Matthew Burch to come on It was Setchell who would break the deadlock; latching on to Shaheim Ward’s through ball to place home into the bottom corner to give the home side the lead Five minutes later it was 2-0 as Dan Newton conceded an unnecessary penalty in pulling over Isaac Galliford with the ball well clear of the winger leaving Joey Evans to step up and smash home the spot kick Chris Devane and one of his substitutes booked for their remonstrations on the touchline it looked like the wheels were falling off for Berkhamsted Big chances to seal the game came and went as Setchell was once again sent clear only to place his shot wide before Joey Evans hit the post moments later Berkhamsted nearly made them pay for their carelessness the Comrades were given a lifeline as the referee pointed to the spot after former Bedford Town striker Connor Tomlinson was pulled to the ground by Ward with Tom Newman confidently scoring the resulting penalty It left a potentially nervous finale for Real Bedford but they went on to score three more goals in stoppage time to give the scoreline a flattering look come the final whistle Ben Stevens’ excellent near post finish put the game to bed in the 92nd minute before Eniola Agemoh-Davies and Callum Nicolson scored in the 96th and 98th minutes to give Real Bedford a 5-1 win that not only gives them three points The final scoreline was harsh on a Berkhamsted side who despite a ten-minute spell where they seriously wobbled in the second half continued to battle on and could have scored an equaliser that would have spelt disaster for Bedford it’s Rob Sinclair’s Real who open up a two-point gap at the top of the division on another action-packed night at the Ledger Stadium Real Bedford are back there next as they host second bottom side Leverstock Green on Saturday (18 January) while Berkhamsted travel to another lowly side in Northwood Barton Rovers showed they were not missing their star striker John Shamalo in scoring four at AFC Dunstable to rise to third and keep pace with the top two although they are six points off Real Bedford having played a game more Flackwell Heath are fourth after only managing a 1-1 draw at home to Northwood while Real’s next opponents Leverstock Green drew 0-0 against Hertford Berkhamsted came through a nailbiting overtime final against Putney High to claim the Under 15A National Schools Championship Berko were made to battle back though as after going into a 2-0 lead in the final Putney looked like they were on course for a comeback victory as they went 2-3 ahead in the closing stages a late equaliser sent the match into overtime and three tense OT periods followed before Berkhamsted finally broke the deadlock to win the Championship in dramatic fashion Berkhamsted were victorious in the U14 competition last year with the cohort now managing to repeat that success at Under 15 level for this year The Hertfordshire school recorded three wins out of four in the pool stages with a close defeat against Moreton Hall (2-3) leaving them 2nd in Pool A they then stormed through the knockout rounds with convincing wins against St Helen & St Katharine in the Last 16 (6-0) and the previously unbeaten St Swithun’s 4-2 in the semi final Putney were five out of five through the pool stages with wins against St Helen & St Katharine They then came through against Lady Eleanor Holles in the Last 16 and Birkenhead in the semi final to set up the meeting with Berkhamsted The final was a real back and forth contest with the momentum swinging one way and then the other before the dramatic overtime periods that brought the Cha,pionship to a thrilling conclusion that ultimately went in Berkhamsted’s favour Other Final Results:Under 15A Division 1: Wycombe Abbey 3-0 Bedford Under 19C Division 1: St Swithun’s 3-2 Guildford High (OT)Under 19C Division 2: St Catherine’s D 3-2 Marlborough College (4OT) Berkhamsted Golf Club’s new General Manager aims to steer the club through a period of change in a rapidly- evolving golf industry Driving service standards and increasing female membership are two key aims which are at the forefront of Blesovsky’s mind as he takes the reins at one of British golf’s favourite destinations “Most people know Berkhamsted either as home to the Trophy or as one of the only bunker-free courses in the country” said Blesovsky “But there are other extraordinary aspects of Berkhamsted Golf Club which make it one of the most distinctive golfing experiences to be found anywhere in the British Isles “I am extremely proud to have been given this position of stewardship at what is joins the historic club after posting one of UK golf’s most impressive CVs with a sequence of roles at three highly prominent golfing venues in the South He first joined the golf industry as Golf Coordinator at Hanbury Manor after a degree in Sports Science and Business Management at Coventry University where for almost ten years he headed its five-star Golf Services department before accepting a new role at Oxfordshire’s standout venue Frilford Heath taking a wide-ranging Director of Golf and Club Operations brief at one of the UK’s few 54-hole venues with extended periods at three of the best-known golfing venues in England I really could not have asked for a better start” said Blesovsky “My own CV pales in comparison to Berkhamsted’s It is clearly one of British golf’s most authentic and natural challenges relatively unchanged since 1926 when James Braid updated Willie Park Jr and Harry Colt’s original designs With the Berkhamsted Trophy it is also of course host to a nationwide elite-standard golf tournament with its own storied history spanning well over 60 years” he said “We have to retain and indeed celebrate the uniqueness of our challenging golf course but at the same time we have to evolve behind the scenes to ensure that we stay relevant for today’s generation of golfers and indeed for the wider community here in the town of Berkhamsted.” Daniel Blesovsky arrives in Berkhamsted with a young family and a passion for travel and the outdoor life Born in Newcastle but raised from a young age in Cardigan Bay he first hit a golf ball while on holiday on the Isle of Arran visiting his grandparents “I play when I can find the time!” he said “As most people in similar positions will know running a golf club doesn’t actually involve hitting many balls My to-do list for my first year here at Berkhamsted doesn’t spell good news for my handicap.” With Berkhamsted’s Top 100 England status ensuring a constant stream of people who want to play there Blesovsky recognises the need to make the club available for play without compromising its primary status as a haven for its loyal members “With such a prestigious and much-loved golf course naturally we enjoy showing it off to the world” he said my primary duty is to manage the club for the members and to implement new initiatives which fit with our budgets and strategic plans “I consider myself to be a good facilitator and team-builder and I would hope that the experience which I have gained earlier in my career will help me to bring some of my own ideas to the table here at Berkhamsted of course” With its status as one of the UK’s most environmentally-friendly golf clubs stewards of a huge 520-acre estate rich in beauty and biodiversity Berkhamsted’s new General Manager has many layers to his new job “The golf course is situated on Berkhamsted Common atop the hill north of our historic market town” he said “As well as the 180 acres of heathland which contain the course itself the golf club owns a further 340 acres of wooded heathland extending up to the edge of the Ashridge Estate over five miles of bridleways and pathways run throughout the estate including the ancient Grim’s Dyke earthwork which crosses several golf holes Not many clubs enjoy such interesting geography or heritage and it is a very special privilege to be here “A key goal of ours is to bring the golf club closer to the local community The team and I are excited to reveal more about our plans to keep Berkhamsted at the forefront of golf in England and I look forward to inviting friends old and new from the sport to come and experience golf as nature intended!” Share to FacebookShare to Linkedin                            E - elected candidate Constituency: Harpenden and Berkhamsted    This Saturday its a break from Southern League action as it’s time for the first match in our 2024/2025 Emirates FA Cup campaign It’s always special to play in the FA Cup and we have been drawn at home against Berkhamsted in the first qualifying round Whilst the league hasn’t exactly kicked off to plan the FA Cup can always bring a few surprises Lets see as many of you as possible at Top Field supporting Brett and the team The information below should help you make the best out of your visit to Top Field Remember our flexi tickets are also available This allows you to buy a pack of 5 adult or concession tickets at a discounted rate You can then login to your Kaizen account and decide which league games you want to use these tickets for https://hitchintownfc.ktckts.com/merchandise/hit2425flexi/flexi-ticket-202425-5-matches As it is a cup game (and gate receipts are shared) season tickets are not valid for this match Mad Squirrel Brewery will be on hand serving draught craft beers in the ground They will be located between the main stand and the Fishponds Road stand They will be open as soon as the turnstiles open at 14.00 and throughout the match We have a couple of matches left of this initial trial and then we hope to bring you news about a permanent addition later in the season Canary Kitchen will be open from 14.00 serving a great range of food and soft drinks including our signature HTFC Pies We look forward to welcoming another big crowd and hope everyone has a great afternoon at Top Field Hitchin Town Football Club is a semi-professional football club based in Hertfordshire Our Men's team currently play in the Southern League Premier Central Division Sorbon Estates has acquired a former Costa Coffee store at 162-168 High Street in Berkhamsted, Hertfordshire The acquisition means the group has completed the site assembly for its proposed refurbishment and extension at 162-192 High Street which also advised the group on a lease renewal for Fat Face at 176a High Street in December 2024 where a term of five years – without a break – was agreed TW Keil said that Berkhamsted High street continues to benefit from strong occupational demand attracting aspirational and lifestyle brands to reinforce its position as a highly sought-after retail destination The group added that it has further asset management opportunities within the site A shopping centre in Staffordshire has been placed on the market with an asking price of £4,850,000 Costa Coffee has appointed Savills to advise on its nationwide high street and shopping centre expansion plans The appointment comes as the coffee shop operator marks 20 years of collaboration.. acting on behalf of Hines Global Income Trust (HGIT) has acquired Junction 27 retail park in Birstall The acquisition marks HGIT’s entry into.. © 2025 Completely Property Technology Limited part of The Completely Group Limited.