I do intend to produce the bulletin throughout the close season
The following items will be included—
away to Redditch who needed a win to 100% make sure of retaining their step 3 status
We were down to the bare bones with Liam Brooks being unavailable and Bradley Bell pulling out Ill on the morning of the game
This meant we went with a bench of Bradley Dixon Smith
Kieron Forbes and a not-fully-fit Stephen Gleeson
We were able to reward academy player Blue Joy with his first start after impressing this season with the academy and in training with the first team
This meant a shuffle to our backline was needed as we had four central defenders in the team
Lewis Franklin went to left back where he has played for the academy and Welwyn Garden City in the past and Toby Syme went to his former position of right back
This allowed Blue to slot in between the experience of Toby Syme and Ciaren Jones
In the first few minutes we looked up for the challenge of trying to end our winless run
but 10 minutes in and Ciaren Jones had given away a penalty and injured himself while committing the foul
Seb Stacey managed to pull off an excellent save and for a moment we thought this might have been our day but from the resulting corner we were unable to compete with the numerous headers/challenges and Redditch took the lead
This spurred Redditch on and less than 10 minutes later a poor pass from Toby Syme and some hesitation from Ciaren Jones allowed Redditch to extend their lead
This gave Redditch the confidence and momentum and from then on
it became 3-0 with 10 minutes left of the half after a long ball after a set play allowed a Redditch player to control the ball and turn in the box for a good finish
3-0 down and we were miles off anything deserving of the incredible away support we received again
At half-time we took Ciaren Jones off for Bradley Dixon Smith and we explained to the lads that the performance had been embarrassing and that they needed to at the very least compete with Redditch
I felt in the first half only Seb Stacey and Blue Joy could come off the pitch with any credit
Second half we were undone by a set play straight away and the score was looking like it could be the worst result of the season
Redditch continued to pile on the pressure but were unable to find a fifth goal
We had to play the remaining 15 minutes with 10 men as Bradley Dixon Smith received a red card
Deep into added time Harry Titchmarsh had to come off injured and this meant Kieron Forbes made his long-awaited return to the pitch for the final few minutes
Not only did we shipfour4 goals but we were never really in the match at any point and it was such a disappointing way to finish such a poor season
The only positive from the day was our incredible support from the travelling supporters
We had a full coach of supporters who also made loads of noise and even dressed up in fancy dress
We can’t thank you enough for your loyal travelling support this season and I can only apologise for letting you all down with the results
This very long season has now drawn to a close and we have gone out with a whimper
losing four in a row and suffering our biggest defeat with me leading the group
We can now get started on rebuilding for next season and start looking forward to a positive 2025/26 season
The Pre-season schedule is finalised and will be released during the off season
I am currently in the process of speaking to potential new signings as we look to build a team that we can all be proud of
I will keep everyone up to date each week via the bulletin
Seb Stacey has now completed his loan with the club
Seb has been excellent from start to finish and has been a great asset to the team this season
We wish Seb all the best with his future development
Jake Hutchinson has now completed his short loan with the club
I would like to thank Jake for all his efforts during his loan
especially his commitment to the journey from his home in Eastbourne for training and games
Kobe Sinclair-Linton has completed his work experience
although Kobe time at the club has been hit with injury and a lack of minutes
he has conducted himself superbly and has been a credit to his parent club MK Dons
We wish Kobe all the best with his future development
Our 2024/25 Presentation Evening will be taking place on Thursday 15th May from 7pm in the Canary Club
but if you are planning to attend please reserve a space online so we can plan catering
Many thanks for your wonderful support through the season
We averaged 619 and finished ninth in the attendance league table across the Southern League Premier Central division
Blue Joy received his first start for the first team in the 4-0 defeat away to Redditch United in the final game of the season
Although the scoreline will tell you otherwise
Blue gave a solid performance at the back and put some of the senior players to shame
It was great to be able to reward Blue with a start and the feedback from supporters who were at the game is that they are keen to see what he can do in pre-season
Tyrese Kamara and Blue Joy have all been invited into pre-season with the first team as they look to continue their development
It was also pleasing to see two current academy players on the pitch Saturday as Will and Blue both started but also two academy graduates in Lewis Franklin and Kye Tearle
This again shows the pathway between our academy and senior team
If you would like to be part of the academy or would like to find out more information on what we offer please register your details using this link – https://extranet.wearescl.co.uk/ToolkitNew/webenrolment.aspx?page=~/webcontrols/courseapply.ascx&OfferingId=85258
The final issue of this season’s Junior Canaries offering has been sent out this week
We will be working hard over the summer to keep reviewing and improving our offer
so you can have an even greater experience next season
I would like to wish all our Junior Canaries the best summer and we hope you are already looking forward to starting back again in September
If you wish to sign up as a Junior Canary, please email juniorcanaries@hitchintownfc.club with the following details:
We look forward to welcoming you all to the Junior Canaries
Hitchin Vets won 5-1 and the attendance was 249
We received the following email after our recent home game with AFC Sudbury
It is always good to know that our match day experience is appreciated by visiting supporters
myself and our 2 eldest grandsons came to you recently with AFC Sudbury
I realise things haven’t worked out for you this season but I just wanted to say thanks for the fabulous way you looked after us on the day
We had tickets to pick up for our grandsons and as a club you were brilliant and professional
Our ex-Canaries had a good day last Saturday
Will Wright scored for Swindon against Gillingham and was also named their player of the season
Ashley Hay scored for Cheltenham in a 3-2 victory over Carlisle while Callum Stead scored twice for Barnet in a 4-0 win over Aldershot that meant Barnet won the National League
Hitchin Town Youth FC are staging inaugural Football Tournaments at Top Field this weekend
The weekend kicks off tonight with a 9-a-side Tournament for U13’s & U14’s with 3 Hitchin teams competing against local rivals Wymondley Park
The Group stages kick off at 6.30pm and entry to the ground is from 6pm
The U10’s will take centre stage on Sunday morning kicking off at 10.30am until 2pm so it would be great if people could get down to Top Field and support the future Canaries
Other details to know are that unfortunately no dogs and smoking is permitted within the ground or children un-supervised
Entry to the tournament for parents and those aged 16+ is £2 per person
Food and drinks will be available from the various vendors within Top Field
Hitchin Town Youth U18 Hawks and U18 Harriers are set to play each other in their final match at the U18’s age group at Top Field on Saturday morning kick off at 11am
Again all supporters are welcome to see the lads play their last match at youth level
We have teamed up with Hitchin Library to celebrate its 100th birthday and the original football club’s 160th year of being formed by arranging a Subbuteo football tournament to be held on FA Cup Final day (17th May 2025)
We hope the event will attract children who may have never played Subbuteo before and their parents / grandparents who used to play the game in their childhood
The dates are out for the May Half-Term Holiday Camps
Children aged from 5-14 years can attend the Football Camp at the Arena whilst the Multi Activity Camp at Preston Primary school are for children aged between 4-12 years
(All children are welcome and do not need to be a pupil of Preston Primary
The holiday camps at the Arena and at Preston Primary School are available to be booked on via the website www.northhertsarena.co.uk
The new dates for our coaching clinics at the Arena are available to be booked on via the website www.northhertsarena.co.uk
Monday evenings from 5-6pm we host a Junior Ability Counts session for children aged between 7 and 16 years old with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND)
Monday 12th & 19th May 2025 (2 sessions) – Cost: £8
Wednesday evenings from 5.30-6.30pm we host a specific goalkeeping course called Safe Hands for children of all ages and abilities delivered by former first team goalkeeper Josh Mollison
Wednesday 7th May – 2st May 2025 (3 weeks) – Cost: £18
Due to volunteers having university or change in circumstances next season we are on the look our for budding tannoy announcers
If you see yourselves as having “The Voice for our Stadium” we would love to hear from you
As you will know its really just a case of announcing a few safety messages
substitutions and any information about mascots
You will be given full training and support throughout
We would like to have two or three people to allow for a rota system and allow you to volunteer and also enjoy being a supporter
This exciting opportunity would mean you get your own season ticket for the club and access to home games even when you are not volunteering
If you would be interested in this or any other type of volunteering at Top Field please drop an e mail to volunteers@hitchintownfc.club
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
Find information and view all council services
Our customer self-service portal and other online services
How you can connect with us and get involved
Cold water enthusiasts will have something to celebrate this May as Hitchin Swimming and Fitness Centre’s outdoor lido launches a special pilot programme ahead of the main summer season
The popular North Hertfordshire pool will begin offering cold water swimming sessions from 10 May
two weeks before its official seasonal opening on 24 May
Following strong interest in a community survey last year
the lido will provide dedicated sessions throughout the day
For genuine cold water swimming conditions
the pool heating will remain off initially
keeping the water temperature above 15 degrees Celsius
The heating system will then be switched on in mid-May to allow the pool to gradually warm up to the required temperature in time for the official seasonal opening on 24 May
General Manager at Hitchin Swimming and Fitness Centre
said: "We've introduced cold water swimming as a pilot at the start of the season with a view to continue it at another time if the demand is there
"I strongly encourage people to try it out - it's a unique experience with tremendous health benefits that many of our regular swimmers have been requesting
This is a fantastic opportunity for locals to experience cold water swimming in a safe
controlled environment without having to travel far from home.”
The initiative has been warmly welcomed by long-serving staff members
Fiona said: "I’ve always loved being outdoors and staying active - it’s great for both your body and your mind
and I think cold water swimming is another brilliant way for people to boost their wellbeing
It’s an amazing way to reset and de-stress
Another champion of the new programme is Clair Calver
a swimming teacher with 22 years’ service at Hitchin
As a member of a local cold water swimming group
Claire travels up to 45 minutes to the nearest cold water pool to pursue her passion
Clair said: “Cold water swimming can take some getting used to at first
Having this available in Hitchin is a game-changer - it means people can swim safely
“My advice to beginners is to take it slow and build up gradually
And never forget — swimming is the only sport that can save your life
It’s an essential skill that opens doors to so many other opportunities.”
said: "We’re really excited to be able to offer cold water swimming at the Hitchin lido this spring
We know how popular this has become for boosting mental and physical wellbeing
and it’s fantastic that our local community will now have the chance to enjoy it safely right on their doorstep
We look forward to seeing how the pilot goes and hope it encourages even more people to give it a try."
Hitchin Swimming and Fitness Centre is managed by Everyone Active in partnership with North Herts Council
The leisure operator recently marked its first year of overseeing leisure facilities across the district
Both lidos have been closed since September 2024 for their annual winter break
For more information or to book cold water sessions from 10 May at Hitchin
or regular swimming from 24 May at both lidos
visit the Everyone Active website or download the app
You can subscribe to get news and service updates by email
you can choose which topics you’re interested in and you can unsubscribe at any time
Bedford Town are just one point away from a special title at step three after a 9th win in 11 league games at Hitchin Town kept them three points clear of Kettering Town in Southern League Premier Central
The Eagles were ten minutes away from celebrating the league title here and now
only for Jonathan Edwards’ 80th minute winner for Kettering at bottom side
Biggleswade Town to delay the party for all at The Eyrie
Bedford Town kept up their end of the bargain with a 2-1 victory at Hitchin’s Top Field
with both Eddie Panter and Leon Lobjoit on the scoresheet for the second time in three days as Lee Bircham’s men continue to defy non-league football logic
They now need just a point at home to Stourbridge in front of a home crowd on Saturday (26 April) to seal the deal
Lobjoit was the match winner in the reverse fixture between these two sides on Boxing Day
and it was the prolific striker on hand once again to drag his side over the line with his 27th goal of the season late into the second half
It was not as late as some of his winners this season
but Lee Bircham won’t care if his side score in the first minute or the last
Bircham named an unchanged starting line-up against Hitchin Town
just 48 hours after seeing off Stratford Town at The Eyrie
and his decision paid dividends as his numbers 9 and 10 did the damage
Read: Bedford Town take one step closer to the title with tight Stratford triumph
were scrappy with Lewis Franklin’s effort from distance floating over before Lobjoit’s shot narrowly went wide as both sides traded chances
Sam Brown’s long throw-in was once again causing havoc; Mensah’s effort from one was cleared off the line before the game’s opening goal came via the hands of Brown
The Hitchin defence let the long throw bounce in the penalty area
and eventually it fell to the feet of Panter level with the penalty spot who found a gap through a body of players to slot home the opener
Seb Stacey in the Hitchin goal stopped the Eagles extending their lead before half-time
down quickly at his near post to deny Ryan Blake
found themselves one half of football away from destiny
That destiny blew apart in the opening moments of the second half
Panter looked to have doubled Bedford’s lead three minutes into the second half
slotting home for what appeared to be his brace but a very late offside flag scuppered the celebrations
before Hitchin went up the other end and equalised
Jacob Hutchinson – who had come out a new man for the second half – was the goalscorer as he fired home from the edge of the box
before the Hitchin striker almost turned the game on its head only for Macauley to save at the second time of asking
Macauley was on hand again with an excellent double save – again from Hutchinson – as Hitchin threatened to ruin the party
but there was only one man on the pitch who has forged a reputation in doing that
the long throw of Brown was the catalyst as he propelled another one into the Hitchin box that flew over a stranded goalkeeper on to the left boot of Lobjoit who couldn’t miss on the volley from a yard out
The scenes of pandemonium behind the goal from a strong contingent of Bedford fans told its own story as they held on for a second 2-1 victory in three days
and despite Kettering’s 1-0 win at Biggleswade Town
the fate of the Eagles is in their own hands
They need just a draw at home to Stourbridge – who now can’t reach the play-offs – to secure back-to-back promotions and a barely believable step three title that will go down in the history books as one of Bedford Town’s best ever
You can purchase your ticket to the season-defining clash against Stourbridge here
The game kicks off at 3pm on Saturday 26 April
Our visitors today are once again bound up with Hitchin’s fate as it was last season
Perhaps the result of this game may not have the same pressing urgency as the closing game last season where
at home to Stourbridge where a win was imperative
The Suffolk side obliged by losing but we could only draw
The two teams played out 1-1 draw in the corresponding fixture
but it is our visitors who have the better form in recent matches
Relegation for Hitchin was not yet a mathematical certainty
Hitchin kicked off attacking the open terrace end and Sudbury were in bright pink shirts with blue shorts
Both teams went through a wasteful couple of attempts at a flank attack
It reached Peters but he put it out of play
A couple more free kicks followed and the better of the two saw Stacey come to claim
A Hitchin corner saw Bradbrook claim the ball safely
Lewis’ throw actually brought a good half chance
The opening ten minutes were thus very even
but there had been no direct goal attempts
Marcel Lewis won a free kick that was of negligible value
There was some inexcusably poor passing as well with both teams sharing the guilt
and Hitchin clearances were often to the opposition
A home corner bounced disobligingly and we were back to squandering in the midfield
Neal had a scoring chance but superb work from Dixon- Smith thwarted him
punched clear by Bradbrook and Martins’ follow up was well wide
Charlie Lewis tried a long throw and then another
promptly stumbled and it ended up as a Sudbury corner
Turner delayed and then put his shot amidst the trees
After half an hour of generally cautious play
There was a generous free kick for Hitchin that was immediately wasted
Tearle’s cross was reasonable but went out for a throw
and the visitors were granted another free kick
This was taken by the goalie on the halfway line
Then we saw a Hitchin chance break down in the most disappointing manner
The visitors were marginally the enter attacking side
but attack is a relative word in this case
there was a shot from Hutchinson that brought a corner and a good save from Bradbrook
mercifully for some this dull half came to an end
It seemed inconceivable that Sudbury would be content with just a point as relegation is still possible for them
We had news that Martins had been replaced by Franklin
hopeful ball forward as if acknowledging that the midfield was too inconclusive
A Sudbury free kick wide on the left favoured Stacey
at the other end Hutchinson spurned a tap in
at the other end there was a decent chance for Bradley who fired in efficiently and once more Hitchin were chasing the game
Deall was held back for a free kick that was delayed as he needed treatment
The kick did not afford a realistic opportunity but there was a corner
There was a wayward free kick from the visitors
Stokoe was pulled up on a run and Hitchin had a free kick in a good area
Stokoe smashed it against the defensive wall and that was that
Another effort was put paid to by a subtle foul that did not escape the referee
It was not entirely in the realms of fantasy to imagine Sudbury committing a rash error
Brooks replaced Tearle to possibly increase the attacking options
but the Hitchin counter move was ineffective
but it was the visitors who kept snaffling free kicks and that meant that time could be wasted to advantage
Mind you the latest free kick from the Suffolk side almost crept in at the post
Hutchinson sent in a cross that saw Dixon- Smith blocked on his attempt to blast one
Bradbrook instigated some Charlie Horlock type of phantom injury
Progress for Hitchin was held in abeyance
Sudbury were managing the endgame comfortably
but it bounced away and Stokoe’s shot from range was always rising
A little bit of handbags seemed almost staged for dissatisfied onlookers
McNeill attempted a header from a cross but could get no purchase on it
Hitchin had made four substitutions to no real effect
and we were perilously close to time added on
which was not deserved was of no use to Hitchin
There were a couple of token forward moves that looked better than they were
Just three minutes were tagged on and an over hit pass for a goal kick seemed to sum up the game
relegation is confirmed rendering the final games as a play for honour occasion
The disappointment from the majority of the 705 attendance was almost tangible
as Hitchin’s relegation was already confirmed and the hosts were in no danger of succumbing to the same fate
With some current Hitchin players involved in professional trials or finishing the season with a senior club
As I boarded the coach I was wondering if we would retain some of our better players for next season
We arrived in good time at the somewhat Spartan stadium
the pitch revealed a full wear and tear for the season
Our hosts had no definite news on the proposed new ground
A very early chance fell to Hutchinson who tried to exploit goalkeeper Hollingshead
which turned out to be a poor effort and thus far
Titchmarsh had an interesting run in possession until outnumbered but in fifteen minutes neither side had produced a reasonable chance on goal
Then a defensive error from Hitchin after sixteen minutes
allowed Callum Sullivan to seize possession and finish smartly
placing the ball into the bottom right corner
It was an opportunistic moment suitably exploited
Response from Hitchin was not immediate as the hosts were lording it over possession at that moment
There were one or two dodgy manoeuvres but by the twenty- third minute the hosts increased their lead
the move finished with a deft stroke from Kieran Wakefield and a third was nearly bagged a minute later
winning a challenge had another shot on goal that was strong but off-target
There was still nothing from the visitors and a free kick was conceded just outside the penalty area
One promising Hitchin attack ended with the ball being lofted way too high
A poor effort followed that have Hutchinson
but Hitchin were again looking very lightweight up front
Then in a sparkling combination between Hutchinson and Franklin
the latter reduced the arrears from a difficult angle
Stacey saved well from a Sullivan free kick
This saw a shot from Wakefield that was parried by Stacey
but Samuel Perry was initially credited with the third goal in stoppage time
The barely audible announcer hastily changed this to Archie Crowther
The interval period therefore was barely enjoyable for Hitchin supporters and then
shortly after the restart Harry Titchmarsh received a straight red card for a challenge that did not seem to warrant such harsh punishment
and this seemed to ensure a heavier defeat than three goals to one
But the ten men showed some initial spirit
and after all their situation in terms of the league position could not worsen
even though he must have known he was offside
The Church tried an attack and were themselves caught offside
Fancy football was proving to be somewhat difficult the heavily worn pitch and Ciaren Jones’ header went over the bar before the offside flag was raised again
Stacey spilled a cross for a home corner and players jostled in the mud before the set piece was cleared
The hosts were not making the most of their numerical advantages and their play lacked thorough coordination
There was a promising attack instigated by Franklin but it came to nothing
Then the referee awarded a somewhat soft penalty to the hosts taken and scored by Wakefield to make it 4-1
We had reached seventy- five minutes and further damage was still possible
the quaintly named Blue Joy came on for the more prosaically named Billy Heaps
Not much more of consequence occurred as we drifted towards the end of this unremarkable game which saw Hitchin duly punished for numerous errors
Two late corners were the best things mustered
Before this unsuccessful manoeuvre Hitchin decided to substitute Stacey for our young academy keeper Tyrese Kamara
The whistle went soon after and Hitchin can reflect on another below par performance against mediocre opposition
As well as that there were three cautions and one dismissal
suggesting that discipline might be a feature on the minutes of the next meeting
I am sure that the home match on Easter Monday against Bedford Town will be more entertaining
Referee- Mr J Hall assisted by Mr A Hall and Mr S King
After our last game of the season at Redditch this Saturday it will be the end of an era for Hitchin Town FC as our chairman Terry Barratt is stepping down as chairman
He took over on 11th March 1991 so has given an incredible 34 years of loyal service to the club
He did not have an easy start to his role as chairman
While he had been told there were debts he was led to believe they were in the region of £30,000 but in reality the figure was in to six figures
But Terry did not walk away and stayed to confront the problems
He met the players and advised them that if anyone wished to leave he would not stand in their way but he would ensure the wages would be paid to the end of the season
Stability has been the main achievement of Terry’s reign
There have been no major crises and finances have been stabilised
Terry has ensured there is no bank overdraft
VAT and PAYE are paid on time as are all our suppliers
Hitchin Town is now respected as a well run debt free club and Terry deserves credit for this
Terry also became a director of the Isthmian League for 10 years and then a director of the Southern League for 21 years where he also became chairman
He was very well respected and the clubs I visited all praised the job that Terry did
The club have continued to improve their facilities during Terry’s time as chairman and Top Field has never looked better
On the field the last two seasons have been very disappointing but we have had exciting FA Cup runs and did reach the play-off final
Terry never attempted to undermine our managers over the years always offering his support where necessary
Terry has been such a fixture at Hitchin it is hard to think of him not being around
Well I am pleased to say Terry has agreed to take the role of president so we will see plenty of him
I have enjoyed working alongside Terry for all his 34 years and on behalf of all Hitchin Town supporters I would like to say a very big thank you to Terry for his great service
Paul is a relative newcomer to the club having started to visit Top Field regularly in 2017/18
Before long Paul got involved initially providing some help covering social media at games before gradually taking on a more prominent role particularly during the crowd funding campaign where Paul worked closely with Stew and Matt in the social media team to ensure this was a huge success
Shortly after this Paul joined the Management Committee and has subsequently got more and more involved in ensuring the delivery of many initiatives in the last few years including kit
In November 2023 Paul took on the role of Vice Chairman
I have no doubt Paul will prove to be an excellent successor to Terry so please give him your full support
From Love Island to the now infamous Dubai trip
Showbiz
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A trailer for the second season of Molly-Mae Hague’s documentary series
has been released in the run-up to the show’s launch next Tuesday
One particular element that has caught the attentions of fans is Hague’s relationship with Tommy Fury
as the trailer gives the impression that the two are back together
Hague’s sister Zoe Rae doesn’t seem to be thrilled about this
After a scene in the trailer where Molly FaceTimes Tommy
“Have you actually addressed the problems?”
Previously, Hague discussed her trip to Dubai with ex-partner Fury and daughter Bambi
following speculation about the couple’s relationship status
shared a vlog explaining how the couple are “figuring things out”
probably the best holiday ever for all of us
“I don't want you guys to think I'm not being honest about who went on the holiday to Dubai
Hague also mentioned the difficulty of having a relationship in the public eye
“You can't figure things out the way a normal relationship would.”
Hague announced her split from Fury last August, five years after the couple met on the reality TV show Love Island
Fury later admitted that his issues with alcohol had led to the break-up
Here are the pair’s highs and lows over the past six years
Hague and Fury's love story began as all great modern romances do — with a hot tub date during Season 5 of Love Island
Fury was instantly won over when Molly-Mae entered the villa as a Bombshell on day four
Their chemistry was undeniable from the start
and the boxer made things official by asking Hague to be his girlfriend
The couple's journey on Love Island wasn't smooth
as tensions flared when Hague's close friend Maura Higgins entered the villa
Although the then-20-year-olds didn’t win the top prize – losing out to Amber Gill and Greg O'Shea
who split just five weeks later – their relationship continued to flourish outside the villa
The pair quickly took their relationship to the next level
moving in together just a month after leaving the Love Island villa
The couple settled into their first apartment in Manchester
Hague and Fury were left reeling after their Cheshire apartment was broken into
Thieves stole an estimated £800,000 worth of their possessions
the influencer addressed the break-in directly on YouTube
responding to the flood of questions from her fans
She discussed the emotional impact of the theft and how it had shaken their sense of security
"It was without a doubt the worst thing that's ever happened to me
The pair decided not to return to the flat and moved into a new home
A source told the Metro: "They had their remaining things that hadn’t been taken in the robbery moved out of the flat immediately
"They’re already moved out and won’t ever return as they don’t feel safe."
the couple bought their “dream home” in Cheshire
announcing the "new chapter" with a heartfelt Instagram post
Determined to share the journey of transforming their new home
she launched an Instagram account called 'Molly Maison' dedicated to documenting the renovations
Despite initial fears of oversharing following the traumatic robbery they had previously experienced
Hague felt that creating the home account was something she had always aspired to do
“I know many of you might be surprised by this decision
given how much more private I've become about our home life,” she said
“But having a home account is something I've always dreamed of
“I've decided that I won't let the past dictate my future
Hague and Fury announced they were expecting their first child with a touching video shared on Instagram
The announcement began with a nostalgic clip from their time on Love Island in 2019
where a tearful Hague read out her emotional end-of-season speech to Fury
and I can’t wait for the adventures we haven’t even dreamed of yet,” she said
showing Fury tenderly cradling Hague’s growing baby bump as The Night We Met by Lord Huron played softly in the background
Hague shared her experiences and challenges online
From discussing painful symptoms and body insecurities to revealing the baby’s sex in an intimate moment
she allowed her followers to accompany her on this significant journey
Hague posted a tender photo of their daughter resting in her cot at home
with a glowing neon sign that read “Bambi” on the wall above her
The simple caption read: "Bambi" alongside a white love-heart
Hague had cherished the name Bambi for years
She previously shared in a YouTube video that she had adored the name since childhood
we have a baby girl name picked out," she revealed
"I've had the name picked out since I was a baby girl myself.”
She acknowledged that the name might be polarising
admitting people would either “love or hate” the unusual choice
while Hague lovingly wrapped her arms around him
She expressed her delight at becoming a mother in an Instagram post: “I can't believe we get to keep you for ever
Becoming your mum has been the best thing to ever happen to me..
but my love for you grows with each passing moment.”
She continued: “There is no feeling like holding you in my arms
The couple got engaged in Ibiza with Bambi by their side
Fury convinced Hague they were attending a brand event on the White Isle
he proposed with an oval diamond engagement ring
Fury and Bambi greeted Hague after waiting for her on the cliff’s edge
Hague later revealed she thought Fury was cheating on her when instead
The reality TV star shared the moment with her fans on social media
23/07/23” with emojis of a ring and a crying face
videos surfaced of Fury partying at a nightclub in Dubai without Hague
Fans questioned why he enjoyed himself abroad while Hague stayed in the UK with their daughter
the content creator shared an Instagram story in which she was notably not wearing her engagement ring
she was seen wearing the ring again shortly afterwards
Hague revealed she had been “solo parenting” and “struggling” just days before announcing their split
she said that she had been caring for their daughter alone while Fury was busy recording his audiobook
While Fury was involved in an audiobook project
Hague said she was left to pick up the parenting slack
she noted that the past week had been the most “intense” of her life
and I’m so proud of him because I know that was a really big deal to him
but I have been solo parenting pretty much the entire week,” Hague said
basically because Tommy’s just been so busy.”
She continued: “When he’s home from doing work and stuff
just really… mum life has been mum life-ing
The Love Island stars announced their split after five years together
admitting she “never imagined our story would end”
Fury issued a statement half an hour later
admitting he was "heartbroken" that their relationship had ended
Hague wrote: “Never in a million years did I think I'd ever have to write this
I am extremely upset to announce that mine and Tommy's relationship has come to an end
Hague did not reveal the reason behind their shock split but did speak about their daughter
She said: “I will forever be grateful for the most important thing in my life now and always — my beautiful daughter
“I want to thank you all for the love you have shown us over the past five years
and I feel it’s right to share this with you
“As I try to navigate the coming days and weeks
please respect my privacy during this difficult time
Fury echoed her sentiments in an Instagram Story
He wrote: “I am heartbroken to share that Molly and I have decided to end our relationship
The past five years have led to us having our beautiful baby girl
and I will be forever grateful to Molly for making me a dad
as we navigate our way through this difficult time.”
Hague and Fury returned to Manchester on Friday
Both shared content from their holiday on social media
Hague addressed rumours about their relationship status
‘They aren’t talking about their relationship because they’re saving it for the last episode of the documentary where they are going to do a collab post and come out saying that they’re back together.’ That’s not the case at all
“The only reason I haven’t spoken about it is because I’m not ready to
I don’t know how I want to talk about it — or if I ever do.”
Hague’s vlog comes amid reports that the couple are considering moving back in together
A source told The Mirror: “Tommy’s been spending more and more time at the house again — he’s even talking about moving back in properly
There have been rumours that Hague and Fury are getting back together ever since the first series of Molly-Mae: Behind It All
Hague’s sister Zoe still appears to be wary about the couple's bond
She is seen asking Molly if they have resolved their differences in the second season's trailer
The synopsis for the upcoming episodes further states: “The rekindling of her relationship causes friction with her sister Zoe who is concerned Molly may not be making wise decisions and she’ll be left to pick up the pieces once again.”
More will likely come out when the second season drops on May 9 on Amazon Prime Video
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It just so happened that this final match of the season was loaded with significance insofar as the result could have had some bearing on relegation issues
made a leisurely journey to The Valley stadium to make their farewell to the Premier Central Division
It is a pity that this farewell could not have been more memorable
The coach was a sell-out and a fine gesture from the players was to pay
for the supporters who have been notable all season
There was a good turn out at The Valley and the hosts were in their customary all red with Hitchin favouring the all purple away kit again
And it was all played on the fine artificial pitch
A home long throw from Kelly reminded me of the moments of chaos against Bedford last week
The first chance came from Hutchinson whose shot was blocked for a poor corner
but it was good to see Hutchinson being targeted by Jones
There was a Redditch free kick on their left that was rendered harmless
blasted by Boothe and saved in remarkable style by Stacey
Then there was an equally remarkable incident where Stacey appeared to save a frantic effort and the referee ruled that the ball had crossed the line
It took the shine off Stacey’s excellent penalty save
The goal was credited to Cyrus Babale- Gumbs and the time was eleven minutes
and Stacey had to save another fine effort and then one more after that
Hitchin were struggling and it did not augur well when Ryan Boothe escaped from his marker to score a straightforward goal after sixteen minutes
That was a good footballing moment unlike Bradley Burton’s cynical foul on Harry Titchmarsh
Tearle’s shot in the twenty- first minute was on target and required saving
But this was an isolated moment with Redditch very much in control
Proceedings ceased for a minute or two when Stacey needed treatment
and this gave manager Michael Jones a chance to address his players who were in danger of being overwhelmed in this game
The visitors were clearly missing the calm authority of Odell-Bature and Martins
A couple of free kicks for the hosts were dealt with satisfactorily
Then a Redditch corner was dealt with before a superb third goal was skewered in by Dexter Dudley- Toole after just thirty- two minutes
Were we to finish the season on the wrong end of a rout
There were some temporary incursions into the Redditch half
but they were too timid to have any effect
Franklin’s move with Stokoe brought two successive corners
the second bringing a header from Jones that was easy for goalkeeper Moore
A soft free kick was won cunningly by Redditch.it hit the defensive wall but got through to Ceesay Ceesay
We were close to half time and the best we could manage was a shot from Stokoe that was in the right direction
The few minutes tucked on saw Ceesay Ceesay felled and Tearle became the recipient of another yellow card
The following free kick brought a chance and almost another goal
It did not take long for this fourth goal to arrive
and it was a close-range header from Babale- Gumbs
who thus scored his second of the afternoon
this time from McNeill but he only found the side -netting
That fourth goal was timed at fifty minutes as Hitchin headed towards their heaviest defeat of the season
They had a free kick which brought a corner and a patchy clearance
A Hitchin attack made for variety in a game where they looked outclassed
Ceesay Ceesay was booked for a spoiling challenge
Moore made the most of his ball handling since he had hitherto very little to do
turned out to be a less than subtle back heel
Better was substitute Dixon- Smith who struck a shot on the run
but it flashed across the face of goal and no more
The hosts by now had made three substitutions
nice and comfortable brought the pace of the game down a notch or two
The referee consulted one of the linesmen and the result was a red card for Dixon-Smith
Then a fifth goal was ruled out by the same linesman
This was one of just a few hints that went right for them in this relegation form display
Equally as irritating as the result was the constant stream of spectators leaving the stand
having settled but minutes ago and a steward constantly drifting across our line of vision in the no standing area
It would have been pleasant to see Hitchin score at least one
The travelling supporters kept up their singing to console themselves
even when the hosts did come close to a fifth
They applauded when there was a semblance of an attack from the purple clad
and some jeers when it was deconstructed with ease
There were some battling moments as we reached the last minutes of this lamentable defeat
The additional time tacked on by the referee was done almost apologetically
Titchmarsh was replaced by Forbes for this remaining time as Titchmarsh had his nose plugged to prevent blood seepage
A late free kick from the hosts brought just a goal kick
We were somewhat relieved to hear the final whistle that went just as a home spectator upset my coffee
Hitchin players went to acknowledge the support they had received
Redditch were safe and thoroughly deserved their win
For Hitchin it is starting anew in the Division One Central that provides many a derby and a robust challenge to regain their former status as a Premier Division side
They have done it before and can do it again
For our final league game we travel to Redditch on Saturday
Kick-off is 3.00pm and the coach leaves at 11.00am
It is a crunch game for Redditch as they are one place above Barwell who occupy the last relegation place in the league table
The two teams are equal on points and Redditch have a better goal difference of just one goal
We travelled to Alvechurch on Good Friday following our confirmed relegation
The squad had changed from the previous week with certain players not being available and some players from the Academy being rewarded for an excellent season making the squad instead
We were able to give Will McNeill his first start in a Hitchin Town shirt as he was one of the 3 changes to the starting 11 from the previous week
We started the game at a tempo and on the front foot and were looking to get into our usual game which has been missing for some weeks
We were starting to control the game but were lacking any quality in the final third which has been a massive part of our downfall this season
Then in the first 25 minutes we found ourselves 2-0 down
Will McNeill lost the ball in the middle of the pitch and Alvechurch were able to capitalise on this and take the lead and then not long after some poor marking at the back post allowed an easy tap in
We then started to try and get back into our game but were still massively lacking the quality needed
Not long before halftime Lewis Franklin showed the one real moment of quality from us in the first half with a goal to reduce the deficit
Into added time a shot from the edge of the box was not followed in and another simple tap in restored the 2-goal lead
At half time I felt the scoreline was very harsh on the balance of play but then again football games are not decided on the balance of play
they are won and lost in both boxes and although between both boxes we had been good
our quality in the attacking box had been awful apart from the goal and our defending box was even worse!!
We spoke about the need for more quality in the attacking box and better defending in our own
I felt we started the second half with a real passion to show we were better in both boxes and try and get something out of the game to reward our travelling support who would have all been disappointed with the scoreline as much as we were
It was not long before we were reduced to 10 men .Harry Titchmarsh went in for a tackle which was completed in line with the laws of the game However the referee on the day deemed it to warrant a sending off
but the players rolled up their sleeves and continued to control the game with the ball and just lacked the quality in the final third
after the referee awarded an extremely harsh penalty against Toby Syme for handball
We then made changes and it was great to be able to reward Blue Joy and Tyrese Kamara with their debuts
The game was more competitive than the scoreline suggests
especially considering we played 40 minutes with 10 men and only conceded a very harsh penalty in that time
I would also like to give a special mention to Will McNeill
He made a mistake for the first goal and this could have ruined his game but he showed excellent character and mentality to come through this and continue to work hard for the group
Soon to be champions Bedford Town travelled to us on Easter Monday in front of over 1,000 supporters
We kept the same starting team as Friday as although the scoreline said otherwise
the group did okay and this showed on Monday
We played the whole game at a fast tempo and this caused Bedford problems and I felt we moved the ball very well and looked like our usual selves from when we were winning games over the Christmas/New Year period
Bedford posed a threat and this came in the form of a very long throw-in and midway through the first half
this tactic paid dividends when we were unable to clear the ball and they finished well from inside the box
We stuck to our game plan and created a few half chances but without causing the Bedford keeper any problems
Half time we came in 1-0 down and Seb had mainly been a spectator for the half with the only threat coming from the long throw
We emphasised about our tempo throughout and how good it had been and demanded more from our decision making in the final third
Second half Bedford scored early on but the goal scorer was in a clear offside position so this was rightly ruled out
This led to the Bedford players confronting the assistant referee and while this was happening we set up to play a quick free kick and before Bedford could fully react we had the ball in the back of the net after a good finish from Jake Hutchinson
We then had our best spell of the match and we were looking the most likely to score
making their keeper make a few saves to keep the score at 1-1
Unfortunately another long throw was our downfall
Seb Stacey misjudged the flight of the ball and this allowed a Bedford player to tap into an empty net from close range
We kept trying to force an equaliser but as the game went on Bedford sat deeper and deeper and eventually the time ran out
The group of players gave us everything over the weekend
I hope people can see that if we can retain players from this game and add some more quality in certain areas
we can have a positive season moving forwards
I would like to thank the huge support that turned up on Monday to get behind the group for our final home game of the season
Your support has been incredible this season and will be even more important next season
This weekend’s trip to Redditch United
Our final game of the season we travel to Redditch United on Saturday
where they currently sit just 1 goal outside the relegation zone
A win is vital for them and even a win may not be enough depending on other results
People will wonder if we have the motivation to go to Redditch and try to win a game of football but I can assure everyone that we will be preparing properly for this game
with the intent of finishing the season with a win
I am also looking at players for next season and character and mentality of players will be vital next season
so the players will need to show this on Saturday
Please continue to get behind the group and support them one last time this season
Lewis Barker continues to work on his recovery for pre-season
Harry Titchmarsh had his red card received against Alvechurch overturned and will be available for Redditch
Liam Brooks is unavailable this weekend due to a family commitment
If you would be interested in this or any other type of volunteering at Top Field please drop an e mail to volunteers@hitchintownfc.club or pop in the Shop and see us at the last two home games where you can collect and fill in a Volunteer Application form
Will McNeill played 90 minutes away to Alvechurch on Friday and played 85 minutes at home to Bedford Town on Monday in front of over 1,000 supporters
Blue Joy and Tyrese Kamara both made their Hitchin Town debuts away to Alvechurch on Friday
Tyrese Kamara also secured safety with London Colney on Saturday
Will and Blue will both be involved with the first team for the final game of the season with a trip to Redditch
Tyrese Kamara will not be involved as London Colney have a fixture
The final issue for the season will be sent out next week
I also received a great tribute to Terry from our ex-keeper Tony Luff:
Can you please pass on all my best wishes to Terry another great servant to a very special club with great people and it was my great privilege to have played for Hitchin Town
What a job Terry has done for Hitchin and both the Isthmian and Southern Leagues
I have had many conversations with Terry over the years and he was a true gentleman always welcoming whenever I saw him
Well done Terry and hope to bump into you in the near future
This season our away coaches have been busier than ever with many of them completely sold out
As a gesture of thanks for such fantastic support the players have covered the cost of the supporters’ seats on this weekend’s coach to Redditch
Everyone who has purchased a seat online will receive a refund
We are pleased to confirm that we have been successful in appealing against the red card shown to Harry Titchmarsh during the match against Alvechurch last Friday
Harry’s suspension has been overturned and he is available to play in Saturday’s match against Redditch United
We must thank Alvechurch for their help in our successful appeal
After the game an Alvechurch official approached me to say he considered Harry’s sending off was incredibly harsh
He had reviewed their video footage and thought we would have good grounds to appeal
He offered to send the footage to me and it arrived the next day
We put in our appeal to the FA and a special disciplinary commission met at 5.30pm on Wednesday
They informed us later that evening that our claim for wrongful dismissal had been successful
So many thanks to Alvechurch without whose help we would not have been able to appeal the decision of the referee
The dates are out for the May Half Term Holiday Camps
Children aged from 5 – 14 years can attend the Football Camp at the Arena whilst the Multi Activity Camp at Preston Primary school are for children aged between 4 – 12 years
We are entering the closing stages of the 2024/2025 football season
however with other teams having a couple of games in hand
Our HTWFC team could see themselves finish third if they win the last four fixtures and results go in their favour
Stevenage FC Women will play Haringey Borough Women FC in an Eastern Region Women’s Football League Premier Division match at Top Field on Tuesday 29th April
This was a slightly different session to those held previously as Michael Jones (MJ) gave a PowerPoint presentation covering his life in football
Supporters were able to ask questions as he went along
so this report is not just a straight list of Q and As
thanking them for giving up their time to attend and expressing his appreciation for everyone’s support over the last
MJ began by giving a summary of his life in football and how he has reached this point of being manager of Hitchin Town
As this covered a lot of the same details as Roy Izzard’s article published on the website shortly after Michael was appointed as manager I have
used much of his article to save me relying too much on my scribbled notes
Michael is now the head of our Pro:Direct Academy Hitchin as well as first team manager
His role at the academy covers far more than just recruitment
He is involved in the coaching and numerous administrative tasks and over the years he has been the minibus driver for away games and even been responsible for the laundering of the kit
But to go back to the beginning of Michael’s road to Hitchin he played junior football in Stevenage
He used to play for a grass roots team called Symonds Green FC and he was with them from under 8s to under 13s before then moving to Broadhall FC at under 14s
he was unfortunate enough to sustain an ACL injury which left him needing an operation which resulted in approximately 18 months out of the game
During this time Michael took the opportunity to gain experience in coaching as he became involved with Symonds Green FC under 11’s
but his focus had changed towards becoming a coach
he obtained his FA Level One coaching badge
This allowed him to manage a Symonds Green team independently
he secured his FA Level Two Coaching badge which led to further opportunities such as casual coaching for Luton Town FC and Stevenage FC
he enrolled in the AVC College Programme at North Hertfordshire College (Hitchin)
This changed hands twice throughout his three years at the college
firstly to Biggleswade Town FC before transferring to Watford FC
he started working for them as a casual coach
he then started coaching on the college programme for the under 19s
Halfway through the season he was given an opportunity to work at Hertswood Academy college programme which is based in Borehamwood
Michael also decided to take the Stotfold reserve team manager’s role to gain further experience in the senior game
He spent a year working at Hertswood before a full-time position became available at Watford FC
coaching back on the Hitchin college scheme whilst also coaching Arlesey Town reserves who played at Step 6
After working full time at Watford from 2014-2015
a great opportunity became available as an Assistant Coach on a college scheme at Burnley FC as a previous colleague had reached out to ask for Michael to join him
He couldn’t refuse this offer so accepted and moved to Burnley in August 2015
After moving to Burnley for the new job Michael started to feel very unwell and came back to Hertfordshire in the end of September of 2015
After a week or so he started to feel better
and people thought perhaps that he had just suffered from ‘homesickness’
Watford FC had not filled his vacant position
so therefore he was reinstated and returned to work until October half term
when he then began to feel extremely unwell again
This led to flu-like symptoms which lasted a week before he was taken into Lister hospital
After further tests he was diagnosed with stage 3 Bowel Cancer in November 2015
After an operation he was given a colostomy bag as they had to remove a large majority of his bowel
Michael then had six months of chemotherapy treatment which started in January 2016 to ensure that any other cancer within his body could be eradicated
Michael still managed to return to work in between courses of treatment
He had intravenous therapy (given similarly to a drip)
and then had to take tablets for two weeks
finishing with one week of recovery time before his next treatment cycle
After Michael’s final treatment he had a scan which showed no further signs of cancer
meaning he could start to get his life back on track
This step in the right direction led to him becoming the assistant manager of Harpenden Town (a step 6 side) under the management of Danny Plumb
and they secured promotion in their first season
In the next season at step 5 they excelled again finishing third and only missing promotion by two points
In the next season they only finished mid table due to losing a lot of their players after the success they had in previous seasons
When the season finished the management team stepped down
During the second season at Harpenden (2017-18) Michael received more bad news as doctors unfortunately found some cancerous cells during a routine six-monthly scan
This meant he had to have another operation which took place in January 2018 where more of his bowel was removed
Thankfully this did not require any further chemotherapy
only recovery time during which Michael also secured his FA Level 3 UEFA B coaching qualification
Once he finished at Harpenden Town in the 2018-2019 season
Bedford FC were advertising for a manager (a step 6 club who are now known as Real Bedford)
Michael was successful in his application and became Bedford’s manager
This was a great experience for him even though it didn’t work out as planned due to ‘football politics’
Michael still continued to do his role at Watford FC until he was made redundant in June 2020
When he found out he reached out to his various contacts within football
but this was difficult due to the current climate of the COVID situation
He made contact with a member of staff from Pro:Direct who mentioned that they were looking for a full-time member of staff at Pro:Direct Academy Hitchin
He was then introduced to Mark Burke and Damon Lathrope
He started as head of recruitment and is now four years later head of the academy
Michael started helping out with the first team after joining the academy in 2020
He started off in a minor role working with Burke
Brett Donnelly and Josh Bickerstaff but gradually became more involved as he did more coaching
Michael was promoted to joint first team coach with Josh
Each year Michael was given more responsibility
and he told me that he learned so much from Burke who happily passed on his knowledge and experience
When Brett was relieved of his duties Michael was asked to become the interim manager before being given the job on a permanent basis after the Stratford game
He told me he had been happy to help out in any way he could
From day one he felt he had the support of everyone at the club on and off the field
Michael feels that Hitchin Town is a special club and over his four years at Hitchin he had built a deep affection for the club and felt it was a great honour to be asked to lead the club
figures and stats from the season and among these was one that showed whilst the first seven games of the season resulted in zero points
he felt the most recent winless seven games (prior to the away match at Kettering) were just as important in being responsible for the team’s current position
The away defeat at Lowestoft was a big turning point as this followed the 1-0 win against Banbury
but despite fielding the same team they put in a very bad performance
We have tried different things including arriving early to away games and arriving late
but we have been inconsistent and have failed to kill games off when dominating
One example of this being the draw at play-off chasing Stratford where we dominated the first half but could only take one of our chances
the support over the last 18 months has been tremendous
the target will be to get a good group together to get back up
Maybe this will be the reset we need and be a springboard to being much stronger and more competitive at Step 3 when we get back up
MJ then approached the often-discussed topic of playing out from the back by explaining the theory behind it and showing several video clips taken from our matches to show how it can work
or in some cases showing why it didn’t work so well
in particular when the players were doing it too slowly
In the past he wasn’t a fan of playing out from the back until Damon Lathrope explained it to him and eventually MJ began to see the benefits that can be achieved
MJ – We could just hit it long from the back but then we don’t necessarily have the ball
We don’t have the players to benefit from that tactic
We have actually not given up that many goals from open play when playing out from the back
Q – There is too much passing around at the back when we are losing which makes it easy for the opposition to defend
MJ – We haven’t got the players to hit it long
Q – Do you prefer playing three at the back
In recent games Billy Heaps has done well as that extra player and is a very good player who works hard and shows great commitment
We need to have the ability to adapt between the two systems
Q – Ciaren Jones is a brilliant long passer
MJ – He has to learn to make the right decision
not just play his party piece – the long diagonal
MJ outlined the difficulty in bringing loan players into the club
when Seb Stacey was recalled by Milton Keynes to cover an injury crisis with their keepers
leaving just a few hours for MJ to source a replacement and to deal with the back and forth of all the required documentation between clubs and the league in time to get
This has to be done while MJ is trying to do his full-time job
he started making enquiries in the hope of bringing Jake Hutchinson back to the club
it had taken the best part of five months to achieve
The recent signing of Dominic Martins took two months to get over the line
MJ commented on some of the players who have left the club during the season:
Coree Wilson was offered more money by St Ives than he was probably worth but understandably he chose to take the offer
he failed to make an impact and is now playing at Step 4
Jack Dreyer was planning to go travelling later in the season
but until then went to a club where he had a guarantee of playing every week
That is not something he could be guaranteed at Hitchin
He subsequently decided he had made a mistake and wanted to come back but is now at Step 6 with AFC Welwyn
Solomon Sambou was an excellent player but was having difficulty in committing sufficient time to the club and signed for a club nearer to his home
MJ decided to let Chidzy go as he was not fit enough and wasn’t doing enough to play
It was a shock when Henry Snee chose to leave for Biggleswade United
Due to his knee injury he was not able to train enough
or to play enough and it was his own decision to leave
Luke Stokoe had a successful trial and signed for a professional club in the Finnish League Division 3
MJ covered the issue of seven-day approaches
whereby if a club wants to try to sign one of your players
you have to give seven days-notice to the player’s club before being able to speak to the player
The seven days may be waived by the player’s club
MJ had put in such approaches for nine strikers during the season with a variety of reasons for a lack of success
one player was all set to sign for Hitchin when a late request came in from QPR for the player to go on trial with them
this trial went so well that QPR signed the player
who was on £120 a week was also seemingly on his way to Top Field when another club stepped in with an £800 a week offer which
the player decided to return to his old club on £200 a week instead
Barnet were open to Finley Wilkinson returning to Hitchin on loan
but a last-minute offer came in from Kettering who were willing to pay Finley’s full salary for a loan deal and Finley ended up there
This does go to show how even at our level
some clubs do have huge budgets if they can pay a player’s full wages without even needing to play him
MJ tried to sign Matt Lench on a dual registration with Chesham
It is of course harder to convince players to sign for a club that is struggling towards the end of the season
We do also receive seven-day approaches from other clubs for our players
We have probably had approaches for Rio Deall almost every week of the season but have managed to persuade him that Hitchin is the best place for his development with the style of play we are trying to achieve
Other players such as Luke and Dan Stokoe also had interest from other clubs
From this you can see that although from the outside it might appear that the club is doing nothing to address the issue of signing a striker
Looking forward to next season conversation are already underway and some players will stay
We are targeting players around whom we want to build the team
MJ – We can’t compete with some clubs such as Kettering and Telford
It is about getting the players who want to come to the club for the right reasons and not just for the money
Having the best budget and the best players doesn’t guarantee success
The alarms bells ring when speaking to a prospective new signing when his first question is “How much are you paying?”
You have to pick your 16-man squad each week
dealing with the reaction of those who are left out
You also have to treat the budget as carefully as you would were it your own money
but putting too many on contract can cause problems as they still have to be paid if they are injured
and you don’t have extra money to find replacements
how do you deal with having to drop a player
You have to distance yourself a little from the group
There is the expectation of others for you to do well
I am my own biggest critic and when the team loses you feel as if you are letting down the supporters
You have to keep the players engaged in what you are all trying to achieve
I am a servant of the supporters and volunteers of the club
There is also the personal sacrifice of fulfilling a part time role which is really a full-time job
Although I don’t follow social media too closely
I hear from family and friends what people may be saying about me
MJ – We want to be a club at the heart of the community with better facilities
We are striving to be the best that we can be
My aims are for the club to be at the heart of that community
giving an opportunity for football for all
Having a team of which everyone can be proud and having a closer bond with the supporters
We are looking for success over the long term rather than the short term
More than just results but where everything comes together on matchday
Q – Is it realistic to keep some of the players next season
Players such as Lewis Franklin and Harry Titchmarsh need to see what we can do for their future development
We are looking at players from Step 3 who do not want to do the travelling involved at that level
We have a target list of approximately 40 players from whom we would like to build our squad
Looking at next season and the culture at the club we need to see this as an opportunity to reset
We need to get the culture right and to have a winning mentality
looking at this as one step back to move forwards
We need to look at player retention and recruitment
We have already lined up three pro clubs for home pre-season matches and two from lower levels
Q – Do we have any academy players coming through
MJ – Ty Kamara (goalkeeper) is doing well and I would play him if needed
Blue Joy and Will McNeil are also doing well
MJ showed some stats which he is already looking at to see what we need to do next season in terms of how many points have been required to win the league
finish second or at least make the playoffs
These stats will be based on the final positions from this season and the previous two seasons
This will give targets to the players for how many points are needed from each block of four games
MJ has been talking to managers who have been at Step 4 to seek advice on getting out of that division
“If we don’t succeed there will be no hiding place for me.”
Q – What injuries do we have at the moment
MJ – Steven Gleeson is probably out for the rest of the season
Harry Titchmarsh is hoping to be fit to play at Kettering and is doing everything he can to play
Q – Will Lewis Barker be ok for next season
MJ – He is in non-contact training at the moment
He has committed for next season but it remains to be seen if his shoulder will require surgery
On that note Michael concluded by saying that he is always happy to talk to supporters
He loves it at Hitchin Town and wants to be at the club until he is no longer required
The meeting closed at 10.31pm – almost certainly a record for the longest Meet the Manager session
It is amazing that the Hitchin Town Supporters Trust is still going strong after 20 years
It is however noticeable that while attendances have risen over recent years despite the overall lack of success on the field
there has not been a similar percentage rise in Trust membership
and it would be fantastic if we could make that happen
Donations large or small are all gratefully received and every penny you contribute goes towards the playing budget
Whether you are a recent convert to Hitchin Town FC, or have been coming for years, and would like to contribute to the club’s playing budget for next season, please drop me a line at: rupert.russell@hitchintownfc.club
You may remember our poignant story about David Levett
and his sad passing shortly after our pre-match friendly on August 3rd 2024 with the Arsenal U18s squad – at the time
We covered the kindness Arsenal FC had shown to David at the match
and their intentions after David’s passing to share a letter of condolence to Roger (David’s son) and the family
Arsenal were true to their word; however this was only the start of things to follow
A signed letter from Mikel Arteta did arrive
accompanied by an obituary within a personalised matchday programme for the Arsenal vs Liverpool Premier League Match (played on October 27th
having learnt Hitchin Town FC had offered Top Field for a fundraiser in aid of the Garden House Hospice
Arsenal FC donated a box full of items as their contribution to the event
These items included a signed Arsenal FC first team shirt
signed photographs from Arsenal legends David Seaman and Jack Wilshere – along with a signed Fulham first team shirt knowing that David also had an affiliation being with Fulham in the 1950s
As an incredible personal touch – the staff also organised the Arsenal U18s players from our match on 3rd August to also sign a shirt
This will be the only item kept for the family
with all other items offered as Raffle prizes in the accompanying raffle (details below)
Arsenal and England legend Jack Wilshere has himself offered to play in the Charity Match
The then Arsenal U18 Manager and now first team Coach at Norwich City delighted us at Hitchin Town FC to confirm the news in late February
and we will warmly welcome Jack back to Top Field – adding yet another level of kindness in supporting the charitable ambitions of the event
with the DJ-John Lock kick-starting the event with high-energy music from 12.45pm
and live commentary from local celebrities Mark O’Sullivan and Anna Morris – undoubtedly matching the fun on the pitch
The raffle closes before the end of the match
we only politely invite those attending to purchase raffle tickets to help support the fundraising efforts for the Garden House Hospice
bring friends family to share in what promises to be a light-hearted
fun family afternoon – paying testament to the kindness that sits in our sport
‘’The best moment of my career so far’’—that was the reaction of Henry Snee to his 88th minute winning goal at Banbury
What a great time to score your first goal for Hitchin Town but it was an even better achievement for Henry as he had only flown in from New York al 11.00am on Saturday after a six hour flight
I spoke to Henry this week to get the full story and I also discussed his football career to date so supporters get to know his background
If you thought it was odd that Henry had flown to America during the football season there was a good reason
He suffered a bad injury pre-season that I will explain later and he never expected he would have returned to playing as early as he did so he booked his holiday in the full expectation that he would still be sidelined
He went to America on 27th October returning last Saturday after that six hour flight
He had contacted interim manager Michael Jones at training on Thursday to make himself available for the Banbury game
Henry said he suffered bad jet lag after the long flight and was struggling to keep his eyes open and he managed to get two hours sleep before his father dove him to Banbury
He was on the bench and gradually felt more alert
When the call came to enter the game you would never have known how tired he was as he made an immediate impact and ended up the hero of the hour
He said he certainly slept well that night
An interesting fact Henry told me was that this was the fourth time he had flown back from America on a Saturday morning and played football in the afternoon and remarkably he scored in three of those games
including a goal when Shefford beat Grays in an important FA Cup tie
Back to Henry’s injury and it happened in one of the first training sessions of the pre-season
He was diagnosed with Hoffa’s Fat Pad Syndrome which is a problem that affects one of three pads of fatty soft tissue that lies under the kneecap
There is no obvious treatment but Henry had an MRI scan followed by an injection in the knee to relieve the pain and then he needed to build strength in the knee
He was out for three months and that was so frustrating for him as he so wanted to make an impression at Hitchin
Even now he needs to keep working on his knee having played a lot of football in his career so far without knowing how carefully he needed to do his preparation
But he has great self belief and is now really looking to push himself to the best level he can achieve
He likes it at Hitchin and is really keen to make an impact
Henry’s career in youth football started at Dunstable Town
AFC Dunstable and Barton Rovers often with his father as manager
He had a brief spell at the Luton Town academy when he was 13
He made his senior football debut at Barton in the 2017/18 season when he was 17
But to ensure he got regular fist team football he decided to join Shefford for the 2018/19 season
He started in the reserves in the Beds County League at step 8.He was called up to the first team in the 2019/20 season in the Beds Premier League Shefford won promotion to the South Midlands League Division1 with Henry scoring 38 goals
Mark Burke invited Henry to join pre season training with Hitchin for the 2020/21 season but Henry suffered tendonitis and then covid stopped all football
For the 2021/22 season Henry came back to Hitchin and made his debut in the Southern League at Redditch in August 2021
He made 10 appearances but then decided to join Harpenden.
He found this difficult and decided he needed regular first team football so returned to Shefford
They won promotion to the South Midlands Premier Division and had a good FA Vase run
He stayed at Shefford for the 2022/23 season but was then approached by Brett Donnelly to move to Stotfold and the Southern League Central Division 1 for the 2023/24 season
He had a brilliant season scoring 27 goals and followed Brett to Top Field for this season
Who knows how different things may have turned out if Henry had not suffered such cruel bad luck with injury but he is determined to make up for lost time
He played a few games at Biggleswade United to get some match fitness before returning to Hitchin
He has come from step 8 to step 3 which is a massive jump and let us hope he has more improvement to come
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James Bay | Freya Ridings | Skinny Living
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but the truth is the clubs are the best of friends
no favours were expected in Hitchin’s latest tilt at the windmill that can knock them out of the division
The eventual result made that a virtual certainty
began in startling fashion by being awarded a penalty in less than two minutes when Aaron Green was upended by Ekongo and to make the irony greater
former Canary Josh Coldicott- Stevens converted the spot kick
Not the best of starts for beleaguered Hitchin
An early recovery was essential but not forthcoming as the Crows flew forward at every opportunity
Then a Hitchin substitution was called for when Titchmarsh went off injured to be replaced by Daniel Stokoe
Then Harness was released for a shot on goal that Stacey did well to hold
But there were holes in the Hitchin defence
The hosts were awarded a free kick well inside the Royston half and this led to a corner
A shot from Ciaren Jones was sent over the bar
This effort was fifteen minutes into the game
After a mistake which led to a Royston chance Murray fouled Gleeson and showed some sporting concern for the Hitchin player who was then replaced by Luton Town loanee Dominic Martin
Back came Royston with a decent scoring chance for Ben Weyman and then there was a fierce effort from Harvey Beckett
Ekongo went on a run but was dispossessed too easily
but he did get in another cross that was headed away
A long throw for Royston caused the usual concern but Stacey tidied up adequately
Brighton tried one from range that was blocked and the best I could say is that by this stage last week
we were three down instead of just the one
A free kick was conceded just outside the area
giving Royston a chance but it was defended
Hitchin were still failing to make any progress in front of goal
but there was a moment when Ekongo conspired a cross aimed for Hutchinson but was easy for Jamie Head
A well- organised attack from Royston culminated in a weak shot from Weyman
Four minutes were added to a half where Hitchin had looked largely unimpressive
A corner from the Crows was defended but they soon retrieved the ball for a further attack
a hopeful Hitchin cross was neatly caught by Jamie Head
The half ended almost mercifully and no doubt a tactical talk for the home side was forthcoming
Royston had looked consistently dangerous and were physically dominant
Hitchin began the second half in full flight
from which Jacob Hutchinson snatched the equaliser
which was welcome and indeed it was hoped to enliven El Hertico as a contest
Ekongo had been replaced by Dixon- Smith and the Crows replaced Brighton with Warner- Eley
The goal seemed to restore Hutchinson’s confidence
and he was beginning to see much more of the ball
Syme’s free kick saw a deflection off Martins that Head monitored well
A Hitchin corner gave Heaps a chance but from his effort
The evergreen Toby Syme volleyed the ball into the net from close range and the hosts were ahead and from the start of this half they had looked the better side in what had been a remarkable turnaround
Brooks then provided Martins with a chance that brought a corner
This was defended just a little awkwardly to suggest that the hitherto slick Crows had felt their feathers ruffled uncomfortably
and the Hitchin free kick was only just cleared
Hitchin tried to capitalise on their opponents’ loss of rhythm and Martins good run was only spoilt by a pass that was too heavy
Stacey held a corner kick and made a save before an offside ruling
but this served to remind us that another goal would bring us the comfort we could nurture
A Royston long throw led to a Hitchin counter with Deall looking likely until the unruffled Head intervened
The Crows were now beginning to reassert themselves and there was still plenty of time for more goals
A free kick in the left for the visitors brought a headed equaliser which was powered in by Adam Murray who has the disconcerting habit (to us) of scoring repeatedly against us
This was a fine goal and netted after eighty-two minutes
It was another reminder of Hitchin’s predilection to concede from set pieces
well substitute Luke Johnson came very close to this with a fine shot
Another Royston effort saw a fine save from Stacey
I recalled the game at Garden Walk where Hitchin had come from a two-goal deficit to earn a creditable draw
and it looked as if this score would be replicated
The last few minutes constituted a battle royal with both teams sensing the win and a draw was of little use to the hosts
Franklin won a challenge and sought Hutchinson who won a central free kick which won a corner
Stacey launched the ball forward in search of a last chance
This indeed fell to Hutchinson with a one on one
and this unsuccessful punt was the last kick of the game
but home supporters retained the despairing image of Jacob Hutchinson’s golden chance right at the end where they feel he really ought to have scored and secured the win
We know a draw is not of real practical use
but it does much to restore our pride in the team’s fighting spirit
Sponsors’ and this reporter’s Man of the Match
The Wombats | Razorlight
0) 90%);pointer-events:none;}Hitchin Priory Summer Series presents
Hitchin Town FC and Mad Squirrel are pleased to confirm we have entered into a long term partnership for the supply of beer on matchdays within the stadium
The partnership sees us formalising our relationship following the success of the trials we have conducted so far this season
Supporter feedback has been fantastic and we are excited to have delivered another great step in improving the matchday experience for our ever growing crowds
Hertfordshire based brewery Mad Squirrel began in 2010 and they have now grown to operate 8 of their own bars/taprooms across Hertfordshire and Buckinghamshire as well as achieving listings for their products in many major supermarkets. Many of you will recognise their range of contemporary beers as they are stocked in many pubs across Hitchin. Find out more about them by visiting their website here: Mad Squirrel Brewery
Photos: Rafe Abrook Photography (@rafeabrook – Instagram)
The Canary Club bar will of course remain open 7 days a week and offer a full range of alcohol and soft drinks on matchdays as normal
Residents across North Hertfordshire are invited to enjoy free Reformer classes during an open weekend at Hitchin Swimming and Fitness Centre on Saturday 1st and Sunday 2nd February 2025
Managed by Everyone Active in partnership with North Herts Council
Hitchin Swimming and Fitness Centre is opening the doors to its state-of-the-art Reformer studio
offering complimentary 45-minute sessions throughout the weekend
renowned for its ability to build strength
has become increasingly popular nationwide
The workout has even earned the seal of approval from British sprinting star and BBC TV personality Harry Aikines-Aryeetey
who joined a class at the Hitchin centre last year
I’ve been using Reformer for a very long time and I’m so glad it’s here in Hitchin
It gives you the strength to be a better person – in terms of being functionally fit
It’s a little secret I’ve been training with for years
“You might think it’s just for a certain type of person but actually it’s for everyone – whether you’re younger or older
and it’s something I would implore everyone to go and try – come have a go!”
The open weekend will provide a fantastic opportunity to experience the benefits of Reformer at no cost
with classes designed to cater to both beginners and experienced participants
Sessions will run from 9am to 1pm on Saturday and 9am to 12pm on Sunday
with complimentary refreshments available for all attendees
Each session will be led by two instructors
ensuring participants receive expert guidance and support throughout their experience
designed for participants seeking a more intense workout
This variety allows attendees to choose the class that best suits their fitness level and goals
General Manager of Hitchin Swimming and Fitness Centre
said: “We’re delighted to welcome the local community to try Reformer for free during our open weekend
“This is a fantastic opportunity for everyone
to experience the benefits of a workout that’s both effective and accessible
Whether you’re completely new to Reformer or looking to add variety to your fitness routine
our expert instructors will ensure you have an enjoyable and energising experience.”
North Herts Council’s Executive Member for Leisure said: “We’re really pleased to support this fantastic opportunity for residents to try Reformer for free
Encouraging our community to stay active and explore new ways to improve their health and wellbeing is a key priority for us
this open weekend is the perfect chance to get involved.”
This free event highlights the centre’s recent £100,000 investment in its Reformer studio
which features 20 professional-grade Reformer machines
the studio has quickly become a popular addition
helping more residents embrace this unique and effective form of exercise
Booking for the free sessions is now open via the Everyone Active app
so residents are encouraged to book early to avoid disappointment
Saturday 15th March – At home to Halesowen Town (kick-off 3.00pm) in the league
We look to continue our positive home form as we welcome Halesowen Town – we need you to keep up the support
In the reverse fixture in September at The Grove we secured three points in a 4-0 win
On Halesowen Town’s last visit to Top Field in April 2024
they clinched the victory in a closely contested game which ended 1-0
For lowest prices and quickest entry into the ground please purchase your tickets online here: https://hitchintownfc.ktckts.com/brand/match-tickets
The online box office remains open until 30 minutes after kick-off
Remember our flexi tickets are also available
This allows you to buy a pack of 5x 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
Unfortunately supporter parking is not available in the club car park (unless you are a registered blue badge holder and have made prior arrangements)
Mad Squirrel Brewery will be in attendance serving a great range of craft beers
They will be located adjacent to the main stand
Canary Kitchen will be open from when the turnstiles open 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
Last weekend’s trip to Bishop’s Stortford
We got off to the perfect start with Dan Stokoe dispatching a penalty after three minutes
but we were unable to capitalise on this good start and for some reason we went into a protect mode
This allowed the hosts to get a foothold in the game and they equalised midway through the half
This then changed the mindset of the group and we attempted to stamp our authority back in the game
We did take a lead into the break with a good goal from Lewis Franklin
At half-time we spoke about having the mindset to go for the third goal and not try to hold on to the lead and allow the host back into the game again
We also spoke about trying to play our usual game which I felt we were not currently doing
In the second half the messages spoken about at half-time were not implemented
and the game lacked energy and atmosphere and this suited the hosts more than us
There was not much in the game but midway through the second half the hosts equalised
We then started to utilise the bench to try and inject some energy into the game and get a valuable three points
We did have a chance late on to steal all three points but Bradley Bell’s effort was comfortably saved in the end
Then late into added time we conceded a cheap free-kick and this gave the hosts an opportunity to put the ball in the box and they well and truly punished us for this with a 94th minute winner
A really gutting way to lose the game but a game where we will all be looking back at
We had such a promising start but we did not play to the best of our abilities and were nowhere near the levels of the previous two weeks
which would have won us this game comfortably
This weekend’s game at home to Halesowen Town
They come into this match having only lost three of their 12 games in 2025 and in half of these games they’ve kept clean sheets
They are also only two points off the top of the table and are currently on a five-game unbeaten run
have good home form of late where we are unbeaten in our last six home games with four of these games ending in wins
We know how good this group can be as they have shown this throughout the season
We just now need to show this on a more consistent basis going into the final eight games of the season
We know the table does not lie and we are second from bottom not due to a lack of quality or not being able to compete with the top teams in the league but because we have been inconsistent from week to week
we as a group are still confident that we can get out of this situation we find ourselves in
We understand the strength and character of this group and we know we have enough to get over the line
positivity and noise of our great following
This excellent support has shown by our upturn of home form and these remaining four home games are going to be critical to our survival chances
I know it’s hard now but please continue to remain upbeat and get behind this group starting with Saturday’s fixture
Lewis Barker is still in non-contact training as he recovers from his long-term shoulder injury
Kobi Sinclair – Linton is still recovering from his knock he picked up in training last week and will be unavailable for this weekend’s fixture
Rio Deall is suffering from a virus and will not be In the squad
Bradley Smith has been recalled by parent club Hemel Hempstead to pursue a loan opportunity in the league below
Sebastian Stacey has been declared fit to play and will be in goal this weekend
Jake Hutchinson has signed on loan from Enfield Town for the remainder of the season
We look forward to seeing Jake back at Top Field tomorrow
MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE UPDATE BY PAUL SPRAGUE
Our vice chairman Paul Sprague provided an update on the current position at Hitchin Town FC and reflected on the challenges of managing a non-league football club
In case you missed his article it is reproduced in full below:
As we head into the final eight games of the 2024/25 season your support is needed as much as ever
You have been absolutely tremendous both home and away this season
bringing passion and noise to show how much you all want the team to succeed
As a Management Committee we share in a love for Hitchin Town FC and wanting to see the club going from strength to strength both on and off the pitch
We are of course disappointed to have once again found ourselves in a tough relegation battle
but we continue to do everything possible day in day out to look for ways to bring success
We speak on a near daily basis with Michael and his management team discussing his ideas and plans
Stephen and Kieron are constantly reviewing
contacting and looking to attract players to strengthen our team as they try to bring the results we would all like to see
It is clear that the group have dramatically improved performances on the pitch
achieved a positive atmosphere within the squad and grown the connection between the players and the fans
We look forward to continuing to see this turnaround into next season
In the 21 games before Michael took charge we secured 13 points (0.62 PPG)
In the 21 games since his appointment we have secured 24 points (1.14 PPG) although we obviously need great consistency and a dramatic improvement in away form
we’re four points from safety with eight games left to play and 24 possible points up for grabs
We know that every single match will feel critical so please make sure you support in the numbers we have seen all season and will the team on to those crucial wins
I thought this would also be a useful time to reflect on and share some of the challenges of managing a non-league football club
You will have seen in 2024 we published our strategy for the next four years. Strategy 2024-2028 – Hitchin Town FC. One of our values as part of this strategy is to ensure the club is financially sustainable and we protect it for many more generations
It is imperative that we make decisions on a daily basis to balance competing priorities and our values help to guide the decisions we make
Every penny that we generate in income for the club goes back into operating the club and we also look to make incremental improvements to facilities that have helped to make the matchday what it is today
The improvements over the last five years at Top Field have led to the fantastic numbers we see coming through the turnstiles every matchday
These attendance increases do obviously help to generate more income for the club; however
they do not suddenly leave us with a huge surplus of funds that we are then able to decide how to spend
This season we have reduced our Season ticket prices to reward our loyal supporters
This has had led to an increase in season ticket holders but only a marginal increase in season ticket revenue
We have also seen an increase in attendance from younger fans over the last two seasons
So some of the additional ticket sales will often be from the lower priced Teen and U13 categories
It is also important to remember that tickets are subject to VAT and so 20% of our ticketing income is paid to HMRC
The increase in ticket income has helped to contribute the spiraling costs of many items such as utility bills and even seen a big increase in the cost of the paint used to mark the pitch
We also have an increasingly ageing ground to maintain and keep safe and attractive – some of our infrastructure is nearing 100 years old and so keeping this going becomes a bigger challenge every year
Within the last few months alone we have had unexpected bills for areas such as new electrics for the turnstiles and replacement CCTV equipment that have totalled nearly £2000
You can see that even with the significant increases in attendance we are still left with a shortfall to be funded from other income streams just to pay for the playing budget before we then address the rest of the operating costs
We are fortunate to have successfully developed several other income streams
and we continually look for ways to introduce and maximise opportunities for generating income
whether it’s supporting the various initiatives such as the 50/50
achievement sponsorship or individual donations
Then we have our relationships with our commercial partners and sponsors
We have many long-term sponsors as well as new businesses regularly joining as they see the way we look to grow the club
We also have the income from our own commercial operations such as the Canary Club
We have also worked hard off the pitch to increase the local-level marketability of the club by improving our club merchandise
continued work to forge closer links with the youth and women’s sides and in the community through our work via Hitchin Town Community FC at The Arena
as a result of both increased club contributions and growing support from the Supporters Trust
we have managed to increase the playing budget by more than 10%
This isn’t a message to raise concerns about the state of the club finances
It’s about thanking you for the tremendous contribution you make to helping the club run
We pay all of our bills on time and are well respected for this
This is about ensuring Hitchin Town FC is sustainable and around for us all to enjoy for generations to come
We continue to set the foundations off the pitch to help the club to continue to grow and have a stable platform for the mens and womens teams to compete at the highest levels possible
I thought it would be useful to highlight the challenges we balance as a club. We always welcome ideas and feedback so feel free to raise them with Andy, Roy, Terry, Mick, Mark David or myself on matchdays or to drop me an email at media@hitchintownfc.club
TICKET ARRANGEMENTS FOR BEDFORD GAME ON EASTER MONDAY BY CHRIS NEWBOLD
during which we still hope we can give ourselves a chance of survival going into our last home game against Bedford Town on Easter Monday
With Bedford already looking like play-off certainties and in which a very good chance of taking the title and automatic promotion
We had considered making the game all ticket
but we ultimately have decided that we will keep the Match Day ticket window open
and to try to minimise ticket window queues on the day and speed up ground entry for everybody
we strongly recommend that if you can do so
we will be selling tickets for the Bedford game at our Ticket Office at the Halesowen
Royston and Sudbury games to help minimise ticket sales on the day of the game
We have arranged with Bedford Town that they are selling tickets for the game on their own ticket website
and they also have the facility to sell their fans tickets in advance from their own Club Office should they wish to do so
So this is really a reinforcement to say if you are able to buy tickets in advance
you really help the Club and its small band of volunteers who are already extremely busy on match days
We wish to send our sincere condolences and deepest sympathy to the Wright family and let them know they are in our
We would like to wish first team manager Michael Jones a very happy birthday today
and hopefully with the signing of a new striker this week he will be given a nice present of three points tomorrow afternoon
Former Canary Ashley Hay was instrumental in Cheltenham Town’s 2-1 victory away at AFC Wimbledon on Tuesday night.He opened the scoring with deft header from a corner and then assisted in the winning goal.He certainly appears too be enjoying his loan spell at Cheltenham from his parent club Brentford
The new dates for our coaching clinics at the Arena are out and can be booked on via the website www.northhertsarena.co.uk
On Monday evenings from 5-6pm we host a Junior Ability Counts session for children aged between 7 and 16 years old with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND)
Monday 17th March – 31st March 2025 (3 weeks) Cost: £12
On Wednesday evenings from 5.30-6.30pm we host a specific goalkeeping course called Safe Hands for children of all ages and abilities delivered by former first-team goalkeeper Josh Mollison
Wednesday 19th March 2025 – 2nd April 2025 (3 weeks) Cost: £18
We are looking forward to our fixture on Monday 17th March 2025 at Top Field to play against a touring team from China called Zhejiang academy
It will be a great opportunity for a mixture of our current academy players and potential new recruits for September
We have another open training session on Friday 21st March at The Arena, Norton Road, Baldock, Hertfordshire, SG7 5AU on the all weather pitch between 5pm – 6:30pm if you would like to book on please email Michael.jones@wearescl.co.uk
We are now heading towards our final two issues of this season with the last two issue dates being Friday 4th April and Friday 2nd May
We will be reviewing our current service during the off season to provide an even better experience for our Junior Canaries next season
If you have any suggestions on how to improve the current offer please email us
Kick-off is 7.00pm and there is free entry
CHARITY GAME FOR GARDEN HOUSE HOSPICE BY ROGER LEVETT
North Herts Council is inviting residents to have their say in the design of the King George V Skatepark in Hitchin
A design workshop will take place on Thursday 27 February 2025
giving the community a chance to shape the future of this much-anticipated facility
Residents who cannot attend in person can still provide their feedback by scanning the QR code on the event poster or visiting: https://canvasspaces.co.uk/kgvskateparknorthherts
Executive Member for Leisure and Environment at North Herts Council
said: "We’re excited to be working with local skaters
and the wider community to design a skatepark that meets their needs
This is a fantastic opportunity for residents to get involved in creating a space that will be well-used and enjoyed for years to come
Whether you’re a skater or just interested in the project
The new skatepark will be designed with input from local users to ensure it offers a modern and inclusive environment for all abilities
who is responsible for the community consultation up to this point and commissioning the Skatepark contractors
said “We are looking forward to progressing this project to its final stage
and with your involvement the skatepark will be designed to serve the skaters of Hitchin for years to come
will also be holding post completion events to build up the women and girls skating community
to inspire confidence and ownership of the park!”
For more information or to contribute your ideas, please attend the workshop or visit: https://canvasspaces.co.uk/kgvskateparknorthherts
Friday 18th April league game away to Alvechurch kick-off 3.00pm
Monday 21st April league game home to Bedford kick-off 3.00pm
It’s our final home game of the season and we look to finish our season with a performance to be proud of despite our relegation having now been confirmed
We welcome our neighbours top of the table Bedford Town to Top Field
In the reverse fixture on Boxing Day Bedford clinched the win despite a good performance from Hitchin Town
If you are unable to buy your tickets online
our Match Day Ticket Office will be open between 13:30-15:15
If you buy from here you will have to walk back round to the turnstiles to enter the ground
There is no entry through the side gate next to the Ticket Office
Purchases from the Ticket Office are by card payment only
For any of you who need to request complimentary tickets for media
there is a deadline of midday on Sunday 20th April for any requests
After this time requests will not be accepted and ground entry will be by paid ticket only
and here’s hoping for a bumper crowd in a safe environment and a great game to end our season at Top Field
One YMCA are our guests for the Bedford match
Working within the community is at the forefront of the Club’s Strategic Objectives
so when we received a request to support a local project for the homeless of Hitchin we were keen to help if we could
Anderson House in Florence Street has recently been purchased by One YMCA a registered charity providing shelter for our local homeless
but most of whom have never visited Top Field
This afternoon we welcome a small delegation from Anderson House as our guests and trust that they will enjoy their stay with us
We hope to develop this relationship next season – who knows
our guests today may soon become tomorrow’s committed supporters and Club volunteers
CHEQUE PRESENTATION TO GARDEN HOUSE HOSPICE AT BEDFORD GAME
After the great success of the recent charity game for Garden House Hospice we are pleased to host the cheque handover from Roger Levett and his family to Carla Pilsworth who is representing the charity
Over £7,500 was raised and the ceremony will take place before the kick-off
It has also been decided that there will be a minute’s applause before the game in memory of all those connected with the club who have passed away during the season
Our relegation which has been pending for a few weeks was confirmed on Saturday with our dire performance at home to AFC Sudbury
I know everyone will be extremely disappointed with how these last two seasons have gone
especially this season as we have not utilised the reprieve we received last season
When I was asked to lead the group as interim/manager it was an absolute honour to be trusted with this position and we had 29 games to steer ourselves clear of relegation which is more than enough time and I honestly thought we would have enough to stay up and retain our step 3 status
I have failed the club who trusted me to lead the group and the supporters who have backed me
the group and the club with excellent support this season despite being in the relegation zone all season
I know people will look at our start to the season and although having zero points after 7 games did not help this is not the reason we are now relegated
We put ourselves into a competitive position over the Christmas/New Year period but since our defeat away to Lowestoft we have been unable to win
which has allowed other teams to increase their points tally and the gap between us and safety became difficult to close
I also know that people will not be looking forward to playing Step 4 football
while also thinking that we have no ambition and we are not trying to progress/move forward
we will need to reset and take one step back to progress forward together
We have already started preparations for next season and have been speaking to current players who we wish to retain and looking at new recruits which will help us try and bounce back at the first attempt
I will be working hard over the summer to make sure we look at every detail at the club to try and improve the culture and give us a team we can all be proud of next season
I felt really let down by the group of players Saturday
not because we lost a game of football that confirmed our relegation but the way we lost it
I was expecting to see a group of players who were willing to give everything on Saturday for the supporters but instead we got a nothing performance
played at such a slow tempo with everything we did and failed to create anything
It was like watching a boring Premiership match
This is something I do not want a group of players I am leading to ever look like and this is why I feel so let down with the performance
Not much happened in the first half and 0-0 at half time was a fair reflection of the game
We had an unbelievable chance to take the lead when a cross from Dan Stokoe was not met cleanly by Rio Deall and then Jake Hutchinson had a swing and a miss
Then a few minutes later we found ourselves 1-0 down
Sudbury managed it well and sat everyone behind the ball and despite the support of over 700 trying to get the group of players going on the pitch and inject some life into the game
we went down with a 1-0 defeat and an absolute whimper of a performance
Alvechurch find themselves only 4 points off the drop
so the game is vital for them to get a win so they can make sure they steer clear of the relegation places
We are playing for pride and I will be expecting a much better performance than we got on Saturday
I want to finish the season as strong as possible on the pitch
Bedford travel to us on Easter Monday and could be looking to either secure the league title or put themselves in a very good position going into the final game of the season
This is our final home game and we all need to reward the excellent support with a performance and sign off our home season fixtures in a positive manner
I will be trying everything to motivate the group to make sure they give you a performance to be proud of and a better game of football in front of another big crowd
Lewis Barker has stepped up his recovery and is now in contact training
Harry Titchmarsh will be back for the Easter weekend fixtures
Lewis Franklin has recovered from his illness and will be good to start
Stephen Gleeson will not be involved this weekend
Liam Brooks faces a late fitness test against Alvechurch
Dom Martins is on trial with a professional club
Josh Odell–Bature is on trial with a professional club
Rio Deall will be finishing the season with Hemel Hempstead FC
Bradley Bell is unavailable against Alvechurch due to work commitments
Will McNeill came on as a sub for the first team on Saturday and will be involved in the last 3 games of the season
Blue Joy and Tyrese Kamara will also be selected in the remaining first team squads
Hitchin Town Football Club are pleased to announce that we have started an exciting new venture for the football club
We will now be starting a hybrid football academy which will be linked to the men’s first team
We will be offering a full-time hybrid football academy for players released from the professional game
or alternatively elite grassroots players who are looking to progress up the football pyramid and experience senior football in a professional environment
All players will train in the morning for at least two hours per day
and this will consist of minutes on the pitch
position-specific training and 1-on-1 development work
Players will also be involved in evening fixtures against other senior/professional teams as well as the opportunity to train with the men’s first team
All players will be required to study a personal trainer course which on successful completion will mean they will become a qualified personal trainer
First Team Management Michael Jones and Stephen Gleeson had this to say:
Michael Jones: “This is an exciting addition to the football club
This course will allow us to train with players in a more professional environment while working with them daily.”
Stephen Gleeson: “This offering will allow us to work closely with the players and we will be able to prepare them better for senior football
It will also allow current first-team players who have flexible working hours the opportunity to access additional morning training sessions.”
Our Men's team currently play in the Southern League Premier Central Division.