Page 25 - Yate Town FC v Hendon 010223

In Town today

An experienced coach, he – with his wife Faye – runs his own coaching academy,
based at Silver Jubilee Park. The pandemic means that 2022–23 will be Lee’s
second full season as Hendon boss. The highlight of his time as Hendon manager
was London Senior Cup triumph over Brentford B in September 2020, and the same
teams met in the 2022 final with the Premier League club triumphing after a
penalty shoot-out.
Did you know that ......

• 100,000 watched Hendon against northern giants Bishop Auckland in the 1955
Amateur Cup Final at Wembley.
• Following an invitation from the F.A. to test the system, Hendon were the first
club to play under floodlights at Wembley Stadium. The first team beat the reserves
1–0.
• In October 1951, Hendon became the first team in Britain to win a floodlit cup-tie
when they won a London Challenge Cup match against Arsenal at Highbury.

• In 1964–65, Hendon created probably a unique record for a visiting team when
they won two matches scoring four goals at Highbury in the same season. Arsenal
were beaten 4–3 in a London Challenge Cup tie – after the Gunners led 3–0 – and
Finchley were downed 4–1 in an FA Amateur Cup semi-final.
• The club’s original colours were blue, but changed to green during the Second
World War, when the club was Golders Green. In 1997–98 the club replaced their
now traditional green and brought back the original blue resulting in an outcry from
supporters and the green was restored two seasons later!
• England’s three highest capped Amateur Internationals between World War 2 and
May 1974 were all Hendon players. Rod Haider (65 caps), John Swannell (61) and
Mike Pinner (52) lead the way with Peter Deadman (40) and Laurie Topp (32) make
it five Hendon players in the top ten of England cap winners.
• Hendon progressed through the round in which they entered the FA Cup for 29
consecutive seasons, 1985–2014. The run ended against AFC Sudbury in
September 2014.
• Leon Smith equalled an 89-year-old club record when he scored in eight
consecutive games during the 2014–15 season. The record was first set by Oscar
Reinke in 1925. Leon is only the fourth player in the club’s history to score in 7 or
more consecutive games, and the first post-war player to score in 6 in a row.
• In June 2015, Charlie Goode became the second Hendon player, after Phil
Gridelet, to play for the England Non-League team, now England C. Peter Deadman
turned down the honour in May 1974, not wanting to miss Hendon’s end-of-season
run-in. He would have been one of the very few players to earn Amateur and Semi-
Professional honours.