Dulwich Hamlet v Hemel Hempstead Town, 3pm Saturday 16th February 2019

Redthread official charity partner day. Hoping for another big crowd.

 

Can't wait! (although I still don't believe Hemel Hempstead is a real place, I'm convinced it was just a made up basketball team to fill space in the 1980's vidi printer while waiting for football results to come in)

 

Unfortunately it is. Nothing against the football club, but probably my least favourite away day in the division.

 

It was grim up there for the away trip last year. The best part of the day was stopping at the Euston Tap on the way home.

 

If you drive there it's probably fine. I've known the town all my life as my dad's mother moved there and he used to take me to visit her on the Green Line bus that runs close to the ground. It's one of the most motorcentric towns I know, useless for pedestrians, and the station is miles from the ground with no direct bus between the two.

 

Genuine conversation with a bus driver when I was getting a bus from hemel hempstead station:

“I need to get to hemel hempstead football club please.”

“No idea where that is.”

“Apparently I need to go to Combe Street to change.”

“Oh yeah? You sure it’s the correct direction?”

“Yep. Stop F. Do you go to Combe Street?”

“I dunno where that is.”

“You don’t? So you don’t know your route?”

“I’m not a cab driver. I’m a bus driver.”

“OK. Think it’s 5 stops.”

“Let’s count 5 stops then...”

He then just glared at me and shrugged his shoulders with a horrible smirk on his face. I thought he was going to offer me out for a fight.

The bus broke down a couple of stops later.

Never want to go back to that place ever again.

 

Then getting back I waited for 25 minutes at a stop by a dual carriageway before walking 15 minutes to another route’s bus stop. Hell hole

 

Had a lovely trip to St Albans punctuated by a smash and grab taxi visit to Hemel

 

Shared a cab with DulwichHammer , Cheryl and Dodgy Pete so fortunately didn’t have the bus experience. Even the cab driver didn’t really know where the ground was and we had to look up the street name it was in for him. As Pink Panther says it’s still a very car-centric town designed in the 50s/60s when the car was king. Might give it a swerve next time, or go by horse.

 

Highly recommended taking Thameslink to St Albans next time. There are many good pubs, and a direct bus from the town centre or station to Hemel's ground. I think we got an eight seater cab for £2 each mind...

 

Jørgensen is in goal instead of Edwards. Otherwise it's the same team that beat Welling including substitutes.

 

1-0 up, Thompson 5 minutes.

 

1-1, slip up at the back,13 minutes

 

1-2 down, superb first time shot from the edge of the box.

 

1-3 now, another blinder from the same bloke, lob from at least 30 yards out.

 

2-3 Thompson 36 minutes.

 

Come on Hemel!

Do it for Johnny Wallace.

 

Some right twats on the pallet in this 2nd half.

 

It was always used as a punchline in 1970s British sit coms.

 

3-3, Sheriff penalty 89 minutes.

 

Drew 3-3.

 

But the bottom three all lost. I think it's time to stop looking at what the teams below us are doing. We should be good enough to finish a bit higher than our present position. Torquay next week looks tough, but they lost at Welling today.

 

Glad that penalty went it as Cook tried to grab the ball off Sheriff to take it - looked like Nyren told Cook to leave it though.

 

As long as we defend like we did in the first half I'll keep an eye on the teams below.