Who put the ball in the Hitchin net?

[Roger D]

33 years ago today according to a text I have just received. Promotion to the Isthmian Premier... It was John Egan BTW

As an aside by this time of night Mishi and me were in Hull to watch ice hockey. We booked it before the late run made promotion possible. Thankfully we could get there from Stevenage station.

 

[Don't Slow Down]

A wonderful day, Mishi won the golden goal and lost the ticket. Such was the relationship with Hitchin that they paid him out as it remained unclaimed.

 

[Roger D]

Actually it was Norman Pocock who won it. He left without claiming it. We were all a bit smashed and thought "Sketchley" was Norman so told him to claim it. He did. Totally out fault.

 

[Pink Panther]

A wonderful day, Mishi won the golden goal and lost the ticket. Such was the relationship with Hitchin that they paid him out as it remained unclaimed.

He dropped it, and it fell through the gap between the steps in the old wooden terrace behind the goal!

We needed a draw to go up in 3rd place behind Stevenage and Yeading. Borehamwood started the day in 3rd place, but with only 21 teams in the division they'd already completed their fixtures. We scored after 3 minutes and it turned out to be the only goal of the game.

I didn't half get pissed that day. When I woke up the next morning it felt like Brian Blessed and Ian Paisley were having a heated argument inside my head.

Actually it was Norman Pocock who won it. He left without claiming it. We were all a bit smashed and thought "Sketchley" was Norman so told him to claim it. He did. Totally out fault.

That was a completely different game, a midweek Isthmian League Full Members Cup tie away to Thame United in November 1995. For some reason we thought Sketchley's real name was Norman, when it turned out to be Dan. Mishi genuinely had the winning ticket at Hitchin.

 

[Roger D]

Happy to believe that. The early years merge into an alcoholic haze. Now l think about it the day Sketchy claimed a prize Norman Pocock won away may have been Thame United on a Tuesday?

For more recent fans we signed a loan goalkeeper that season called Carl Emerson from Millwall. He was ridiculously good. I don't think he ever conceded two goals for us. We needed a draw and Johnny scored early. Shortly after final whistle Boreham Wood phoned Hitchin on the public number. It was either us or them up. Barry Swain, who later worked for the BBC, answered. They asked what the score was. He said "Hitchin Town nil". They hung up.

Edited to say the photo PP posted basically was the Rabble in 1992, bar Jane who was playing in the British Women's Iche Hockey Championship in Hull. Hence why Mishi and I were off there. I can see thereof is who have posted in this thread and the person who messaged me in that photo. Those were the days my friend ..

 

[Pink Panther]

From memory Carl Emberson conceded 7 goals in 17 games, and only 1 in the last 7 league games which were all wins, and we won that one 6--1. We did lose the London Senior Cup final during that sequence, 2-0 to Welling who were two divisions above us at the time, but I can't remember whether Carl was in goal for that one. It might have been Julian Gray.

 

[Roger D]

I just remember rolling in from a night out in my home village and being told Mishi had woken my parents up by calling to tell me we'd beaten Croydon in a crucial match, possibly midweek. Carl was ludicrously good despite being young. He reputedly upset Millwall by getting too pissed celebrating promotion to turn up for their post season tour. Went on to do OK at Luton though.

The following season we tried to sign him on loan again. Millwall refused, to be fair they rated him and wanted him playing a higher standard. Rumour has it he kicked the managers door in and copped a big fine. A Hamlet legend.