A Month To Go!

In fact, as I begin this post, 22 minutes less than a month to go before the Ryman League season 2009/10 kicks off. For Hendon that means a trip to Bognor Regis Town and their picturesque Nyewood Lane ground. It's a ground that I haven't visited in about 20 odd years for various reasons so it may be picturesque no longer, but its one where many Hendon fans will have fond memories for no other reason than the dismissal of Doug "I'll have a Guinness and Black thanks" McClure many moons ago. It is more memorable for me for once being offered a Cream Egg (no, that's not a euphemism) by a man in one of those old green invalid carriages.

The release of the fixture list always gets fans' pulses racing just a little bit quicker. That early season trip to the seaside at Bognor or Margate, that freezing cold midweek trip to Heybridge (not for this season thankfully) in mid January. Some games are marked off as winnable, others are written off as hopeless cases (Tonbridge away). On paper, Hendon's start looks tough. Billericay (who we never beat), Sutton (who we never beat) and Dartford, 3 of the sides being fancied to challenge for the play-offs, crop up in the first 8 games. 4 of the other 5 games are against either promoted or relegated sides and as such, are unknown quantaties.

A nice addition to the fixture list this season is the Xmas/New Year local derby double header. In recent seasons our Xmas derby has been against Boreham Wood - this season however we get to play Harrow Borough at Earlsmead on Boxing Day and at Vale Farm on January 2nd. Wealdstone, Harrow's traditional festive opponents get the Boxing Day treat of a trip to Ashford Town.

So now, a week into the busy pre-season campaign and 77 days since the London Senior Cup win, we can begin to really get excited. Nearly all of the squad that ended last season so well is back in training. Wayne O'Sullivan is back after a difficult 18 months at Stevenage and Braintree (the prospect of him and Jamie Busby having an on-pitch arm wrestle for penalty taking rights is mouth watering). The early friendlies have yielded some new names as always that tests google to its limit. I for one cannot wait to see the side back in action this weekend at Hillingdon in their 4 team charity tournament.

C'mon you Greens!