Those Were The Days; 5th September 1981

[Les1949]

THOSE WERE THE DAYS
5th September 1981

Isthmian (Berger Paints) League Division 1

Hampton 0 Tilbury 0

Hampton;-
Ian Mason; Dave Bonner, Peter Minor, Brian Messom, Steve Smith, Richard Smith, John Chilvers, Tim Hollands, Junior Crooks, Dennis Pym, John Reader.
Sub; Peter Dixon

Hampton came into this match on the back of seven defeats out of eight games, all of which were played away. Two defeats were in the Middlesex Charity Cup Group games, five were in the league. The solitary win was in the previous game at Camberley Town a 5-1, League Cup win. At this distance in time one can only assume there were problems with the pitch at Beveree. No goals scored, but not for the want of trying. Chilvers forced Tilbury’s keeper, Gerry Calder, to make a save, Bonner shot wide and Reader had a shot blocked by a defender. Tilbury’s only chance came in the 29th minute, Mason making a good save. In the 57th minute a Chilvers header hit the bar. In the 70th minute Calder saved well at the feet of Crooks. With just two minutes to go, Chilvers and Crooks both managed to hit a post. All that can be said was that at least it was the first point of the season, and, due to the fact that Walton & Hersham had a worse record (hardly believable!), Hampton moved off the bottom of the table – joy abounded in the home clubhouse
A mid-table finish would be the end result of the 1981/82 season, having scored 52 goals in the league and conceding.….52!


The Old Historian

[Lord Elpus]

I kind of remember this and I'm pretty sure there were problems with the pitch at The Bev. If memory serves we had permission from the league to play our first few home games away.