Those Were The Days;7th March 2000

[Les1949]

THOSE WERE THE DAYS
7th March 2000

Isthmian (Ryman) League; Premier Division

HRBFC 3 (Griffiths, Burton, Maskell) Dulwich Hamlet 0 Att; 173

HRBFC;-
James Courtnage; Peter Wood, Danny Smith, Peter Barnsby, Nick Burton, Jason Shaw, Dudley Gardner, Warren Williams (Fiston Mputu), Craig Maskell, Martin Carter, Leroy Griffiths.
Unused Subs; Danny Rouco, Craig Vargas.

Dulwich Hamlet;-
Les Cleevely; Michael Azzopardi, Tony Houghton, Danny Carroll, Mark Garland, Francis Duku, Nick White, Veli Hakki, Peter Crouch, Declan Perkins, Tony Chin.
Subs; Neil Ovidireive, Mark Xavier, Carl Bartley.

Twelve places separated Hampton from 6th placed Dulwich Hamlet before kick-off. Dulwich had signed a couple of strikers; Declan Perkins and a young lad, 6’7” Peter Crouch (haven’t I seen him on a Betting Company’s adverts?). Barnsby coped well with the new strikers, often outjumping Peter Crouch. In the first half Hampton tried to play in their recent signing, Griffiths, with balls over the top without any success. In the 55th minute Maskell brought out a good save from Les Cleevely whilst Courtnage denied Crouch. Still no goals after 75 minutes, Dulwich survived a penalty appeal for handball, but then the game suddenly swung Hampton’s way. The usually reliable Francis Duku under-hit a back pass, Griffiths nipped in and rounded Cleevely to score his first for the club. Two further goals in the past five minutes cemented Hampton’s victory. Burton drove a shot through a crowd of players before Maskell added the third with a cross-cum shot. Tony Hughton and Mark Xavier both played for the Beavers in later years.


The Old Historian

[Tony]

I remember that game. Crouch was on loan from Spurs, a young 19 year old but hard to miss at 6'7."

[Lord Elpus]

I remember that game. Crouch was on loan from Spurs, a young 19 year old but hard to miss at 6'7."

Yes, me too. Great tall skinny lad. Don't remember his actual contribution to the game but you couldn't miss him!

[Mucky knees]

I made a remark anout him being very tall and very useless LOL!!! (not to his face of course!)

MK

[JimS]

I made a remark anout him being very tall and very useless LOL!!! (not to his face of course!)

MK

You would probably have needed to stand on a box to do that!