THOSE WERE THE DAYS
Today sees the Beavers home ground, Beveree, enter its next stage of development with the first use of an artificial pitch – all things being equal. Not everyone’s cup of tea, but it does mean that for the first time in a number of seasons, training sessions can take place in the same place without having to seek out, and pay for, other venues.
That’s the present/future, this, though, is about the past! Slough Town are the visitors today and I recall the exploits of an ex-Slough player, Ian Hodges.
22nd August 2006
Isthmian (Ryman) League; Premier Division
HRBFC 3 (Hodges 3’ 47’, Henry-Hayden 87’) Hendon 1 (Ake 74’,pen) Att; 178
HRBFC;-
Matt Lovett; Graham Harper, Ryan Lake, Yiadom Yeboah, Andy Cook, Dean Wells, Alan Inns, Barrie Matthews (Dudley Gardner, 80’), Ian Hodges (Matt Elverson, 88’), Lawence Yaku (Jon Henry-Hayden, 80’), Marcello Fernandes.
Unused subs; Glenn Harris, Tom Howe
Hendon;-
Richard Wilmott; Jamie Busby (Danny Edwards, 76’), Craig Vargas, James Burgess, James Parker, Ross Pickett, Lee O’Leary (Takumi Ake, 58’), Dwane Williams, Jermaine Hunter (Nas Richardson,86’), Dean Thomas, Wayne O’Sullivan.
Unused subs; Rakatahr Hudson, Husein Kharas.
This midweek encounter at Beveree had it all. Goals, saves, penalties, sending-offs – happy fans (but possibly not Hendon’s!). In the 3rd minute, Yaku got behind the Hendon defence, Wilmott parried the ball, then, from a narrow angle Yaku headed the ball against the upright, the ball angled across the six-yard area where Hodges was on hand to lash the ball in (a gift, possibly, but you have to get in the position to take advantage). Wilmott was going to earn his money in this game, as he saved Hendon from a hammering. Wilmott prevented Yaku, Hodges and Wells in scoring and then saved two penalties is the 26th minute. Craig Vargas was adjudged to have handled, Hodges attempt is saved, the ball runs free, Hodges is clattered down for a second penalty. Wilmott guesses correctly and makes the save. Hodges then converts a cross from Lake in the 47th minute, 2-0. Takumi Ake responds with a penalty in the 74th minute, before Henry-Hayden settles the game with a late score. Oh, yes, almost forgot in all the excitement, two members of the Hendon management team are sent off, probably not happy with Referee Downey’s performance. Hodges certainly seemed to be a proven goal scorer, but perhaps needed to polish up his penalty taking!
In a career with the Beavers, lasting five years, Ian Hodges, played in 191 games, scoring 66 goals (24 of which were in his first season). Hodges left the club at the end of the 2010/11 season and announced that he was going back home to the county of his birth, Cornwall, and might even end up playing with his mates at St Ives Town. In August 2012, we were on holiday in Hayle and bumped into Ian who was working in Pizza Express in St Ives. He mentioned that he would be playing for St Ives against ‘deadly’ local rivals St Just that evening in a Cornish League match. We went along to watch the game, St Ives won 2-1, I seem to recall Hodges scoring, I certainly remember him being sent off in an ill-tempered game. Ian was always the centre of attention whenever he was on the pitch.
The Old Historian
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