..at the start of the 1981/82 season Hampton played 9 (NINE) games away before hosting a home game on 5th September.
It didn't help to get the team off to any sort of decent start.
Aug 01 Harrow Borough 0-1 (Middx Charity Cup Group )
Aug 08 East Ham United 4-1 (Friendly)
Aug 11 Uxbridge 1-3 (MCC)
Aug 15 Hornchurch 0-1 (Lge)
Aug 18 Oxford City 1-3 (Lge)
Aug 22 Wokingham Town 2-4 (Lge)
Aug 25 Maidenhead United 0-3 (Lge)
Aug 29 Aveley 1-2 (Lge)
Aug 31 Camberley Town 5-1 (Lge Cup)
Sep 5 Home Tilbury 0-0 (Lge)
By September 15th they were bottom of the table, 21 /21, eventually finishing 12th.
I can't find any comment in the first league programme (or in the press) about the nature of the delay, apart from Roger Charland, Manager, writing on 5th September ' At present on the playing front we have been forced by circumstances into playing all our August fixtures away from Beveree'.
I would suggest that problems with the pitch were a factor.
Assuming that Chelmsford agree to switch, there is still Aveley on 28th August - almost on the same date as in 1981 (spooky) - which might also need to be changed, which would leave the first home game to be played on ...5th September (Weymouth), again the same date as in 1981, co-incidence?
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