Hitchin Town Football Club
Founded 1865, Reformed 1928
Canaries could be on the cusp
Sunday, July 27 2003
Hitchin Town could find themselves as unlikely northerners if the Conference cut goes against them next season - assuming of course that the club finishes in the top 13!
With the three current feeder leagues comprising a heavy contingent of southern teams, Hitchin, as one of the most northernly Ryman Premier sides,may be cast into Conference North.
This would entail a dramatic increase in travelling, with games in the North-East, Lancashire and Yorkshire.
This scenario is not out of the question, say Canaries' officials. "It could go against us in this way," says Chairman Terry Barratt.
"We are right on the border and if there is a swing too far one way, we may be moved into a Northern division."
Treasurer Roy Izzard is mindful of the increased travelling this might bring. "We would have to change our focus completely to factor in the costs," he says. "But it would, in many ways, represent an exciting challenge."
Already some Hitchin fans have been calculating the possibilities. Taking last season's final tables in the Unibond, Dr Marten's and Ryman Premier divisions, Hitchin would only just creep into the Conference South, along with Bedford.
But just a couple of twists and Hitchin could be shifted over to the North. "It is a situation that could change weekly during the course of the season, and we will have to watch carefully," says Manager Robbie O'Keefe.
The new Conference divisions will comprise 22 clubs. Ground gradings for these divisions have yet to be determined.
