Hitchin Town Football Club

Inspiration from the past…Football for the Future

Early roots

Hitchin Town can trace its roots back to 1865 when Hitchin FC was formed. The club took part in the first FA Cup in 1871-72, and reached the quarter finals of the competition, losing to eventual finalists Royal Engineers. That first Hitchin club, a struggling professional outfit, floundered in 1911, debt-ridden and the victims of a fire at their ground.

Reformation

It was not until 1928 that Hitchin Town FC was formed, and it was at this point that the nickname, “The Canaries”, was established. The club colours of yellow and at that time, blue, were also agreed upon. Prior to that, the old club played in white and magenta. Hitchin gained admission to the Spartan League and in the 1928-29 season, enjoyed a hugely successful campaign, winning the Herts Charity Shield and promotion to the Spartan League Division One.

The 1930s were halcyon days for Hitchin Town. Promotion to the Spartan Premier was won in 1931, but it was the FA Amateur Cup and AFA Senior Cup that captured the imagination of the Hitchin public. Although there is little doubt that Hitchin won more games than at any time in their history, the standard of opposition has to be considered when determining whether the Canaries’ side of the period was the finest in the club’s history.

Nevertheless, with players like Reg Smith, who later played for Millwall and England, Wally Odell and Les Clarke, there is little doubt that this was a golden age for Hitchin Town. The club won the AFA Senior Cup in 1932, beating Derbyshire Amateurs in the final and in 1935, won the Spartan League Premier Division. The club entered the Athenian League in 1939, but after two league games and a Herts Charity Cup tie, all of which saw Hitchin score seven goals, Adolf Hitler intervened.

Into the Athenian

Like many clubs, Hitchin struggled in the aftermath of World War Two, although the goalscoring antics of players such as Frank Wingate and Wink Saunders lit up Top Field. It was not until the mid-1950s that the Canaries recovered. In 1953-54, the runners-up spot in the Athenian League was secured and the club reached the last eight of the FA Amateur Cup, losing 10-1 to the mighty Crook Town.

Two years later, a crowd of 7,878 watched Hitchin beat Wycombe Wanderers 1-0 in the competition, but the club failed to progress beyond the quarter-finals again. In 1958, Hitchin’s Peter Hammond became the club’s first England international. It was around this time that Hitchin appointed former Arsenal and England international Laurie Scott as manager. He brought a new approach to the club.

Scott’s supermen

Scott took Hitchin up a level in terms of preparation, training and tactics. The club enjoyed arguably its greatest period in the early 1960s. In 1958-59, the club met Football League opposition for the first time in the FA Cup, narrowly losing to Millwall after a replace. Two years later, Hitchin travelled to Crystal Palace and played in front of 21,000 people. At the same time, an assault on the Athenian League title and the FA Amateur Cup gathered momentum. Scott’s team, comprising players like Derek Turner, Tommy Everitt, Bruce Spavins and Terry Waldock, ran out of steam in the league – the victims of fixture congestion, and fell at the penultimate stage in the Amateur Cup.

Walthamstow Avenue beat Hitchin 1-0 at White City, thanks to a disputed penalty. In 1963, Hitchin reached the semi-finals again, but this time, went down 4-0 to Sutton United at Craven Cottage. At the end of the 1962-63 season, the Canaries moved into the Isthmian League.

The move into the Isthmian League was not an easy one for the club, and the early years were a constant struggle. Money was a problem, and there was a hint of scandal when club President Syd Stapleton revealed to the media that the club was paying its “amateur” players. It took some time for the clouds dispersed and during this period, the club said farewell to Laurie Scott.

Arrival

It was not until Vince Burgess came on board that the club moved forward again. Burgess, a successful coach before he went to Hitchin, brought experienced players to the club who knew how to win. In 1968-69, Hitchin finished runners-up in the Isthmian League and a year later, won the London Senior Cup, beating St.Albans 4-2 in the final. Burgess declared that Hitchin had “arrived” by winning what was then a highly prestigious competition. Top Field was shocked a few months later when Burgess left the club. The team built by Burgess remains a much-loved memory – players like Bernie Gogan, Roy Cutler, Hughie Pratt, John Ashworth and Ian Reid are still talked about today.

FA Cup-fighting

The 1970s was a period characterised by some exciting cup-ties and players like Paul Giggle, Peter Watson, Neil Bunker and Dave Archibald. The Canaries reached the FA Cup competition proper four times – in 1973-74, 1974-75, 1976-77 and 1978-79, although a giant-killing eluded them. In 1973-74, non-league Boston beat Hitchin 1-0 in the second round, depriving them of a lucrative tie with Derby County. Cambridge beat Hitchin in the first round a year later, and in 1976, Swindon finally saw off Hitchin 3-1 after a 1-1 draw at Top Field in the second round.

In 1978, Bournemouth beat Hitchin 2-1 in the first round. By the end of the decade, though, the club was in decline and the 1980s was a dismal decade in which finances were limited and the emphasis was on youth.

Downfall and revival

In 1988, Hitchin Town suffered relegation from the Isthmian Premier for the first time. Near misses in the previous three seasons had hinted that a fall was coming, but it was a major shock to the club. It took five years for Hitchin to get back to the Premier, but in between, the club had suffered major financial hardship. It was Andy Melvin, the new owner-manager of Hitchin Town that led the club back to the Premier Division, winning the Isthmian First Division in 1992-93. Melvin, a good man-manager, was also thrifty and built a team on very limited resources. In the club’s first season back, he took them to eighth place and in 1994-95, fifth position.

Hereford and Bristol Rovers

Andy Melvin will be remembered for his part in two exciting FA Cup runs, however. In 1994-95, the club became giant-killers for the first time, beating Hereford United 4-2 at Top Field in the FA Cup first round. The club had started its cup run in the First Qualifying Round and had been close to exiting on more than one occasion. A year later, the Canaries grabbed their biggest scalp, beating Bristol Rovers 2-1 in the first round, thanks to two early goals. It gave them a second round tie at Gillingham, which was lost 3-0.

The two years of cup success brought to the fore players like Mark Burke, Shaun Marshall, Gary Williams and Ian Scott. The club gained more media attention than at any time in its history, but by 1998, relegation had come once more. A year on, the club won promotion back to the Isthmian Premier with a new and younger team.

In an age when clubs seem to lurch from financial crisis to crisis, Hitchin’s recent history has been relatively stable. Andy Melvin stepped down in 2001, handing over to Robbie O’Keefe. He was the mastermind of the club’s youth academy, and at times, O’Keefe promised to bring success back to Hitchin. In 2003, however, he left the club, and former Chelsea and England striker Kerry Dixon took over. At the end of 2003-04, Hitchin left the Isthmian League after more than 40 years, and moved to the Southern League. At the halfway stage of the following season, Dixon – who was unable to commit himself fully to the job – was replaced by Darren Salton.

Southern League days

After taking on the role halfway through 2004-05, Salton had to rebuild a team that had alarming weaknesses in every department. The last few months of the season were tough and Hitchin failed to win any of their last 11 games. But the following year was better and at the end of 2005-06, the Canaries won the Errea Cup, beating Bromsgrove Rovers in the two-legged final.

In 2006-07, the Canaries started well and at the halfway point were among the title challengers. But a spectacular collapse, fuelled by player unrest, saw Hitchin fall down the table and into relegation trouble. Eventually, Hitchin finished 11th, perhaps a flattering position, but nevertheless one which secured Premier Division football in 2007-08.

After a lack lustre start to 2007-08, Darren Salton was released by the club and former player Darran Hay was appointed as manager. Hay had to rebuild his team and it took time to turn things around, but a revitalised squad, with a strong team spirit, lifted Hitchin out of trouble.

After a poor start to the 2008-09 season, Darran Hay left Hitchin in January 2009. Colin Payne, the former Chertsey, Northwood and Boreham Wood manager was appointed in February 2009, but despite an improvement, the club was relegated at the end of the campaign. Payne rebuilt the Hitchin squad in the summer of 2009, with the aim of achieving promotion at the first attempt.

Hitchin enjoyed a successful 2009-10, winning 31 of 42 league games. A vibrant young side was moulded by Payne and his assistant Carl Williams and for long periods, the Canaries top the Zamaretto Midlands Division. Hitchin lost just four games in the league but Bury Town topped the division by two points - despite Payne’s men amassing 100 points. As one team was automatically promoted, Hitchin had to enter the play-offs for the second promotion place. Sadly, the young Canaries ran out of steam and lost the play-off semi-final to Slough, a team that finished 23 points behind Hitchin!

A few days after the end of the season, Payne left the club to join Hemel Hempstead. In his place, Carl Williams was appointed as manager. He had a tremendous first season in charge and for much of the 2010-11 campaign, Hitchin looked certainties for the title. But a mid-season drop in form gave local rivals Arlesey the chance to take top place. On the final day of the season, the two clubs met at Top Field for the title decider. Arlesey won 1-0 in front of 1,500 people, but the occasion was marred by the ungentlemanly behaviour of Hitchin's opponents. Williams and his team cast that disappointment aside to beat Slough and Daventry in the play-offs to claim the second promotion spot. The Premier Division beckons!

Major honours

1931-32 AFA Senior Cup winners
1934-35 Spartan League Champions
1953-54 Athenian League Runners-up
1960-61 FA Amateur Cup Semi-finalists
1962-63 FA Amateur Cup Semi-finalists
1968-69 Isthmian League Runners-up
1969-70 London Senior Cup Winners
1972-73 East Anglian Cup Winners
1992-93 Isthmian League Division One Winners
1994-95 FA Cup giant-killers (beat Hereford 4-2 after replay in R1)
1995-96 FA Cup giant-killers (beat Bristol Rovers 2-1 in R1)
1998-99 Isthmian League Division One runners-up
2005-06 Southern League Cup Winners
2010-11 Promoted to the Southern League Premier Division

First Team Results Record

The following links contain the results for the relevent league / competition.

Spartan League Results 1928-1939

Athenian League Results 1945-1963

Isthmian League Results 1963-1988

Isthmian League Results 1988-2004

Southern League Results 2004-2011

FA Cup Results 1928-29 - 2010-11

FA Trophy Results 1974-75 - 2010-11

Work is being carried out to compile the records for the following

FA Amateur Cup Results
Other Cup Results (HSC, HCC, AFA Senior Cup, FMC, East Anglian Cup etc).

and will be available soon.

League Record 1928-29 2010-11

Page last updated by admin on Friday, May 27 2011