Match Information
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Hinton 0-1 Chipperfield Corinthians
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When: Tuesday 16th May 2023
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Kick-off: 6.45pm
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Where: Grass Pitch, The Football Pad, Hadley Wood Sports Trust, Barnet Lane, Barnet, Hertfordshire EN5 2DN.
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Competition: Herts Senior County League Premier Division
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Attendance: 49 (headcount)
I always get a buzz from visiting football grounds within the London area relating to past personal reasons. I grew up in Golders Green during the 1970’s and started out at primary school actively supporting local teams – Queens Park Rangers, Hendon, Finchley, Barnet etc.
Then once I entered adolescence, I opted to venture further afield and began groundhopping. My very first ambition was to take in a match at every football arena in London.
Reflecting back, it seemed a massive task in view of the fact information on Non-League football was extremely hard to source in those primitive pre-internet times.
I discovered fixtures were available on Saturday mornings in the Daily Telegraph and the Daily Mail newspapers so it was impossible to plan too far ahead.
But I wrote to the London Football Association who helpfully sent me a handbook containing contact details for their member clubs. There were around 60 teams listed to keep me busy in my embryonic groundhopping.
I found out I could contact leagues directly for their duplicated fixture bulletins so I forwarded numerous stamped self-addressed envelopes to the Isthmian, Athenian, London-Spartan and Middlesex Leagues.
And it was mainly public transport for me. I remember waiting for a bus outside Golders Green Station one day when I was approached by two school mates who were en route to watch Arsenal in action and they asked where I was going. I replied: “Wembley FC v Bromley”.
The duo looked at me as if I was insane! Some excursions to South London felt like huge long-distance treks. Yet my efforts were certainly worthwhile because the old Dulwich Hamlet and Tooting & Mitcham United stadiums boasted large capacities and sprawling terracing.
Result of my Herts Senior County League match tonight -@HintonFC3 0@ChipCorinthians 1
— Tony Incenzo - my 50th football season (@TonyIncenzo) May 16, 2023
Attendance 49 (headcount), programme £2 at Barnet Lane grass pitch. Football grounds visited - 2,509@nonleagueshow @NonLeagueCrowd @NonLeaguePaper @888sport @HertfordshireFA pic.twitter.com/GRonv1uxA7
I also recall an outing to the original Fisher Athletic FC ground at Mitcham in 1978. Having paid my 20p entry fee to be part of an official attendance of 3 (three), that London-Spartan League match against Chingford finished in a 2-2 draw so there were more goals than spectators.
In addition, three players were sent off in the second half therefore the crowd doubled by full-time! Anyway, it transpired the whole task of ticking off London grounds is akin to never-ending Forth Bridge painting!
Especially since I now enjoy quite low level encounters including Sunday League stuff. Bringing the story up to date, this particular Hinton FC game featuring a highly unusual pitch attracted my attention.
I had previously seen Hinton at their normal base – the Holtwhites Sports & Social centre in Enfield – on Wednesday 28th August 2002.
Fast forward 21 years and Holtwhites wasn’t available to host Chipperfield Corinthians due to cricket so it was switched to The Football Pad in Barnet which doesn’t accommodate regular senior football.
Although I had earlier been there on Tuesday 10th July 2018 for a pre-season friendly on the 4G artificial surface where Wingate & Finchley drew 1-1 versus Kings Langley.
The complex is Wingate & Finchley’s training headquarters and houses their youth team matches in association with Hadley Wood Sports Trust. On that aforesaid occasion, I noticed a grass pitch behind the 4G facility.
So when I spotted Hinton were scheduled to play on the grass, I decided it was time to return. My rationale was it would count as a totally separate venue under my own groundhopping rules. Just a relatively short 60 mile round trip.
Ground Description
Situated literally a stone’s throw away from the built-over site of Barnet FC’s much missed Underhill Stadium, The Football Pad’s grass pitch is fully railed off.
Permanent dug-outs are in place and an elevated vantage point is available courtesy of grass banking running along one touchline.
Programme Details
Hinton had not intended to produce a printed programme. However the lure of a one-off match on this grass pitch saw many groundhoppers contacting them in advance via Twitter to express interest in attending.
Hence at 1pm on the matchday, Hinton announced they were indeed going to issue programmes to meet demand.
These comprised four pages and were available priced £2 from a table by the main gate. All 30 copies duly sold out an hour before kick-off.
The Match
An important Step 7 affair in the Herts Senior County League Premier Division. Hinton were battling relegation whereas Chipperfield Corinthians had aspirations on the league title.
The 40 groundhoppers present witnessed a well-struck solitary winning goal on 53 minutes for Chipperfield. I thereby reached 410 different football grounds visited inside the London M25 Motorway region.
Meanwhile, the above-mentioned adjacent 4G surface was concurrently in use on the night for youth football training.
The People
After I asked an away supporter to confirm the name of their striker who had scored, he enthusiastically replied: “Conor Chapman. He’s my son. Well one of them. My other son Matthew is playing in defence.”
I later overheard two men discussing the background to Hinton FC’s name. One said: “Is it something to do with the 1970’s Chelsea player called Marvin Hinton?”
Apparently not though since the team were formed in 1957. Overall, Hinton were truly delighted groundhoppers had turned up from as far afield as Birmingham to see them play.
Everyone was accordingly given a warm welcome by the friendly home club officials.
*Credit for photos in this article belongs to @TonyIncenzo*
