It was 14 years ago today... (Looking Back to Leyton Orient)

That Hendon taught the Orient how to play…

Let us take a step backwards in time to my proudest moment as a Hendon fan. Today marks the 14^th anniversary of the club’s FA Cup 1^st Round Replay win at Brisbane Road against Leyton Orient. Our previous season’s road to Ninian Park had seen us exempted to the 4^th Qualifying Round of the FA Cup in the 1997/8 season and two Colin Simpson goals had been enough to see off St. Albans City at Clarence Park to set up a place in the 1^st Round proper. This was in the days,  if I recall correctly, where the 1^st round draw would take place at 5pm on the Saturday afternoon. The cheers in the bar as we were drawn at home to near neighbours Leyton Orient was something else. A great draw, and the excitement began.

Orient, with sports promoter Barry Hearn even then at the helm, swiftly offered the Blues, as we were in those days, the chance to switch the tie to Brisbane Road with the guarantee of a crowd in excess of 5,000. Thankfully, Ivor Arbiter declined the invitation, instead choosing to bring the ‘giants’ from North East London to Claremont Road and letting them sweat things out in our cramped little changing rooms. The game was all ticket, the game was moved forward to 2pm on Police advice with countless other matches taking place in the capital on the same day. I remember well the feeling walking up Claremont Road from Brent Cross tube station talking to a couple of pessimistic O’s fans. Previous seasons had seen them humbled by Non League opposition at the first hurdle, the fear was that history would once again repeat itself.

Choosing to enter the ground through the rarely used turnstile at the Shopping Centre end, there was already a good crowd in. Portaloos had been brought in and lined the top of the terracing at that end, and the walk around to the banqueting suite end was something to savour. By the time the gates closed, there were 2,421 fans in the ground, it was a great sight seeing so many people packed into the ground, sadly a sight that was all too rare.

Hendon 2-2 Leyton Orient – Saturday 15^th November 1997

Let's all do the Simpson - Gary Mac shows Paul Hyde how to do it

After 50 seconds, the writing seemed to be on the wall. A ball into the box was headed clear only for the waiting Dean Smith (if memory serves) to smash the ball back past Gary McCann to give the away side the lead. Those of us congregated behind Macca’s goal perhaps feared the worst, but remained hopeful. Hope turned to murky misty glee when we realised that at the far end a bit later our friend from his days at Hayes - Paul Hyde, the Orient custodian had thumped his clearance against the onrushing Colin Simpson and was left helpless as the ball sailed over his head in the gloomy North London sky and into the back of the net. It wasn’t until we saw Simpson wheeling away with his shirt halfway over his head that we realised we were back in the game. Orient took the lead again on the stroke of half time, and although the action happened right in front of my nose I simply can’t remember who scored or how they did it. Never mind that though, our story has yet to get going.

After the break, Hendon were outstanding. Freddie Hyatt gave what the watching former Chelsea legend Alan Hudson described as the ‘perfect inside forward performance’ and was unfortunate not to score from a free kick that forced Hyde into a tip over. Roared on by a vocal following, reward came when John-Simon White’s cross to the far post found Simpson unmarked. The number 9 simply stooped, and nodded the ball inside the far post beyond Hyde’s somewhat limited attempts to keep the ball out. At the final whistle, supplied by former top flight referee and current County Championship umpire Martin Bodenham, the away side blew a sigh of relief at still being in the competition and attention moved on to the replay in 10 days time.

Team: Gary McCann, John-Simon White, Simon Clarke, Paul Kelly, Richard Nugent, Steve Bateman, Steve Heard, Freddie Hyatt, Colin Simpson (Tony Lynch), Tony Kelly (Matt Howard), Junior Lewis

Sub not used: Curtis Warmington

Tommy Taylor, the Orient manager boldly and publically proclaimed after the match that Hendon had missed their chance and that Orient would probably win the replay 5-0. Hearn meanwhile admitted his relief that they were still in the hat saying ‘I thought we would score six, especially after taking the lead.’ Frank Murphy got wind of this, and needed little to add to prepare his charges for the return. On top of that, Taylor made an approach for two goal hero Simpson, who wasn’t under contract and could thus move within 7 days of any approach being made. So although not illegal, it looked like a deliberate attempt to unsettle the player and destabilise Hendon’s preparations for the replay. Taylor would get his man in the end, but not before Hendon’s interest in the competition came to an end.

Leyton Orient 0-1 Hendon: Tuesday 25^th November 1997

Brisbane Road at this time was a three sided arena much in the style of Dean Court or the Kassam Stadium is these days as it was undergoing redevelopment. The 4-500 Hendon fans were crammed into a section of the main stand, at the corner of the ground at the stand-free end and were in great voice. I felt nervous, even more so than the first time around. I thought our chance had probably gone, but at the same time, felt that Orient were beatable.

It felt like 90 minutes of bombardment. Wave after wave of ball flew in and around the Hendon 6 yard box yet they were repelled by a heroic effort form everyone concerned. Steve Bateman and Matt Howard were about eight foot tall on the evening and when they were beaten, Gary Mac wasn’t. He gave a truly commanding performance in goal making a number of excellent claims and one or two top draw saves as well. Simpson had the opportunity to give Hendon a first half lead and further endear himself to his future employers when he was played through on goal and although he beat Hyde, he also narrowly beat the far post.

The moment came in the 2^nd half and was a genuinely classy goal. The ball fell about 15 yards inside the Orient half and was controlled by Hyatt. A shimmy and a step over later, all of which was bought for full price by his marker, the ball was spread wide to John-Simon White who was steaming (literally and figuratively) as only he could down the right flank before sending a nectarine of a cross onto the forehead of the onrushing Junior Lewis, about 15 yards out who sent the ball fizzing past the flailing Hyde and into the roof of the net. The enclosure we were packed into erupted. I couldn’t believe it, we were ahead at a Division 3 club. I’d never felt anything like it. People were hugging eachother as if they were part of the same family rather than a load of strangers brought together by a common purpose. That was nothing though compared to what came less than half an hour later.

I can’t tell you how long the closing stages dragged on for. Every minute felt like ten. The pressure the home side put us under was immense, but somehow we held out. Refrains of ‘In Dublin’s Fair City’ rang out somewhat nervously as the frustration grew amongst the home fans with every overhit ball forward that Gary Mac was able to mop up. When the final whistle finally sounded, the place went mad. Taylor and his charges were booed from the pitch whilst the Hendon players and coaching staff came and celebrated in front of us. The scenes were immense, fantastic and unbeknown to us, being played out live on Radio 5 Live. This side had just written themselves into Hendon folklore along with the Amateur Cup, Isthmian championship, Barassi Cup winning, Newcastle United and Reading humbling sides of the 60s and 70s. It was a wonderful time to be a Hendon fan and one that hasn’t been matched for me since.

Team:  Gary McCann, John-Simon White, Simon Clarke, Paul Kelly, Matt Howard, Steve Bateman, Steve Heard, Freddie Hyatt, Colin Simpson (Michael Banton), Tony Kelly (Curtis Warmington), Junior Lewis

Sub Not Used: Greg Tello

The 2^nd round pitted us once again against Cardiff City at Ninian Park for the 2^nd year running, and this time we were beaten comfortably 3-1, Nas Bashir getting a second half consolation for the Tangerine clad Blues. The media glare took itself elsewhere, Richard Nugent’s teddy cried himself to sleep and we were left with the league and Puma Cup to focus our attentions on.

This FA Cup run still lives on fresh in the memory, it’s hard to believe that it was 14 years ago that the pinnacle of my time as a Hendon fan was reached. It feels like about 3 have passed. But in that time a lot of water has passed under the bridge, Gary Mac, Freddie and Junior have moved from being part of that great few weeks on the pitch to being integral, important parts of the club off the pitch now. Enough with the looking back though, time to look ahead…