Following a turbulent period of uncertainty for Histon FC, the team is all ready to go as the new season begins – and the supporters will be with them all the way! John Payne reports.
The fixtures schedule for Histon FC’s first season in the Northern Premier League Midlands Division was released yesterday and the reaction from Bridge Road is one of relief and positivity. There was some trepidation within the camp over the possibility of players and fans having to make round trips of 200 miles or more to fulfil evening fixtures away from home but that fear has largely been alleviated.
These concerns followed the FA’s rejection of Histon’s appeal against being moved into the Northern Premier League on the basis of the disproportionate travelling times the club and its fans will face.
First team fixtures
The club welcomes the League’s announcement despite the season kicking off with a 235-mile round trip to Belper Town on 15th August, which is the furthest the Stutes have been asked to travel for a league fixture for many years.
“The schedule has been quite kind to us on the whole” said a club spokesman. “The trip to Derbyshire to play Belper Town had to be made at some point over the season and to get it out of the way so early on is a positive. There are worse times of year to be making a visit the edge of the Peak District and, with it also being the club’s first ever match in the Northern Premier League, many of our fans will want to be able to say “I was there”. I wouldn’t be surprised if some take the family and turn the trip into a mini-vacation.
“It is good to see that the fixtures list has thrown up only one evening match away from home which is not within a one-hour journey time, and even this trip to Bedworth United near Coventry is in September rather than later in the season when the risk of last minute postponements becomes greater.”
The Stutes host Daventry Town in their opening home fixture on Tuesday 17th August, which will be the first time fans have been permitted to attend a league match at Bridge Road for almost nine months. The following Tuesday the club makes the trip to Wisbech Town to meet another of the four Cambridgeshire-based clubs allocated to the NPL Midlands Division, followed by a home fixture on 28th August against Sutton Coldfield Town.
Other notable early fixtures at Bridge Road are Soham Town Rangers on Sat. 25th September, Yaxley on Sat. 23rd October and the Cambridge City “away” match on 27th December.
The full fixture list is available on the Histon FC website at First Team – Histon FC
The build-up begins!
The Stutes pre-season campaign is currently under way with the club fielding a mixture of First Team players, Youth team members and trialists in their two matches to date. The first was a 0-2 defeat against Walsham-Le-Willows in the Stephen Parker Memorial Trophy match followed by a 1-0 reverse at Enfield last night. The build-up to the new season continues with a friendly match against Biggleswade Town on Tuesday 27th July, kicking off at 7.45.
Enjoyed supporting the UK teams in the Euros? Supporting your very own local team can be just as much fun – with matches on your own doorstep. Admission to Histon FC v Biggleswade Town is just £5.00 with accompanied Under-14’s admitted free. See you there!