MIDWEEK MATCH PREVIEW – BARKINGSIDE (HOME) KO 7.45 PM

Football for a fiver on Tuesday night as the Hamlet face Barkingside in the London Senior Cup (Sponsored by Coventry Scaffolding)

With Dulwich Hamlet given a bye in the original draw and Barkingside recipients of a walkover after Harrow Borough withdrew from the competition due to fixture congestion, this encounter will be both club’s maiden game in this year’s London Senior Cup. At stake in this game is a plum quarterfinal tie at home to Tooting & Mitcham currently setting the Ryman South Division alight, leading the pack and scoring goals as if they were going out of fashion.

The ‘Side have a long proud history stretching back to 1898, with a brief hiatus in the early 1920’s when the club folded due to lack of support only to rise from the ashes in 1925. Much of the their early were spent in local leagues such as the Ilford League, South Essex League, London League, the Greater London League and the Metropolitan-London League. In the mid 1970’s a merger with the Spartan League saw the creation of the London Spartan League with Barkingside place in the Senior Division. They enjoyed some success with promotion to the Premier Division in 1986 but it was not until the latter days of the now-renamed Spartan League that the ‘Side enjoyed their finest years. In the 1996/1997 season Barkingside claimed the last-ever Spartan League title before the merger with the South Midlands League. It was double dose of silverware that season as Hillingdon Borough were beaten in the final of the London Senior Cup. After a transitional season when the Spartan South Midlands was split into geographical regions, Barkingside became first champions of the truly integrated league. However, the ‘Side were denied promotion to the Isthmian League. Though the club requested a sideways move into the Essex Senior League, this was denied by the FA and the club withdrew from senior football for a season before joining the ESL in 2000/2001. A successful first season saw them finish third in the league and lift the Gordon Brastead Memorial Cup.

Turbulent times were just around the corner though. The Side lost the bulk of its management team and committee with the lease on the Oakside Stadium sold on to Ford United, later to become Redbridge. Thanks to the generosity of Ford’s larger than life chairman, Jimmy Chapman, necessary improvements were made to the Oakside Stadium and a permanent groundshare deal agreed, enabling Barkingside to continue. The club went on to win the Essex Senior League Cup in 2008/09 and 2012/13. The latter season also saw them finish as runners-up, earning promotion to Division One North of the Isthmian League. However, after three seasons in which they finished in the bottom five on every occasion, they were relegated back to the Essex Senior League at the end of the 2015/16 season. During this period they reluctantly left their Oakside home of 56 years after landlords Redbridge raised the rent, moving to the Cricklefields Stadium to share with Ilford.

The current campaign has been one of mixed fortunes for the ‘Side. As things stand at the moment the club lie in 9th spot in the Essex Senior League table, some 20 points shy of leaders Barking. However, they come into this cup tie on a good run of form, unbeaten in their last five league outings with the only blot on their copybook of late as thrilling 4-3 defeat away to Redbridge at their former Oakside that saw their Essex Senior League Cup dreams evaporate. At the weekend as Dulwich were being frustrated by the frost at Billericay Town, Barkingside were enjoying a ding-dong last gasp win away to struggling Sporting Bengal United. Two goals to the good at the Mile End Stadium after 22 minutes with David Laird bagging both goals, the ‘Side were pegged back to 2-2 by half time as Raul da Silva and David Vaughan replied for Bengal. The second half brought chances galore but it seemed as it would remain all-square until Laird popped up in the last minute of normal time to complete his hat trick and claim all three points.

Tuesday night’s game takes place at Champion Hill Stadium, Edgar Kail Way, East Dulwich, SE22 8BD, kicking off at 7.45pm.

Admission Prices:

• £5 for Adults
• £2 for Concessions
• NB: Concessions cover Seniors - 60+, Teenagers (13-19), Unemployed (JSA), Disability Living Allowance (DLA), NHS Staff, Blue Light Services, Serving Members of the Armed Forces and Full Time Students. (Please bring a form of valid ID for your concession as you might not be admitted without that)
• Under 13s FREE accompanied by a paying adult

Please note Season Tickets are NOT valid for this game.