The FA's superfan, David Barber, is a regular at football matches at all levels of the game and took his all-time tally to 6,842 this week...
I had four Finals at the weekend and unusually for me none of them went to extra time.
The results, with attendances in brackets, were Clissold Park Rangers 3 Atholl 1965 1 in the West End Saturday League Division One Challenge Cup (23), North Acton 3 Spaniards 0 in the West End Saturday League Challenge Trophy (80), AFC Hammersmith Town 5 Swaffham Exiles 0 in the West End Sunday AM League Premier Division Challenge Shield (38) and Hendon 0 Margate 1 in the Isthmian League Premier Division Play-Off (1,228).
Margate win their play-off at Hendon
My first Hendon ‘home’ match was an FA Amateur Cup Fourth Round tie against Wycombe Wanderers at their old Claremont Road ground in 1966.
Thousands were watching – Dad and I were standing on the terracing directly behind the goal at the entrance end – and the Greens booked their semi-final place with a 2-1 win on a really poor pitch.
Hendon now share Harrow Borough’s Earlsmead ground and it was easy to travel the two Central Line stops from Perivale, where the morning Final had been, to Northolt for the 3pm kick-off on Sunday.
I was one of the first people in the ground and went to sit at the back of the stand and read the programme.
Both teams were well supported and it was a tense match, not surprising given what was at stake.
My feeling was that Margate moved the ball around more quickly and looked the better side. But Hendon’s prospects weren’t helped at all by a controversial incident after about 20 minutes.
I was only a few yards away. Hendon’s No9 lunged at Margate’s No2 near the touchline. His boot connected with the latter’s ankle, causing him to cry out in pain.
It wasn’t a good challenge and the ref produced a red card. I was expecting a yellow – but my opinion was irrelevant. The visitors scored the all-important goal before half-time and could have had a few more by the end.
But fair play to Hendon. They put everything into that second half and there were heroic performances from their ‘keeper and centre-half.
They finished second in the Premier Division table and must feel fortune hasn’t been smiling on them. No doubt they’ll be challenging again next season.
During the week, on a balmy Wednesday evening, I saw LPOSSA play Hillingdon in the Middlesex County League Premier Division.
I don’t know what ‘LPOSSA’ stands for but it’s something to do with London Post Offices. Their ground is close to Sudbury Hill tube on the Piccadilly line and I had been there once before.
It didn’t look too promising initially, because there was a cricket match going on with the football nets pushed against the fence. But I quickly saw there were two other sports going on.
‘Wembley Stallions’ were practising their American football about 50 yards to the right and another 50 yards or so beyond that was the football I had come to watch.
I counted 75 spectators ringing the pitch and they even did a programme for a pound.
This was a critical fixture. It was the penultimate MCL match for both teams; LPOSSA, with an impressive 102 goals, were top on goal difference from visiting Hillingdon and a win would have more or less secured the title.
LPOSSA missed a load of chances, especially in the second half when they got more and more bizarre, and Hillingdon ended up 4-0 winners.
Matches this season = 182; Matches in total = 6,842
You can follow The Barber's adventures on Twitter @thebarberfan
