BERKHAMSTED FC (Broadwater)

SOUTHERN LEAGUE PREMIER DIVISION CENTRAL, BERKHAMSTED 0-1 TELFORD UNITED, ATTENDANCE: 252

The beauty of this groundhopping lark is that it is fluid so, on some occasions, you never know where you may end up. Today was one such occasion.

When I left the house this morning, I was actually heading to Somerset but just before I was about to take the junction onto the M5, my passenger checked the app formerly known as Twitter and saw our intended fixture in the FA Vase had been postponed due to a waterlogged pitch.

As my passenger has done a heck of a lot more grounds than I have, this created a bit of a problem as it would be difficult to find a ground we both could agree on. We pulled into the services and began to scan the fixture lists. In the end we came up with a plan where we could each do a ground we both needed. Instead of heading down the M5 to Nailsea, we were now on the M6 south to Hertfordshire.

After dropping my passenger off at Leverstock Green, which I had visited way back in 2011, I continued with my journey to the town of Berkhamsted, where Berkhamsted FC were hosting Telford United in a Southern League clash. 

Founded by supporters in 2009, as a successor to Berkhamsted Town which was dissolved due to it's outstanding debts, Berkhamsted FC play their home games at Broadwater, which is adjacent to the Great Union Canal.

The Comrades, named as such as the original club was founded in 1919 by servicemen returning from World War I, began life after reformation in the Spartan South Midlands League Division Two before winning back-to-back promotions.

The club earned promotion to the Southern League in 2018 after finishing second in the Premier Division behind Welwyn Garden City. In 2020 they were top of the Southern League Division One when the season was declared null and void due to the Covid pandemic. In 2022 they were runners up before losing out in the play-offs but in 2023 they were finally promoted to Step 3 as Champions, winning all bar one of their 23 home games (the anomaly a 0-0 draw).

The opposition this afternoon, Telford United, were relegated from the National League North. So far this season The Bucks are in the mix for the promotion places whilst The Comrades are struggling to adjust to the higher league and are in the relegation places.

The game went to form but Telford were made to work hard for their 1-0 victory. The winning goal was scored by Jared Hodgkiss after 76 minutes when the full back was on hand to fire home from the edge of the penalty area.

The closest Berko came to a goal was through a lack of communication between Bucks defender Sam Whittall and goalkeeper Brandon Hall when Whitall's headed back-pass ran wide, just, of Hall's open goal.

An unexpected Southern League tick this afternoon and another completed division. Just the three left now to finish off the entire League.