Berkhamsted Raiders

[Rhodes]

I was just looking at the Betvictor Southern League Division One Central League table and see that Berkhamsted are still riding sky high in second place behind Corby Town, the two sides met last Saturday at Corby's Steel Park with Berkhamsted coming back from 2-0 down only to lose narrowly 3-2 in front of a 500 crowd after being the better side throughout. There's a nice article on the Broadwater Club in last Sunday's Non League paper, which mentions the SSML, and joint Managers Lee Bircham and Steve Bateman are doing an amazing job on a shoe string budget. My point in all of this is that if Berkhamsted Raiders had had their way then none of this success would have been possible and the Comrades, who could well be playing at Step 3 next season, would have been demoted two, possibly three, divisions when the Raiders wanted to redevelop Broadwater for their own gain and replace the hallowed grass pitch with an artificial 3G surface. In a local press statement they said that 'a Community stadium would represent a unique opportunity for the town by bringing together youth and senior football alongside other sports' as apparently the town's cycling Club who just happened to be looking for a new home at the time were keen to be involved with the project. Fortunately Berkhamsted born and bred Chairman Steve Davis, not to be confused with the snooker player and who's Father George played for the Club, stood firm and saw off the threat to his beloved Club sending his counterpart at Berkhamsted Raiders, Keith Pollard, packing. Mr Pollard said in the local press that 'we don't want to see Berkhamsted Football Club leave and we don't intend to run senior football ourselves, we would like them to be involved but we do have different philosophies on this, we think it would offer a secure future for a Club that dissolved only nine years ago, the Community stadium project is a model that has worked at many other similar Club's, although no drawings are on the table yet, Raiders trustees have sanctioned expenditure to move the project forward to an outline planning stage over the next few weeks'. 

 

 

 

 

[Rhodes]

Congratulations to Berkhamsted Raiders for winning the Community Club of the Year award recently at the prestigious Hertfordshire Service to Sports Awards event at the University of Hertfordshire:

https://www.berkhamstedraiders.com/raiders-wins-herts-community-club-of-the-year-2019/

On Tuesday 19^th November Berkhamsted Raiders CFC was delighted to win the ‘Community Club of the Year’ award at the Hertfordshire Service to Sports Awards which took place at the University of Hertfordshire in front of a packed audience of community volunteers and local dignitaries.

The award recognises the massive contribution of Berkhamsted Raiders in promoting football participation in the community, which has seen huge growth in recent years in the numbers of boys, and especially girls, playing all forms of football in the local area.

Keith Pollard, Berkhamsted Raiders CFC Club Chairman, said “This award is hugely important to the club as it recognises the hard work of all our volunteers in enabling children and young adults to play football on a regular basis in the local community”.

The award was collected by Keith Pollard, Club Chairman alongside Club members Sean McKay and Paul Reynolds and caps a great year for recognition of the club which also won Community Club of the Year at the Dacorum Sports Awards in July.

[Rhodes]

22 hours ago, Rhodes said:

and caps a great year for recognition of the club which also won Community Club of the Year at the Dacorum Sports Awards in July

You have to hand it to Berkhamsted Raiders don't you for all the 'gongs' the Club win, they don't seem to be giving any other Club's in Hertfordshire a look in:

http://www.dacorum.gov.uk/home/all-news/2019/07/19/sporting-stars-celebrated-at-dacorum-sports-awards-2019

Sporting stars celebrated at Dacorum Sports Awards 2019

We celebrated the borough's sporting achievements with Everyone Active at the Dacorum Sports Awards 2019.

The event at Pendley Manor, Tring, on Thursday 18 July was hosted by Olympic Silver Medallist Colin Jackson.

There was entertainment from Longdean Academy Dance Troop, the Singing for Pleasure Community Choir and magician Dean Maudsley.

Ten awards were presented to the following winners:

• Female Community Coach of the Year: Verna Burgess
• Male Community Coach of the Year: Ken Corbin
• Disability Sports Coach of the Year: Trevor Beale - Puffins
• Professional Community Project of the Year: Active Communities Programme
• This Girl Can in Dacorum: Karen Silverton and Amanda Kirby
• Contribution to Disability Sport: Little Gaddesden RDA Vaulting
• Community Club of the Year: Berkhamsted Raiders
• Unsung Hero: Kevin Clarke
• This Year's Rising Star: Isaac Pitblado
• Service to Sport: David Stacey

Congratulations to all those who were nominated and especially to those who won.

We sponsored the event along with support sponsor Tring Athletic Football Club.

Edited December 5, 2019 by Rhodes

[Rhodes]

It's a mystery isn't it what has gone so horribly wrong at beleaguered Berkhamsted Raiders who exited the Division 2 Cup this afternoon, going down 2-0 at Pitstone & Ivinghoe. In their last league outing, prior to the enforced postponement last week against Tring Corinthians AFC, they struggled to overcome lowly Buckingham Athletic who were very unlucky not to come away from the Orbital Fasteners Stadium with a point.

[Rhodes]

Following yet another postponement last night, I was just wondering when Berkhamsted Raiders are likely to be playing another home game at the Orbital Fasteners Stadium or has something gone horribly wrong with their groundshare agreement with Kings Langley who, I don't believe, were too enthusiastic about handing them the keys to the stadium from the outset and following the teething problems they had with the new playing surface at the start of the campaign. I also wonder whether this has affected the Club's form as, following an excellent start where they won their first five league games, they have now plummeted to fifth in the table and lost successive away games to Codicote and lowly Mursley United as well as exiting the Division Two Cup and Hertfordshire Senior Centenary Trophy. Something isn't quite right is it.

[Rhodes]

It will be interesting won't it to see how Berkhamsted Raiders get on at Aston Clinton tomorrow with both Club's on 21 points and fourth and fifth in the table, Berkhamsted Raiders won a 5-3 thriller earlier in the campaign in one of their only four home games played so far at the Orbital Fasteners Stadium. Berkhamsted Raiders then travel to Leverstock Green next Tuesday in the West Herts St Mary's Cup, New Bradwell St Peter on 25 January and Unite MK on 1 February, they are not due to play at home again until 8 February when hosting Mursley United but it remains to be seen whether that game will go ahead, at least at the Orbital Fasteners Stadium anyway.

[Rhodes]

I believe beleaguered Berkhamsted Raiders blushes were saved yesterday following the postponement of their game at Aston Clinton due to a waterlogged pitch, the Club now travel to Leverstock Green on Tuesday evening for a West Herts St Mary's Cup tie followed by a trip to New Bradwell St Peter next Saturday. It can't be helping matters to see Berkhamsted FC just two points off the top of the Betvictor Southern League Division One Central following a fine 4-2 win at Didcot Town yesterday, they are top scorers in the division with strikers Jonathan Lacey and Lewis Toomey on fire and could well be a Step three Club next term. It's inconceivable to think isn't it that  Berkhamsted Raiders would not have hesitated for a moment to ride roughshod over Berkhamsted FC and replace the hallowed grass pitch with an artificial 3G surface as well as redevelop the iconic Broadwater stadium where the Club have plied their trade for over a hundred years, this would have meant Berkhamsted FC being demoted two, three or possibly even four divisions whereas look at them now, it's a stark lesson to be learned not to give in to bullying tactics and stand your ground.

[Winslow Boy]

You know talking to yourself is a worrying sign don’t you mate? ??

[Rhodes]

Winslow Boy - It's the story of my life but I am only trying to stick up for the little guy, it was 'criminal' what Berkhamsted Raiders tried to do to Berkhamsted FC:

https://www.berkhamstedtoday.co.uk/news/it-s-all-kicking-off-over-plans-for-community-stadium-at-berkhamsted-fc-1-8476464

[Rhodes]

On 19/01/2020 at 17:51, Rhodes said:

the Club now travel to Leverstock Green on Tuesday evening for a West Herts St Mary's Cup tie followed by a trip to New Bradwell St Peter next Saturday. 

Berkhamsted Raiders must feel like the World is against them at the moment and they can't win, this evening's scheduled West Herts St Mary's Cup tie at Leverstock Green has been called off due to some issues with the hallowed Pancake Lane playing surface:

http://levgreenfc.co.uk/2020/01/20/st-marys-cup-tie-postponed-2/

[Rhodes]

Beleaguered Berkhamsted Raiders go down again this afternoon, 4-2 at New Bradwell St Peter, what do we think has gone so disastrously wrong at the Club:

[Rhodes]

Following their disappointing 4-2 defeat yesterday at New Bradwell St Peter, and just to rub sea salt into Berkhamsted Raiders gaping wounds, Berkhamsted FC returned to the summit of the BetVictor Southern League Division One Central with an emphatic 6-0 victory against lowly Wantage Town with the on fire Lewis Toomey netting a hat trick on 2, 16 and 69 minutes. Corby Town and Halesowen Town are the biggest threat to the Broadwater Club's hopes of an automatic promotion and step three football next term and they locked horns yesterday at Corby's Steel Park playing out a tight 1-1 stalemate with both goals coming in the space of four second half minutes. I'm sure that Berhhamsted Raiders will wish Berkhamsted FC good luck for the remainder of the campaign and want to see them reach 'the promised land' however they must be feeling somewhat embarrassed knowing that had the Club had their way and got the go ahead to replace the hallowed grass pitch with an artificial 3G surface, as well as redeveloped the stadium, Berkhamsted FC would not be in the healthy position they are in right now.

[Winslow Boy]

21 hours ago, Rhodes said:

Beleaguered Berkhamsted Raiders go down again this afternoon, 4-2 at New Bradwell St Peter, what do we think has gone so disastrously wrong at the Club:

They’ve applied for promotion to step 6 I see. 
 

More than a bit of needle between the management of Corby and Berko. 

[Rhodes]

6 minutes ago, Winslow Boy said:

They’ve applied for promotion to step 6 I see. 

Winslow Boy - You mean Berkhamsted Raiders have, wouldn't they need to finish in the first two or three in Division Two in order to gain promotion which is looking unlikely isn't it. Also where will the Club play next season if they can no longer groundshare with Kings Langley.

[Munchkin]

1 hour ago, Rhodes said:

Winslow Boy - You mean Berkhamsted Raiders have, wouldn't they need to finish in the first two or three in Division Two in order to gain promotion which is looking unlikely isn't it. Also where will the Club play next season if they can no longer groundshare with Kings Langley.

Top 5 I believe

[Winslow Boy]

Yeah, looks like half of division two have applied. No harm in applying, not sure what bearing the restructuring will have on any movements. 

[Karen Browne]

Only Codicote and Berkhamsted Raiders have applied for promotion.

One of whom will be promoted as long as they finish in the top five.

[Winslow Boy]

Really, thought I’d seen a list with a lot more teams on it. 
 

just checked and I was counting Cranfield and Letchworth but of course they are in a county league not in SSML. 

[Rhodes]

1 hour ago, Karen Browne said:

Only Codicote and Berkhamsted Raiders have applied for promotion.

One of whom will be promoted as long as they finish in the top five.

Karen - That's unlikely isn't it where Berkhamsted Raiders are concerned

[Rhodes]

It will be interesting to see how Berkhamsted Raiders get on this afternoon at ninth place Unite MK, the Club's have yet to lock horns this season with the return match at the Orbital Fasteners Stadium scheduled for the 22nd of this month. Berkhamsted Raiders have lost their last four league games away from home and another defeat today at Manor Fields could see them down to seventh place in the table should the teams just below them win: