Ampthill Town

[Rhodes]

Ampthill Town Development are in Division One 'B' of the Bedfordshire County League, arguably the more difficult of the two divisions, and they will meet Pitstone & Ivinghoe Reserves and The 61 FC (Luton) Reserves as well as local rivals Flitwick Town Reserves and 'big boys' Cranfield United Reserves. Ampthill Town's First team travelled to Flitwick Town on Tuesday evening for a pre-season friendly fixture and no doubt one or two fringe players from the Development set up travelled the short distance to the Flitwick Football Centre however new boss Rob Russell wouldn't have been very happy with the disappointing 3-1 defeat:

[Rhodes]

An interesting Sports Shots interview with new Ampthill Town supremo Rob Russell particularly the extract below, I wonder why Ant Christophi wasn't keen on working hand in hand with Rob Russell as he would have remained as First Team Manager:

https://www.sportsshots.org.uk/2020/08/20/new-ampthill-town-fc-manager-is-hitchin-to-get-going/

Once lock down was eased we met with the current coaching team at Ampthill plus interim manager Anthony Christophi who took over towards the end of the season when Paul Blackman departed. I agreed to come in and work alongside Anthony with my experience and help develop him and help with managing the first team. This was not for Anthony who then resigned & in turn I was offered the first team managers job which I took straight away with open arms

[Rhodes]

New Ampthill Town supremo Rob Russell won't be over the moon at Saturday's 5-1 home defeat to Hitchin Town although they did reasonably well to hold out until 35 minutes before Hitchin opened the scoring: 

https://hitchintownfc.club/event/ampthill-town-hitchin-town-22-aug-2020/

[Rhodes]

Over 150 photographs, courtesy of Sports Shots, from Saturday's (Saturday 22 August 2020) pre-season friendly at Ampthill Park between Ampthill Town and Southern League Premier Division Central Hitchin Town, resulting in a 5-1 win for the visitors, Ben Porter netted Ampthill Town's solitary goal:

https://www.sportsshots.org.uk/2020/08/23/psf-ampthill-town-1-5-hitchin-town/

Edited August 25, 2020 by Rhodes

[Rhodes]

Ampthill Town Development have received a bye to the Second Round of the Bedfordshire FA Intermediate Challenge Cup where they will travel to Langford Reserves who were also fortunate to receive a bye, the two 'SSML Division One Club's' will lock horns at Forde Park on Saturday 26 September, kick off 2.30pm, a month before all the other Second Round ties are due to take place:

[Rhodes]

What has been going on at Ampthill Park of late as Lee Hawkes has now been appointed as First Team boss with Martin Powell as his trusted assistant, from what I can gather Club Chairman Gary Maidment changed his mind and relieved Rob Russell of his duties last Thursday:

[Rhodes]

On 06/09/2020 at 20:10, Rhodes said:

Ampthill Town Development have received a bye to the Second Round of the Bedfordshire FA Intermediate Challenge Cup where they will travel to Langford Reserves who were also fortunate to receive a bye, the two 'SSML Division One Club's' will lock horns at Forde Park on Saturday 26 September, kick off 2.30pm, a month before all the other Second Round ties are due to take place:

Ampthill Town Development will kick off their Bedfordshire County League Division One 'B' campaign with a visit to Bedford SA on Saturday 3 October, kick off 2.30pm, they then entertain Henlow at Ampthill Park the following week followed by a trip to Sharnbrook on Saturday 17 October. First of all though there is a little matter of a trip to Forde Park to face Langford Reserves in a Bedfordshire FA Intermediate Challenge Cup Second Round Round tie on Saturday 26 September with both teams having received a First Round bye, kick off 2.30pm. Langford Reserves have had a poor pre-season, losing far more games than they have won, so Ampthill Town Development will be fully expected to reach the last eight of the competition which I don't believe the Club have won since 1998/99.

[Rhodes]

On 14/09/2020 at 22:39, Rhodes said:

First of all though there is a little matter of a trip to Forde Park to face Langford Reserves in a Bedfordshire FA Intermediate Challenge Cup Second Round Round tie on Saturday 26 September with both teams having received a First Round bye, kick off 2.30pm

Ampthill Town Development won a seven goal thriller at Forde Park on Saturday (26 September) in the Second Round of the Bedfordshire FA Intermediate Cup, goals from Charan Basra, Tommy Jackson, Jack Fuller and James Tiller secured the 4-3 win over Langford Reserves who proved a tough nut to crack. The Development side will now kick off their Bedfordshire County League Division One 'B' campaign with a visit to Bedford SA tomorrow (3 October), kick off 2.30pm, who won their Bedfordshire FA Intermediate Cup First Round tie 16-0 last Saturday against beleaguered The 61 FC (Luton) Reserves. Meanwhile the First team entertain Shefford Town & Campton tomorrow (see below) hoping to bounce back from a very disappointing 2-0 defeat to Buckingham Athletic at Ampthill Park on Tuesday evening, that after an excellent start to the campaign by new boss Lee Hawkes's men beating Premier Division Dunstable Town 4-1 in the FA Vase, winning 5-3 at Milton Keynes Irish and holding 'the mighty' New Salamis to a 1-1 draw at Ampthill Park:

[Rhodes]

On 25/08/2020 at 21:29, Rhodes said:

Over 150 photographs, courtesy of Sports Shots, from Saturday's (Saturday 22 August 2020) pre-season friendly at Ampthill Park between Ampthill Town and Southern League Premier Division Central Hitchin Town, resulting in a 5-1 win for the visitors, Ben Porter netted Ampthill Town's solitary goal:

https://www.sportsshots.org.uk/2020/08/23/psf-ampthill-town-1-5-hitchin-town/

A different album of over 100 photographs from the above pre-season friendly with Hitchin Town at Ampthill Park on Saturday 22 August:

https://hitchintownfc.club/event/ampthill-town-hitchin-town-22-aug-2020/

 

[Rhodes]

A groundhopper was at Ampthill Town's 1-1 draw with New Salamis at Ampthill Park on Saturday 26 September (first link) and see some other groundhopper's visits to Amptill Park over the years:

https://manygameshaveiseen.blogspot.com/2020/09/ampthill-town-1-v-1-new-salamis.html

https://putajumperon.wordpress.com/2012/10/08/groundhop-1881-ampthill-town-fc/

http://footygrounds.blogspot.com/2014/02/ampthill-town-woburn-street.html

https://alchetron.com/Ampthill-Town-F.C.

http://thecoldend.blogspot.com/2014/02/ampthill-town-through-to-quarter-final.html

http://pieandmushypeas.blogspot.com/2013/10/ampthill-town-fc.html

https://www.botp.co.uk/blog/the-ampthill-mob

https://hopticklist.wordpress.com/2012/12/31/good-drainige-in-the-lower-field/

http://flysouthbysouth.blogspot.com/2014/09/ampthill-town-fc.html

https://nlbpt.blogspot.com/2017/02/first-half-borough-blitz-ampthill-town.html

TT No.002: Brian Buck - Wednesday 3rd July 2019; Ampthill Town U18 v Ampthill Town Development; Friendly Match; Venue: played at Ampthill Town Youth & Junior Section, Abbey Lane, Ampthill; Result: 0-2; Attendance: 15 approx. This game was a rarity for me in that I was able to pick up a 'new' ground in Bedfordshire. I’m told that it is or was known locally as the ‘Tidy Tip’ ground, because of its close proximity to the local Tidy Tip and I recall that Ampthill Athletic FC used to play here. A ‘Google’ search reveals that they seemed to go out of existence after about 2012. Of course, I would have preferred not to have seen an inter-club match here, but in truth if you hadn’t known who the teams were on arrival then it would have just been a normal match. Furthermore, we had a decent ref in Dean Carney in charge and he oversaw a match in which very few fouls were committed. This was a 40-minutes each way encounter and as you can see from the score it was a fairly even game. Most of action came in the first half and on 10 minutes the Development side took the lead with a 30 yarder. They then doubled their lead from an effort just inside the area when any number of about five players could have claimed the goal, but I gave it to the chap who had the original shot. The second half was much quieter and few balls ended up in the adjacent field. By the end the two players who impressed me most were the respective keepers, who both pulled off some fine saves, especially the U18 keeper.

[Rhodes]

Ampthill Town have made a bit of a faux pas here haven't they, the Development team are actually playing Pitstone & Ivinghoe Reserves on Saturday (24 October) at Ampthill Park in a Bedfordshire County League Division One 'B' fixture and not Leighton Town who are not even in the League, tut tut. Due to the postponement of the first League game of the new campaign, at Bedford SA on Saturday 3 October, Ampthill Town Development have only played two League games thus far, a 4-3 home defeat to Henlow and a 4-2 reverse at Sharnbrook last Saturday. New to the Bedfordshire County League Pitstone & Ivinghoe Reserves have experienced an even worse start losing 5-2 and 10-1 respectively in their first two League fixtures so something will have to give on Saturday, kick off 2.30pm.

[Rhodes]

Over 300 photographs, courtesy of Sports Shots, from yesterday's (Saturday 31 October) nail biting FA Vase First Round proper tie with Essex Senior League Walthamstow at Ampthill Park. Following a 1-1 draw after 90 minutes, with Lawrence Burton netting first on the half hour mark, Ampthill Town proceeded to win 4-2 on penalties with keeper Ross Tompkins the hero saving two Walthamstow kicks as well as making some vital stops during the game itself:

https://www.sportsshots.org.uk/2020/11/01/fa-vase-1r-ampthill-town-1-1-walthamstow-4-2-penalties/

https://www.walthamstowfc.com/2020/10/31/ampthill-town-1-1-walthamstow-amps-win-4-2-on-penalties/

Edited November 2, 2020 by Rhodes

[Rhodes]

Also a really interesting Sports Shots pre-match interview with Ampthill Town boss Lee Hawkes ahead of yesterday's FA Vase First Round proper tie and win on penalties over Step 5 Essex Senior League side Walthamstow:

https://www.sportsshots.org.uk/2020/10/30/fa-vase-preview-ampthill-town-v-walthamstow/?doing_wp_cron=1604280679.2341260910034179687500

[Rhodes]

On 05/06/2020 at 22:55, Rhodes said:

Photographs from, wait for it, Saturday 3 May 2008, and the SSML Division One Cup Final between Ampthill Town and Haringey Borough at Cotlandswick which Haringey Borough won 2-1, attendance 170:

https://s643.photobucket.com/user/ewaumsley/library/Div One Cup Final 3rd May 2008?sort=3&page=1

I have unearthed the match programme from the SSML Division One Cup Final between Ampthill Town and Haringey Borough, at Cotlandswick on Saturday 3 May 2008:

[Rhodes]

Rather than continually post individual YouTube clips of games involving Ampthill Town, here is a link to the Club's YouTube channel incorporating a variety of fixtures of wide ranging lengths of time:

(266) AMPTHILL TOWN FOOTBALL CLUB - YouTube

[Rhodes]

On 02/11/2020 at 02:28, Rhodes said:

Over 300 photographs, courtesy of Sports Shots, from yesterday's (Saturday 31 October) nail biting FA Vase First Round proper tie with Essex Senior League Walthamstow at Ampthill Park. Following a 1-1 draw after 90 minutes, with Lawrence Burton netting first on the half hour mark, Ampthill Town proceeded to win 4-2 on penalties with keeper Ross Tompkins the hero saving two Walthamstow kicks as well as making some vital stops during the game itself:

https://www.sportsshots.org.uk/2020/11/01/fa-vase-1r-ampthill-town-1-1-walthamstow-4-2-penalties/

https://www.walthamstowfc.com/2020/10/31/ampthill-town-1-1-walthamstow-amps-win-4-2-on-penalties/

Twenty minutes of YouTube coverage from the Walthamstow tie:

(266) Ampthill Town vs Walthamstow FC - YouTube

[Rhodes]

Photographs, courtesy of photographer Andrew Hazelden, from Ampthill Town v Broadfields United in a 2017/18 SSML Division One fixture, at Ampthill Park on Saturday 25 November 2017, resulting in a 1-1 stalemate with, who else, Jamie Cerminara netting:

Edited December 10, 2020 by Rhodes

[Rhodes]

This is an interesting programme, from the 2000/01 campaign when the SSML was still made up of the Premier Division, Senior Division and Division One, it was the following 2001/02 season that it changed to its still existing and popular format of Premier Division, Division One and Division Two. Ampthill Town and Harefield United were both placed in Division One with Harefield United immediately gaining promotion to the Premier Division, it was a different story for Ampthill Town who finished in the bottom two for four successive seasons between 2002/03 and 2005/06 but were never relegated to Division Two:

[Rhodes]

On 19/10/2020 at 11:16, Rhodes said:

A groundhopper was at Ampthill Town's 1-1 draw with New Salamis at Ampthill Park on Saturday 26 September (first link) and see some other groundhopper's visits to Amptill Park over the years:

https://manygameshaveiseen.blogspot.com/2020/09/ampthill-town-1-v-1-new-salamis.html

https://putajumperon.wordpress.com/2012/10/08/groundhop-1881-ampthill-town-fc/

http://footygrounds.blogspot.com/2014/02/ampthill-town-woburn-street.html

https://alchetron.com/Ampthill-Town-F.C.

http://thecoldend.blogspot.com/2014/02/ampthill-town-through-to-quarter-final.html

http://pieandmushypeas.blogspot.com/2013/10/ampthill-town-fc.html

https://www.botp.co.uk/blog/the-ampthill-mob

https://hopticklist.wordpress.com/2012/12/31/good-drainige-in-the-lower-field/

http://flysouthbysouth.blogspot.com/2014/09/ampthill-town-fc.html

https://nlbpt.blogspot.com/2017/02/first-half-borough-blitz-ampthill-town.html

Two additional links, and interesting ones, going back to, firstly, a visit to Ampthill Park on Saturday 5 April 2014 and a SSML Premier Division fixture against Harefield United and, secondly, the FA Vase Fifth Round tie with Hanwelll Town that same 2013/14 season on Sunday 15 February 2014:

THE66POW: Ampthill Town 1 v Harefield United 1 - Spartan (South mids) Prem

The Wycombe Wanderer: Ampthill Town - Woburn Street (footygrounds.blogspot.com)

[Rhodes]

Photographs, and a match report, from Baldock Town v Ampthill Town in a 2016/17 SSML Division One fixture, played at Roker Park on Saturday 26 November 2016, Baldock Town won 5-0 against a poor Ampthill Town side who also lost 9-1 and 6-1 at Langford during November 2016 in the SSML and Division One Cup respectively:

Match Report: Baldock Town 5 - 0 Ampthill Town : 1st Team (baldocktownfc.com)

Edited January 11, 2021 by Rhodes