SSML Legends Where Are They Now?

[Savagebee]

5 minutes ago, Winslow Boy said:

I expect Rhodes will know about them. I don’t recall them at all. 

Yep I've never I heard of them before?

[Karen Browne]

8 hours ago, Savagebee said:

Islington St Mary's what became of them?

Islington St Mary's, previously Walthamstow St Mary's, also resigned from the SSML at the end of the 1998/1999 campaign, and folded,

[Savagebee]

11 hours ago, Karen Browne said:

Islington St Mary's, previously Walthamstow St Mary's, also resigned from the SSML at the end of the 1998/1999 campaign, and folded,

Many Thanks.

[petethegreek]

23 hours ago, Savagebee said:

Islington St Mary's what became of them?

Islington St Mary's had a Team in the Islington Midweek Football League for many years until they resigned from the Competition.

Rhodes should know about them as they played at Coles Park while in the Spartan South Midlands Football League.

http://fchd.info/ISLINGSM.HTM

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Islington_St_Mary's_F.C.

http://www.stmarysfc.co.uk/contents.htm

[Savagebee]

1 hour ago, petethegreek said:

Islington St Mary's had a Team in the Islington Midweek Football League for many years until they resigned from the Competition.

Rhodes should know about them as they played at Coles Park while in the Spartan South Midlands Football League.

http://fchd.info/ISLINGSM.HTM

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Islington_St_Mary's_F.C.

http://www.stmarysfc.co.uk/contents.htm

Many Thanks.

[Rhodes]

5 hours ago, petethegreek said:

Rhodes should know about them as they played at Coles Park while in the Spartan South Midlands Football League.

I don't actually know too much about the Club, it's strange that they just decided to throw in the towel and fold after finishing seventeenth in the SSML Premier Division and reaching the FA Vase First Round proper so they must have had a reasonable enough team in 1998/99 with scope for improvement being in the catchment area they were in and with a flourishing youth set up.

[Rhodes]

On ‎28‎/‎05‎/‎2020 at 11:06, Savagebee said:

I think he was also used as a winger in his time at Slough Town FC.

I've always rated the guy but he has just never settled any where.

He was superb for Hanwell Town FC in his short time at the club 

I keep waiting for him to return home to Oxhey Jets FC ?

Savagebee - Lewis Putnam did return to Oxhey Jets in 2018/19 however he is no longer in his prime and can't hit a cow's backside with a banjo these days, he was obviously a great striker though particularly in 2012/13:

http://www.aylesburyunitedfc.co.uk/players/lewis-putman/

Edited June 20, 2020 by Rhodes

[Rhodes]

Here we go folks, 1997/1998 and the season the Spartan League and South Midlands League were merged together to form the Spartan South Midlands League, the format was changed the following season and the regional sections of the Premier Division, as well as Division One, were merged providing a reduction to just three divisions in 1998/1999, as opposed to the original five in 1997/1998. Brache Sparta won the Premier Division North, the only silverware in the Club's history other than lifting the Bedfordshire FA Senior Trophy and Bedfordshire FA Intermediate Cup, they also reached the SSML Challenge Trophy and Bedfordshire FA Premier Cup Finals in 1997/1998 as well as the FA Vase Fourth Round losing 3-0 at home to Kidsgrove Athletic at the Foxdell Recreation Ground in a replay after a 2-2 draw in Staffordshire in a tie they should have won. Brook House (pictured) won the Premier Division South, under boss Mick Harvey, also by a four point margin and also reached the FA Vase Third Round beating Hillingdon Borough 6-1 along the way in a Second Round tie at the Middlesex Stadium, the highlight being a Ray Bennett bicycle kick from twenty yards out that made Trevor Sinclair's for QPR against Barnsley, also in 1997, look pathetic, Neal Stevens, Alan Bird, Tommy Seymour, Mark Coombes and Captain Darren Woodward with a brace were also on target at Hillingdon:

SSML Premier Division North 1997/98

Pos  Name                           Pld    W    D    L   GF   GA  Pts
   1  Brache Sparta                    28   23    2    3   75   17   71
   2  Potters Bar Town                 28   20    7    1   62   21   67
   3  London Colney                    28   16    4    8   67   46   52
   4  Royston Town                     28   14    5    9   52   34   47
   5  Hoddesdon Town                   28   15    2   11   50   36   47
   6  Welwyn Garden City               28   12   10    6   47   42   46
   7  Arlesey Town                     28   13    5   10   51   41   44
   8  Harpenden Town                   28   12    5   11   46   45   41
   9  Toddington Rovers                28   10    5   13   39   52   35
  10  Buckingham Athletic              28    9    6   13   46   55   33
  11  Letchworth                       28    8    5   15   50   63   29
  12  Biggleswade Town                 28    7    7   14   41   53   28
  13  Milton Keynes                    28    8    5   15   40   52   28 *
  14  Bedford United                   28    3    8   17   25   67   14 #
  15  Langford                         28    1    2   25   23   90    5
* - Milton Keynes one point deducted
# - Bedford United 3 points deducted

SSML Premier Division South 1997/98
  Pos  Name                           Pld    W    D    L   GF   GA  Pts
   1  Brook House                      28   18    6    4   66   27   60
   2  Beaconsfield S Y C O B           28   16    8    4   59   27   56
   3  Ruislip Manor                    28   17    4    7   61   29   55
   4  Hillingdon Borough               28   15    7    6   73   35   52
   5  Barkingside                      28   12    7    9   44   34   43
   6  Waltham Abbey                    28   12    6   10   54   42   42
   7  Haringey Borough                 28   12    4   12   42   44   40
   8  Brimsdown Rovers                 28   11    4   13   46   58   37
   9  St Margaretsbury                 28   11    4   13   46   58   36 *
  10  Islington St Mary's              28   10    4   14   42   52   33 *
  11  Woodford Town                    28    7    9   12   48   59   30
  12  Hanwell Town                     28    8    4   16   45   76   28
  13  Harefield United                 28    7    6   15   27   67   27
  14  Amersham Town                    28    8    2   18   26   45   26
  15  Cockfosters                      28    5    7   16   35   61   22
*  - St Margaretsbury and Islington St Mary's each 1 point deducted

[Rhodes]

Didn't Jermaine Beckford, born in Ealing in 1983, play in the SSML briefly before joining Wealdstone in 2003 or whilst he was with Chelsea at youth level between 2000 and 2003, I have a feeling it was Brook House but I may be wrong:

[Savagebee]

26 minutes ago, Rhodes said:

Didn't Jermaine Beckford, born in Ealing in 1983, play in the SSML briefly before joining Wealdstone in 2003 or whilst he was with Chelsea at youth level between 2000 and 2003, I have a feeling it was Brook House but I may be wrong:

He was a prolific goal scorer for Wealdstone FC

He also had a spell at Uxbridge FC.

[Savagebee]

On 28/03/2020 at 21:00, Savagebee said:

Ex Hillingdon Borough FC and Hanwell Town FC striker Blaise O'Brien is now a DJ

Blaise O'Brien scored 111 goals in three and a bit seasons at Hanwell Town FC before he hung up his boots during the 2011/12 season.

[Rhodes]

I think we got as far back as the 1997/1998 campaign didn't we and the season the Spartan League and South Midlands League were 'married' together to form the wonderful Spartan South Midlands League (SSML) we have today. The format was 'tweaked' the following season and the regional sections of the Premier Division, as well as Division One, were done away with and merged providing a more manageable reduction to just three divisions in 1998/1999, as opposed to the original five in 1997/1998. Information is quite sketchy going back to 1996/97 however Potters Bar Town lifted the South Midlands League Championship on goal difference from Brache Sparta and Barkingside won the Spartan League Championsip by one point from Hillingdon Borough. Barkingside were placed in the new SSML Premier Division South the following season finishing fifth and duly won the re-formatted Premier Division in 1998/99 however were harshly denied promotion to the Isthmian League and because their requested sideways move to the preferred Essex Senior League for geographical reasons was also denied the Club took its toys away and withdrew from senior football for one season, they were then mystifyingly able to join the Essex Senior League in 2001/2002. Ray Kierstenson and Micky Darling were joint Managers of Potters Bar Town in 1996/97, having arrived at Parkfield from Boreham Wood, and could be compared to Brian Clough and Peter Taylor, sadly both are also no longer with us with Ray Kierstenson passing away in January 2011 and Micky Darling in December 2016, may those two amazing footballing men rest in peace:

South Midlands League Premier Division - 1996/97
 Pos  Name                            Pld    W    D    L   GF   GA  Pts
   1  Potters Bar Town                 28   18    8    2   53   18   62
   2  Brache Sparta                    28   19    5    4   54   20   62
   3  Arlesey Town                     28   16    7    5   49   20   55
   4  Toddington Rovers                28   14    4   10   45   29   46
   5  Buckingham Athletic              28   14    3   11   52   34   45
   6  Royston Town                     28   13    6    9   47   42   45
   7  London Colney                    28   12    8    8   47   41   44
   8  Bedford United                   28   10    8   10   44   49   38
   9  Welwyn Garden City               28    9    9   10   45   44   36
  10  Harpenden Town                   28    9    7   12   32   33   34
  11  Milton Keynes                    28    7   10   11   25   36   31
  12  Letchworth                       28    7    7   14   35   50   28
  13  Langford                         28    6    6   16   22   56   24
  14  Hoddesdon Town                   28    5    7   16   30   55   22
  15  Biggleswade Town                 28    2    3   23   21   74    9

Spartan League Premier Division - 1996/97

  1. Barkingside                      30  20   6   4  60  23  66

  2. Hillingdon Borough               30  19   8   3  65  31  65

  3. Croydon Athletic                 30  18   6   6  56  30  60

  4. St. Margaretsbury                30  16   6   8  51  49  54

  5. Beaconsfield S.Y.C.O.B.          30  13  10   7  52  28  49

  6. Ruislip Manor                    30  14   6  10  74  44  48

  7. Woodford Town                    30  13   6  11  42  39  45

  8. Brimsdown Rovers                 30  13   5  12  54  52  44

  9. Islington St. Mary’s             30   9  10  11  38  38  37

 10. Waltham Abbey                    30  11   4  15  39  45  37

 11. Amersham Town                    30   9   6  15  34  51  33

 12. Hanwell Town                     30   8   8  14  49  49  32

 13. Brook House                      30   9   5  16  31  55  32

 14. Cockfosters                      30   6   6  18  35  57  24

 15. Haringey Borough                 30   5   6  19  24  58  21

 16. Harefield United                 30   5   6  19  32  87  21

Edited August 17, 2020 by Rhodes

[Savagebee]

On 05/06/2020 at 15:02, Savagebee said:

SSML Legend Dean Allen scores the winner ??

[Rhodes]

On 07/04/2020 at 02:08, petethegreek said:

2008-2009   

SSML Premier Division

  1. Biggleswade Town               40  27   4   9 100  41  85

  2. Harefield United               40  26   7   7 103  45  85

  3. Chalfont St. Peter             40  23   9   8  99  56  78

  4. Broxbourne Borough V. & E.     40  20   8  12  76  63  68

  5. Kingsbury London Tigers        40  18  12  10  68  52  66

  6. Leverstock Green               40  18  10  12  90  60  64

  7. Hanwell Town                   40  17  11  12  81  53  62

  8. Tring Athletic                 40  18   8  14  81  67  62

  9. Welwyn Garden City             40  18   7  15  69  75  61

 10. Hertford Town                  40  15  13  12  61  46  58

 11. Langford                       40  16   9  15  81  82  57

 12. Colney Heath                   40  16   8  16  67  71  56

 13. Oxhey Jets                     40  15  10  15  77  82  55

 14. St. Margaretsbury              40  15   8  17  54  62  53

 15. Aylesbury Vale                 40  14   7  19  56  74  49

 16. Biggleswade United             40  13   6  21  52  82  45

 17. Brimsdown Rovers               40  10  11  19  59  77  41

 18. Haringey Borough               40  10   7  23  50  83  37

 19. Cockfosters                    40   9   6  25  62 101  33

 20. Holmer Green                   40   6  10  24  36  80  28

 21. Kentish Town (-11)             40   7   7  26  58 128  17

I was on the line for Biggleswade Town's last game of the season. 

One goal decided the title. ?

Perhaps you brought Biggleswade Town luck, I know you were a good friend of their Secretary Jon Smith at the time. Do you remember them reaching the Quarter Final of the FA Vase that 2008/09 campaign too, losing 5-2 at Whitley Bay (see photographs and report) and Ryan Redford was instrumental in their run where they beat Berkhamsted Town, Kentish Town, Wivenhoe Town, Croydon and Market Drayton Town along the way. Chalfont St Peter went one better and reached the Semi Final, losing on penalties to Glossop North End over two legs (see links), it had been a thrilling run including a 6-5 Fourth Round win at Dunston Federation after extra time and a Quarter Final replay win on penalties against Needham Market at Mill Meadow:

http://archives.whitleybayfc.co.uk/reports/report.asp?ID=45&DB=0809

https://thefavase.blogspot.com/2009/03/game-10-chalfont-st-peter-3-glossop.html

http://thefavase.blogspot.com/2009/04/game-11-glossop-north-end-2-chalfont-st.html

Edited November 20, 2020 by Rhodes

[petethegreek]

On 20/11/2020 at 23:39, Rhodes said:

Perhaps you brought Biggleswade Town luck, I know you were a good friend of their Secretary Jon Smith at the time. Do you remember them reaching the Quarter Final of the FA Vase that 2008/09 campaign too, losing 5-2 at Whitley Bay (see photographs and report) and Ryan Redford was instrumental in their run where they beat Berkhamsted Town, Kentish Town, Wivenhoe Town, Croydon and Market Drayton Town along the way. Chalfont St Peter went one better and reached the Semi Final, losing on penalties to Glossop North End over two legs (see links), it had been a thrilling run including a 6-5 Fourth Round win at Dunston Federation after extra time and a Quarter Final replay win on penalties against Needham Market at Mill Meadow:

http://archives.whitleybayfc.co.uk/reports/report.asp?ID=45&DB=0809

https://thefavase.blogspot.com/2009/03/game-10-chalfont-st-peter-3-glossop.html

http://thefavase.blogspot.com/2009/04/game-11-glossop-north-end-2-chalfont-st.html

I knew Jon Smith through this forum.

I don't remember their cup exploits. 

[Rhodes]

There was a thread on here a few years back entitled 'Best Spartan Players Of The Last Ten Years' which sort of ties in with this one, there were some interesting names mentioned such as James Armstrong, Mark Ayes, Bobby Harding, Lewis Putnam, Lawrence Bunker, Josh Chamberlain and Mark Burfoot however the list is endless isn't it:

 

Edited January 4, 2021 by Rhodes

[Rhodes]

On 22/11/2020 at 12:46, petethegreek said:

I knew Jon Smith through this forum

Did you meet him then out of interest at the Carlsberg Stadium on Saturday 25 April 2009, the drink would have been flowing in the bar afterwards with Biggleswade Town having won the Premier Division Championship:

3	2	Biggleswade Town v Chalfont St Peter Attendance 365	A. Aylott  P. Panayiotou  P. Jago
		H: L.Folds  K.Kilroy  OG  A: A.Hedley(2)

Edited January 6, 2021 by Rhodes

[petethegreek]

4 hours ago, Rhodes said:

Did you meet him then out of interest at the Carlsberg Stadium on Saturday 25 April 2009, the drink would have been flowing in the bar afterwards with Biggleswade Town having won the Premier Division Championship:

3	2	Biggleswade Town v Chalfont St Peter Attendance 365	A. Aylott  P. Panayiotou  P. Jago
		H: L.Folds  K.Kilroy  OG  A: A.Hedley(2)

I can't remember if I met him at this game but our paths definitely crossed on a few occasions.

We had a free run at the bar after the game and I believe a Mr Ewen did not contest this!

The most important game I have ever had to officiate. I remember it well.

Title won by 1 goal.

[Rhodes]

On 10/04/2020 at 22:25, Rhodes said:

The 2012/13 SSML Premier Division was all about one team and one team only, Dunstable Town, who won the Championship by a record 20 point margin, going unbeaten throughout the entire campaign. Surprisingly however, Lewis Putman (pictured) of Oxhey Jets was the player of the season scoring 52 times in just 26 League games and adding numerous Cup goals, Dunstable Town's top marksman Lee Roache could only manage 37 goals in 22 league outings. Lewis Putman joined Oxhey Jets as a youngster in 2008 and stayed at the Boundary Stadium until the summer of 2013 before spending time on trial at Wycombe Wanderers, he then joined Wealdstone however sustained a bad knee injury and returned to his beloved Oxhey Jets briefly before moving to Hanwell Town in 2014:

http://www.aylesburyunitedfc.co.uk/images/people/penpics/lewisputman.jpg

SSML Premier Division 2012/13
Pos  Name                            Pld    W    D    L   GF   GA  Pts
   1  Dunstable Town                   42   36    6    0  143   33  114
   2  Aylesbury United                 42   28   10    4  105   42   94
   3  Oxhey Jets                       42   28    7    7  125   50   91

There was a thread solely about Lewis Putman some years ago started by, surprise surprise, Savagebee who idolises him:

 

Edited January 8, 2021 by Rhodes

[Rhodes]

On 06/01/2021 at 18:18, Rhodes said:

The most important game I have ever had to officiate. I remember it well

3	2	Biggleswade Town v Chalfont St Peter Attendance 365	A. Aylott  P. Panayiotou  P. Jago
		H: L.Folds  K.Kilroy  OG  A: A.Hedley(2)

I have been trying to find a match report to see whether there was any controversy and maybe a decision, or a flag waved by yourself, that handed Biggleswade Town the Championship rather than Harefield United winning it, I asked Wader on this thread just after the game how you performed but he didn't reply:

 

Edited January 8, 2021 by Rhodes