Northaw Football Club
1933 - The Mighty Haws - History - 2004
Northaw Football Club was founded in 1933 and are the oldest club in
the Potters Bar area. The club started life as a Saturday side playing
friendly football matches for the first two seasons on a pitch opposite
the Chequers Public House in Coopers Lane, only a few hundred yards
from their present home at Old owens Sports Ground also in Coopers
Lane.
It has come to light that they played all their early football in the
Barnet & District League. In the early years the club played in
Division 1 finishing in the lower half in the first four seasons
resulting in relegation.
The club bounced back the following season finishing runner/up in the
last season before the Second World War.
When football started again after the war the league had been reduced
to 18 clubs from 32 and Northaw were placed in Top of 2 Divisions,
they struggled and were relegated to Division 2.
For six seasons the side found themselves in the lower part of the
Division but things changed in the 1953/54 season when the finished
5th, the following season it was 4th, and a 3rd place in the 1955/56
season saw promotion into Division 1.
The 1956/57 season saw the formation of a second team under the Northaw
name the 1st team finished 7th in Division 1 while the reserve came
bottom of Division 2. the following season saw the 1st team finish
second from bottom and relegation resulted in the reserves not playing
in the league the following season.
With the two sides players joining together the side finished in the
runners/up spot and so were promoted to Division 1 for the 1959/60
season were they finished in 3rd place and were once again promoted
taking up a place in the Premier Division while a reformed reserve
side played in Division 2.
The 1961/62 season saw the 1st team relegated to Division 1 while the
reserves played in Division 2 and then two season in Division 3 when
the league reformed and reduced the size of its Divisions from 3 of
15 teams to four Division of lower figures.
The 1965/66 season saw the Barnet and District League merge with the
Finchley League and the North London Combination was formed. Northaw
played for two seasons in the new league, but at present there is no
record of their results of league table position.
Due to increase travelling in the North London Combination the side
dropped out of Saturday football and joined the Waltham & District
Sunday League for the season 1967/68 season.
Players had been playing for The Sun Football Club on a Sunday while
with Northaw on a Saturday and with both sides in the Sunday league
during the 67/68 season it is believed that the boys decided to play
for Northaw.
The start of the 1968/69 season saw The Sun who were formed in 1961
merge with Northaw formed in 1932. The Sun had been successful
winning the 1965-66 Waltham & District Sunday League Premier
Division Championship and so this appears on the Northaw Honours
list so as to show that they were a valuable part of the club
history.
The early years of the new side named Northaw were played in the
Waltham & District League Premier Division were The Sun had
previously played football. During the late 1960's the side stayed
in the Premier Division and at sometime formed a reserve side but
the time of this is not known.
The early 1970's saw Northaw take a number of trophies, In the
1971-72 season the took the Potters Bar Charity Cup beating Mount
Grace in the final 1-0. The 1972-73 season the Reserves picked up
the Waltham Football League Sunday Junior Challenge Cup, while
playing in Division 3 were they gained promotion.
The Potters Bar Charity Cup came to THE HAWS for a second time
in 1973-74 with Barnet Crusaders being beaten in the final. The
reserves were once again promoted this time to Division 1.
The 1st Team were relegated but bounced back within a season
taking the Waltham League Premier Division 2 Championship in
1976-77.
Things were looking up once again and the 1977/78 season saw
the Potters Bar Charity Cup won for the 3rd time when Potters
Bar Crusaders were beaten 3-2 in the final. But the following
season once again saw the side back in Premier Division 2 for
the 1979/80 season.
Relegation saw the 1st team playing in the herts Junior Cup
and they went all the way to the final, they went down to
Cygnet 3-2 and the following season the two sides met in the
semi final of the Herts Intermediate Cup with Cygnet once again
winning and going on to take the cup.
THE HAWS have had a good relationship with its bigger and closer
neighbors over the years with players coming from the surrounding
areas to play Sunday Football at the highest level boreham Wood and
Mount Grace Football Clubs being the closest have helped the most.
Previous players to play for Northaw include Wilf France (Boreham Wood
& Mount Grace), Ray Greenall (General Manager Hoddesdon Town),
Kevin Mudd (St Albans City Manager), Terry and Jeff Voyce (Barnet),
Vince Tanner (Old Owens & QPR), Gary Needham (Herts County FA &
Southend), Keith Birchin ( Barnet, Brimingham City).
Recent Potters Bar Town Manager Ray Kierstenson played while he was at
Boreham Wood and England Amateur international Les Eason has also
turned out for THE HAWS.
The 1980/81 season saw a Goal scoring Record that has yet to be beaten
with Andy Barnes scored 40 goals in the season for the 1st team.
Over the next few season the side dropped down the Divisions and along
with the league reforming its structure the side appeared to have
dropped lower than the in fact did as the Division sizes were reduced.
The 1984/85 season saw the first Championship under the Northaw name
when the Senior Division 2 championship was collected and then in the
1986/87 season the side were promoted back into the Premier Division
after they finished runners/up in Senior 1 behind Ninefields.
The following three seasons saw the side finish in the lower part of
the Premier Division, but they were always above the relegation places
so held onto the Premier Division status.
The first team were finally relegated over the next few seasons and
ended up holding a place in the lowed half of Division 2 for the next
five season, before dropping to Division 3 four years ago.
During this time the Reserves played their football in the junior
Divisions moving between Divisions 3 and 7 as the number of team saw
Division decrease and then increase.
The hard work put in by Managers Frank Bentley and Barry Etherington
have paid off over the past few seasons with success coming back to
the club.
The 1998/99 season saws THE HAWS take The Mercury Waltham League
Division 3 by storm collecting the Championship and creating a club
record of 10 wins in a row and 18 games undefeated in total. The
team only dropped 6 points and took the title scoring 73 goals and
only conceding 14. Kieron Cole keeping 8 clear sheets in 18 matches.
The margin of the title win saw the league put the side up two
Division into Division 1 having even considered making them a Premier
Division side.
In the League Intermediate Cup THE HAWS came through to reach the
final scoring 22 goals and conceded only 2 goals they then went on
to beat White Hart 4-0 in the final at Hoddesdon Town.
The Roy Bailey Cup Final was reached with the side putting out higher
league sides beating 97/98 seasons Premier Division Champions
Pengelly 2-0 in the 4th Round and the then Cup holders Winchmore Hill
were beaten 3-1 on penalties after a 1-1 draw in the quarter finals
and losing finalists the previous season Tottenham Garage were then
beaten 1-0 in the semi / final.
Premier Division Wormley Rovers were the opponents in the final at
Cheshunt Football ground, THE HAWS completed a league treble taking
the Cup with an impressive and well deserved 2-1 victory.
The Herts Sunday Junior Cup Final at Letchworth saw the side beat
Mill End United 4-1. Having come through six rounds that had seen
a total of 42 goals scored and only 3 conceded, Possible 1 of the
biggest Northaw Cup wins came in the 4th round with a 13-0 victory
over fellow Mercury Waltham League side East Herts Reserves.
While the First Team has been leading the charge in the League and
Cups the Reserves were not to be left out, They lead the Division 7
table going into the final weeks of the season, but ended up in 3rd
place when the other sides had played their games in hand. This saw
them promoted into Division Six.
They finished as top scorers in the league with 79 goals, helped
with a 15-2 victory over Lionheart. In Reserve Cup their only Cup
competition the beat Division 3 side Ninefield Forest before going
out in the quarter final to holders and Division 4 side St Margretsbury
Reserves.
Promotion for both teams saw the first team in Division 1 were they
still have games to play but are holding a mid table position while
the reserves in Division 6 have had a hard time but should just find
themselves above the relegation places.
Cup Competition have seen very little apart from the first team
reaching the Herts Intermediate Cup Final the league competitions saw
both sides go out in the early rounds.
The other thing that happened this season was the reformation of a
Saturday side playing under the Northaw name. The side have played
in the Enfield Alliance League Premier Division and even though they
have found it hard going in the first season out they did manage to
collect one unexpected trophy, the league ran Quiz and Darts nights
to foster good relations between clubs and even though we did not
fair to well in the Quiz the side managed to pick up the Darts trophy
beating the committee team in a competitive final.
In Herts County Cup we complete a unique double of the Junior and
Intermediate Cups in following seasons beating Saracens Head from
Hertford in the final at Letchworth.
The 2000-2001 season started with the first team in Division 1 and
The reserves in Division Five, Both sides did not have very good
seasons in the league with the First team finishing in 8th place and
the reserves finishing in 10th place, even in these positions both
sides managed to avoid relegation.
In the League Cup competitions both sides came through early rounds
but went out before the final stages of there competitions.
the Herts County Cup competition were once again were the side did
well. The first team reached the Herts Intermediate and as holders
met The Jester from Barnet in the final at Letchworth. With players
letting THE HAWS down on the day in was the Jester who prised the
trophy for us.
In the Herts Junior Cup the reserves went through to the 5th round
before going out the AFC Hornets for Hemel Hempstead.
This season has seen the first team sitting in the lower part of the
Division 1 table for most of the season, They went our of the league
Cup competitions at an early stage but faired better in the Herts
Intermediate Cup reaching the quarter final before going out to
fellow Waltham league side Galley Hall.
The Reserves has been in with the front runners for the Division Five
title from the start and have got themselves into a position were
they should now gain promotion this season.
In Cup competitions they also reached the quarter Final this time in
the Herts Junior Cup they went out another Waltham League side
Spennytown, This was a feat for the Reserves as they were mostly
up against other clubs first teams.
In the league cup competition the Reserve reached the semi-final of
the reserve Cup going out to Upshire Coach & Horses 3-0.
The start of the 2002-2003 season has seen a major change in the club
with the 1st team dropping out of the league to leave the club with
only one side on a sunday.
We now have what was our Reserves becoming the first team and playing
in Division 4 the lowest place The Haws have every had there first
team in the clubs history.
The season started with us picking up some good results and before
long we were sitting in a top four position.
This carried on throughout the season with us looking at a promotion
place for most of the season but we had played far more games than
the sides around us and they were looking goo to pass us when the
final matches were played
Thing ended with The Haws us taking 5th place in Division Four
and it looked like we were going to be a good front runners the
following season
Well its now the start of the 2003-2004 season the 70th for
THE HAWS and we are planing a Birthday Party for sometime during
this season.
Finally before this season starts the league have announced that
Northaw will be playing in Division Three for the coming season,
this is a great achievement for the side getting promotion once
again for the 3rd time in 5 seasons.
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