Posted August 20, 200915 yr Hello everyone, just been looking through old programmes and wondered if anyone could provide details on two Hitchin v Chelsea friendlies on 10/08/93 and 7/5/96. I remember Chelsea sent two almost first teams including Wise in 96 and both were high scoring games. Does anyone know the scores, scorers, attendance and starting team??? Same goes for the Steve Clarke testimonial on 11/8/96. I remember PSV won but any facts and figures much appreciated. Chelsea Loyal.
August 20, 200915 yr The only details I could find were for the first game on 10 August 1993 - Chelsea won 6-3 (2-0 at HT), attendance 1,026.
August 20, 200915 yr Author Cheers Bluebeard, it's more than I can find out and I thought I could find anything on the net! The 96 match especially made news as it was almost a Chelsea first team playing a non-league club in a friendly. Kharine played in one of the games and Spencer/Stein up front also think big Erland Johnson was involved. Can't imagine that ever happening again with all the trips to the other side of the world now. Shame really. I think PSV won 3-2 in the Steve Clarke game but not certain. In the programme, Zenden and Gudjohnsen were in the squad but I don't know if they got on the pitch. Edited August 20, 200915 yr by royal blue
August 20, 200915 yr Here's a little more info. The '96 game was the Mark Burke testimonial. And this is the match programme: Both these images are taken from current eBay sales - should be easy enough to find if you search for Hitchen v Chelsea
August 20, 200915 yr Hello everyone, just been looking through old programmes and wondered if anyone could provide details on two Hitchin v Chelsea friendlies on 10/08/93 and 7/5/96. I remember Chelsea sent two almost first teams including Wise in 96 and both were high scoring games. Does anyone know the scores, scorers, attendance and starting team??? Same goes for the Steve Clarke testimonial on 11/8/96. I remember PSV won but any facts and figures much appreciated. Chelsea Loyal. 7/5/96 Chelsea won 5-2 Scorers: David Lee Paul Furlong and Gavin Peacock with a hattrick Team: Hitchcock (Colgan 46); Barness; Minto; Lee (Gavin Harrison 72) Erland Johnsen; Myers; Spackman (Terry Byrne 70); Rix (Crittenden 46); Furlong; Peacock; Wise (Nicholls 46) Unnamed (Hampshire 84) Crowd was 1405 but I don't know their names!!
August 20, 200915 yr 11/8/96 PSV won 3-2 (Frank Arnesen was the PSV manager!!) Scorers Leboeuf; Mark Hughes Team: Kharin (Hitchcock 58); Petrescu; Minto; Johnsen (Duberry 58); Leboeuf; Clarke (Morris 82); Burley; Di Matteo (Lee 46); Vialli (Stein 58); Hughes; Wise Crowd 12,978
August 20, 200915 yr I can't find anything relating to 10/8/93. We played Colchester on the 4th (won 2-0 Shipperley, Matthew); WBA on the 7th L0-3 then kicked off the Premier season on the 14th against Blackburn.
August 20, 200915 yr Author Thanks Lofty and Geezer for the info. Since posting I have found out it finished Hitchin Town 3 Chelsea 6 on 10/08/93. Kharine played and i'm pretty sure so did most of the first team. Can't imagine that happening again so close to the start of the season! I remember running on the pitch at half-time in 96' as a 10 year old to get Dennis Wise'es autograph but had no chance with the amount of people around him so I settled for Anthony Barness : ) Dennis was great and even invited kids from the crowd to have a kick about with him. Cheers again geezer.
August 21, 200915 yr Bloody hell, Hitchin vs Chelsea? I live an hour and a half's walk away from the Hitchin ground!
August 27, 200915 yr Author Bloody hell, Hitchin vs Chelsea? I live an hour and a half's walk away from the Hitchin ground! Lovely old ground. You should go and watch them this season, their top of the Zameretto midlands league! Always Blues supporters in the club house too.
August 27, 200915 yr I've played on that Hitchin ground a couple of times. And Baldock's, Letchworth's and once at Stevenage when the ground had just been upgraded.
August 27, 200915 yr Author Who did you used to play for? If it was the early 90's to about five years ago when Hitchin were in the Istmitian/Ryman league with all the London teams I probably saw ya. Always a nice playing surface at Hitchin all year round. Letchworth FC folded about 10 years ago and there is now a Baldock Letchwoth FC in the Herts county league. Stevenage still trying to buy their way into the league with no success... Edited August 27, 200915 yr by royal blue
August 28, 200915 yr I played for Shefford Town way back in the 80's and later a side called Walden Rangers, both in the South Midlands League. During that time I was lucky enough to play at some decent grounds. Thame Utd, Oxford City, Milton Keynes, Bedford Town, Buckingham, Stotfold, Wingate & Finchley etc. In the mid 90's, (I was well into my 30's then), I played in the finals of the NH League two biggest local competitions the Benevolent Shield and the Greg Cup both on Hitchin's ground. I had a spell in the early 90's playing for a team in the Luton Sunday Premier, which was an extremely strong league at that time, and I played on Hexton's pitch, which is not too far from Hitchin. I'd heard that the playing surface was superb but superb didn't do it justice. We played there mid-winter and it was like a carpet. Absolutely unbelievable. I undertand they used to lift turf from there to do patch repairs on Wembley.
August 28, 200915 yr I played for Shefford Town way back in the 80's and later a side called Walden Rangers, both in the South Midlands League. During that time I was lucky enough to play at some decent grounds. Thame Utd, Oxford City, Milton Keynes, Bedford Town, Buckingham, Stotfold, Wingate & Finchley etc.In the mid 90's, (I was well into my 30's then), I played in the finals of the NH League two biggest local competitions the Benevolent Shield and the Greg Cup both on Hitchin's ground. I had a spell in the early 90's playing for a team in the Luton Sunday Premier, which was an extremely strong league at that time, and I played on Hexton's pitch, which is not too far from Hitchin. I'd heard that the playing surface was superb but superb didn't do it justice. We played there mid-winter and it was like a carpet. Absolutely unbelievable. I undertand they used to lift turf from there to do patch repairs on Wembley. Shefford Town? Bloody hell, I played a bit for Barton Rovers and a couple of seasons for Silsoe Rangers in te Beds Sunday premiership not too far from there. Dear old Barton made it to Wembley, I think it was 1979 but they fell short at the last hurdle and by the time I joined them they were already on a steady slide downwards. I merely helped them on their way.
