SSML Legends Where Are They Now?

[Savagebee]

4 hours ago, Rhodes said:

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

 

?

[petethegreek]

6 hours ago, Rhodes said:

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:

 

There were a few very tight offside decision close to the half way line in the first half. With Mr Ewen and some Referees standing directly behind these it was reassuring to know at half time that the calls were correct.

Chaotic scramble in the penalty area late in the second half where the ball bounced close to the goal.

Nothing else to report and it was one of those games that I came off the pitch knowing I did not make any errors especially where the title was decided by a solitary goal.

[Rhodes]

The 1995/96 Spartan League and South Midlands League campaigns saw St Margaretsbury win the Spartan League Premier Division Championship by two points from Hillingdon Borough and Arlesey Town retained the Spartan South Midlands League Premier Division they had won the previous season with a record points haul when of course the Club also lifted the FA Vase at Wembley, winning 2-1 against Oxford City. Surprisingly the holders fell at the first hurdle of the FA Vase in 1995/96 at home to Kent League Division One Thamesmead Town and also exited the FA Cup early on to Sudbury Wanderers at their old Lamb Meadow ground. Lifting the Spartan League Premier Division Shield in 1995/96 still remains St Margaretsbury's highest honour in the Club's history although they almost emulated Arlesey Town the season before, finishing second to Croydon Athletic, clearly they had a very good team around that period including NeutralFan from this Forum. Both Arlesey Town and St Margaretsbury were founder members of the SSML two seasons later in 1997/98, Arlesey Town joining the Premier Division North and St Margaretsbury the Premier Division South:

Spartan League Premier Division - 1995/96

  1. St. Margaretsbury                30  18   7   5  51  29  61

  2. Hillingdon Borough               30  17   8   5  55  28  59

  3. Corinthian Casuals               30  15   6   9  49  30  51

  4. Brimsdown Rovers                 30  14   9   7  55  38  51

  5. Cockfosters                      30  14   7   9  61  43  49

  6. Tottenham Omada                  30  13   6  11  67  53  45

  7. Croydon Athletic                 30  13   6  11  50  51  45

  8. Barkingside                      30  11   6  13  48  46  39

  9. Brook House                      30  10   8  12  29  37  38

 10. Tufnell Park                     30  11   4  15  38  55  37

 11. Hanwell Town                     30  10   6  14  41  60  36

 12. Woolwich Town                    30   9   7  14  42  48  34

 13. Waltham Abbey                    30   8  10  12  27  45  34

 14. Beaconsfield S.Y.C.O.B.          30   8   6  16  42  56  30

 15. Willesden Hawkeye                30   7   7  16  37  44  28

 16. Amersham Town                    30   7   7  16  29  58  28

South Midlands League Premier Division - 1995/96
 Pos  Name                            Pld    W    D    L   GF   GA  Pts
   1  Arlesey Town                     32   24    2    6   64   27   74
   2  Hatfield Town                    32   22    5    5   79   31   71
   3  London Colney                    32   21    5    6   88   34   68
   4  Brache Sparta                    32   20    8    4   56   24   68
   5  Toddington Rovers                32   14    9    9   50   45   51
   6  Royston Town                     32   13   11    8   48   36   47 *
   7  Hoddesdon Town                   32   12    8   12   49   44   44
   8  Milton Keynes                    32   13    4   15   55   70   43
   9  Potters Bar Town                 32   11    9   12   56   63   42
  10  Biggleswade Town                 32   12    5   15   51   50   41
  11  Welwyn Garden City               32   11    7   14   53   62   40
  12  Langford                         32   10    8   14   30   48   38
  13  Buckingham Athletic              32    9    6   17   43   63   33
  14  Harpenden Town                   32    8    8   16   42   56   32
  15  Dunstable United                 32    6    7   19   33   71   25
  16  Shillington                      32    5    9   18   42   60   24
  17  Letchworth                       32    1    9   22   33   88   12
* - Royston Town 3 points deducted

Edited January 9, 2021 by Rhodes

[Rhodes]

The 1994/95 campaign was of course the famous one where Arlesey Town lifted the FA Vase beating Oxford City 2-1 in the Final at Wembley having disposed of Hoddesdon Town, Boston Town, Barnstable Town, Diss Town, Cammell Laird and Raunds Town along the way. The Club also won the South Midlands League Premier Division Championship by a Country mile but were unable to gain promotion due to ground grading at their old Lamb Meadow home, second place Wingate & Finchley were promoted to the Isthmian League where they have remained ever since other than two seasons in the Southern League Division One East. Having finished second the previous season, Croydon Athletic won the Spartan League Premier Division by four points from St Margaretsbury who won it the following season in what was the most successful period in the Club's history, they were founder members of the SSML in 1997/98 before sadly leaving 'us' after the 2017/18 campaign for the Essex Senior League. In terms of players, obviously Arlesey Town's talisman was player manager at the time Robbie O'Keefe who had been with the Club since the tender age of seventeen, I believe it was Robbie's first season in Management so it was a huge achievement. Croydon Athletic joined the Isthmian League for the 1997/98 season so were never involved with the SSML, the Club's problems some years later are well documented and they folded early into the 2011/12 campaign coming back as 'Phoenix Club' AFC Croydon Athletic in 2012/13 and groundsharing with Croydon FC at the Sports Arena:  

Spartan League Premier Division - 1994/1995

  1. Croydon Athletic                 30  23   3   4  87  31  72

  2. St. Margaretsbury                30  21   5   4  77  38  68

  3. Barkingside                      30  18   4   8  58  47  58

  4. Brimsdown Rovers                 30  17   5   8  56  39  56

  5. Corinthian Casuals               30  16   4  10  70  45  52

  6. Willesden Hawkeye                30  12   9   9  55  36  45

  7. Brook House                      30  13   5  12  69  52  44

  8. Cockfosters                      30  10  11   9  51  45  41

  9. Hillingdon Borough               30  10   7  13  43  66  37

 10. Tower Hamlets (-3)               30  11   4  15  58  67  34

 11. Beaconsfield S.Y.C.O.B.          30   9   6  15  31  51  33

 12. Waltham Abbey                    30   8   7  15  39  59  31

 13. Haringey Borough (-3)            30  10   3  17  37  49  30

 14. Hanwell Town                     30   6  12  12  37  61  30

 15. Walthamstow Pennant              30   8   5  17  43  56  29

 16. Amersham Town                    30   2   2  26  16  85   8

South Midlands League Premier Division - 1994/95

  1. Arlesey Town                       45   34    5    6    90    32  107

  2. Wingate & Finchley                 45   25   13    7    97    49   88

  3. Brache Sparta                      45   23   15    7    85    61   84

  4. Royston Town                       45   24   11   10    77    42   83

  5. Shillington                        45   22   11   12    64    38   77

  6. Potters Bar Town                   45   19    7   19    75    70   64

  7. Biggleswade Town                   45   17   10   18    65    71   61

  8. Langford                           45   15   15   15    63    66   60

  9. Milton Keynes                      45   15   14   16    71    77   59

 10. Hoddesdon Town                     45   15   11   19    56    57   56

 11. Hatfield Town                      45   14   12   19    66    80   54

 12. Welwyn Garden City                 45   11   13   21    53    72   46

 13. Buckingham Athletic                45   10   13   22    51    88   43

 14. Dunstable United                   45   11   10   24    39    77   43

 15. Harpenden Town                     45    9   12   24    60    72   39

 16. Letchworth Garden City             45    5   10   30    58   118   25

Edited January 27, 2021 by Rhodes

[Savagebee]

The giant that is Melford Simpson scored for South Park FC yesterday and for Sunday league team AFC Hammersmith Town today.