Enfield Town v Hemel Hempstead Town

[The Crowing Cockerel]

Our penultimate home league game of the 2025/26 season sees us welcome the Tudors to the Dave Bryant Stadium.

Should Farnborough win and Town fail to match their result, then relegation will be confirmed.

A tall order for a Town side full of endeavour but lacking that match-winning steel and quality throughout most of the previous 42 fixtures.

Hemel, meanwhile, have tumbled from 3rd to 6th following a 3-0 defeat to Chesham. They'll be looking to bounce back and keep themselves in the play-off pack. However, they've suffered some important injuries over the past 7 days and may now be a little more vulnerable. Unfortunately it sounds as if Oli Davis will be back after an injury lay-off - no doubt eager to punish Gavin for repeatedly benching him when he was with us earlier in the season!

[WXEn8]

[The Crowing Cockerel]

Summed up our season really. No lack of effort, but not enough quality for Step 2.

Feeling relief more than anything else right now - I couldn't see things improving for us at Step 2 next season. I guess you don't know these things until you give it a try, and after a punishing 2 seasons we can certainly say we gave it a try!

I wonder whether we'll be visiting Jersey next season...?

[Albury_Walker]

12 hours ago, The Crowing Cockerel said:

Summed up our season really. No lack of effort, but not enough quality for Step 2.

Feeling relief more than anything else right now - I couldn't see things improving for us at Step 2 next season. I guess you don't know these things until you give it a try, and after a punishing 2 seasons we can certainly say we gave it a try!

I wonder whether we'll be visiting Jersey next season...?

Nice to have you all back ,Hope you enjoyed your holiday 😊

Blimey it's quiet on here 🤔 Anyone would think the bottom has dropped out of your world 😊

We are already looking forward to contributing to your next downfall to step 4 😊.  COYA.

Edited April 7 by Albury_Walker
Spelling error

[The Crowing Cockerel]

5 hours ago, Albury_Walker said:

Nice to have you all back ,Hope you enjoyed your holiday 😊

Blimey it's quiet on here 🤔 Anyone would think the bottom has dropped out of your world 😊

We are already looking forward to contributing to your next downfall to step 4 😊.  COYA.

Calm down, little fella, the FA might re-home us in the Southern League!

[Granite Direct]

In terms of the match, I thought it was a decent performance. It was mainly defensive work against a strong Hemel side who were quick to press and up for it with a play-off position on the line for them. Sort of gritty 0-0 draw we'd be happy with earlier in the season. Joe Wright deservedly MotM. Nino also had spark. We had chances and phases in both halves but the final balls in were poor.

In terms of the relegation, I thought it was likely all season and confirmed after Chelmsford. We are simply not ready to be a Step 2 club yet and it's a miracle we stayed up the first time round. My guess is it's not just finances but also lack of experience of that level of football from the people running our club. Hopefully it'll be a less steep learning curve next time.

I have enjoyed going to some Football League standard stadiums (Torquay & Dagenham) and winning at Bath last season stands out. But I will also enjoy being back in the Isthmian with some cheaper and nearer days out and maybe seeing us win a few games.

All considered I'm not too upset today, don't blame anyone at the club for not repeating a miracle in keeping us up again, and at least we've come back down with a bigger profile and a new stand, and we haven't bankrupted ourselves chasing the dream. As far as I know.

[cup of tea]

Sorry to see you guys go, it’s a tough unforgiving league. Hoping you guys can reset and go again next season. It’s a well run club from what I can see so it’s au revoir rather than goodbye 

[The Crowing Cockerel]

6 minutes ago, cup of tea said:

Sorry to see you guys go, it’s a tough unforgiving league. Hoping you guys can reset and go again next season. It’s a well run club from what I can see so it’s au revoir rather than goodbye 

Thanks CoT. 

Just watched the highlights of your 5-4 defeat against Maidstone - a crazy game but a great advert for NLS! You guys have had a great season to date. Looking at your squad - and no criticism intended - but given your attendances, you must be very very reliant on the generosity of an affluent few. Good luck with the promotion push, and look forward to locking horns again in the next few years!

[cup of tea]

10 hours ago, The Crowing Cockerel said:

Thanks CoT. 

Just watched the highlights of your 5-4 defeat against Maidstone - a crazy game but a great advert for NLS! You guys have had a great season to date. Looking at your squad - and no criticism intended - but given your attendances, you must be very very reliant on the generosity of an affluent few. Good luck with the promotion push, and look forward to locking horns again in the next few years!

We arguably have in my opinion the best chairman in the league for a number of reasons - last time we were in this league we only managed a season. 

[Steph-H]

If all my days was hills to climb and circles without reason
If all I was was passing time, my life was just a season

Dares and dreams and silly schemes and fillies running freely
I was young and no song was sung that didn't sound appealing

The Byrds 1970

[djwilf]

12 hours ago, cup of tea said:

Sorry to see you guys go, it’s a tough unforgiving league. Hoping you guys can reset and go again next season. It’s a well run club from what I can see so it’s au revoir rather than goodbye 

Thanks for your kind words.   Seems only yesterday we were playing each other in the playoffs couple of seasons back and now you're flying high.   Good luck rest of the way.

[Duke of York]

On 07/04/2026 at 12:46, The Crowing Cockerel said:

Calm down, little fella, the FA might re-home us in the Southern League!

 

I sincerely hope the FA don’t put Town in the Southern League. That’d be a disaster with just a couple of reasonably close away-days. 

[Rebel without a clue]

Don’t be ridiculous with teams like Lewes Eastbourne whitehawk Chichester burgess hill , three bridges about to be  promoted alongside afc whyteleafe or jersey bulls we’re one of the last teams that will be plying there trade in the southern league 

[WXEn8]

On 08/04/2026 at 07:52, Steph-H said:

If all my days was hills to climb and circles without reason
If all I was was passing time, my life was just a season

Dares and dreams and silly schemes and fillies running freely
I was young and no song was sung that didn't sound appealing

The Byrds 1970

Much preferred the Yardbirds...check out 'Over Under Sideways Down'...poignant lyrics.

[andyetfc]

Things must be bad if all we can discuss is music from the 1970s. It’s as bad as some of the music played at the ground.