WEEKEND HEADLINES
Baldock Town only SSML side guaranteed into next round of the FA Cup. Oxhey Jets and Flackwell Heath claim creditable draws in the Cup. Broadfields United and Hadley also face replays. Stotfold march on in Division One. Leighton Town are in seventh heaven. Two clubs still have 100% league records while four clubs still seek their first points of the new campaign. Saturday brought about 115 goals from the 31 games (an average of 3.71 per game) with Matthew Cruse (Buckingham United) netting the weekend’s only hat-trick.

4/5 September Stats: 31 games played of which 19 were home wins, 6 were away wins and 6 draws.

100% league record to date: Stotfold and New Bradwell St Peter.

0% league record to date: Baldock Town, Dunstable Town, Flackwell Heath and Codicote.

Weekend Highest Attendance: 350 Harefield United v Hastings United (FA Cup), 317 Leighton Town v Holmer Green and 300 Oxhey Jets v Kingstonian (FA Cup).

Season’s Highest Attendances to date (Premier Division Clubs): 350 Harefield United v Hastings United (FA Cup), 337 Leighton Town v Risborough Rangers and 317 Leighton Town v Holmer Green.

Season’s Highest Attendances to date (Division One Clubs): 317 Stotfold v Letchworth Garden City Eagles, 176 Stotfold v Buckingham Athletic and 175 Ampthill Town v Langford.

Season’s Highest Attendances to date (Division Two Clubs): 130 Totternhoe v Old Bradwell United, 112 Bovingdon v Sarratt and 109 Eynesbury United v Pitstone & Ivinghoe.

Saturday 4th September / Sunday 5th September

THE EMIRATES FA CUP First Round Qualifying
Baldock Town are the only SSML side definitely through to the next round of the Emirates FA Cup when on Sunday they defeated visiting step 4 side Wisbech Town. Four other SSML clubs are in the hat after securing draws on Saturday, Oxhey Jets held current Isthmian League Premier Division leaders Kingstonian to a 2-2 draw, the SSML side twice coming from behind to level against their step 3 visitors. Flackwell Heath faced yet another long away day trek as they travelled to Southern League Premier Division South Weston-Super-Mare and having led twice saw their step 3 hosts level with 18 minutes left on the clock. Broadfields United welcomed Isthmian League South Central Division side South Park and having gone ahead they found themselves trailing against their step 4 visitors with the minutes ticking away but as the cliché states it ain’t over till the fat lady sings the hosts earned a replay with an 86th minute equalizer. Hadley, on paper, had the easiest task when hosting former Essex Senior League foes Enfield, Hadley were stunned inside the first ten minutes when their visitors went ahead and the hosts had to wait until the 51st minute before earning themselves a replay. Ardley United travelled to high flying Southern League Premier Division Central side Banbury United and having held the step 3 side at bay for 51 minutes when their defence was finally breached, despite creating some food chances the SSML side were unable to get back on level terms in front of a crowd of 713. Elsewhere there was to be no joy as both Arlesey Town and Harefield United suffered home defeats against higher ranked opposition, Arlesey losing 0-5 to step 3 opponents Bowers & Pitsea while the ‘Hares’ were beaten 0-4 by Hastings United in front of a crowd of 350. Full results and goalscorers are listed below.

0-5 Arlesey Town v Bowers & Pitsea (Manor [3] [2 pens], Trendall, Norton) Attendance: 124
1-0 Banbury United v Ardley United (Babos) Attendance: 713
2-2 Broadfields United v South Park (Smith, Clarke-Rowe) / (Aziz [2]) Attendance: 79
1-1 Hadley v Enfield (White) / (James) Attendance: 236
0-4 Harefield United v Hastings United (Hasler [2], Pope [2] [1 pen]) Attendance: 350
2-2 Oxhey Jets v Kingstonian (Putman [2] 1 pen]) / (Murrell-Williamson) Attendance: 300
2-2 Weston-Super-Mare v Flackwell Heath (McCootie, Pope) / (Thomas, Howell) Attendance: 418
1-0 Baldock Town v Wisbech Town (Hay) Attendance: 205

PREMIER DIVISION
Harpenden Town continue to lead the chase for the title although they dropped two points on Saturday after being held 1-1 at Tring Athletic. Risborough Rangers moved into second place after they squeezed out visiting bottom club Dunstable Town by the odd goal in three while the morning’s second place side Leverstock Green suffered a narrow defeat at New Salamis, the hosts winning 3-2. Leighton Town move up to fourth as they swept aside the challenge of visiting Holmer Green, running out comfortable 7-1 winners in front of another large crowd at Bell Close. Elsewhere London Colney’s solitary goal was enough to see off Aylesbury Vale Dynamos in Hertfordshire while Milton Keynes Irish edged out visiting Crawley Green bottom by the odd goal in three. Full results and goalscorers are listed below.

7-1 Leighton Town v Holmer Green (Parkinson [2], Campbell [2], Towell, Flanagan, Opponent Own Goal) / (Esplund-Evans) Attendance: 317
1-0 London Colney v Aylesbury Vale Dynamos (Townsend) Attendance: 38
2-1 Milton Keynes Irish v Crawley Green (Shrieves, McDonald) / (Holmes) Attendance: 49
3-2 New Salamis v Leverstock Green (Hervel [pen], Mehmet, Lutaaya) / (Seale, Jawara) Attendance: 35
2-1 Risborough Rangers v Dunstable Town (Wyllie [2]) / (Fry) Attendance: 135
1-1 Tring Athletic v Harpenden Town (Butler) / (Robinson) Attendance: 105

DIVISION ONE
Stotfold remain top of the standings following a 5-0 against visiting Buckingham Athletic watched by an impressive crowd of 176. Northampton Sileby Rangers and Ampthill Town stay five points behind the leaders after both winning on the road, NSR at Bedford (3-1) and the ‘Amps’ at Penn & Green Tylers (4-3). At the bottom London Tigers picked up their first points of the campaign when defeating Burton Park Wanderers 2-1 and as a result send the visitors to the bottom of the standings. Winslow United lost their 100% record when a late penalty saw visiting Rushden & Higham United claim the three points. Shefford Town & Campton and Wellingborough Whitworth both recorded comfortable home wins over the two reserve sides in the Division, ST&C defeating Thame United Reserves (5-1) while WW overcame Kidlington Reserves 4-1. Elsewhere there were wins for Long Crendon (3-1 at Letchworth Garden City Eagles), Langford (3-1 at home against Irchester United) and Raunds Town who edged out visiting Amersham Town by the odd goal in seven. Full results and goalscorers are listed below.

1-3 Bedford v Northampton Sileby Rangers (Jones) / (Cirelli, Taylor, Johnston) Attendance: 25
3-1 Langford v Irchester United (Moos, Cooper, Briggs) / (Abdallah) Attendance: 47
1-3 Letchworth Garden City Eagles v Long Crendon (Summers) / (Pettingell [2], Hawkes) Attendance: 42
2-1 London Tigers v Burton Park Wanderers (Akande [pen], Sutherland) / (Opponent Own Goal) Attendance: Unknown
3-4 Penn & Tylers Green v Ampthill Town (Green, Burrows, Robinson) / (Cerminara [2], Browne, Butler) Attendance: 37
4-3 Raunds Town v Amersham Town (Waple-Moors 2], Stanciu [2]) / (Bennett [2], Holland) Attendance: 42
5-1 Shefford Town & Campton v Thame United Reserves (McNamara [2], Hammer, Forsythe, Metcalfe) / (Elliott) Attendance: 44
5-0 Stotfold v Buckingham Athletic (Spavins [2], Nicholls, Akinbusoye, Kersey) Attendance: 176
4-1 Wellingborough Whitworth v Kidlington Reserves (Daldy, Ncube, Lovell, Morrow) / (Cox) Attendance: 73
0-1 Winslow United v Rushden & Higham United (Cormack [pen]) Attendance: 83

DIVISION TWO
New Bradwell St Peter made it five wins from five when defeating bottom club Codicote 3-1 at home and thus moved to the top of the standings with morning leaders Old Bradwell United not playing while fellow title contenders were surprisingly beaten, Eynesbury United going down 1-2 at Aston Clinton, the hosts gaining their first points of the new campaign while Berkhamsted Comrades suffered a solitary goal defeat at Totternhoe. New boys Milton Keynes College Football Academy were another to register their first points this season when overcoming visiting Risborough Rangers Development by the odd goal in three. Tring Corinthians AFC staged the comeback of the day when defeating Sarratt at home 4-2 after trailing 0-2 at the interval. Elsewhere free scoring Pitstone & Ivinghoe found goals elude them for the first time this season and they had to settle for a point at Bovingdon while Buckingham United edged out visiting The 61FC (Luton) by the odd goal in five. Full results and goalscorers (where known) listed below.

2-1 Aston Clinton v Eynesbury United (Kiff, MacDonald [pen]) / (Fox) Attendance: 45
0-0 Bovingdon v Pitstone & Ivinghoe Attendance: 80
3-2 Buckingham United v The 61FC (Luton) (Cruse [3]) / (Collins, Calvano) Attendance: 58
2-1 Milton Keynes College Football Academy v Risborough Rangers Development (Aluko, Zawe) / (Unknown) Attendance: 55
3-1 New Bradwell St Peter v Codicote (Winch 2], Kelsey) / (Evans) Attendance: 58
1-0 Totternhoe v Berkhamsted Comrades (Dem) Attendance: 90
4-2 Tring Corinthians AFC v Sarratt (Hatt [2], Banks, Jenkins) / (Vercesi, Rita) Attendance: 27

AND FINALLY
With the Transfer Deadline passed (don’t worry SSML clubs yours is still open) it hasn't always been money that has traded hands for top talent let’s look back on some of the oddest transfers in history.

Ian Wright - The BBC pundit may have moved to Arsenal for £2.5million in 1991, a club record fee at that time for the North Londoners, it wasn't always glam for Wrighty. He began his professional career with Crystal Palace, famously scoring twice against Manchester United in an FA Cup final. The Eagles didn't have to work too hard to persuade his non-league club Greenwich Borough to sign him. A set of dumbbells were handed over (hopefully with two hands) and the deal was struck.

Franco Di Santo - The ex-Chelsea striker is perhaps best known for being a failed No9 for the Blues. But when he was a promising youngster cash-strapped Chilean side Audax Italiano were desperate to add Di Santo to their ranks. How did they buy him? They gave his local team two goal nets and 40 litres of paint to jazz up their home ground.

Giuliano Grazioli - Grazioli is best known for his FA Cup heroics for Stevenage against Newcastle - scoring an equaliser to force a replay in 1998. He originally started his career with Peterborough, before joining Stevenage on loan. The non-league needed a sweetener to seal that deal. They found it in the form of a "Mars bar and three packets of crisps", according to boss Paul Fairclough.

Tony Cascarino - The former Republic of Ireland striker, now talkSPORT presenter, didn't have the most glamorous starts to his football career - turning out for Crockenhill in the 1980s. However, Gillingham thought he'd make a decent centre forward for them and were willing to do anything it took to get their main. That included buying Crockenhill a new kit, as well as some corrugated iron to fix up their ground.

Ernie Blenkinsop - You'd be forgiven for not recognising Blenkinsop's name. He played in the England side from the late 20s to early 30s, and won the old First Division with Sheffield Wednesday twice. Ernie started his career in the most bizarre fashion, though, when Hull signed him from Cudworth Village for £100, as well as a barrel of beer.

Hugh McLenahan - We all scream for ice cream. Well, at least that's what Stockport did. Before Manchester United were really minted, they had to be more creative in the transfer market. And that's where assistant manager, and part-time ice cream business owner, Louis Rocca came in. In 1927, the Red Devils donated three fridge freezers to County for a fundraiser. In return, they got Hugh McLenahan.

Collins John - This Dutch striker had a decent stint at Fulham in the Premier League, after the club bought him from FC Twente. But Collins John began his youth career at DES Nijverdal, who were very much a local community club. Twente came in for him in 2002, and they must've been well read at this point. After all, it wasn't money that was paid for John's services... it was encyclopedias which were donated to a local school.

Don’t forget that every Sunday afternoon the Non-League Show on Three Counties Radio (Herts, Beds & Bucks), a show all about local non-league football. The popular show presented by Ollie Bayliss has been increased to two hours each week and is the perfect opportunity to catch up with our local non-league scene at all levels. For those who missed it then you can catch up here:-
Ollie Bayliss Non League Show

The result of this week’s Team of the Day Poll with 518 votes cast is:-
Oxhey Jets 39.2%
Flackwell Heath 26.8%
Stotfold 20.3%
Tring Corinthians AFC 13.7%