Pics: Jon Hilliger & HilligerPix.com
After the drama and tension of the FA Cup in midweek, Cray Wanderers return to league action on Saturday with a trip to North London to face Haringey Borough at Coles Park. Kick off 3pm.
The match pits two sides still with FA Cup ambitions and two of three sides from the Isthmian Premier to make it to the 4th Qualifying Round along with Bishop’s Stortford. Cray will travel to Isthmian North Canvey Island next Saturday while Haringey Borough face a tough tie at Maldon & Tiptree in a bit to reach the 1st Round for the second time in three seasons.
The drama came in bucketloads on Tuesday night down in Bristol with the Wands drawing 3-3 with Bristol Manor Farm before prevailing over the Southern League Division One South side on penalties.
Ben Mundele’s first goal of the season had given Cray an early lead and two Freddie Parker goals taking his tally to the season to seven had Cray leading 3-1 at the break. However, Mundele was perhaps unfortunate to be sent off on half time and also a worrying situation for Rhys Murrell-Williamson led to the winger going off and being taken to hospital. The West Country side pulled the game back to 3-3 but Cray finished the game strongly and held their nerve to reach the 4th Qualifying Round for only the second time after the gutwrenching tension of the penalties.
The win at Bristol helped Cray bounce back after only a short rest period between losing at home for the first time since Boxing Day against Bishop’s Stortford last Sunday where Parker scored again before the visitors scored three in the second half to win. Despite that defeat Cray are still well placed in the table, currently eighth on 9 points after the midweek games and have a couple of midweek home league matches to follow.
Tom Loizou’s Haringey Borough have made a terrific start to the season and are fourth with 12 points and so far have beaten Corinthian Casuals 2-1 away on the opening day of the season then beat Bognor Regis Town 2-1 at home before falling to their only defeat so far, 0-1 at home to Leatherhead. Then bounced back in the league with a 3-1 home win against East Thurrock United before winning 3-0 at Brightlingsea Regent last Saturday.
In the FA Cup so far, Haringey like Cray have scored 12 goals to get to the 4th Qualifying Round beating Tunbridge Wells 5-1 at home, then beat Chertsey 2-0 also at home and completed a hat-trick of home wins by beating Bracknell Town 5-1 on Tuesday with Rakim Richards, Alfie Bawling, Georgios Aresti, Djassi-Sambu and Daniel Akindayini scoring.
After a bright start to last season, Haringey were 15th when the season ended but knocked Cray out of the FA Cup in the 3rd Qualifying Round 1-0 at home on 5th October before losing to Yeovil Town in the final qualifying round. The only league game took place at Hayes Lane on 14th September , 2019 finishing in a 1-1 draw with Joe Taylor converting a penalty for Cray. The corresponding league game set for 4th April never took place with the season ending early in March.
2018-19 was their first season in the Isthmian Premier and did superbly finishing third and reaching the playoffs where they lost at home to Tonbridge Angels in the Semi-Finals. They also made national headlines by reaching the 1st Round Proper of the FA Cup and a televised tie which they narrowly lost at home to AFC Wimbledon.
Matches between Cray Wanderers and Haringey Borough down the years have been few and far between with just seven past meetings with only three previously in the league. In the 2015-16 season, in the Isthmian North, the teams drew 0-0 at Haringey Borough on 22nd September 2015 and a month later Cray won 4-2 at Hayes Lane with Aryan Tajbakhsh scoring twice and Michael Frieter and Leigh Bremner also on target and they have come a long way since then. The other meetings were in cup ties with Haringey winning 3 times, once in the FA Vase in 1977-78 with Jimmy Wakeling managing Cray Wanderers and his cousin George managing Haringey. Cray won 3-0 in the London Senior Cup in March 2011 in a tie that was played at Beckenham and one other cup tie was drawn.
Haringey Borough were formed in 1973 after a merger of two clubs Edmonton and Wood Green Town and were in the Athenian League until 1984-85 when they joined Division 2 North of the Isthmian League. They remained there until 1989-90 when they entered the Spartan League and won the London Senior Cup in 1990-91 and briefly changed their name to Tufnell Park in 1995. After the Spartan League merged with the South Midlands League in 1998-99 they had a couple of promotions and relegations. For the 2012-13 season Haringey Borough moved to the Essex Senior League where they stayed for two seasons winning promotion in the 2014-15. In 2015-16 they finished 15th in the Isthmian North where they met Cray in league competition for the first time and the following season they finished 5th reaching the playoffs where they lost to Maldon & Tiptree. In 2017-18 they finished 4th and reached the playoffs again beating Heybridge Swifts and in the final Canvey Island 3-1 to take their place in the Premier Division.
This promises to be a tough but exciting game on the 3G surface at Haringey but with Cray still nicely placed in the admittedly early league season can be confident of making it another exciting match.
DIRECTIONS TO HARINGEY BOROUGH FC & ADMISSION PRICES
CVS Van Hire Stadium
Coles Park, White Hart Lane
Tottenham
LONDON N17 7JP
ADMISSION PRICES (Cup Prices May Vary)
£10 – Adults
£5 – Concessions/students’U21s
Free – Under 10
Admission 600 – Pay on the gate or visit https://www.haringeytickets.co.uk/
The quickest journey from our neck of the woods should be about 35 miles.
From St. Mary Cray head onto the A2018 and then on to the A2 for 2.1 miles then left lane to take M25 slip road to M20/Dover/Gatwick/Dartford Crossing/Channel Tunnel for 0.3 miles. At Darenth interchange take the 1st exit then for 0.8 miles at Princes Road interchange take 2nd exit onto A282 for 0.9 miles and then keep left staying on A282. After 2.9 miles take the exit towards Dagenham/Rainham/Thurrock/A13/West Thurrock/A126 for 0.4 miles then at Mar Dyke Interchange take 2nd exit onto A13 slip road to London (E&C)/Barking/Docklands/Dagenham/Rainham for 0.2 miles then merge onto A13 for 7.1 miles. Continue straight on to Ripple Road/A13 and follow for 2.1 miles using the left lane to take A406/A1020 slip road to M11/A12/N Circular.
At the roundabout take 3rd exit onto N Circular/A406 heading to A12/M11/Ilford/Barking for 4.6 miles. Continue straight to stay on N Circular RoadA406 for 6.4 miles. Slight left on A10 onto slip road to C London/Dalston/Heathrow/Enfield/M25/Potters Bar/A11 for 0.9 miles. Then at roundabout take 1st exit at Great Cambridge Road/A10 for 0.7 miles then turn right onto White Hart Lane, then a left, then a right and the ground will be on the left opposite a builders merchants between the junctions of Fenton Road and Rivulet Road.
Public Transport:
Your best bet is by tube and bus, with the nearest tube station Wood Green (Piccadilly line). From Wood Green Tube station, bus W3 from Bus Stop B just a short walk up from the station run fairly regularly on a Saturday afternoon and takes a little over 15 minutes for the journey. Alight at Haringey Borough Bus Stop (WX), cross over the road towards the ground. Unless time on your hands probably best for this option as a bit of a hike up to the ground if you choose to walk it.
There are not too many pubs around the ground but if you’ve time on your hands, in Wood Green there is the Prince on Finsbury Road, a fairly modest looking pub but has a wide selection of ales and may be your best choice. The Liquid Bar on Wood Green High Road might appeal for the more modern tastes. If you want to make a day of it and take advantage of Spurs not being at home in Tottenham itself there is the Antwerp Arms on Church Road, opposite a park and is considered to be a Community Pub. On Tottenham High Road there is the Bricklayers which might appeal to a Tottenham enthusiast as adorned with pennants, scarves and memorabilia but to an Arsenal fan like myself might be a touch unpleasant. Otherwise the club house at the ground should satisfy you enough.
If you are looking for a chippy then probably the nearest is the Dolphin Fish Bar on Great Cambridge Road or nearer Wood Green station there is John’s Fish Bar on Lordship Lane. For an Indian Restaurant there is the Paramount Tandoori on Wood Green High Road.
Haringey is a North London borough which as well as Tottenham Hotspur being a major part of the Borough’s culture, Haringey is also the home of the London Scholars Rugby League team who play just down the road from Coles Park and our esteemed programme editor, Mr Phil Babbs will be able to regale you with many stories of their fortunes as a big supporter of the club and a regular watcher. If you are making a whole day of it the borough is also home of Alexandra Palace, the swish residential tower blocks, Highpoint I & II, designed by Berthold Lubitkin. There is Bruce Castle which is more of a Manor House than an actual castle which is on Lordship Lane in Tottenham, and close by are Muswell Hil, Crouch End and Highgate. The borough of Haringey was formed in 1965 following the merger of three municipal boroughs, Wood Green, Hornsey and Tottenham.
If you like classical culture on Archway Road is Jacksons Lane Arts Centre, a converted Methodist church which is an iconic theatrical location and many up and coming acts in comedy, acting and dance have started out there. Tottenham is also the home of one of the most successful British singer-songwriters of modern times, Adele and perhaps the most famous band to come from Tottenham were the Dave Clark Five who reached no 1 in 1964 with Glad All Over.
Haringey Borough have come a long way in regards of support since we played them in the Isthmian North and are an upwardly mobile football club.
