Haringey Borough vs Cray Wanderers – Isthmian Premier – Saturday 16th March, 3 pm – Match Preview
Cray Wanderers are on their travels on Saturday 16th March as Neil Smith’s side head to Haringey Borough looking to bounce back from a couple of consecutive league defeats. Kick off 3 pm.
On Wednesday night, Cray’s unbeaten home run of 15 games came to an end as Potters Bar Town were 2-1 winners at Hayes Lane. The Wands finished the game well and Gary Lockyer notched his 11th goal of the season to set up a dramatic end to the match. Certainly the performance of 16 year old George Brooke was one of the highlights of the match and there were also appearances for young players, Emmanuel Kwatchey, Josh Hallard and new signing Enoch Muwonge in midfield.
The Wands have built up a decent point total since the start of 2024 and are 13th in the Isthmian Premier League table on 42 points and are 17 points clear of the relegation places.
Haringey Borough come into the game in 20th place on 24 points from 33 games but have won their last two league games including a 1-0 win at home to Cheshunt last Saturday courtesy of Olu Durojaiye’s first half goal. On Monday night, Haringey were beaten in a tight Velocity Cup Semi-Final at Hashtag United, 1-2 after Matthew Young gave Borough the lead. Haringey are three points behind 18th placed Cheshunt and have given themselves a fighting chance of avoiding the drop.
When the two sides met at Hayes Lane on 10th December, the match finished in a dramatic 3-3 draw after Cray led 3-0 through goals from Tom Bonner, Anthony Cook and Ellis Brown but late goals from Scott Mitchell, Nadum Melvin-Lambert and Anthony Mendy grabbed a point for the visitors. The last time the sides met at Haringey was on the final day of the 2022-23 season on 22nd April, 2023 and ended in a 2-2 draw with Dan Bassett and Tom Derry scoring for Cray and Matthew Young and Jorge Djassi-Sambu scoring for Borough.
At home, Tom Loizou’s side have beaten Canvey Island (2-1), Margate (1-0) and Cheshunt (1-0) and drawn with Enfield Town (1-1), Dulwich Hamlet (1-1), Kingstonian (2-2), Folkestone Invicta (0-0) and Whitehawk (1-1). Haringey were beaten by Wingate & Finchley (1-2), Horsham (0-2), Hornchurch (1-2), Potters Bar Town (0-3), Concord Rangers (0-1), Chatham Town (0-3), Hashtag United (1-4), Carshalton Athletic (0-6) and Bognor Regis Town (0-1). Away from home Borough won at Cheshunt (2-0) and Billericay Town (2-1), drew at Margate, Folkestone Invicta, Cray Wanderers and Concord Rangers and were beaten at Canvey Island, Carshalton Athletic, Bognor Regis Town, Lewes, Enfield Town, Dulwich Hamlet, Horsham and Hornchurch. Matthew Young is the leading scorer with 14 in all competitions.
Games between the two sides are always dramatic and this promises to be no different and with the game being played on a 3G pitch this looks like being a definite Saturday matchday for the Wands.
DIRECTIONS TO HARINGEY BOROUGH FC
CVS Van Hire Stadium
Coles Park, White Hart Lane
Tottenham
LONDON N17 7JP
ADMISSION PRICES
Adults: £10
Concessions: £ 5 Concessions are for over 60’s, Students 16+, NHS Staff,
Armed Forces Personnel and the Unemployed. Please bring proof of concession to the game.
U16’s: Free when accompanied by an adult
Match Programme: Online
PLEASE NOTE THERE IS A £1 AN HOUR CHARGE FOR PARKING AT THE GROUND.
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 the 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). There are no planned engineering works affecting the Piccadilly line on 16th March.
From Wood Green Tube station, bus W3 from Bus Stop B just a short walk up from the station runs 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 is on your hands it is probably best for this option as a reasonable hike up to the ground if you choose to walk it. The best starting option if going by train is via Victoria from Bromley South/St Mary Cray or on the Bexleyheath line.
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. 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, Ms. Mandi 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 Hill, 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.
