On this weekend...

13 Nov 2015

Today we take a look back at the last six years' worth of games for the three OHAFC teams on this weekend...

Six Seasons Ago: November 14th 2009

Old Westminsters 0 OHAFC 1st XI 3: Thanks to a determined display, the OHAFC 1st XI came away with a 3-0 win from the usually-tricky away fixture against Westminster in Chiswick. The win boosted their title hopes, now sitting on 12 points from a possible 15.

David Lederman opened the scoring with his third successful penalty of the season and when Quentin Baker grabbed a second seven minutes before half-time Harrow had a lead they could protect.

Harry Hoffen capped off a fine team display with a third goal midway through the second half.

Old Carthusians 3's 8 OHAFC 2nd XI 2: A miserable day for the 2nd XI who suffered a heavy defeat away to Charterhouse's third string. Things started badly when Rupert Harmsworth injured himself in the warm-up and ruled himself out of the game.

Despite scoring an excellent goal when Okoigun teed up Bemini Soyinka, the visitors were overwhelmed and completely outplayed by the home side. Harry Gibson scored the second Harrow goal in the last minute - it proved to be no consolation.

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Five Seasons Ago: November 13th 2010

No OHAFC Fixtures Played

Four Seasons Ago: November 12th 2011

OHAFC 1st XI 3 Old Haileyburians 2: A superb left-foot half-volley from Harry Hoffen, his second of the game and in the last minute, gave Harrow the three points against an unfortunate Haileybury side in a pulsating game on the Hill.

The hosts took the lead after a quarter of an hour when skipper Quentin Baker stretched to head home Lederman's far post cross. But the sides were level soon afterwards when an unfortunate collision between Paul Molloy and the referee saw the ball fall kindly for a visiting striker.

Harry Hoffen grabbed the first of his goals ten minutes before the break when he finished a rebound from a tight angle following an excellent break from Lederman and Hadden-Paton.

Haileybury pulled level in the second half with a header from a corner but there was time for a dramatic late intervention from Hoffen, who swivelled and fired home a magnificent left-foot volley with minutes remaining to earn the visitors the points.

Old Kings Wimbledon 2's 6 OHAFC 2nd XI 2: Another heavy defeat for the Harrow 2's in south west London, going down by four goals to their counterparts from KCS Wimbledon.

The defeat was all the more galling given that the visitors were 2-0 up inside fifteen minutes, Dave Stead and Tom Dunbar getting themselves on the scoresheet.

But the home side recovered well and struck six times without reply, leaving Arjun Chopra's men with that sinking feeling once more.

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Three Seasons Ago: November 17th 2012

Old Kings Wimbledon 0 OHAFC 1st XI 3: The OHAFC 1st XI bounced back from their poor display against Eton a fortnight previously with an encouraging 3-0 win away to struggling KCS Wimbledon Old Boys in south west London on Saturday.

The visitors opened the scoring on the half hour when Lederman converted a penalty won by de Rougemont, who went down following a shove.

Johan Harder scored just a few minutes into the second half to give Harrow a two-goal cushion, firing home on the volley after being played in by Luke de Rougemont. And he scored once more with just under twenty minutes remaining to cap a fine individual display and ensure the points returned to north west London, calmly beating the 'keeper at the near post following an excellent run down the left from Piers Bourke.

Old Brentwood 2's 2 OHAFC 2nd XI 1: One of the most ill-tempered matches in recent years involving an OHAFC team saw the 2's lose 2-1 at Brentwood and finish the game with ten men following the dismissal of Joe Bone.

The teams traded fine goals before the break, the hosts scoring from an excellent individual effort before Harrow hit back in style, Hugo Trower volleying home Max Curry's cross.

The second half saw tempers flare as tackles began to push the boundaries of legality. In amidst the bad feeling, the hosts scored their second goal that ultimately proved decisive.

But the major talking point was the ugly brawl which sparked off with ten minutes remaining following a challenge by Bone. Two home players were dismissed and Bone was booked for his role, but he took exception to the referee's decision and following a further exchange was subsequently given his marching orders.

Two Seasons Ago: November 16th 2013

Old Forest 2's 2 OHAFC 2nd XI 2: A very good Harrow display was overshadowed by a sloppy two minutes, throwing away a 2-0 lead and some much needed points.

The visitors went ahead just before the break with Max Curry continuing his best form for the club with another well taken goal having latched onto a Cyprian Owen-Edmunds through ball.

Despite playing some excellent football in the second half, it was a mundane goal from a set-piece that appeared to have earned the visitors the points: Cater crossed a free-kick to the far post and the ball rather bounced off Jack Orr-Ewing's chest before finding it's way into the goal.

But Forest turned the game on its head with two goals in sixty seconds with less than ten minutes on the clock. A long ball forward bisected the two Harrow centre-halves allowing a clear run on goal and straight from the kick-off a panicked misplaced pass gifted a simple opportunity to score the equaliser.

OHAFC 3rd XI 4 Old Millhillians 4: A dramatic game on the Hill for the 3rd XI that saw eight goals shared and a red card for defender Theo Gordon. Harrow started poorly and were 2-0 down inside ten minutes but recovered well and, thanks to two goals from promising striker Alex Smith, fought back to re-take the lead at 3-2, Nick Kapoor the other scorer.

There was still time before the break for another Mill Hill goal, the sides going in level at 3-3 at half-time.

Harrow tool the lead thanks to a goal from Ali Buckley but quickly threw away their advantage when Theo Gordon pulled his man down inside the area, the referee awarding a penalty and issuing a straight red to Gordon.

Despite the penalty being converted, Harrow kept going until the end and both sides had chances to take all three points.

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Last Season: November 15th 2014 – Friendly Fixtures versus The School

Harrow School 1st XI 1 OHAFC 1st XI 6: A comfortable win for the Old Boys against the School, who were missing several first-choice players to professional academy fixtures and school rugby matches.

Nevertheless, the old boys were commanding in their victory, with Bemini Soyinka grabbing a hat-trick and Breeden, Gilbert and Verhagen adding the others.

Harrow School 2nd XI 0 OHAFC 2nd XI 1: The OHAFC 2’s restored confidence and their defensive solidarity in a competitive 1-0 win over the School 2nd XI. With a number of regulars missing, skipper Jack Orr-Ewing gave 2’s debuts to Ludo Callander and Ed Page, and a club debut to Edmund Massey.

But it was Azhar Khan, playing on the left wing at the time, who made the difference and scored what proved to be the only goal of the game twenty minutes from time. Max Curry latched onto a ball down the right and when his fierce cross-shot was parried up into the air by the ‘keeper, the alert Khan was on hand to head home from close range.

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On this weekend…In the wider footballing world

November 16th 1964 saw the senior debut of one of the world’s greatest ever footballers, with a 17 year-old Johan Cruyff making his bow for Ajax in a 3-1 defeat to GVAV. Although his side lost, Cruyff scored the consolation goal and showed enough glimpses of talent to suggest there was more to come.

And there was. Much more. The following season Cruyff scored 25 goals for the Dutch giants in their title-winning campaign. Cruyff soon became the focal point of both Ajax and the Netherlands, with legendary manager Rinus Michels building his sides around Cruyff’s extraordinary talents.

Ajax would go on to win 14 trophies in seven years, the Dutch national side would heartbreakingly miss out on World Cup glory twice, losing both the 1974 and 1978 finals to West Germany and Argentina respectively.

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Also on this weekend: Sunderland received planning permission for their new Stadium of Light (1995); David Beckham took the captain’s armband for England for the first time in a friendly against Italy in Turin (2000); Gerry Francis was appointed manager of Spurs (1994); Rio Ferdinand won his first England cap in a 2-0 win over Cameroon (1997)