Continuing our look back at OHAFC fixtures played on the corresponding weekend over the previous five seasons – this weekend has seen three Eton versus Harrow fixtures played out of the eight games played, with one win, one draw and one defeat for the Club…

Six Seasons Ago: February 27th 2010

No OHAFC Fixtures

Five Seasons Ago: February 26th 2011

Old Etonians 2 OHAFC 1st XI 4: Another trip to Eton for the 1st XI but this time a much happier result with Quentin Baker’s side running out 4-2 winners.

The visitors made an excellent start to the game with Baker and Luke de Rougemont scoring inside the opening half an hour to put the visitors two goals to the good.

Although Eton hit back early in the second half, an excellent third from Lederman, skipping past one challenge before dummying the goalkeeper and defender on the line, restored the two-goal cushion and a fourth from Harry Hoffen confirmed the win.

Rudy d’Oliveira performed well in goal in his first outing of the season.

OHAFC 2nd XI 3 Old Malvernians 2: Another Junior League Cup win for the 2’s, again at home, but this time on the School astroturf pitch.

Soyinka with two and Bone with an excellent third gave the hosts a commanding early lead but the visitors continued to press and scored twice to set up a tense final twenty minutes.

Fortunately Arjun Chopra’s men held on to ensure their Cup dreams continued for another round at least.

Four Seasons Ago: February 25th 2012

Old Carthusians 3 OHAFC 1st XI 2: A very ill-tempered game at Charterhouse saw the hosts almost certainly confirm their status as champions for the season, in the process ending any slim hopes Harrow had of narrowing the gap.

The visitors came into the game on the back of a six-game winning streak going all the way back to November and began the game confidently enough. There were signs of the trouble ahead however when several late challenges, one notably from Milln, infuriated the home side and their supporters.

After an even opening half an hour, Harrow took the lead from a set-piece, a free-kick leading to a scramble in the Charterhouse box that Baker was on hand to fire home. The visitors held on in relative comfort to the break although Ed Poulter was taken ill and had to leave the field in some discomfort.

Disappointingly, the hosts were back on level terms minutes after the re-start, goalkeeper Luke Raffety enduring a rare howler when he allowed a harmless low cross to slip through his grasp and land on the goalline where it was gleefully hammered in.

Shortly afterwards and the main talking point of the game occurred: a long ball down the Harrow left saw the pacey Charterhouse winger sprint into the box and tumble over the onrushing Raffety. The ‘keeper protested his innocence and, after the spot-kick had been awarded, confusion reigned when the Charterhouse player himself admitted that there had been no contact. Nevertheless, the official was not for turning and the penalty was duly scored to give the hosts the lead.

With Harrow now feeling hard done by the referee tempers began to flare badly and the lack of concentration proved fatal, a third goal being conceded from close range. The game did eventually settle down although by now every decision was being contested by both sides. Harrow scored a second with ten minutes remaining, Lederman sending Hoffen clean through the middle to score with customary ease, to set up a tense finish but despite sending the ball into the Charterhouse box at every opportunity the hosts just about held on to claim the points and the vital win.

OHAFC 2nd XI 4 Old Berkhamstedians 0, Junior League Cup 2nd Rd: A much better day for the 2nd XI, who overcame a physical Berkhamsted side to reach the quarter-finals of the Junior League Cup.

Leading scorer Bemini Soyinka struck first after only ten minutes and a second from midfielder Henry Francklin ensured the hosts enjoyed a two-goal lead at the break. Phil Berry came on as a substitute for Jamie Waugh and he was to end the game as a contest with two goals midway through the half.

Three Seasons Ago: March 2nd 2013:

Old Foresters 2’s 4 OHAFC 2nd XI 0: A sobering trip to north London for the 2’s on this occasion as, despite fielding a strong side, they came away well beaten by their Forest counterparts.

Simon Maydon scored a freak own goal, lobbing Pritchard in the Harrow goal as he tracked a Forest runner and things went from bad to worse for the visitors with Freddie Brunt being forced off with a knee injury and Dave Stead missing a late penalty.

Despite several good second-half chances the Blues could not find a way through and the usual excellent bangers and mash tea was little consolation ahead of the journey back south.

Old Chigwellians 3’s 3 OHAFC 3rd XI 0: This comfortable defeat for the 3’s completed a miserable pair of trips north for the Club on this weekend. In fine conditions the hosts played much the better football and ran out deserved winners.

Two Seasons Ago: March 1st 2014

Old Etonians 2 OHAFC 1st XI 1: The OHAFC 1st XI returned to action after a three week hiatus with a vital fixture at fellow Premier Division strugglers and arch rivals Eton. Both sides sat in the wrong end of the table prior to kick-off and knew that whoever lost the game would have the very real threat of relegation hanging over them.

In bright sunshine and breezy conditions the visitors began the match well, dispelling any notions of ring-rustiness having not played since the early-February defeat to Charterhouse.

The opening goal came on the half-hour mark from a fine Harrow counter-attack. Coleridge-Cole cleared a loose ball on the edge of the Harrow box to Lederman on the left wing, he fed Harder inside and the big Dane quickly switched play to the right with a precise through ball that just had sufficient weight on it to evade the final Etonian defender. Owen-Edmunds collected the pass in stride and took a couple of steadying touches before calmly slotting the ball past the 'keeper at the near post.

Harrow should have doubled the lead minutes later when a short corner routine allowed Lederman to produce a fine cross from the right but the unmarked Harder could only head over the bar from six yards when a goal seemed likely. The miss proved costly as from one of the final attacks of the half the home side levelled thanks to two fine pieces of play from the standout Etonian winger, who first earned a free-kick on the edge of the box with a powerful run, then dispatched it into the far top corner.

The second half saw the hosts dominate as Harrow sunk deeper and deeper into their half and conceded possession with alarming regularity. With twenty minutes remaining scored the vital third goal of the game from a corner, Harrow ‘keeper Charlie Walsh certain he had been fouled in the build-up.

Five games remained for the side to try to salvage their Premier Division status.

Old Etonians 2’s 2 OHAFC 2nd XI 2: On an adjoining pitch at Eton the two second-string sides fought out an entertaining 2-2 draw.

Eton took the lead midway through the first half when a long through-ball bypassed Jorel Bajwa allowing the right-back to run through on goal unhindered. They continued to dominate to the break but the visitors held firm to only trail by the one goal.

The lead was doubled soon after the re-start however when a careless pass from the back by Simon Maydon gifted a simple chance to the hosts’ striker.

But Harrow continued to battle and were rewarded for their efforts with a fine goal from substitute Alex Cater, who collected a long ball from the back, cut inside off the left wing and fired a looping shot over the ‘keeper into the far top corner.

Five minutes later, to the incredulity of those watching, the two sides were level. A corner following a swift Harrow break allowed Jaguar Bajwa to poke home from close range following a goalmouth scramble.

The result left the 2’s sixth in Division Three but only four points off the top of the table.

Last Season: February 28th 2015

NO OHAFC Fixtures

On this weekend…In the wider footballing world

After a couple of weeks of some rather sad events in football, it’s great this week to be able to bring you one of the all-time funniest Premier League moments…take it away Delia…

February 28th 2005 saw Norwich City take on Manchester City at Carrow Road in a game vital to their hopes of survival in their first season back in the Premier League after a nine year absence.

Dean Ashton and Leon McKenzie put the hosts 2-0 up inside the opening twenty minutes but City hit back through Sibierski and Fowler to leave the match tied at 2-2 going into half-time.

Norwich director and famous TV cook Delia Smith realised the importance of the next forty-five minutes to her club’s season but clearly hadn’t realised just how much she had had to drink prior to kick-off. In a hilarious rambling speech, she informed the crowd ‘this ish a meshage for the besht supporters in the world…where are you? Where arrrreeeee youuuuuu? Caaaaaaaaaaam onnnnnnn…let’s be avin you….’

Sadly, but not unpredictably, the plea fell on deaf ears: Norwich had a man sent off in the second half and went on to lose 3-2.

You can see Delia lose the plot here

And the climax to her exhortations mashed up with Eddy Grant’s 80’s hit Electric Avenue here!

Sunday sees the League Cup final take place between Liverpool and Manchester City at Wembley and there have been a number of memorable finals on this weekend down the years:

Feb 27th 2005 saw Jose Mourinho win his first trophy in English football as Chelsea beat Liverpool 3-2

Feb 27th 2011 saw Birmingham City win their first major trophy since 1963 with a 2-1 win over Arsenal

Feb 27th 2000 saw Leicester City win the trophy, remarkably, for the second time in four years with a 2-1 win over Tranmere Rovers in the final

Other notable events on this weekend down the years:

Feb 27th 1900 saw the founding of one of the greatest football clubs in the world: FC Bayern Munich.

Interestingly, the Bavarian club began life as a gymnastics club but the institution has become one of the leading football clubs of the world, with twenty-five domestic League titles, seventeen German Cups and five European Cups, most famously when they won the trophy three times consecutively in the mid-1970’s.

Feb 27th 2010 was an interesting day in the Premier League: Wayne Bridge refused to shake John Terry’s hand at the City of Manchester Stadium following revelations that Terry had gone behind his former teammate’s back and slept with his ex-girlfriend.

It was also the day Arsenal midfielder Aaron Ramsey suffered a double fracture of his leg in a collision with Stoke’s Ryan Shawcross. It was over a year before Ramsey would play for the Arsenal first team again.

And to end on a happy note, Feb 28th 2015 saw Newcastle United midfielder Jonas Gutierrez return to action for the Magpies after seventeen months of treatment for testicular cancer. Gutierrez was given a standing ovation as he came on in the 1-0 win over Aston Villa. He was released at the end of the season when his contract expired however and is now playing in La Liga for Deportivo La Coruna.