Continuing our look back at OHAFC fixtures played on the corresponding weekend over the previous six seasons – including last season’s unsuccessful pair of games in southern Spain on the Easter Tour…

Six Seasons Ago: April 5th 2010:

No OHAFC Fixtures

Five Seasons Ago: April 2nd 2011

OHAFC 1st XI 2 Old Carthusians 3: The OHAFC 1st XI suffered their first defeat to Charterhouse in three seasons when they lost 3-2 to the new League champions on a soggy Harrow Hill.

After a disappointing campaign from Harrow, the side ravaged by long-term injuries and absentees throughout the season, a recent run of good form, including a 2-2 draw against their opponents a few weeks earlier, had left the team in good spirits in the run-in to the season finale.

Depsite battling hard to match their opponents in a typically feisty encounter, Charterhouse were the stronger side for most of the game and goals from Lederman and Martins weren't enough to prevent a disappointing defeat.

The win confirmed Charterhouse as champions and provided them with a welcome boost as they looked forward to their AFA Cup Final in a few weeks’ time.

Old Aldenhamians 2’s 1 OHAFC 2nd XI 1: A Bemini Soyinka goal just before the half-hour mark was sufficient to earn Harrow a point against a notoriously difficult Aldenham side. The visitors equalised in the second half and the points, on this occasion, were shared.

Four Seasons Ago: March 31st 2012

Old Wykehamists 1 OHAFC 1st XI 2: The OHAFC 1st XI overcame a stubborn Winchester side in a poor game played on an even poorer pitch in their penultimate fixture of the campaign.

A hard, patchy playing surface greeted the players after a lengthy journey down the M3 and with several players absent or injured, a long day at the office seemed inevitable.

The hosts took the lead after half an hour of forgettable football when Nick Defty was caught in possession following a less than friendly pass from Piers Bourke, the Winchester striker turning Fred Milln and firing into the top corner past stand-in ‘keeper Andy Butler.

The visitors responded however and equalised soon after from a corner, Molloy nearly scoring first time before a bout of head tennis saw the ball fall to him a yard out and he smashed home.

An injury to a Wykehamist on the stroke of half-time left the hosts with no option but to play the second half with ten men and Harrow finally made the man advantage count when they grabbed the winner ten minutes from time. Several long throws had seen Harrow come close to scoring and they finally made a set-piece tell at the vital moment, Milln flicking on Poulter’s throw for Baker to head home on the rebound following the ‘keeper’s initial save.

Old Haberdashers 2 OHAFC 2nd XI 5, Junior League Cup semi-final (AET) A stirring comeback from the visitors allowed them to take their place in the Junior League Cup final for the second season in succession.

Harrow fell behind 2-0 down early on. Tom Mitchell (then current School 1st XI goalkeeper), who was drafted in to replace the absent Pritchard, acquitted himself excellently making some first class saves to keep the scoreline respectable before half time.

A Trower corner went straight in soon after the break and Harrow were back in it. Soyinka, prolific in recent games, found it difficult to get into the game as the ball bobbled around on a notoriously poor Riverside pitch. Then Robinson equalised with half an hour remaining and Harrovian spirits were lifted. However, Haberdashers were resilient and extra-time was needed to decide the tie.

In the event, the extra-period was one-way traffic with Harrow scoring three times without reply: two Johan Harder goals and an Ed Arghebant penalty gave the visitors a cushion and Habs had no reply: Harrow were through to a second JLC Final in as many years.

Three Seasons Ago: March 30th & 31st

Easter Tour to Sofia: The tourists achieved a rare win double in the Bulgarian capital with two victories over local opposition at the national training centre.

On the Saturday, in excellent conditions, the visitors played some lovely football to lead 3-0 at the break. Benjy Sewell scored twice and Jonathan Best with an outrageous chip.

Despite conceding after the break, the win was wrapped up thanks to Will Orr-Ewing scrambling in from close-range.

The Sunday saw the weather take a turn for the worse and with the tourists now suffering from two nights out the football was not of the same quality as in the first game.

Rain lashed down, a howling wind blew and the Sofia Nomads took the lead thanks to an error from Fred Coleridge-Cole. But the centre-half redeemed himself in the latter stages when he scored the equaliser and Hugo Trower won it with ten minutes remaining.

Two Seasons Ago: April 5th 2014

No OHAFC fixtures

Last Season: April 4th & 5th 2015

Easter Tour to Marbella: A squad of 17 played two games in southern Spain over the Easter weekend, losing both. Conditions for the two games were vastly different, with Friday’s encounter with Atletico Yunquera played on a magnificent astroturf complete with pitchside sprinkler system.

A very strong Yunquera team were given a helping hand when two early defensive errors gave the Spanish side a two-goal lead. The struggling tourists were out of the game by half-time but thankfully the hosts took pity and removed many of their best players, ensuring the final score was a respectable 4-0.

The following day, Easter Sunday, a short coach trip led the squad to the rather tatty surroundings of CF Candor in the town of Mijas. The visitors, despite two heavy nights under their belts, played well in the first half and scored twice through Alex Smith and Dave Stead.

The Candor coach wasn’t happy and let rip at his players during the break, clearly the Spaniards were taking the game more seriously than their visitors. Whether it was that, or the fact that Lederman went in goal, the second half was a different affair and Candor hit back to score five, leaving the tourists empty handed once again.

Twenty years ago on Sunday, April 3rd 1996, saw one of the greatest games ever played in Premier League history, Liverpool’s 4-3 win over Newcastle at Anfield that all but sealed the Geordie’s destiny to fail in their pursuit of an elusive title win.

The visitors began the night three points behind Manchester United at the top of the table but with a game in hand – Liverpool were third and still with their own faint title aspirations.

In a pulsating encounter the lead switched hands several times until the teams were level at 3-3 heading into the final few minutes. A neat exchange between Ian Rush and John Barnes on the edge of the Newcastle area allowed the latter to tee up Stan Collymore to fire home from close range and send Anfield into raptures. Cue the iconic images of Kevin Keegan slumping over the advertising hoarding and now infamous interview on Sky a few weeks later when he shouted that he would ‘luv it if we beat them (United), luv it.’

They didn’t. United won the title on the last day and Newcastle have never come close since.

Staying with the Geordies and another less than happy memory for the Toon Army took place on April 2nd 2005 when Lee Bowyer and Kieron Dyer, both playing for the home side, started fighting each other a quarter of an hour from time in a 3-0 defeat to Aston Villa.

The two players were sent off, leaving the hosts with just eight men following a previous red card for Steven Taylor. Dyer was banned for three games, Bowyer for four. They both missed the FA Cup semi-final a few weeks later, which Newcastle lost 4-1 to Manchester United.

April 3rd 1993 saw Mark Bright scored an extra-time winner as Sheffield Wednesday beat neighbours United 2-1 at Wembley to book a second cup final of the season against Arsenal. Sadly for the Owls, the Londoners won both the League Cup and FA Cup.

April 3rd 1999 saw Liverpool’s Robbie Fowler get into trouble for his goalline sniffing celebration following a penalty against Everton at Anfield. Fowler was fined £60,000 after the FA panel dismissed Gerard Houllier’s suggestion Fowler was copying an African grass-eating ritual!

Finally, April 3rd 1905 saw the founding of perhaps the most famous club in Argentina: Club Atletico Boca Juniors. The club, whose most famous alumni is of course Diego Maradona, was set up by a group of Italian immigrants and is the most decorated club in Argentinian football history.