This is a quick reminder to all members that our agm will take place tomorrow evening, Thursday, at Butler’s Bar.

One of our most important gatherings of the season, providing a unique opportunity for supporters to ask questions, the agenda for the meeting (7 for 7.30 pm) is as follows:

1. Apologies

2. Result of board elections

3. ETFC SS accounts – To approve accounts for ETFC Ltd

4. ETFC Ltd accounts – To approve accounts for ETFC Supporters Society

5. Board Review/Update – To include updates on ladies and youth sections

6. Q&A with the board

7. Q&A with Gavin Macpherson

A reminder too that our first live fundraising gig of the year takes place the following Thursday, Jan 29, featuring renowned musicians Alan Lovell and Robin Bibi.

Doors open at 7.30pm and tickets priced £15 can either be purchased in advance by calling Christine Hamilton on 07949 071587 or by email ianchrisham@hotmail.com. Alternatively on the following link:

https://enfieldtownfc.ktckts.com/event/ent2526concert1/alan-lovell-robin-bibi-live-.

Tickets on the door subject to availability. There will also be a bar and raffle.

Maidenhead United 3 Enfield Town 0

Report by Andrew Warshaw

 Appalling, atrocious, astounding. Not a description of Enfield Town’s latest setback at Maidenhead United on Saturday but of the standard of refereeing that helped bring it about.

Rarely have so many hugely contentious decisions in a single match gone against us and who knows whether, had the officials shown a modicum of common sense and consistency, we might now be talking about  a different outcome in Berkshire.

Because the fact is, until we went down to 10 men late in the first half, for all their possession the hosts had served up precious few clearcut chances on a pot-marked pitch that hardly made for a free-flowing encounter.

Even the local paper, in its match report, conceded we made life difficult for our opponents and  were arguably the better team until the second of  Ruaridh Donaldson’s yellow cards in the 38th minute.

 Sure you could argue that after receiving his first yellow, Ruaridh should have stood off Asher Yearwood instead of tripping him up  near the centre circle when the Magpies man was about to dribble past him.

But that doesn’t take into account the fact that his first yellow, shown after an innocent tangle with Jaiden Celestine-Charles, was extremely harsh.

The red card completely changed the game in which Town started with a back four, Ollie Knight coming into the side and Donaldson in a defensive midfield role.

Town have gone four months without an away win but up against a full-time side who had only lost one in seven there was little to choose between the teams in the opening half.

After Maidenhead bossed the opening 15 minutes, Town settled down with some eye-catching combination play down the left between Knight and Nino Adom-Malaki, playing as an orthodox leftback on the day.

It almost produced a goal, only for Billy Leonard to fire a volley just over. Lamar Reynolds scooped another one over while a Donaldson shot from a Nino throw was blocked six yards out.

Then came the game changer and almost immediately, Celestine-Charles shot wide with the goal at his mercy after Sam Youngs had his pocket picked.

 H-T 0-0

 Having been forced to re-organise, it was always going to be a tall order but Town survived for another 15 minutes before the Magpies went in front with a goal that enraged the management team and Towners players and fans alike.

 Reynolds was on the ground at one end having clearly received a high boot while at the other end Adam Thompson was lying prostrate having also taken a knock.

At that point we had eight players but instead of blowing up, the referee decided to let play continue. Cue the Mapgies taking fully advantage, Liam Dulson sweeping the ball into the bottom corner, a  cruel blow after so much effort and commitment and made even more painful by the fact play was halted for a Maidenhead player to be allowed treatment under similar circumstances.

For all that, we could have equalised when Evan Jones, on as a sub for Tommo, took a return pass from Henry Hawkins, only to strike the ball straight at Jordi van Stappershoef when anything either side of the Dutch keeper would have paid off.

 But on 71 minutes it was game over, again under highly controversial circumstances as the referee pointed to the spot when Yearwood made a meal of a relatively innocuous challenge and sub Sam Barratt slammed the ball home.

By now the 10 men were out on their feet  and it was no surprise when Barratt rolled the ball into an empty net for number three.  Josh Popoola twice saw further efforts flash past the post but the result was harsh on Town who remain four points from safety and will now be missing Donaldson – and possibly Tommo too – for the visit of Torquay next Saturday.

Despite our fourth loss in five outings, Gavin had nothing but praise for his battle-weary troops but had to choose his words carefully when it came to the officiating.

“If I say what I want to say, I could get into trouble,” said Gavin. “I felt my team gave a really honest, hardworking performance with a lot going against them while the supporters were again fantastic.”

“The boys carried out what they were asked to do but it became an easy football match for Maidenhead in the second half and we ended up on the back of a difficult result when we deserved better.”

Town:

Wright; Benjamin, Thompson (Jones 64), Hawkins, Adom-Malaki; Leonard, Donaldson, Gallimore (Brown 79), Knight, Youngs (Bullas 73); Reynolds (Bartkett-Antwi, 68)

Enfield Town go into the first of three perilously tough  fixtures on paper when we travel to in-form Maidenhead United tomorrow with every point precious as we seek to pull away from the danger zone.

With 20 games to go, there is still plenty of time to climb the table but with four sides facing the drop and Torquay and Dorking soon to come – followed by the mother of all six-pointers against Eastbourne — the importance of not being cast adrift cannot be over-stated.

Saturday’s opponents may be 10^th in the division but are on a roll, having only lost one in seven with the fourth best goal difference. Yet this league has shown that anyone can beat anyone on a given day and there is no reason we can’t come away with a decent outcome.

“Maidenhead, Torquay and Dorking are three full-time teams who are amongst the biggest in the league and the odds are stacked against us,” said Gavin Macpherson. “As far as pressure is concerned, part of my job is to absorb it and not let it affect the players. I go into every game thinking we can win it and I’d suggest the pressure is more on Maidenhead on Saturday.”

One advantage we perhaps have over the other clubs near the bottom is that we have been there before and know what it takes to survive. Having said that, everyone’s nerves will take a battering if we find ourselves in a similar position come April.

“This league has pushed on and in real terms our task this season is much harder,”  Gav admitted. “Teams are better resourced and train full-time which is huge. I understand the magnitude given who we are and where we are but we have players and a management team who have experienced this before.”

Having added to our forward options by bringing in  21-year-old Ruben Bartlett-Antwi from Slough, Gavin explained what attracted him to a player who was surplus to requirements at another Step 2 club but, let’s remember, scored against us in that gut-wrenching FA Cup defeat.

“He’s big, strong, gets his body in the way and has got the raw ability of a centre-forward which I like and which we found out when we played Slough,” said Gavin.

Although Ruben was a prolific scorer in the lower leagues, not least at Leatherhead where he scored 21 goals in 2024-25, Gavin cautioned Town fans not to necessarily expect instant results.

“He’s not the finished article and has a lot to learn but that’s good because he’s coachable. We all acknowledge that we’ll have to improve his game but the raw ingredients are there, he fits the group in his attitude and of course he’s an Enfield lad. He may not be a big name but I believe he’ll be extremely effective going forward.”

Ruben’s signing is all the more timely given that Eli Ackeson has picked up a knock whilst Gavin disclosed that Mickey Parcell, whose injury has taken longer than anticipated to heal, is being loaned out to Step 4 Takeley on a dual registration to gain some crucial match practise.

“Mickey is someone we desperately need on and off the field but the problem is how to get him up to speed,” explained  Gav. “Some might say training should do that but not at this level. You need games. At the moment he would probably last only 45 minutes which is where neither of us want to be. Hopefully we should have him back after a couple of games which can’t come soon enough.”

AW

We are delighted to announce the signing of striker Ruben Bartlett-Antwi from Slough Town.

Ruben, 21, is an Enfield boy, used to come and watch us play and is available for Saturday’s fixture at Maidenhead.

Among the goals he scored at Slough was their first equaliser when they knocked us out of the FA Cup in October.

Gavin Macpherson will address Ruben’s qualities in his Maidenhead match preview tomorrow.

Welcome Ruben!

Our fixture vs Hampton and Richmond has now been re-arranged for Tuesday 3rd February at 19:45

Enfield Town 1 Tonbridge Angels 1

Report by Andrew Warshaw

Enfield Town ended a three-match losing streak with a last-gasp leveller but might feel they should have had all three points to ease our plight even though the result pushed us up one place.

Our game was one of only four in the division to beat the weather thanks in part to all the pitch maintenance volunteers who deserve enormous credit and before kickoff, Sam Youngs was presented with a richly deserved player of the month award especially after all he has been through.

The management team would certainly have earmarked this fixture as a three-pointer given upcoming games that include the likes of Maidenhead, Torquay and Dorking  but Town’s returning goalkeeper Joe Wright, starting his third spell, was picking the ball out of his net after just 11 minutes.

In familiar fashion after an encouraging start which included a Youngs effort not caught as cleanly as he would have liked, Town failed to clear a flick-on from a corner and in the ensuing melee, Tom Leahy got the last touch to send the visitors in front.

Town became tentative in possession, frequently dispossessed just when we were building attacks — against defensively solid and strong counter-attacking opponents.

Billy Leonard produced a goal-saving tackle when the flag stayed down after Joe Wright had rushed out of his area to thwart another Leahy moment of danger while at the other end a Henry Hawkins header almost pulled us level.

But in truth there was precious little further goalmouth action for either side in an unmemorable opening half.

H-T 0-1

The second half began with the Angels still slightly in the ascendancy as Ricky Korboa cleared the bar before Town gradually seized control with an extended period of pressure.

Gavin Macpherson has been criticised in some quarters for making questionable substitutions but the one he made just after the hour mark arguably changed the game.

Angels skipper Scott Wagstaff had been helped from the field with a suspected dislocated shoulder when Ollie Knight, a bit-part player for much of the season, replaced Tosh Gallimore.

Tosh had arguably been our most productive midfielder but it was an attack-minded move and coincided with a change of formation as we reverted to a familiar back three having started in a four with Ruiridh Donaldson at left-back and Nino Adom-Malaki wide left.

The changes immediately paid off in terms of momentum  as a Knight cross was met by the head of Lemar Reynolds though unfortunately straight at Laurie Shala. Sam Youngs then saw his effort narrowly clear the bar on the stretch but in the third minute of 10 added on at the end, Town were finally rewarded.

So used to conceding ourselves late on, Adam Thompson, up from the back, brought down Xav Benjamin’s fine low ball and fired into the roof of the net (pictured celebrating) . Cue a flurry of Town corners and Eli Ackeson, off the bench late on,  going agonisingly close to a winner.

 “We needed to change something and stop conceding so many goals from crosses so that’s why we changed formation at the start,” said Gavin. “It was a tweak we felt we needed.  Although we weren’t totally at it, at halftime I still thought we could win the game. Over the 90 minutes I think we deserved more and we’re absolutely gutted. The boys put in a great shift but ultimately it’s two points dropped.”

“As for Ollie Knight, he’s had a difficult time but has given me a massive reaction. We know what he can bring and getting him wide was key for us today.”

With Olly Davis having departed, Gavin revealed that Cian Dillon could be returning to the club which would of course be a massive boost.

“Hopefully he’ll be back with us in a couple of weeks but we’ll be guided by QPR in terms of his injury. With Olly Davis, some people may think we can just keep our players but Hemel ‘s approach was entirely within the rules. As I’ve said, we did everything we could to keep him and in the end it was to Olly.”

Town

 4-1-4-1

Wright; Benjamin, Thompson, Hawkins, Donaldson; Gallimore (Knight 62); Adom-Malaki, Bullas (Ackeson 88), Youngs, Leonard; Reynolds

Following a 10 am inspection, the pitch has been passed fit and today’s game against Tonbridge Angels is ON (3pm k-o)

COYT!

Enfield Town go into their first home game of 2026, weather permitting, buoyed by Joe Wright re-signing between the sticks but at the same time no longer being able to call on the exciting talents of Olly Davis.

After three straight defeats, halting the losing run is paramount as we attempt to start moving away from the danger zone by hopefully securing a much-needed double over Tonbridge Angels following the second successive postponement of our match against Hampton and Richmond.

Last Saturday’s last-gasp defeat at Totton was hard to take for everyone who was there especially given the display was much improved from the two previous losses.

Gavin admitted that losing both Cian Dillon and Joe Kizzi in a matter of days had taken its toll on recent performances.

“I’m not making excuses but they were both catalysts in terms of what we were hoping going forward. Both were so crucial in their own right,” said Gav. “It may be hard for some people to imagine that two players could have that  much of an effect. Finding clones of those two, even on loan, is near impossible.”

But with virtually half the campaign still to go there is plenty of optimism in the camp that last season’s survival act can be repeated.

“We went through something similar last season but at no point did I ever think we were down as others may have thought,” said a defiant Gavin. “It’s just not in my nature. But I want to get this out there: at this club, which we all love, to bring in the right players at this level can be desperately difficult for well established reasons.”

It is very much hoped that Joe, in his third spell at the club between the sticks after no fewer than five other keepers have had a go this season, can help push us up the table. “Joe knows the club inside out and is a big influence in the dressing room.”

Having opted for Rhys Forster at the start of the season, Gavin opened up further on the rationale behind bringing Joe back after a stint at Step 3 Aveley.

“In the summer, I felt that since they both played their part last season it was important to recognise that. I understand why Joe made the decision he did after I couldn’t guarantee anything at the time. When Rhys left, we had a long-term option with Tom Norcott but him getting injured was an unexpected blow.”

“Then we had George, who also got injured, and Hubert which was something of a quick fix. We simply couldn’t go on like that.  Joe and I have talked about what happened in the summer and I’m confident he will be one of the players who drives us on to where we need to be.”

As for Olly Davis, who had just broken into the starting eleven – much to many supporters’ delight – there is some surprise that he has opted to switch to Hemel Hempstead in the same division.

“Quite simply, Hemel made in an official approach and Olly weighed everything up and agreed to go,” Gavin disclosed. “I’m disappointed to lose Olly but not IN Olly. I understand how football works.”

Explaining the detailed thinking behind how Olly, who started a number of games on the bench until recently, was employed, Gavin added: “He’s a maverick type of player. To find that sort of player given our position, you need time to find a way to fit him into the right place in the team in terms of strengths and weaknesses. He had made that transition and I want to tell the fans we did absolutely everything we could to try and keep him.”

Andrew Warshaw

Important footnote:

FREE ENTRY TO ENFIELD TOWN FC FOR ALL PUBLIC SERVICE WORKERS

We are inviting all home and away supporters who work in Public Services with free entry on Saturday.

Just bring your work ID with you to the side gate by the turnstiles for complimentary access to the game. The event is an opportunity for the club to say “thank you” to those who work in essential services.

Eligibility for Free Entry Free admission is available to all those employed in public services, including: ▪️NHS and Care sector, ▪️Ambulance Service, ▪️Postal Service, ▪️Police Service, ▪️Prison and Probation Services, ▪️Fire Brigade Service, ▪️Councils, ▪️Schools, ▪️Nurseries and Colleges Transport Services, ▪️HM Forces, ▪️Voluntary Sector Organisations

On the Day: Entry can also be gained on production of appropriate Work ID at the gate on match day.

We are delighted to announce that goalkeeper Joe Wright has re-joined the club for a third spell.

A hugely popular figure with the fans, Joe goes straight into the squad for tomorrow’s game against Tonbridge having agreed to leave Aveley.

“Joe knows this club inside out and is a big influence in the dressing room,” said Gavin Macpherson.

“Joe and I have talked about what happened in the summer, which is well chronicled, and I’m confident he will be one of the players who drives us on to where we need to be.”

More in the Tonbridge match preview later today.

 Welcome Back, Joe!

We can confirm the departure of Olly Davis who has agreed to join Hemel Hempstead Town.

Olly made 12 appearances for the club, scoring three goals.

We wish Olly all the best for the future. Gavin Macpherson will address his departure in the Tonbridge match preview later today.