Town Pushing For Fenix Finale

Ahead of a frantic series of leagues games, it’s back to Fenix Trophy duties tonight when we entertain Llantwit Major (kickoff 7.45) following our recent memorable visit to Copenhagen.

Llantwit, whose supporters are known as the ‘Windmill Army’ and who play in Cymru South in Tier-2 of the Welsh pyramid,  have played one game so far in the competition, when they defeated BK Skjold 1-0 in February.

While victory tonight for Town – who so far have six points from two games — wouldn’t mathematically seal a place in the Final Four in Italy, it would take a major turnaround to prevent us from getting there.

There will be a minute’s applause before the game in tribute to Dave Bryant. Just a reminder too that we have live music courtesy of the brilliant Acoustic Fidelity after the game so do stick around and soak up the atmosphere in the bar.

Advance tickets for the game are available here

https://enfieldtownfc.ktckts.com/event/fenix2/enfield-town-vs-llantwit-major

Dave Bryant Obituary

Dave was born in 1960 in Enfield and lived there for the majority of his life. Football was always his passion. His mum was an avid West Ham fan but it was after being taken to watch Enfield beat Woking at Southbury Road in 1968 that he found his true football love. There wasn’t too much to dislike about watching one of the best non-league teams in the country during the 1960’s, 70’s and 80’s. Frequent league winners, countless county and league cups, plus of course visits to Wembley in the FA Amateur and FA Trophy finals, and Dave rarely missed a game home or away. A decline set in during the 1990’s that culminated in the sale of the Southbury Road ground. Dave was instrumental in setting up a supporter pressure group to try and stop the sale. He made an impassioned speech at the council planning meeting turning some of the committee to go against the recommendation of the sale. Sadly, the chair’s casting vote carried the day but the supporters had someone to take us onto the next challenge of keeping senior football in Enfield.

For his day job Dave worked at Nalgo, now Unison, the trade union that represents public sector workers. He had a deep sense of right and wrong. He hated racism and detested discrimination of all kinds. That may have evolved from his work at the union but he always had a sense that injustices should be overturned. He certainly had a stubborn streak and so when it came to righting the wrong of the borough losing its football club he had the bit between his teeth. It wasn’t just his desire to put things right that made this fight ultimately successful it was also his ability to bring people with him and reason with those who objected to the road taken. He did that through his wonderful personality. Always generous, always having a joke and an ability to turn bad situations to ones you felt could be overcome. A testimony to his personality is that those who strongly disagreed with the formation of a new club were always on the best of terms with Dave. Always approachable, it was difficult for anyone to dislike him.

At the time the new club was formed Dave managed to also look after a young family. His first wife Linda and daughters Amy and Clare shared Dave’s love of nature. He enjoyed his fishing and bird watching and really loved trips to the Wye Valley with Amy and Clare over the last year. He loved his dogs: firstly Clough named after manager Brian Clough, then Benn (named after his political hero Tony Benn), D’Arcy (who Dave insisted was named after Alf D’Arcy the Enfield England international), and currently Lucifer.

Dave tackled his illness with typical bravery and was supported by his wife Rizete, daughters Amy and Clare and Claire’s husband Ollie, who all gave him so much care. Thoughts are with them and his step daughter Barbara.

I was fortunate to visit Dave several times in the last days of his life. He asked questions as to what games we had coming up and really wanted to stress how important the fans were to the team and how supporters should encourage them when things were tough. I can think of no better way to celebrate Dave’s life than asking all fans to make that extra noise when needed. He would love that.

Rest in peace mate.

Paul Millington

Dave Bryant

The club sadly have to report the passing of our founding Chairman, Dave Bryant.

Dave had been bravely fighting cancer but passed away earlier today. Our deepest sympathy to his wife, daughters, and friends and family.

The club will always be indebted to Dave. His role in forming our club and making fan ownership a reality was recently covered in an article in the Non-League Paper. This loss will be keenly felt by all that knew him.

Rest in peace Dave.

Town Clip Hornets’ Wings

Enfield Town 2 Horsham 1

Report From Andrew warshaw

All wins are vital but some have that special ring about them – and Saturday was surely among the latter.

With games in hand after their FA Cup and FA Trophy exploits, Horsham arrived at the QE firmly in the playoff places and unbeaten in the league away from home in 2024.

So ending that sequence courtesy of our demon duo Marcus Wyllie and Sam Youngs, in the process leapfrogging the Hornets to move up three places in the table to third, says everything about the togetherness of Town’s come-from-behind display.

Added to last weekend’s win over Lewes, it was even more important given our ferocious upcoming fixture list, with Tuesday’s Fenix Trophy game followed by – wait for it – five league games in 11 days.

Adopting a 4-1-4-1 system, Town began on the front foot but found themselves chasing the game on 19 minutes.

Lewis Taaffe appeared to be clearly fouled by Horsham skipper Lee Harding but when nothing was given, Harding found Daniel Ajakaiye, Horsham’s most dangerous player, who got the better of Taylor Mackenzie and finished coolly.

As we responded quickly, Ollie Knight saw his looping header just clear the bar with keeper Lewis Carey wong-footed but on 31 minutes we were level.

Joe Payne opted to go short with a throw-in and when he received the ball back from Scott Thomas put in a delicious cross that was expertly glanced home by Marcus Wyllie for his 22nd league goal of the season, putting him level at the top of the charts with David Rodari of Hastings.

The next goal proved all-important. With  virtually the last kick of the half, Carey spilled Payne’s low freekick and when Wyllie clipped the ball back in, Youngs headed into to an unguarded net.

H-T 2-1

Horsham had a great chance to level with the first move of the second half following a rare mistake by the otherwise imperious Bernie Tanner, a candidate for man of the match.

Luckily, Harding chose the wrong option, declining to go for goal and squaring to Ajakaiye who got his feet in a tangle.

Marcus so nearly made the visitors pay, first drilling a shot inches wide, then just unable to convert a glorious Youngs pass as the flag stayed down.

The game was now beautifully poised and although Horsham had a 15-minute spell late on, they didn’t pass the ball well enough and their attacks were invariably closed down.

Perhaps the biggest cheer of the afternoon was reserved for Jake Cass, who came off the bench for the last three minutes after seven and half months out with that crippling injury.

It was heart in the mouth stuff when Isaac Philpott almost cleaned him out with a horrendous challenge that saw yellow instead of red. Luckily Jake saw it coming and managed to turn away, then almost completed what would have been the perfect return by having a goalbound shot blocked in stoppage time (pictured).

“I said before if we kept standards high, we could win the game and psychogically it’s a huge boost being in front of teams like Billericay ,” said Gavin Macpherson. “We are massively achieving but  I don’t get too high with highs or too low with the lows.”

“To see Cassy back was immense.  He may not yet be fully fit and we have to treat it very carefully but his very presence on the pitch and in the dressing room gives everyone a lift.”

“Now it’s a question of how we navigate Llantwit Major on Tuesday because we don’t want to undo what we’ve been doing in the league when we’re back action again two days later.”

Town

Forster; Parcell, McKenzie, Tanner, Payne; Thomas (Alves 64); Adjei-Hersey (cass, 87), Taaffe, youngs, Knight; Wyllie

Towners Bid To Sting Hornets

It’s one of the most eagerly awaited fixtures of the season against a side that haven’t lost a single game away in the league so far in 2024.

Saturday’s sixth versus fifth clash with playoff rivals Horsham is nothing if not a mouth-watering affair as we bid to build on last Saturday’s win over Lewes.

In the corresponding fixture earlier in the season we gained a valuable point and as the business end of the season intensifies, so does the anticipation.

Our win over Lewes, allied to the Hornets’ home defeat  to Carshalton Athletic, saw us close the gap to a single point albeit having played a game more.

 But with three league games in a week, and Llantwit Major tucked in the middle, we are going to need all the resources we can muster for a guelling schedule as we bid for a third playoff place in seven years.

Although we have beaten Horsham on their last two visits, their away form, along with their FA Cup exploits, speaks for itself.

“We had a really tough challenge last week against a good side, I’m really pleased with the win when you look at the entire picture,” said Gavin Macpherson. “There were positives, we know we can play better and will strive to do so.”

“Horsham will be every bit as tough but we have the opportunity to build on last week. We will need another positive response from the players and a Copenhagen spirit from the supporters. We’ve had a really good working week in training but Horsham will certainly be tricky opponents.”

AW

Game Off

Tonight’s away game at Concord Rangers has been postponed following a pitch inspection because of a waterlogged pitch.

We can already confirm that the match will now take place on Thursday, March 21.

Battling Town Edge Home

Enfield Town 1 Lewes 0

Report by Andrew Warshaw

Sometimes you have to grind out results to get what you want and that’s exactly what Enfield Town did as we maintained our push for a play-off place on Saturday.

Marcus Wyllie’s 21st league goal of the season after just seven minutes settled a game in which Lewes had bags of possession and fair few chances but ultimately couldn’t break us down.

While the Rooks had a week to prepare, Town travelled to Copenhagen in midweek to play in the Fenix trophy, most of the team not returning home until 48 hours before yesterday’s game.

For non-league players, that kind of arduous trip was bound to take its toll but Town, employing an unusual but effective system of 3-2-4-1 partly to give the defensive midfielders protection, stuck to their game plan, in the process gaining sweet revenge for that 4-0 drubbing in Sussex in the reverse fixture.

Former England manager Peter Taylor, who also as it happens managed Enfield over 30 years ago, was among the crowd in a scouting role.

He could have been watching any number of players but saw only one goal, Wyllie quickest to react (pictured) after Joe Payne’s curling effort was parried but not held by Nathan Harvey.

As Lewes responded Keiran Murtagh was a toe poke away from levelling, then fluffed his lines with an even better chance. Ryan Gondoh’s miscued close-range volley could only find thin air but the Rooks’ possession-based game wasn’t quick enough as we closed off the spaces.

 Indeed Marcus might well have doubled our lead as he sneaked in to dispossess Elliott, only to come off second best in a one-on-one with Harvey.

H-T 1-0

The visitors re-emerged looking far more penetrative and proceeded to push us back. Marcus Sablier’s header struck the post while Luke Dreyer saw two goal-bound efforts somehow kept out, first by a fantastic Lewis Taaffe block, then by Rhys Forster’s smart stop.

Town, with only two fit players on the bench, were now playing on the counter but still had good chances of their own as  Wyllie netted again, only to be ruled offside, and Sam Youngs drilled a shot agonisingly wide.

Taking everything into account, this could be considered among our best wins of the season in the circumstances, a fact Gavin Macpherson acknowledged after setting the team up to try and nullify Lewes’ strengths, especially off the ball.

“After the massively difficult week we’ve had with all the travelling, it’s an incredible result,” said Gavin.

“We weren’t blessed with options and are on our knees so all in all, I’m absolutely delighted. Yes we looked leggy and it wasn’t vintage but  the boys worked unbelievably hard and there’s only one stat that matters.”

Town:

Forster; Parcell, McKenzie, Tanner; Thomas (Gucchi  Soulya-Osekanongo, 80) Taaffe; Adjei-Hersey, Youngs, Knight, Payne; Wyllie

Town Hoping For Rooks Revenge

Following our incredible exploits in Copenhagen, it’s back to the bread and butter of league action tomorrow when we take on one our bogey teams, Lewes, as we simultanously celebrate International Women’s Day.

A reminder that all women and girls are admitted for free to see us attempt to seek revenge and redemption for the 4-0 defeat we suffered in the reverse fixture earlier in the season.

Everyone knows how unpredictable Lewes can be on their day. Although they drew 2-2 with Canvey Island last time out, their 3-1 win at high-flying Horsham – their most recent away outing — spoke for itself.

In their two previous league outings to that, they lost 3-0 at home to Chatham yet that came after an impressive 3-1 win at Hastings, again proving how strong they can be on the road. With just three points between the Rooks and us, Saturday promises to be a highly competitive affair.

Whilst our superb win at Skjold may have taken something out of the players’ legs, it also created a fantastic bond that will hopefully augur well for the rest of the season as we continue to push for a playoff place.

With the focus on energy levels, everyone is raring to go again, pending a few niggles.

“On the back of Copenhagen, everyone’s in good spirits,” said Gavin Macpherson. “We’ve had a great week and everyone is upbeat. If we don’t reach certain levels, we could lose the game but I’m expecting a much better performance than we produced down there.”

AW

Celebrating International Women’s Day

As we have done in recent seasons, the club are are marking International Women’s Day by offering free entry to women and girls for tomorrow’s huge match at home to fellow playoff-chasers, Lewes.

We will be joined at Saturday’s game by members of our ladies’ teams, who will be showcasing their section of the club, as well as music from a great local duo and some fun from our new partners at Hertfordshire Zoo.

Enfield Town FC currently runs 13 teams for women and girls with a range of agea and abilities, from Under 10s to our senior women’s sides, with over 200 playing members at present. Drop them a message if you are interested in joining the club!

Stadium artwork: @theamyverse

Memorable Night On European Tour

BK Skjold 1 Enfield Town 4

Report By Andrew Warshaw

The rain lashed down relentlessly, at times turning to hail, the wind blew like crazy and it was bitterly cold.

But none of that could dampen the spirits of upwards of 200-plus Town fans who made the trip to Copenhagen to see us secure a resounding 4-1 win over Fenix Trophy holders BK Skjold on Tuesday night and take a massive step towards the Final Four in May.

Following our 3-1 victory in the reverse fixture in November, this was expected to be a far tougher challenge, with Skjold playing a far stronger side.

But we never gave them a sniff, roaring into a three-goal lead by halftime and running out comfortable winners, eliminating the Danes in the process.

Despite the atrocious conditions, the travelling Town faithful were in full voice, belting out song after song before finally taking refuge afterwards in the Skjold clubhouse where the ear-splitting celebrations went on long into the evening.

If the sheer number of Town fans did the club proud, the players certainly matched them.

It took us just 16 minutes to break through on Skjold’s artificial pitch, Marcus Wyllie linking up with Sam Youngs before the latter drew his defender, feinted and slotted home with a composed finish.

Amid the atrocious conditions, it was a credit to Town that they managed to move the ball so effectively and as halftime approached, we put the game to bed.

First a right-wing cross evaded the entire Skjold back line and Lewis Taaffe rifled home a terrific strike.  Then Marcus followed up his own headed flick with a piece of twinkle toes skill that gave the Skjold keeper no chance (pictured, celebrating with fans).

While we took our chances with clinical precision, Skjold scuffed theirs, playing some nice stuff box to box but lacking concentration at the back and composure in the final third, invariably missing the target either high or wide.

H-T 0-3

Town were forced into a halftime change, Taylor McKenzie suffering a groin issue and Mickey Parcell moving into central defence.

Inevitably we took our foot slightly off the gas but still managed to go further in front on 66 minutes through a trademark Sam Youngs glancing header from a corner.

Skjold finally got on the scoresheet with five minutes to go through a direct freekick but it was little more than a consolation.

With maximum points so far, one win from our final two group fixtures — both against Lllantwit Major — should in all likelihood get us over the line and seal an historic trip to Lake Garda for the Final Four. Four points certainly will.

“When the tournament was first introduced to me I didn’t quite get the magnitude of it for this club,” said Gavin Macpherson. “For a club at our level, Step 3 of non-league football, I defy any other club to do what we have tonight in terms of the phenomenal passionate support.”

“You can only look at this and say it’s probably unique given the publicity. It’s a milestone for a club that has come a long way in a short space of time. If we can get to the last four, we’ve a hell of a chance.”

Starting Lineup

Forster;  Parcell Tanner McKenzie Payne; Thomas, Youngs,  Taaffe, Adjei-Hersey,  Wyllie, Knight