After a week inevitably dominated by news of the FA Vase draw, Romford return to Essex Senior League action tomorrow with Buckhurst Hill coming to Mayesbrook Park. Later in the day there’s the small matter of England’s World Cup Quarter-Final, so it’s allez les blues at 3, but not at 7!

Brief History:

Buckhurst Hill FC were formed in 1985, and their first venture into senior football was as recently as 2004, when they joined the Hertfordshire Senior County League. In 2008, they switched to the Essex Olympian League, winning Division One in 2017 and gaining promotion to the Premier Division, which they won in 2018. In 2021 the club joined the Eastern Counties League Division One South.

In last season’s Eastern Counties League First Division South, Buckhurst Hill finished second to champions Ipswich Wanderers, who won the title by five points. In the Play-Offs, Buckhurst Hill beat Wivenhoe Town in the Semi-Final, but were beaten by Halstead Town - who had finished a mammoth 27 behind The Stags in the league table – but were promoted to the Essex Senior League thanks to their Points Per Game record and vacancies within Step 5.

This Season:

Buckhurst Hill were Romford’s opponents on the opening day of the ESL season, and a crowd of 165 at Roding Lane witnessed a 2-1 win for Boro with Emmanuel Robe scoring both goals. They followed that with defeats at West Essex and FC Clacton, but got their season up and running by beating Southend Manor 2-0. Overall this season they have won 8 and lost 9 of their 18 league fixtures and are currently tenth in the league table. Their most recent league outing saw them beaten 2-1 at home by White Ensign, but in their most recent fixture they won 2-1 at Saffron Walden Town in the Peter Butcher Memorial Trophy.

It’s fair to say that Boro’s recent league form has been disappointing, with just the one win (3-1 against Halstead Town) in the last seven games. Romford currently find themselves in a lowly seventeenth place but, thanks to cup runs, with as many as six games in hands over other sides, including Halstead Town who are currently one place and one point ahead of Boro.

While many of tomorrow’s fixtures up and down the country have early starts ahead of England’s World Cup clash with France (which kicks off at 7pm), Boro’s game remains a 3pm kick-off. Barking will be showing the England game in the bar for those who would like to watch it there.

The Halstead Town v Enfield match kicks off at 2pm tomorrow, but would have needed an early start anyway due to Halstead’s current floodlight problems that resulted in Boro’s trip there in the Peter Butcher Memorial Trophy being postponed earlier this week.

Other Essex Senior League fixtures this weekend:

Friday 9th December:
Barking v Southend Manor

Saturday 10th December 3pm unless stated:
FC Clacton v Clapton 2pm
Halstead Town v Enfield 2pm
Ilford v Little Oakley 2pm
White Ensign v Stansted 2pm
Athletic Newham v Takeley
Redbridge v Woodford Town
Romford v Buckhurst Hill
Sawbridgeworth Town v Stanway Rovers
West Essex v Saffron Walden Town