Wombling Free
Today sees us travel down to Hertfordshire to watch National League club, Boreham Wood, take on League One’s Burton Albion in the FA Cup 3rd Round.
It’s been two whole weeks since our last trip to Forfar Athletic, so I’m certainly ready for the long journey south that lies ahead.
Our intended trip to Dunbar United on January 3rd took a backseat to the weather. Despite the club tweeting that the game would go ahead following a pitch inspection, I decided not to travel because of the snow that was falling.
My decision was later justified when a second pitch inspection led to the game being called off.
The week before was the Christmas period, and as someone who relies on public transport, it was never likely that I would get to a game, even a local one.
So, that means I am raring to go this weekend, and as a special birthday treat to myself, I booked tickets to London to see AFC Wimbledon play Blackpool. I had, of course, completely overlooked the FA Cup fixtures, which spoiled my plans.
I guess you could say I was now Wombling Free… (one for my older regular reader… yes, you!)
However, momentary annoyance was assuaged when I realised I could instead visit Boreham Wood for their cup tie against Burton.
So, with little prior knowledge of the club or town, let’s get on with it!
The Journey
The day started early, with the 06:33 X1 to Newcastle.
It was a cold, frosty morning with a light dusting of overnight snow lying on the ground. I was very careful walking to the station, and thankfully, I avoided the ignominy of falling on my rear.
The bus arrived on schedule and deposited me in Newcastle at 07:30.
After picking up a couple of baked goodies from Greggs, I made my way to Central Station to await the 08:24 LNER service to London King’s Cross.
The train pulled in on time, and I took my seat, settling in for the journey south.
Despite the distance, the journey is a relatively quick one, with only one stopping point along the way, at York.
We arrived at King’s Cross station at 11:15, taking 2 hours 51 minutes to make the 276-mile journey.
The next stage entailed walking to the adjoining St. Pancras Railway Station. Although St. Pancras is only next door, it took me over ten minutes to find and reach Platform B for my connecting train.
I boarded the 11:33 Thameslink service to St. Albans City, arriving at Elstree & Borehamwood station at 12:00.
While I get my bearings, why not have a read about the town of Borehamwood?
Borehamwood
Borehamwood is a town in Hertfordshire, situated on the north-western edge of London, within the commuter belt.
Borehamwood is located 12 miles northwest of central London, 6.5 miles east of Watford, 4 miles west of Barnet, 18.5 miles southeast of Luton, and 252 miles southeast of Hetton-Le-Hole.
In the 2021 Census, Borehamwood had a population of 39,765, an increase from 35,489 in 2011.
Borehamwood was first recorded in the 12th century as ‘Burehamwode’. The name is believed to derive from the Old English words ‘bora’ meaning ‘brook, or stream‘, ‘ham’ meaning ‘hamlet or village’, and ‘wode’ meaning ‘woodland‘, reflecting the area’s early rural nature.
Following the arrival of the railway in 1868, Borehamwood began to expand beyond its rural origins, attracting workers who commuted to London and small businesses that served the growing population. Housing development increased steadily in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with new streets and amenities forming around the station.
The 20th century marked a turning point for the town with the establishment of Elstree Studios in 1925. The presence of the film industry brought new employment opportunities and national recognition, drawing skilled workers, technicians, and creatives to the area. This period saw Borehamwood evolve from a commuter settlement into a town with a distinct cultural identity.
Between the wars, Borehamwood continued to grow, supported by improved road connections and public services. By the outbreak of the Second World War, the town had established itself as a modest but expanding urban centre, shaped by both its transport links and its emerging role in British cinema.
Post-War
Following the Second World War, Borehamwood experienced significant housing expansion to accommodate London overspill, rapidly increasing its population and infrastructure.
Borehamwood has continued its close association with film and television, earning the nickname “British Hollywood”. It has been central to the production of numerous iconic films and television programmes, including Star Wars, Indiana Jones, The Shining, and TV’s EastEnders, Celebrity Juice, and The Chase, among many others (full list).
Today, Borehamwood’s economy is supported by media production, retail, logistics, and professional services, with many residents commuting into London for work.
The unemployment rate in Borehamwood is lower than the national average, reflecting its strong transport links, proximity to London, and diverse employment opportunities.
You can find out more about what Borehamwood has to offer via the town’s official website.
It should be noted that while the football club retains the historic two-word name, the town itself is now referred to by a single word.
Borehamwood is twinned with the towns of Fontenay-aux-Roses, France, Offenburg, Germany, and Shoham, in Israel.
Notable People from Borehamwood
Speedway rider, Cyril Brine – actress, Shona McGarty – football player and manager, Tim Sherwood and film and television producer and director, David Tomblin.
In Borehamwood
After leaving the railway station, I made my way towards Shenley Road, noticing stars embedded into the pavement, similar to Los Angeles’ Walk of Fame.
Along Shenley Road is Elstree & Borehamwood Museum, which, in reality, turns out to be a small room on the second floor of the local library.
At the moment, there is an exhibition celebrating the 40 years of EastEnders.
Among the prize possessions on show are a (poor) replica of the bar from the Queen Vic (including the bust of Her Maj), the Beale family market stall, and Dot Cotton’s outfit, plus a host of other smaller pieces.
For a fan of the show, this may have been more interesting than it was to me. I am a most rare beast who doesn’t even have a working television in his house.
Having spent a whole five minutes looking around, I made my way to a place of more interest, the local watering hole.
The Pick & Shovel
The Pick & Shovel is also on Shenley Road, and is a convenient ten-minute walk from the ground.
Scantily populated when I first arrived, it didn’t take long to start filling.
I heard a few familiar accents, quickly realising there were a few Burton Albion fans in the house. Burton-on-Trent is just 14 miles from my hometown, Uttoxeter, so it was nice to hear the barmaid being called ‘duck’.
There were quite a few characters in the pub, including what I shall refer to as a ‘person of very short stature’, dressed all in pink, including his flat cap.
It occurred to me later that this is the nearest pub to Elstree Studios, and just about anyone could and possibly does walk through the pub doors from time to time.
I ordered myself a pint of Guinness, costing a very reasonable £4.10, and took a seat at a table by the door.
As I was supping a second drink, I got talking to a guy called Brian, and the subject got around to age. After asking how old I was, I said I was… ahem… ’21’ today.
He immediately got up and asked me what I would like to drink. After refusing to take no as an answer, I said I would have a Jack Daniel’s, please and thank you.
He came back with a double shot for me. Such a kind gesture from a stranger, and indicative of what I have found on my travels around the country with fellow football fans.
Football supporters get a bad name in the press, sometimes deservedly so, but in my experience, if you respect the place you are visiting, you almost invariably get the same in return.
Time to Move On
While I finished my drink, Brian said goodbye and headed off to the game, with me not far behind.
As I left the pub, another bunch of young Burton fans were on the other side of the road.
An extremely tall policeman was walking behind them, alongside a female colleague, and it was amusing to hear the nature of their chanting moderate as he moved into step behind them.
Boreham Wood – Meadow Park
The home turnstiles are all set in the northeast corner of the ground, which means walking all the way round the outside of the stadium. Something I usually do anyway, but maybe annoying to regulars who just want to get into the West Stand, for example.
Getting In
I purchased my ticket online from the Boreham Wood website for £20.00.
Turnstiles of the automatic variety, with self-scanning at the gate. Ticket duly scanned, I made my way inside Meadow Park.
Once inside, I bought a match-day programme from sellers walking around the ground.
Boreham Wood Programme
The programme cost £4.00, and I’m not sure if this is the regular price or a special ‘FA Cup edition’.
The issue is 48 glossy pages and slightly bigger than the average programme. It contains 20 full pages of adverts, equating to 41.67% of the total.
The programme is nicely put together and contains words from the chairman and manager, Luke Garrard. Boreham Wood’s progress in the Cup so far, six pages dedicated to the visitors, two match reports, and the usual squads, fixtures, league table and line-ups
Given the amount of adverts, I feel it is below average value for money, despite being a nice production.
Boreham Wood Club Shop
There is a club shop adjacent to the North Bank Stand, and I joined the short queue in the hopes of getting a pin badge.
Unfortunately, they were sold out, according to the guy behind the counter, which was a bit disappointing. For a game of this magnitude for the club, and with a bumper crowd, you would expect them to have a good number ordered in advance of the game.
I’m sounding like a right Moaning Minnie here, aren’t I?
Don’t worry, I think I’m done now.
The North Bank
After passing the club shop, I came to the end behind the goal, known as the North Bank.
Brian had already told me the club has a connection with Arsenal, and he said quite a few of the old Arsenal firm used to come from Borehamwood.
These days, the connection extends to the stand’s name, harking back to the old North Bank at Highbury. Arsenal U21’s, and occasionally Arsenal Women, also play their home games at Meadow Park.
The North Bank is a covered 12-step metal terrace that extends the width of the pitch.
Floodlights flank the terrace in both corners of the ground.
West Stand
In the northwest corner are toilet facilities, leading on to the West Stand.
This is a seated and covered stand that houses both home and away supporters.
Between the two sets of supporters is a media section, which was busy for today’s game.
Above them, camera crews were perched on the roof. I didn’t envy their exposed positions on a cold day like today.
At the southern end of the stand, an electronic scoreboard shows the time and score.
Due to segregation, I couldn’t walk any further than the media section.
South Terrace
The South Terrace is an open end that I couldn’t get a decent view of due to segregation.
The terrace appears to be quite shallow; maybe 6 steps or so deep. It is split into two sections, the larger section being on the west side of the goal, with a smaller section east of the goal.
This is where the rest of the 447 Burton Albion fans were congregated.
The other two floodlights flank this end of the ground. The southeastern corner’s lights appear to be attached to a radio mast, more reminiscent of old-fashioned floodlight pylons.
East Stand
The eastern side of the ground contains the main workings of the club.
It houses the East Stand, a small open terrace at the northern end, the dressing rooms, club offices and Oscar’s bar behind the stand.
The East Stand is a smaller version of its opposite number on the west side.
All stands at the ground, including the North Bank, are of a similar design. This creates an image of a modern football ground, with some old-fashioned trappings to suit everyone.
The players enter the pitch from the southeast corner, between the radio mast and the East Stand.
Boreham Wood – Meadow Park Gallery
Meadow Park’s capacity is set at 4,500, and the surface is natural grass.
The stadium attendance record was set on 6th December 2021, when the Wood played St. Albans City in the FA Cup 2nd Round.
There are plans afoot to build a new stand at the southern end of the ground, replacing the South Terrace. Mock-ups of the planned improvements were shown in today’s programme.
Boreham Wood Tidbits
The Boreham Wood Football Club was founded in 1948.
Formed from a merger between Boreham Wood Rovers and Royal Retournez, the club initially competed in local leagues.
Boreham Wood initially played at Eldon Avenue before moving to Meadow Park in 1963. Meadow Park has been repeatedly developed and improved from 1999 onwards and remains their home today.
The club spent many years in different lower leagues, including the Mid-Herts League, the Parthenon League, the Spartan League, and the Athenian League. The club made steady progress rather than rapid success.
They won Division Two of the Athenian League in 1968/69 and were promoted again the following season. Promotion to the Premier Division in 1970 marked an early milestone, and Boreham Wood began to build a reputation as a competitive and well-run non-league side.
In 1973/74, they reached the 1st Round of the FA Cup for the first time, losing 3-0 at Southend United.
That was their final season in the Athenian League, and the Wood joined the Isthmian League the following season.
They were promoted to the Premier Division in 1976/77. The following year saw them advance to the FA Cup 1st Round once again, this time falling 2-0 in a replay at Swindon Town.
Relegation in 1981/82 meant 12 years would slide by before they regained their spot in the Isthmian’s top flight.
They reached the FA Cup 2nd Round in 1996/97, losing 2-1 at Luton Town. The following season, they repeated the feat, losing 2-0 to Cheltenham Town in a replay.
The Noughties and Beyond
A significant turning point came in the early 2000s. With Wood relegated in 1999, they made an immediate return, but the real progress was occurring off the pitch. Boreham Wood began to invest more heavily in infrastructure and player development. The redevelopment of Meadow Park, including new stands and improved facilities, helped the club meet higher league standards.
Despite relegation again in 2003, the club was preparing for bigger and better things.
2004/05 saw the club transfer to the Southern League, and in the following season, they won Division One East. This earned them promotion back to the Isthmian Premier League, and in 2009/10, promotion via the playoffs saw them advance to the Conference South.
This success marked the beginning of the club’s most successful era.
The playoffs were kind to the club once more in 2014/15, seeing off Whitehawk FC 2-1 in the final.
Following the resignation of Ian Allinson, Luke Garrard was appointed as manager on 14th October 2015. At just 30 years old, he was the youngest manager in the top five divisions.
It turned out to be a successful appointment, with Luke still at the helm today, over ten years later.
In 2017/18, Garrard led his charges to the playoff final, with League football the prize. Despite losing 2-1 to Tranmere Rovers, it set the tone, and the Wood have been a mainstay of the National League, pushing for that ultimate goal.
They are currently second in the National League, going toe-to-toe with ex-EFL heavyweights such as Carlisle United, Rochdale and York City.
They Played for Boreham Wood
Lee Angol – Omar Beckles – Paul Benson – Dennis Bond – George Broadbent – Tom Champion – Darren Currie – Joe Devera – Wes Foderingham – Ian Gore – Reeco Hackett-Fairchild – Danny Haynes – Ben Herd – Jerel Ifil – Idris Kanu – Jamal Lowe – Charlie MacDonald – Dwight Marshall – Alan McCarthy – Jacob Mendy – Pelly Mpanzu – Luke Norris – Charlie Ntamark – Liam O’Neil – Ollie Palmer – Jack Payne – Krystian Pearce – Tom Pett – Danny Woodards
The most famous players to pull on a Wood shirt, are current Premier League star, Iliman Ndiaye and TV’s Bradley Walsh, who had his career curtailed by ankle injuries at the age of 22. He still did okay for himself!
Playing for both Boreham Wood and Stoke City (my team), are Kofi Nyamah, Loick Pires and this season’s outstanding player, Sorba Thomas.
Boreham Wood – Pre-Game View of Meadow Park
Boreham Wood v Burton Albion – The Game
Form
Coming into today’s game, Boreham Wood sit in 2nd place in the National League, two divisions and 29 places behind opponents, Burton Albion.
After 24 games, they have won 16, drawn five and lost just 3 times, scoring 48 goals and conceding 22.
In December, they played 5 matches and have won the last 3, including a 2-0 win over leaders Carlisle United. They also defeated League Two’s Newport County in the 2nd Round of the FA Cup, while narrowly defeated by Brackley in the FA Trophy.
Albion, meanwhile, are 4th from bottom of League One after 24 games. They have won 7, drawn 6 and lost 11, scoring 23 times and conceding 34.
In their last five matches, the Brewers have won one, drawn one and lost 3, including a 3-0 defeat at fellow strugglers, Plymouth Argyle, last time out.
Given all this information, I anticipate a close game that could go either way, and both teams scoring goals.
Pre-match prediction: Boreham Wood 1 Burton Albion 1 😳
Kick-Off
Summary
As this article is already lengthy, I will keep the match details brief. For those interested, a match report and match highlights are linked below.
Boreham Wood started the game strongly, and it can be argued they were the more dangerous team in the first twenty minutes or so.
However, once Albion found the net, there was no looking back.
Goals from Kyran Lofthouse and a Charlie O’Connell own goal gave the Brewers a 2-0 lead at the break.
In the second half, things only got worse for the home side. Three further goals were added by Fabio Tavres, Dylan Williams and JJ McKiernan.
Each second-half goal saw a few more home fans head for the exits, hopes of a c-upset long gone.
A disappointing showing on the day from the Wood, but even more important games still await them in the league.
I’m sure they will harness today’s disappointment and use it to spur themselves on in the matches to come.
After all, league football is what they are really aiming for. The cash injection from today’s game may even help fund a purchase to help with that mission.
You can read a full Match Report here, courtesy of the Boreham Wood website.
Full-time – Boreham Wood 0 Burton Albion 5
Attendance – 2,201
Entrance Fee – £20.00
Programme – £4.00
Boreham Wood v Burton Albion – Match Highlights
Up Next
Next up for Boreham Wood is a return to league action at Braintree Town on January 17th.
They then welcome promotion rivals, Scunthorpe United, to Meadow Park for a big game on the 20th, before travelling to Altrincham on the 24th.
January is rounded off by hosting Boston United (31st), before a huge game at Rochdale on February 3rd.
For the Brewers, it’s also back to league action as they host Huddersfield Town on the 17th.
Back-to-back trips to Lincoln City (22nd) and Bolton Wanderers (27th) are followed by a home game against league leaders Cardiff City to end the month (31st).
February begins with an all-Staffordshire clash against Port Vale on the 7th.
Boreham Wood Thoughts
I enjoyed my trip to Boreham Wood.
This is a place that benefits from its proximity to London, while retaining its own character thanks to the film industry.
Meadow Park is modern and clean, and you can see that the club is gearing up for life in the Football League.
Given its slow but steady progression up to this point, they know that there is no rush, but it feels like they may just realise their dream of league football in the coming seasons.
Maybe even this season!
The match-day experience is an enjoyable one, with the ground is just under a mile walk from the station, and a good boozer a convenient stop-off point along the way.
More progress is planned with the addition of a south stand to replace the worst part of the ground, the away end.
I would like to see the club add an additional exit for home fans in the northwest corner. This would cut down the amount of people filing past the North Bank while the game is still in progress.
It would also be nice for collectors like myself, if pin badges were readily available at the club shop.
I didn’t have any food or drinks in the ground, but plenty of people were doing so, which usually means its decent.
Overall, I would definitely recommend a visit to Borehamwood and its progressive football club.
After the Game
Following the final whistle, I left Meadow Park and made my way to the west side of the ground.
As I approached the area where the away fans were leaving, I noticed a disagreement between a motorist and a pedestrian.
I’m not sure what started the argument, but it resulted in the pedestrian punching the driver’s window.
As that car drove quickly away, there also seemed to be some sort of altercation developing in the car park behind the away end. I didn’t hang around long enough to see how it played out. I was more bothered about getting back to the station than watching morons fighting.
Arriving back at the railway station, I struck up a conversation with three people I presumed were Burton fans. It turns out they were at Boreham Wood for the same reason as me. They were Blackpool fans who had booked up to watch their team at Wimbledon before the FA Cup got in the way.
At least I wasn’t the only one!
I boarded the 17:35 Thameslink train back to London St. Pancras, arriving at 18:00.
This left an hour before my return train to Newcastle. I took a slow wander to King’s Cross and waited for a platform announcement on the huge departure boards.
Homeward Bound
We were eventually given our platform, and our LNER Azuma train awaited us as we got through the gates.
There were quite a number of Middlesbrough fans on board, and I sat next to a couple of them.
They had been beaten 3-1 at Fulham in another FA Cup tie, though apparently they had put in a decent performance.
It was nice talking to them, and they even shared their Fruitella sweeties with me. I forced myself to stop at two, though I could have easily eaten the whole bag! 😂
The majority of the Boro fans disembarked at Darlington, along with my neighbours. Thank you for your company. Sorry, I didn’t get your names!
We pulled into Newcastle’s Central Station at 22:08.
After making my way to the bus stop, I waited 30 minutes for an X1 to pull up. It was below freezing again by now, and the bus was a welcome sight.
Back into Hetton-Le-Hole by 11:30, I was through my front door five minutes later.
Another successful Hop in the books!
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Next Up for Hoppers Guide
Next week will see us travelling even further than this weekend, as we journey down into Kent for the League Two clash between Gillingham and Newport County.
Why do we Hoppers do this to ourselves? It’s some form of masochism, surely?
To subject ourselves to the whims and vagaries of public transport for 90 minutes of football must seem really strange to people who don’t ‘get it’.
It does help me to view other people’s hobbies in a different light, though.
After all, if I can travel 600 miles there and back to watch a League Two football match, why should I mock anyone who likes to record trains pulling into a station in a notebook? Why should I think it strange if someone wants to keep deadly snakes or spiders as pets?
We are a weird and wonderful species, and it is our variety that keeps life so interesting, and with that in mind…
Onto the next!
