Hayes F.C.
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| Full name | Hayes Football Club | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Nickname(s) | The Missioners | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Founded | 1909 (as Botwell Mission) |
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| Ground | Church Road, Hayes, Hillingdon |
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| Capacity | 4,730 (500 seated) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Chairman | Derek Goodall | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Manager | Kevin Hill | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| League | Conference South | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2005-06 | Conference South, 20th | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Hayes F.C. are an English football club based in Hayes, in the London Borough of Hillingdon. They started out as Botwell Mission in 1909 taking their present name in 1929. The team nickname, The Missioners is a salute to the history of the team. The club currently play in the Conference South. Their home stadium is Church Road which seats 500 with a total capacity of 6,500 (although the record attendance at this ground was 15,370 for an Amateur Cup tie against Bromley in 1951). The team is recognized by their red and white striped shirt. The current manager is Kevin Hill, who got the job on a full-time basis after successfully steering the team clear of relegation after the departure of Willy Wordsworth towards the end of the 2005-06 season. Wordsworth had been unable to emulate the success of his predecessor, the highly-regarded Terry Brown, who left to take a vacancy at Aldershot Town F.C. in 2002.
Contents |
[edit] Past Players
[edit] History
Hayes were formed in 1909 by a lady by the name of Eileen Shackle, who wished to create a club to encourage boys to participate in sport as well as encourage their religious convictions. Their original name,'Botwell Mission' was because they changed at the small mission church and stored their kit there.
Hayes have been to higher reaches in recent years, and had a six year stint in the Conference National, spanning from 1996 - 2002. The Missioners secured the Isthmian League on May 4th 1996 at Carshalton Athletic FC's Colston Avenue, winning 3-0, and achieving the title by a goal difference of one from second placed Enfield.
In 1999 the club finished just seven points off a placement in the Football League, via a Conference championship, with what was nothing better than an average side, expertly managed but with mediocre resources.
During their time Hayes have claimed some acknowledgable cup triumphs, some of the most noteworthy being the scalps of Fulham, Bristol Rovers and Cardiff. In 1999 they lost out on a lucrative third round tie with Chelsea after going down in extra time to Hull, they also took Reading to a replay in 1972 after a battling performance at Elm Park. They also ran Wycombe Wanderers close in 2001, eventually losing 3-4 at home.
The cup replay against Reading in 1972 became significant as it was the game in which Robin Friday shone for Hayes, so much so that he was signed by Reading very soon after. Robin remains the only known Hayes player to have had a book written about him, although others will no doubt follow - The Greatest Footballer You Never Saw. Friday was voted Reading and Cardiff City 'Cult Hero' on the BBC's Football Focus, and it remains tragic that unfortunately drugs and alcohol, which dominated his life off the pitch, ultimately led to his death at the tender age of just 37. Without this influence, perhaps he may have gone a lot further.
Church Road has also been the starting place of some well known footballers, most notably Les Ferdinand, Cyrille Regis and the aforementioned Robin Friday. Modern players who have moved on to higher successes in recent years are Blackburn Rovers striker Jason Roberts, Crewe's Justin Cochrane and young French goalkeeper Bertrand Bossu.
In 1960 Hayes was also home to a Swiss international, who was indeed capped during his time at Hayes. Anton Allemann couldn't play for in higher leagues due to FA regulations and therefore played at Hayes whilst working in London. At weekends he would fly home to play for his club, Young Boys of Berne.
The club was also runners up in the FA Amateur Cup to Wycombe in 1931, having had an extraordinary succession of away draws, which they came out of victorious. Thousands watched Hayes sink to a fairly late goal at Highbury.
This triumph is arguably the club's biggest ever, alongside winning the Isthmian League in 1996 and thus securing promotion to the Conference. The club has reached the FA Cup second round on four occasions, while in the FA Trophy they have reached the quarter finals twice. It is thought that perhaps the club should have won the trophy in 1998 if it were not for some downright dodgy decisions from the referee in the tie against old foes and rivals, Cheltenham.
[edit] Present day
Today Hayes' standing within English football has diminished somewhat, with a lack of funds hampering progress. They have, however, in recent years, benefited to the tune of around £750,000 for selling players on, the best being the £600,000(10%) sell on clause they received when Les Ferdinand moved on from QPR to Newcastle United. This helped the club through the early years in the Conference.
Hayes' recent attempts to move on from their historical Church Road home have been put back by council and government alike, some feel somewhat scandalously, and it is not until a move as such that Hayes will ever seriously be able to challenge in higher leagues again, but Hayes continue to punch above their weight, despite their mere following of around 200 spectators.
Chairman Derek Goodall announced upon relegation from the Conference that they must return as quickly as possible and this remains the short to mid term overall objective of the club.
[edit] Honours
Amongst the club's honours they can count a 3rd place finish in the Nationwide Conference, Isthmian league championship, Athenian league title, Spartan and Great Western suburban league champions. They have reached the first round of the FA Cup 22 times, 2nd round 4 times, the semi finals of the FA Amateur cup in 1957, the final in 1931 and various other regional cup wins. These include the Middlesex Senior Cup (10 times Winners), the London Senior Cup (twice Winners) and single London Charity Cup and Premier Midweek Cup wins.
[edit] External links
| Conference South 2006/07 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Basingstoke Town | Bedford Town | Bishop's Stortford | Bognor Regis Town | Braintree Town | Cambridge City | Dorchester Town | Eastbourne Borough | Eastleigh | Farnborough Town | Fisher Athletic | Havant & Waterlooville | Hayes | Histon | Lewes | Newport County | Salisbury City | Sutton United | Thurrock | Welling United | Weston-super-Mare | Yeading edit |
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