Matchday images (37) http://picasaweb.google.com/footballgroundsinfocus/StedfastUnitedFC

Stedfast United (1) 1  Willesden Constantine (0) 5

Unstedy United succumb to Constant pressure...

Stedfast United Football Club was formed nearly half a century ago, back in 1964. The founder member of the club was the hardworking Ron Humm who was involved with the team for an amazing total of forty years before having to stand down in 2005 due to ill health. Although he still took a keen interest in the club, it was  Nigel Woods, the current manager, who then took over the running of the side, one which has enjoyed great fortune over recent years. The 2007-08 season was a most successful one for the club, winning both the MCL Division 3 West (with an unbeaten record) and the PD Mardon Division 3 Cup. They also won the MCFA Junior Cup beating North Greenford United Social 1-0 in the final. In 2008-09 Stedfast earned promotion to Division 1 West and continued to gain honours finishing as runners-up and beating NGUS 5-1 in the Jim Rogers' President's Division 1 Cup Final. Despite these superb achievements they declined promotion to the Premier Division in part due to the poor state of their pretty basic facilities. Sadly, for everyone at the club, Ron lost his long battle with cancer and died midway through the campaign. At the conclusion of last season it was most fitting then that the club went on to win the Division 1 West League title and retain the Division 1 Cup, finally accepting their place in the top flight of the Middlesex County League. No doubt Ron would have been so proud of his club.

Before today's game, United had continued to make progress and after an impressive start to the season they currently sit proudly at the top of the fifteen team MCL Premier Division. For the record they have won ten out of their first thirteen games to open up a narrow but decisive two point gap over second placed rivals Willesden Constantine who themselves have only lost one match in eleven played so far. Back in August Willesden won a tight league encounter here coming out top in a five goal thriller winning 3-2. All this suggested to the thoroughbred racing hoppers that this MCL Senior Open Cup Quarter-Final between both teams was going to be a very close, exciting contest.

And for forty-five minutes it was! After a fairly even opening half with very few chances created at either end it was the hosts, dressed in their familiar blue and white shirts, that led at the break. A Matthew Woods' goal scored on the half-hour mark was all that separated both sides. A long through ball from Andre Humphries saw the club's leading marksman (holder of the Goalscorer of The Season Award for the past five seasons) race in to confidently slot home past keeper Pira and give United the lead. But the celebrations were only shortlived as the homesters unexplainably lost their way, allowing Willesden to take full control of the game and book their place in the Semis. 

The equaliser came just after the interval when the influential Flanore (52) drilled the ball home from a tight angle past keeper Burns (wearing a really garish off-white full length strip) who somehow let it bobble under his body badly mis-timing his blocking dive. Willesden continued to pile on the pressure and after several near misses soon took the lead when Flanore (65) grabbed his second after meeting Abdi Osman's cross with a  header to score at the far post. It wasn't long before Osman (76) himself increased his sides' lead by neatly finishing off a five man passing move from close range. Next, Marcus Rose (80), a defender of large proportions, scored what I adjudged to be the best goal of the game, moments later. After being unceremoniously hacked down outside the area, the muscular powerhouse stepped up to curl the dead ball around a three man wall to place it deliciously inside the far post and increase the lead further. To round things off substitute Mohammed Afrah (90+4) came off the bench to add a fifth from a very tight angle, booking his side a well deserved place in the Semi-Finals of the competition (to be played later in February). It had certainly been, for everyone present, a compelling game of two halves.         

The match, played on a hard and bumpy pitch (that required forking in a couple of places before kick-off) in generally overcast conditions and rapidly dropping temperatures, attracted nearly twenty spectators. Apart from ourselves we were joined pitchside by fellow hopper Ian from Eastbourne who having lived in this area several years ago had come back to meet old friends and tick off the ground (as you do). Also present was affable Chelsea supporter and local football officianado Dave Campbell who knew a lot of the lads who were playing for Stedfast today. As an ex-manager of disbanded former MCL club Marsh Rangers, Dave remembered fondly how the travelling fraternity had descended on the Hillingdon athletics arena not so long ago to take in one of the Rangers' matches during an organised Saturday morning Hop match. He also spoke fondly about one of his old mates, the popular hopper Andy Marnoch who lives up the road. Cheers mate - hope your ears weren't burning too much!! 

In order to reach the club we came off the M25 at the M40 (Junction 1) exit. By following signs to Uxbridge (on the A4020) continue through Cowley heading towards Yiewsley (along the A408). As the road bends sharply take the left hand filter lane signposted Stockley Park and turn right down Chestnut Avenue (at the Apple Tree roundabout) travelling towards the ground entrance and car park. The main changing pavilion is found to the left behind some large metal fence railings. Although there are several pitches marked out on the expansive grassland site, Stedfast FC play on one immediately behind the pavilion. This can be accessed by following a narrow gravel path/track which takes you over a small footbridge (and a pond) into a separate hedge/tree-lined field beyond. As the gravel path continues along the perimeter of this field, the land drops markedly down an embankment to the left where the pitch is marked out in a hollow below. Standing on the top of the grass banking at the far end offers spectators a rather distant, aerial view of the action below. From here it is also possible to catch sight of the floodlight pylons from the enclosed ground of neighbours Uxbridge FC (members of the Southern League Div 1 Central) over to the left. Strangely on a day characterised by plenty of low cloud cover it was possible to hear (but not see) planes frequently flying overhead from nearby Heathrow.

In keeping with the club kit, both sets of goal nets and the pitch flags emphasised the matching colours of royal blue and white. The pitch itself is roped off on three sides. A length of blue rope is passed through a series of metal stakes behind both goals and along the nearside, where some temporary seating is placed next to the half-way line for the coaches and substitutes. Two further pitches are marked out in another field opposite. With no dedicated cover for spectators we found the wind chill rather unpleasant especially in the closing stages of the game suggesting it would be perhaps better to attend fixtures here in much warmer weather. What a couple of wimps!! Brrrr.      

Like all clubs currently playing in the MCL Premier Division, Stedfast United FC issues a regular programme for all of its home games. I was quite surprised to learn (during a mid-morning phone call to helpful club secretary Nigel Woods) that the club had also produced one today to cover this cup game (not a priority for top sides in the league knockout competition). As often happens in the MCL these are more likely to be tracked down (after enquiry) in the changing pavilion area rather than being handed out to spectators during the game. Today I was kindly given a copy as I made my way around the pitch, taking photos, by first team manager Danny Woods. This 12-page full colour publication, which contains all the essential match details on the front cover, has a separate page devoted to each of the following: a welcome; line ups; today's match officials; league table (in the double page centrefold spread); previous results; today's fixtures; SUFC history as well as a couple of adverts. Interestingly a message on the back page invites all patrons to partake in food and refreshments to be served in the changing rooms after the game. Although we decided to head off immediately after the game we thought it was nevertheless a nice gesture!!

Hoppers will certainly enjoy a trip to Stockley Park. No doubt you will be given a warm welcome by club officials who are rightly proud of their recent achievements on the field. With the bonus of a matchday programme, a visit to Stedfast United Football Club comes highly recommended. So what are you waiting for? Bring it on!!