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 | 6,500 (500 seated) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Chairman | Derek Goodall | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Manager | Kevin Hill (Caretaker Manager) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| League | Conference South | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2005-06 | Conference South, 20th | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Hayes F.C. are an English football club based in Hayes. 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 6500. The team is recognized by their red and white striped shirt. The current manager is Willy Wordsworth, who took over in 2002 from the highly-regarded Terry Brown, who left to take a vacancy at Aldershot Town F.C. in 2002.
Contents |
[edit] Past Players
Steven McAuley
[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. The name 'Botwell Mission' is based on a religious connection.
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 just one goal scored 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 a mediocre side, and this was perhaps a time when the club could have taken a giant leap forward, but to this day, some faithful still feel this chance was scandalously blown by the club's board, government and council alike.
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. They also ran Wycombe Wanderers close in 2001, eventually losing 3-4 at home.
The cup replay against Reading in the 1970's 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. Greatest Footballers You Never Saw profiled players that never quite made it to the top level, who perhaps deserved more publicity; Robin is the main featured player in this book, although it mainly charts his time at Reading. Friday was fairly recently 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.
It was also, in the 1950s, home to a capped Swiss international, who was indeed capped during his time at Hayes. Anthony Alleman, a Swiss international, couldn't play for legal reasons in higher leagues and therefore was forced to play at Hayes for his stint in London.
The club were also runners up in the FA Amateur Cup to Wycombe in 1931, after they won an extraordinary succession of away draws, which they came out of victorious. Thousands watched Hayes sink to a fairly late goal in what was reported as a dour game.
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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