The history boys! Age-old village football club celebrates 125 golden years
Long Crendon FC are celebrating 125 years
When Long Crendon first established its village football club in 1887, Aston Villa won their first ever FA Cup,
Herbert Lawford was the Wimbledon champion and plans for the first ever Football League were announced.
Now, 125 years on, while hundreds of clubs the length and breadth of the country, both grassroots and professional have bitten the dust, Long Crendon FC is still standing and going strong.
The celebrate the remarkable milestone, the club organised a match between the current squad and an Old Boys team.
And while the Old Boys showed they still had the skills and football brains, it was the legs of the current crop which eventually told in a 3-1 victory.
The biggest mystery leading up to the much-antitpated occasion was always going to be who was going to make up the Old Boys XI and what sort of condition they would be in.
But that mystery was quickly solved as the Old Boys capitalised on the current side’s nervous start, penning them into their own half like it was yesteryear.
The experienced heads showed every ounce of the knowhow that once made Crendon a powerhouse of Oxfordshire football.
Manager Lee Hagger said it was a ‘cracking occasion’ and a fitting way to mark such an important milestone.
“It was enjoyed by all and played in great spirits ... well most of the time,” Hagger said.
“The current XI had the legs to really make the difference, and as they bloody well should!
“They were able to take advantage as both halves wore on. If some of the players had their shooting boots on, the score could have been a lot more favourable, but a two-goal margin was a fair result.”
The Old Boys dominated proceedings early and it was rewarded when Chris Garner was presented with a free header from a corner and dispatched it past James Bartington in goal.
But with pride dented, the current Crendon first team slowly edged their way back into the contest.
Keeping the ball a little more, the latest generation of the club’s players started to ask some questions of the Old Boys defence.
They were finally answered on 25 minutes, after a concentrated effort from the Crendon side saw Joe Russell and Ryan Scott continue the brilliant understanding they have shown in pre-season.
Midfield magician Russell found himself in acres of space and slipped an intelligent ball through to pacy front-man Scott who took his time before sliding the ball through the legs of the keeper.
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Weather for Aylesbury
Thursday 23 May 2013
Today
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Temperature: 4 C to 10 C
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