Herts Ad Sunday League: A very good year for Brookmans Park in latest stroll down memory lane

The latest lookback through the Herts Ad Sunday League archives has landed in the 1988-1989 season - a decent one for Brookmans Park. 

Brian Hubball, the league's intrepid photographer, noted there were "six divisions and 71 teams" as well as the option of "playing for four points or two games of 35 minutes each way" if club had fallen behind with their fixtures. 

And in the top-flight Premier Division it was Brookmans Park who threw the formbook out of the window. 

They topped the pile at the end of the season for the first and subsequently only time, finishing ahead of the likes of the fancied Chequers and Colney Heath Queen's Head. 

Park had to battle all the way, winning seven of their games by the odd goal. Their top marksman was Mark Brazier with 18 goals, one ahead of Nick Jarman. 

Colney Heath and Chequers finished four points behind the champions with goal difference clinching second for Heath.  

Chequers did walk away with some silverware though as they clinched the Challenge Cup with a 4-0 win over Grange, Pat Drysdale getting two and Barry McCarthy and Jeff Gascoine one each. 

Newly-promoted Folly made it successive championship titles by lifting the Division One crown, 10 points clear of Rothamsted. They were also the top scorers with 131, seven players reaching double figures including Nigel Saunders who hit 25. 

There was also a consecutive league win for Central as they picked up the Division Three trophy, before adding the Knockout Cup to their honours. They scored 90 goals in the league with Marvin Bates getting 35 and Donato Campanello 28. 

Strollers won Division Two ahead of Ryan Plant Hire, Simon Prince (26) and Gary Lumsdon (23) two of the chief reasons, while Fox & Hounds smashed 112 goals on their way to the top of Division Four. 

Dec McCafferty (36) and Malcom Hall (33) their main marksmen and Hall was on target as they won the Junior Cup 2-1 against City Hospital, Simon Hann getting the other. 

The league’s overall top marksman was Sandridge Sports’ Paul Cunningham with 50 goals. 

Cell Barnes only lost one game and scored 101 goals on their way to winning Division Five. Paul Law (29) and Ray Meyrick (23) were consistent marksmen. 

City Hospital who finished runners-up, scored 103 goals, Mark Bond (41) and Kevin Randall (23) their top scorers.