Ex-players reminisce and wish the club well
Marksy, Harry and Christian reflect on happy Magpie memories
Former Maidenhead United players have been reminiscing about their time at York Road as the club marks its 150th anniversary of playing at the famous old ground.
In the build up to Tuesday’s 150th anniversary match with Stockport County, explayers and famous faces from the world of football and media took to social media to congratulate the club on reaching the milestone and encourage people to livestream the contest.
The club were hoping to break their record attendance for a home game, albeit virtually.
Of those wishing the club well were former players Christian Smith, Sean Marks, Harry Pritchard and Max Kilman, who all played a part in getting the club promoted from National League South and establishing it in the National League.
Smith said: “It was a great time in my life, those three or four years. There are many, many memories, some that can be mentioned, others which can’t. Personally, my favourite goal was my last minute one against Truro and my favourite celebration would be the one against Bromley in the last game
of the season. It came around from an away trip where Harold (Odametey) was shadow boxing in the mirror for ages and it just something that always stuck with us.
“Our favourite goal as a squad would be Tarps’ against Dartford and favourite celebration was Marksy’s away at Hartlepool with the mask. Christmas time, what a journey, what a win. It was a great time and I’m not sure the team spirit and squad we had then will be beaten for some time. Happy anniversary.”
Sean Marks formed a lethal partnership with Dave Tarpey in the club’s
promotion season and was a player manager Alan Devonshire was very sorry to see leave York Road after the following season. His best game saw him score a hat-trick of headers in a crucial win over closest rivals Ebbsfleet.
He said: “Hello, all the Maidenhead massive. It’s Marksy. The head on a stick original. I just want to congratulate the club on its 150th year. It’s one of the favourite times
I’ve had as a player and that was one of my favourite seasons. Obviously, the standout moment is the hat-trick against Ebbsfleet, a hattrick of headers, the day the head on a stick truly
came to the game. If they win on Tuesday night, I might even get another mask on.”
Home grown player Harry Pritchard spent six years with the club and was on target as the club sealed promotion to the National League as champions with a 3-0 win at Margate on a gloriously sunny late April afternoon in 2017. He’s since played league football for both Blackpool and Bradford City.
“Hopefully, these will bring back some good memories for you,” he said in his message. “In third position would be the Port Vale game away when we played them in the first round of the FA
Cup. We drew 1-1 and James Mulley scored for us in the 95th minute. The scenes were incredible. All of us, as you could tell, were really excited, running to the away end where the fans were going mental. Getting the replay back at York Road was a very special moment for me.
“My second favourite moment on a personal level was the goal I scored against Bath. Tarps flicked it up to me and I took it on the knee and hit it as sweetly as I could and luckily it went into the top corner. If you weren’t there check it out on Youtube because it’s a good one.
“But the standout moment for me and everyone involved with the club would be getting promoted to the National League. What a season that was, the team that we had then were brilliant and the fans were turning up every week. It’s like a blur now, but I still look back on matches from that season, especially the last 10 games when we managed to get nine wins from 10. To do that, it was an incredible run and the team we had was special. I’m glad Maidenhead are still competing in that league at a good level.”
Maidenhead United played Stockport County in the National League on Tuesday night, exactly 150 years to the day of their very first match at York Road, when Marlow FC were the visitors to the famous old ground on February 16. 1871.
The serendipitous postponement of their match against County earlier in the season, due to the Hatters continued involvement in the FA Trophy, meant the game could be played on the club’s exact anniversary, a unique occasion in the eyes of the club and one which attracted interest from outside of the club’s support bubble.
Maidenhead set themselves the ambitious target of breaking their club record attendance of 7,989 for the game, albeit it virtually, while a host of famous faces from the world of football and media, including former players Tony Cottee and Luther Blissett, and Soccer Saturday’s Jeff Stelling and commentator Clive Tyldesley, wished the club well on hitting the milestone.
The game ended in a goalless draw, but CEO Jon Adams expects this was the first time a senior club had ever played a league fixture on the actual day of their 150th anniversary. Speaking before the game he said he hoped as many people as possible would pay to stream the match and help the club out with some much needed revenue in a financially challenging season.
“In one sense this is a fortuitous opportunity,” he said. “Previously we didn’t have a game on this date but Stockport’s involvement in the FA Trophy meant the original game had to be postponed. We think it’s a great opportunity to share the day with our supporters but also more widely with people who live locally, and also people nationally who might be interested and who recognise that it’s a significant and relatively unique moment.
“I think we’re probably the first senior club that has ever played a game 150 years to the day of their first use of a football ground. It’s an exciting occasion.”
There are few clubs with a longer history than Maidenhead United, and Adams says that Maidenhead and the surrounding region was a focus for the early establishment of the game in England. Marlow FC and Reading FC’s 150th anniversary follow on soon after Maidenhead’s, however, the Magpies still play their football at York Road, which is believed to be the oldest continually used ground by the same club in world football.
Adams continued: “There are older clubs than us, there’s no doubt about that. But there are not many clubs that have reached the age we have. Maidenhead and the surrounding area are a focus for the early establishment of the game within England.
“We were one of the first teams to reach our 150th anniversary in October last year, followed quickly by Marlow and Reading FC this year as well. Locally there’s a rich football heritage and Maidenhead was at the forefront of that. We’re excited to be one of the oldest clubs in the world and we’re excited that York Road is the longest continuously used football ground in the country, and therefore it’s inferred that that’s probably the world as well. It’s an exciting achievement really.”
He added: “It’s been a really financially challenging season for us, and we wanted to see if we could boost our income for the year by having a really big focus on this game. To see if we could encourage other people to support little old Maidenhead, punching above their weight in the National League. We’ve had hardly any commercial revenue this year really, and we’re one of the few clubs that hasn’t benefitted from even a single game when we were allowed supporters in.
“There’s also the challenges going on with clubs in the National League financing their season and the uncertainty over the continuation of funding. So, we thought it was a great opportunity to try and engage people in that bigger picture, participate in a moment of football history, but also support their local football club.”
Those who purchased a streaming pass for the game are also set to receive a free commemorative match ticket souvenir, while the club also produced a special 150th anniversary edition of the Magpie programme to mark the occasion and these can be ordered from the club.