Hereford Club
historian Ron Parrott has been inundated recently with questions about
how our results and league stats compare to previous champions and their
results. Ron takes up the story:-
“Comparisons are always difficult because in previous Southern
League Premier seasons, clubs sometimes played 46, 44, 42 or even 40
games in a season but making allowances for this, comparisons can still
be made. To recap, Peter Beadle and his lads ended up with:-
P46 W36 D5 L5 F111 A33 Pts113
This does indeed look impressive but it’s not until you examine the
achievement in detail, that you realise what an absolutely magnificent,
never to be forgotten season we have been lucky enough to enjoy! I have
gone back as far as the Second World War to examine statistics and here
are the results:-
1. 36 games won. No team in the history of the Southern League
has ever won this number of games. The nearest have been Bath City with
32 from 42 games back in 1959/60 (but they also lost seven out of 42)
and Welling United with 29 from just 38 games in 1985/86.
2. Five games drawn. Four clubs have equalled this but with far
more losses and only one club has bettered it, Bath City again with
three in 1959/60 but they lost seven.
3. Five games lost. Yes, this feat has been bettered but never
when combined with the number of wins and draws. For example, Boston
United only lost four in 1999/2000 but they drew 11, Dover Athletic lost
only four in 1992/93 but they also drew 11, Dover repeated the feat in
1989/90 but they drew six and only scored 87, Welling United only lost
three in 1985/86 but they only played 38 games and drew six of those. Our
old friends Worcester City lost only four in 1978/79 but they also drew
11. The record for the fewest losses goes to Bath City in 1977/78 when
they lost only two but they drew 18.
4. 111 goals scored. Yes, this total has been bettered on
several occasions but never with so few goals conceded. For the record,
Kettering Town of course, have exceeded this total this very season.
Other teams to beat it are:- Hemel Hempstead Town in 2013/14 with 128
goals, Oxford United in 1961/62 with 118 goals, Bath City in 1959/60
with 116 goals and of course the great Merthyr Tydfil side of the late
40s and early 50s who scored 133 in 1948/49, 143 in 1949/50, a
magnificent 156 in 1950/51 and 128 in 1951/52.
5. Just 33 goals conceded. This has been bettered on eight
occasions but in every case, the goals scored has been far less. The
best of the lot was the miserly 23 conceded by champions Dover Athletic
in 1992/93 but they only scored 65.
6. 113 points secured. This is a Southern League Premier record!
Only three clubs have ever exceeded 100 points, Chippenham Town were
the latest when they recorded 103 points just last season from 46 games.
Then come Hemel Hempstead Town with 102 points from 44 games in 2013/14
and you have to go back in time to 1989/90 when Dover Athletic notched
up 102 points from 42 games.
All in all, it’s a magnificent record of which we should all be
justly proud! Any doubters of Peter Beadle and his team should only look
at these statistics to realise what a fantastic job they have done, it
couldn’t have been better!”