Fresh from their free weekend, the OHAFC 1st XI return to action with undoubtedly the toughest assignment of the season ahead of them: the away trip to face the dominant side in Arthurian League football, the Old Carthusians.

Rather disappointingly, however, for the first time in living memory the fixture will not be played at Charterhouse School – the old boys having fallen out with their alma mater and now forced to find alternative venues to host matches. So the Blues instead travel west, to the huge main pitch at Brunel University in Uxbridge, a ground the team have enjoyed rather mixed fortunes at over the years.

Predictably, the Carthusians have started the season with an impeccable record, beating Old Brentwoods 3-1 away last weekend and Old KCS Wimbledon 3-0 on the opening day of the season. They sit in their accustomed spot atop the Premier Division. Meanwhile, the OHAFC held the Etonians to a 3-3 draw in their first and only fixture of the League campaign to date, an encouraging display, especially given the nature of a couple of the Etonian goals.

But Saturday’s encounter will provide a much sterner test, with the hosts apparently maintaining their insatiable thirst for winning football matches. Last season the Blues both encounters, 5-2 on the Hill and 3-1 down in Godalming, although the away game in particular was a closer affair than the score suggested.

The OHAFC name a 12-man squad for the fixture with neither Breeden brother available. If the Blues can glean anything from the game they will have done mightily well – the previous 11 League meetings between the teams have all been won by the Magenta.

Fresh from their opening day 1-1 draw away to Chigs 2s last weekend, the OHAFC 2s once more travel north for another potentially tricky outing, this time to face Old Merchant Taylors.

The two sides produced one of the games of last season in Division Two back in February when the Blues contrived to throw away a 5-3 lead in the final ten minutes, eventually having to settle for a solitary point. Early goals from Alexi Pittalis and Max Curry earned the visitors a two-goal lead but some slack defending allowed the hosts to hit back and take an unlikely 3-2 lead. Even more unlikely was the fifteen-minute hat-trick served up by veteran David Lederman either side of half-time that restored the Blues’ two-goal cushion early in the second half. But once again the visitors failed to hold on, surrendering their advantage late on in agonising fashion, Taylors drawing level with just a couple of minutes remaining.

The fixture has produced plenty of goals over the past couple of seasons, with the teams mustering 21 efforts between them in four League meetings, so goals should once again be in plentiful supply. Taylors began the campaign with an excellent 3-1 win at home to Chigs, so the OHAFC know they will have their work cut out once more if they are to build on their opening day point against the same opposition.

The Blues name a strong squad of fourteen for this one, with Will Glover set for his OHAFC debut.