On this weekend...

21 Mar 2014

Continuing our look back through the OHAFC archives at games played on this weekend last season, three seasons ago and five seasons ago...

Last Season: March 23rd 2013

1st XI: Beat Eton 4-1 on the School Astroturf in a game that will live long in the memory for the conditions it was played in - a blizzard that grew in intensity as the match progressed, making seeing the ball and the lines on the pitch rather difficult at times.

Eton had already defeated the Blues 4-0 in Harrow's home game before Christmas, but the snow forced their home fixture to be switched to the astroturf and Harrow coped far better with the conditions.

Harry Hoffen scored twice before the break courtesy of through balls from Poulter and Lederman. Despite the visitors pulling a goal back, the home side continued to create chances and settled the match with further strikes from Quentin Baker and schoolboy substitute Ogyen Verhagen, making his first team debut.

2nd & 3rd XI's: No fixtures

alt text

Three Seasons Ago: March 24th 2012

1st XI: Another home game against Eton, another win, and Messrs Hoffen and Baker on the scoresheet once again.

In an even game, played on a hard, uneven surface, the home side took the lead through their leading scorer in the past decade when he latched onto a hopeful long ball over the top of the Eton back four, controlled superbly and fired past the exposed 'keeper.

Skipper Baker, captaining the side at Harrow for the final time, doubled the lead when he fired home on the volley from a long Poulter throw, the referee inadvertently blocking the 'keeper's line of sight as the ball flew past him.

Despite a dubious penalty for handball being awarded against Fred Milln, the home side comfortably held on to win 2-1 and complete a near perfect home record for the season - the only blemish an opening day defeat to Winchester.

2nd XI & 3rd XI's: No fixtures

Five Seasons Ago: March 20th 2010

1st XI: Won the crucial first fixture with Charterhouse 3-1 down in Surrey to throw the title race wide open.

Despite going into the game well behind the leaders on points, Harrow knew that two wins against their old foe would put them right in the mix for the Championship and they secured the first encounter thanks to two late goals.

The visitors took the lead on the half hour when Lederman produced a superb cross from the right which was volleyed home skilfully at the far post by Luke de Rougemont.

The home side equalised a minute after the break when Ed Poulter misplaced a defensive header and the match became a tense affair in front of a large crowd.

But Harrow scored twice in the last ten minutes thanks to two veterans of such encounters, Hoffen and Baker, both of whom finished from close range following goalmouth scrambles.

2nd & 3rd XI's: No fixtures

alt text

Other notable world events - March 22nd:

  • 81st day of the Gregorian calendar
  • 27 days until Tour!
  • 1906 The first rugby union match between England and France is played at Parc des Princes in Paris
  • 1923 French mime artist Marcel Marceau was born
  • 1930 American composer and songwriter Stephen Sondheim was born
  • 1931 American actor William Shatner of Star Trek and TJ Hooker fame was born
  • 1950 Scottish darts legend Jocky Wilson was born
  • 1963 The Beatles first album 'Please please me' is released in the UK
  • 1976 American actress Reece Witherspoon was born
  • 1997 The Comet Hale-Bopp has its closest approach to Earth
  • 2001 William Hanna of Hanna-Barbera animation fame died
  • 2006 ETA, the Basque separatist group, declares a permanent ceasefire
  • 2009 Former Big Brother contestant Jade Goody died

Items to diarise immediately and action appropriately - March 22nd:

  • Emancipation Day in Puerto Rico

  • World Water Day (take plenty of fluids to your matches please)

  • It is the earliest day on which Easter Sunday can fall: it last fell on March 22nd 1818 and will not fall again until 2285 (fixtures for that date not yet released by Arthurian League)

The top-rated Easter Egg in the luxury category as tested by the Guardian is the Demarquette Easter Egg clam, receiving an average mark of 4.5 out of 5. It costs £25 and was described thus: 'contains good-sized, delicious caramel-filled chocolate eggs with a marbled pattern on the outside - overall a stonking product.'