Written by: Ollie Heathcote
A tasty fixture that always catches the eye when fixtures are released, the Hertfordshire derby is upon us. Tomorrow afternoon, The Tudors go up against The Saints in a boxing day showdown with all the bragging rights on the line. But whilst we wait for this greatly anticipated tie, let's take a closer look into our local opponents...
Founded: 1908 Nickname: The Saints Stadium: Clarence Park Stadium Capacity: 5,007
Manager: Ian Culverhouse
History of The Saints
Founded in 1908, St Albans City have a rich history attached to themselves, experiencing both promotion and relegations throughout their existence in non league football. Their first experience of club football came at the Herts County League and Spartan League, where the Saints became champions of both divisions by 1912. The 1920s saw St Albans progress both on and off the field, with the most notable achievement being the victory over Brentford in the FA Cup. With the club joining the Isthmian Division during this time period, the Saints were made to wait until the 1950s which saw them finish runners up. Following the turn of the new millennium, St Albans became founding members of the Conference South, where they lasted two seasons before gaining promotion to the Conference Premier. Despite being relegated after just one season, St Albans saw further relegation to the Southern League Premier before gaining promotion back to the National League South in the 2013/14 season. Having narrowly missed out on promotion in the 2022/23 season with a playoff final defeat, the Saints will look to progress up the table as an established side in the league.
Credit: Nicola Sear (@Nicolaccreative)
The Gaffer - Ian Culverhouse
Following the departure of David Noble this season, the Saints announced Ian Culverhouse as their new manager. Following a playing career at clubs including Tottenham, Brighton, Norwich and Swindon, Culverhouse has become a manager who knows the standard of the National League North and South. He has been an assistant to Paul Lambert during his tenure at Aston Villa, giving him experience of the importance of consistency and quality. Following spells at King’s Lynn, Boston United and Kettering, Culverhouse will look to drive the Saints away from the relegation positions.
Credit: St Albans City
One To Watch - Ken Charles
Ken Charles has been the man to be called upon in many scenarios for the Saints, with the striker already netting 8 goals and showing some excellent form in front of goal recently. Charles is a versatile player, who is capable of playing both on the wing and as a striker.
Charles has a wealth of experience at non league, representing many clubs throughout his 5 and a half years of playing in the country. After joining Enfield Town from Colchester U21s, Charles moved to Braintree after a year. His next few seasons saw Charles spend time at Kings Lynn and Cheshunt, before moving to Banbury United at the start of last season. After one season, St Albans acted fast to bring him to Clarence Park, where he has made the excellent first impression.
With this game in the balance of who could win the derby, this could come down to a moment of individual brilliance. The Tudors defence will look to ensure that Charles does not continue his scoring run, averaging a goal every 175 minutes.
Credit: Nicola Sear (@Nicolaccreative)
The Skipper - Michael Johnson
Michael Johnson has shown an immense sense of loyalty towards St Albans, having taken the responsibility of the armband, following the departure of Joe Partington to Worthing earlier this month. The goalkeeper joined the Saints from Dagenham & Redbridge at the beginning of the 2020/21 season, and will be leading the team from in between the goalposts. Johnson has made 123 appearances for St Albans City, keeping 36 clean sheets- an average of a clean sheet every 3.4 games. He will look to command his area, and to lead the visitors to a third derby day win at the Focus Community Arena in as many seasons.
Credit: Nicola Sear (@Nicolaccreative)
Last Time Out
The last Hertfordshire Derby saw a bumper crowd of over 2500 witness the Saints comeback in dramatic fashion. The Tudors started excellently, with a George Williams brace in 11 minutes, stunning the away fans into silence. However, the visitors gained a glimmer of hope, as Zane Banton halved the deficit 5 minutes before the break. The visitors used their momentum in the second half, with Shaun Jeffers levelling before a 92nd minute winner from Sam Brown sent the visitors home with 3 points.
Credit: Jemma Sear (@_photosbyjem)
A boxing day cracker you're not going to want to miss. See you at The Focus Community Arena tomorrow afternoon, Tudors!
コメント