MATCH PREVIEW | Chippenham Town vs Hemel Hempstead Town | National League South | Saturday 1st October
Harry Minton previews our first home match in four weeks.
It is back to league action for the Bluebirds this Saturday after a weekend of cup football just gone. We are back at the Thornbury Surfacing Stadium for a huge game against Hemel Hempstead.
Our opponents this weekend were founded way back in 1885, known as Apsley End in those days. Six years after the creation of the club, they joined the West Herts League, winning the title on two occasions in 1895 and 1898. Now named Apsley Football Club, they gained a reputation of winning a great number of trophies, as later in 1898 they became founding members of the Hertfordshire Senior County, and won the title in only the second season in 1900.
The oppostion
In the FA Cup so far, the Tudors have breezed past Bishop’s Stortford of the Southern League Premier Division Central at home. A brace from Jake Gray and goals for striker Millar Matthews-Lewis and former Wales international George Williams secured a 4-1 victory.
Then in the Third Qualifying Round, the Hertfordshire based club were drawn at home to fellow sixth-tier opposition Hereford. The two teams played out an end to end game in the end, with Kyle Ajayi’s strike giving the hosts the lead just before the break. Two Bulls goals from Saint Kitts and Nevis international Omari Sterling-James and Remaye Campbell saw their side turn the game around on the half hour mark. Matthews-Lewis was on the scoresheet for Hemel once more with an 83rd minute equaliser sending the game to a replay up at Edgar Street.
Again, the striker signed from Farnborough in January, Matthews-Lewis was on target in the replay with an early second half goal. Two goals in stoppage time from Finley Wilkinson and Williams sealed a very impressive three goal victory for the Tudors away at a tough place to go in Edgar Street. This result sets up a really anticipated fourth qualifying round game for Hemel Hempstead as they will play host to Yeovil Town of the National League next weekend.
As for us, we were drawn away to Walton and Hersham following our win in the dying stages of the second qualifying round at Gloucester, thanks to a late Tom Owen-Evans header at Meadow Park. TOE has been playing in a more advanced role recently as that number nine in the side, and it’s turning out to be a genius move by Gary Horgan so far as he was on target once more against the Swans last weekend. Caine Bradbury also with a wonderful first half strike sealing a 2-0 win for our boys in blue as we progressed to the final qualifying round where a third away game on the spin in the competition awaits us. For the second time already this season, we will visit the Melbourne Stadium to take on Chelmsford City for a place in the FA Cup first proper round for the first time since that famous Cup run in the 22/23 campaign.
In league action, our visitors find themselves just inside the playoff places after nine games played, and only have one defeat to their name so far, away at the Chigwell Construction Stadium to newly relegated Dagenham and Redbridge by two goals to one. Very draw heavy are the Tudors, with four draws already for Lee Allinson’s team, which is the joint second most number of draws in the division. Salisbury currently have the most with five, however weirdly have not picked up their first win of the season so far.
Fixture History.
We have a rich history with Hemel Hempstead, with our battles spanning back to 2005, as we faced off against them in the FA Trophy’s 2nd Round Qualifier, in which we won 3-2 away from home. Our only other cup meeting with the Tudors came in the FA cup’s 3rd Round Qualifier, as we lost 5-0 at home to then Conference South opposition
In league matches we have an even more history, as Hemel were in the Southern League alongside us from 2004 until their promotion in 2014. In their title winning 13/14 season, they defeated us 3-0 in Wiltshire and 2-0 in Hertfordshire.
Further recognisable score-lines include 4-1, 5-2 and 6-1 wins for us in those Southern League days.
Since our promotion to Step 2 in 2017 Hemel have been ever present in the division, alongside Chelmsford, Bath City, Eastbourne, Hampton & Richmond and Slough, meaning even more matches. At step two our record boasts an aggregate score of 22-21 in our favour, although we have lost six matches and won just five.
Dangermen
Ade Azeez, signed from Billericay this summer, is a name that Step Two has been familiar with for the last four seasons. Azeez’s former clubs include Charlton, Wycombe and AFC Wimbledon, but his release from Newport in 2020 saw him drop into Non-League with Dover. He has since played for Dartford, Welling, Billericay and Sittingbourne since, with a return to Step Two this summer as a part of Lee Allinson’s overhaul.
Azeez has scored against us three times across his career, all for Dartford in the 2021/22 campaign as he netted twice in our 3-3 draw and once in our 4-2 win. Azeez also played in our Playoff match, and had his penalty saved during the shootout.
George Williams, a diminiteve winger, has been at Hemel since 2023, following an initial laon from Boreham Wood. Williams’ former clubs include Fulham, MK Dons and Forest Green Rovers.
Williams earned seven caps for Wales between 2014 and 2016 under Chris Coleman and he was included in Wales’ squad that reached the Semi-finals of Euro 2016, although he did not feature in the tournament.
In his time at Hemel Hempsead, he as turned out against us five times scoring twice in Hemel’s late victory at the Thornbury Surfacing Stadium in 2023.
Jevani Brown, is a centre-forward signed in mid September, following his release from Bristol Rovers in 2025. In Brown’s time with the Gas he netted twice in 41 matches. He scored 21 in 81 matches for Exeter City between 2021 and 2023 and well as a combined 25 in 157 games for Colchester & Cambridge in years prior.
Ticket information.
Tickets for the match are available on INTIX.
Cash & Card are accepted on the gate, with tickets being available to purchase on the day.
See you there Blue Army 💙
