CLUB
Letchworth Garden City
Letchworth Garden City were one of our nearest neighbours and fiercest opponents – but the club sadly went under in 2002. Like us (sort of), LGC went under the name Town and Athletic. In 1976, however, the club decided to adopt the Garden City name. Our first meeting came in summer 1981 with our Woolwich Trophy defeat. The second encounter went our way in an East Anglian Cup tie – before losing the next three to nil.
After joining them in the Isthmian League, our fortunes improved. Not massively, however. As our overall record shows, five wins from 16 compares poorly to their eight wins. To be fair, we may have made it a little more kinder if we’d met them during our dominant 1990-1 campaign. Letchworth Garden City had already left the competition, however; relegated as the bottom ‘North’ team after a playoff with Horsham.
It left them facing the step down into the South Midlands League Premier Division in summer 1990. Five years later, Garden City was dropped from their name and a further seven years after that came the end of their story. An unconfirmed source on the club’s Wikipedia entry says it followed a dispute with the Herts FA. Whatever the reason, the club hasn’t returned.
Letchworth Garden City: The Facts
Head-to-Head
| Played | 22 |
|---|---|
| Won | 7 |
| Drawn | 4 |
| Lost | 11 |
| Goals For | 24 |
| Goals Against | 32 |
| Win % | 32% |
Club History
Who are Letchworth Garden City?
A club now no more, the Football Club History Database has let us trace the tale of Letchworth Garden City back as far as 1906. Known as just Garden City at this point, they joined the Herts County League Northern Division and finished bottom in their debut season. Did that experience lead them to change name in 1907 to Letchworth Athletic? We just don’t know. But it did happen. And, in the years before the First World War One, the club finished third, second and second in the Herts County League Championship play-off pool.
After the Great War, Letchworth Town (another name change) saw similar levels of success at Herts County League until the trail goes cold in 1924. FCHD’s radar doesn’t pick the club up again until 1955; the point at which the club joined the Delphian League – and another three years – the Corinthian League. Their time in Corinthian competition was nearly as brief, but not necessarily of their choosing. The league was disbanded; Letchworth Town finding a new home in the Athenian League as a result and going on to win the title in 1975.
By this point, the footballing paths of Letchworth and Stevenage had already crossed. Town (ours) overcame Town (theirs) in the 1958-9 FA Cup (3-2 at home) and 1960-1 FA Cup (6-2 away after a 2-2 draw indoors). And yet, weirdly, that wasn’t the biggest story of that season’s cup. Some side called Tottenham were, apparently. There was also an encounter with Athletic in the 1975-6 FA Trophy; Letchworth this time on the winning side after a replay. It was the last Trophy match Athletic ever played, for anyone looking for some tenuous trivia?
How to get to Letchworth Garden City
By Car
By Road
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By Rail
By Rail
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Parking
Parking
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Previous Meetings
| Date | Competition | Venue | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 Mar 1990 | Vauxhall Opel League Division 2 North | A | 0-0 |
| 26 Dec 1989 | Vauxhall Opel League Division 2 North | H | 0-0 |
| 5 Dec 1989 | Televised Sports (Int.) Sen. Cup R2 | A | 2-0 |
| 8 Apr 1989 | Vauxhall Opel League Division 2 North | A | 1-1 |
| 17 Dec 1988 | Vauxhall Opel League Division 2 North | H | 2-1 |
| 26 Mar 1987 | Herts Senior Cup SF | A | 2-3 |
| 26 Dec 1985 | Vauxhall Opel League Division 2 North | A | 0-1 |
| 9 Sep 1985 | Vauxhall Opel League Division 2 North | H | 1-0 |
| 2 Feb 1985 | Servowarm League Division Two North | A | 0-1 |
| 22 Jan 1985 | Herts Senior Cup R2 | H | 1-2 |
Shared Players
| Player | Profile |
|---|---|
| Ian Adcroft | View Profile |
| Martin Allinson | View Profile |
| Graham Aslett | View Profile |
| Gary Bambrick | View Profile |
| Paul Bowgett | View Profile |
| Martin Bradshaw | View Profile |
| Terry Broom | View Profile |
| Paddy Butcher | View Profile |
| Colin Cardines | View Profile |
| Trevor Carter | View Profile |
| Dave Clover | View Profile |
| Jimmy Daintree | View Profile |
| Danny Dance | View Profile |
| Tony Ewins | View Profile |
| Martin Gittings | View Profile |
| Jimmy Hughes | View Profile |
| Tim Jolly | View Profile |
| Kevin Lowe | View Profile |
| Ricky Marshall | View Profile |
| Grant McRae | View Profile |
| Trevor Metcalfe | View Profile |
| Richard Nolan | View Profile |
| Paul Palma | View Profile |
| Mark Phillips | View Profile |
| Doug Pirie | View Profile |
| Hugh Pratt | View Profile |
| Gary Redmond | View Profile |
| Mark Smith | View Profile |
| Adrian Taylor | View Profile |
| Gary Turner | View Profile |
| Denny Tyler | View Profile |
| Mark Vooght | View Profile |
| Malcolm Ward | View Profile |
| Tony Ward | View Profile |
| Richard Wilmot | View Profile |