ON THIS DAY APRIL 5th

ON THIS DAY APRIL 5th 1999

We were sponsored by Schweppes in 1999.

April 5th just happened to be on Easter Monday and, as usual there was plenty going on in the ESL, no more so than the goalscoring exploits of David Hope the Bowers United centre-forward who was well on his way to be the leading goalscorer and, with 34, was 15 ahead of Ross Weare of East Ham United soon to move to Queens Park Rangers, David was involved in one of the most extraordinary episodes in Esl history that week in Bowers 4 0 win against Brentwood. Having already scored in the 23rd minute with Simon Deakin and Steve Warner adding two more. David Pether, the Brentwood keeper threw the ball out in the 87th minute only for it to hit David’s back as he ambled up the field and bounce straight back into the net to make it 4 … the guy was just invincible in more ways than one that season and when the team coach broke down on route to Cornwall in the Vase he corrected an engine fault with a spoon from the canteen !

That weekend saw Brentwood win at Home for the first time, Burnham Ramblers lose away for the first time, Ilford draw for the first time and Sawbridgeworth Town win away while Saffron Walden Town ended their Home league campaign unbeaten and were leading Bowers by three points at the top. Eton Manor were last 8 points adrift of Stansted.

In the previous week, in an East Anglian Cup Group final, Burnham Ramblers beat Maldon Town 2-1 whilst Great Wakering Rovers, thanks to Paul Flack won 1-0 against Ilford for a 2 – 0 aggregate . Bowers United knocked out Saffron Walden Town 4 2 and a 6-4 aggregate found themselves in the League Cup Final.

The full programme on that Easter Monday besides the Brentwood 3 2 win over Eton Manor and same score for Saffron Walden against Burnham Ramblers resulted in a Bowers United 4-0 win at Concord Rangers, East Ham drawing 1-1 with Ilford, Great Wakering Rovers getting the better of Southend Manor 3-1, Hullbridge Sports a 4-1 success against Basildon United and Stansted being defeated by Sawbridgeworth Town 0-1.

Finally, Premiership Middlesbrough won 3-1 against AFC Wimbledon, in Div 1 Ipswich won 3-1 against Queens Park Rangers, Div 2, Preston drew 1-1 with Manchester City, Div 3 Scarborough defeated Carlisle United 3-0 and in the Conference, Telford v Leek was a 2-0 home win.