David Ballheimer on the many unknowns as the Greens return to the league they played in until six seasons ago

Hendon FC players celebrating a goal – (Credit – Derek Beech)

Hendon have returned to the Isthmian League for the 2024-25 season. They are back in the league where they had played for 55 years, before a six-season hiatus in the Southern League.

The costly, long journeys to the West Country will not be missed by club officials, management or players, and rivalries will be resumed with a number of old friends.

An opening day win at home to Bowers & Pitsea was followed by a heartbreaking loss at Dulwich Hamlet, a penalty nine minutes into second-half stoppage time sealing the points.

What can Hendon look forward to in the coming season? Dulwich, with a fan base well into four figures, are amongst the best supported and richest clubs in the division and they are favourites to go up along with Billericay Town, managed by Greens legend Gary McCann.

Another team looking to build on a good finish last season is Wingate & Finchley, who also have a win and a defeat from their opening games. Dover Athletic and Dartford, meanwhile, will be looking to bounce back to the National League South at the first attempt after being relegated in April. The former certainly put down a marker with an 8–0 victory at Potters Bar Town.

However, as it is six years since Hendon met almost all of their Isthmian League rivals, it is hard to know who will be strong and who will struggle. And to prove the unreliability of opening game results as markers, on 13th August, Potters Bar won at Dartford, while Dover slipped up hosting Folkestone Invicta (in front of almost 2,500 fans).

On the playing side, manager Lee Allinson’s Hendon squad contains most of the players who did so well to finish tenth in the Southern League South Premier Division last season, the most notable departures being Dan Matsuzaka, who stepped away from football, and Billy Leonard, signed by National League South newcomers Enfield Town.

Among the new arrivals at Silver Jubilee Park are defender Tarik Gidaree, who started off at Bournemouth before enjoying first team football with Lincoln Red Imps in Gibraltar, 19-year-old goalkeeper Luke Campbell, on a season-long loan from Chelsea, and a pair of midfielders Lene Burden, a former Arsenal junior, and Fabio Sole, previously on the books of Reading and Oxford United juniors and Slough Town.

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