David Ballheimer on challenging times for Hendon FC after their manager’s mid-season departure

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

If, on 3rd December, you had asked any Hendon supporter how things were going after their return to the Isthmian League, you would have been met with a broad smile and positive thoughts about maybe even a play-off spot. The Greens had just booked their place in the Velocity (Isthmian League) Cup quarter-final and were on the edge of the promotion play-offs.

A couple of weeks earlier, Niko Muir became the tenth player to register five goals in a single game as Hastings United were hammered 9–0 at Silver Jubilee Park and the only home loss had been a 6–1 trouncing by Wingate & Finchley in October.

However, that all changed on 5th December, when manager Lee Allinson announced that he had resigned. Within 36 hours, he was appointed manager of Vanarama National League South Hemel Hempstead Town. Going with him up the M1 were his father Ian (who was in the dugout as well as being commercial manager) and coach Caolan South.

Marc Charles-Smith, Allinson’s assistant, stepped up to become interim manager but has since been replaced by Ben Bukowski and Keagan Cole, formerly a coach and a player, respectively, under Gary McCann.

Losing so much of the management team was very difficult; seeing five players pivotal to the onfield success also move on was, in the short-term, back-breaking. Joe White, Samuel Adenola and Kai Brosnan followed Allinson to Hemel, Blaise Riley-Snow joined Sholing, Kurtis Cumberbatch moved to Cray Valley Paper Mills, Micky O’Donoghue went to Haringey Borough, Ethan Light (in late January) also signed for Hemel and goalkeeper Luke Campbell was recalled from his season-long loan from Chelsea.

Excellence Muhemba has also moved on, while there are four on the long-term injured list: Lene Burden, Luca Allinson, Shaun Lucien and Dave Diedhiou, who may be back in mid-February.

It is hard enough to build a team in the off-season; in mid-season, it is almost impossible as new players are simply not available in the same numbers and those who are probably have not played much for a couple of months. The beleaguered squad, after going down to ten-man Rayners Lane in the Middlesex Senior Cup, had lost nine in a row, the middle seven without scoring. One fan, noting the enormous turnaround in the playing staff, pointed out: “It is very difficult to play pre-season friendlies for league points.”

It is probably something of a blessing that the League Cup quarter-final at Leatherhead and league fixtures at Cheshunt and Whitehawk were all postponed.

There have been a couple of special individual achievements in 2024/25. Niko Muir scored his 100th goal for the club in the defeat at Hashtag and, a game later, in the loss to Canvey Island, Diedhiou made his 500th appearance – and he had a goal disallowed in the match.

What does the second half of the season hold for the Greens? No-one at Hendon can be bursting with confidence that relegation will be avoided, but there is plenty of time for the team to come together and move away from the drop zone.

No news is bad news

Independent news outlets like ours – reporting for the community without rich backers – are under threat of closure, turning British towns into news deserts.

The audiences they serve know less, understand less, and can do less.

If our coverage has helped you understand our community a little bit better, please consider supporting us with a monthly, yearly or one-off donation.

Choose the news. Don’t lose the news.

Monthly direct debit

Annual direct debit

£5 per month supporters get a digital copy of each month’s paper before anyone else, £10 per month supporters get a digital copy of each month’s paper before anyone else and a print copy posted to them each month. £50 annual supporters get a digital copy of each month's paper before anyone else. £84 annual supporters get a print copy by post and a digital copy of each month's before anyone else.