Women History

BRIEF HISTORY OF HARINGEY BOROUGH WOMENS FC

The HARINGEY BOROUGH womens team was formed at the start of season 1999/2000 and played only occasional "friendlies" in that first season.

In the summer of 2000 it then merged with Mill Hill United - at that time effectively a feeder team of National League side Wembley Mill Hill (which had itself operated under the name of Mill Hill United from 1983 to 1997 enjoying huge success) and which had been accepted into Division 2 of the Eastern Region League for season 1999/2000, gaining promotion to Division 1 as runners-up to Saffron Walden Town while based at the rather bleak Donkey Lane Playing Fields in Enfield.

The merged Club adopted the name of Haringey Borough and re-located to the Coles Park stadium of the Spartan South Midlands League club, founded in 1907, in White Hart Lane , Tottenham.

Season 2000/2001 saw the Club finish with a run of 16 unbeaten matches but the improving team had to accept the bitter disappointment of finishing third on goal difference to runners up Woodbridge Town , one point behind the Divisional Champions, Haverhill Rovers, despite having won on both of those clubs grounds during the run-in. The team also enjoyed an early WFA Cup run, eliminating two Greater London League sides - one of them a Premier Division team - before being dismissed by neighbours Tottenham Hotspur also of that League's Premier Division.

Season 2001/2002 saw the team make a poor start but having recovered to put together a closing run of 9 unbeaten League games promotion to the Premier Division was secured this time round - as runners-up, three points behind Cambridge Kestrels. The League Plate was garnered with a 4-1 victory over Cottenham United at Cambridge City' s ground; and the team was unbeaten at Coles Park in competitive matches. To complete a marvellous season the Regional 5 a side Trophy was also won at Cambridge in a competition featuring 18 teams.

2002/03 was a season of consolidation in the Premier Division, which Borough actually led for two weeks in mid-season, before finishing a comfortable 4th and the season again ended on a high note by the retention of the Regional 5 a side Trophy.

Having been rocked by a sudden spate of long term injuries and departures of erstwhile regular players, the Club struggled through season 2003/04 but with a late burst succeeded in preserving its Premier Division status by finishing above three other teams. Recruitment during the summer ensured a more successful 2004/05 campaign and the team appeared in the finals of five small sided competitions in the summer of 2004 and finished in a safe mid-table position in 2004/05 after another worrying start. Season 2005/06 also got off to a poor start in the League but Cup successes saw the Club win through two preliminary rounds of the WFA Cup only to lose to Staines Town in the first round proper by 2-5 after having led by two goals at the 60 minute stage. A mid-season revival as the Club caught up with its League fixtures ensured mid-table comfort again with the League Cup Final appearance in which a Borough team patched up through a spate of late injuries did superbly well to go down by the odd goal in seven at Soham Town Rangers stadium against the League Champions Norwich City Canaries.

2006/07 started badly and early dismissal from all knock out competitions was a disappointment but a great improvement over the course of the season saw the Club in third place at one time before finally having to settle for fourth. During the close season National Premier Division side Watford snapped up three of our long serving stalwarts, Nichola Cable, Sarah Cleary and Carrie-Anne Layton and despite starting 2007/08 with a very small squad and playing most games with no substitutes the much changed team did very well indeed and at one time led the Premier Division. Three London County Cup victories including a 4-3 win over local rivals Tottenham Hotspur in the Quarter final to set up a semi-final game at Coles Park on 17th February against Millwall Lionesses in which the National League side did not score their second and match clinching goal until the 89th minute setting up a losing final with Arsenal. Borough went on to reach another semi-final, in their League Cup, but were again disappointed as they lost out to Hethersett Athletic by 4-2 despite twice having led.

2008/09 was an extraordinary season since in mid-March after 10 games only 6 points had been secured with relegation looking a likely outcome but an astonishing turn round saw the team suffer only one defeat in the remaining 12 games and had that been won runners-up spot would have been secured instead of 4th place.

2009/10 was notable for the 5 match run in the Womens FA Cup which was finally ended by South East Combination team Lewes in the 2nd Round proper. In December the team led the Premier Division and looked favourites to win the Championship and promotion to join Lewes in the Combination but an unexpected deterioration in form finally resulted in a mid-table finish

HONOURS WON

Runners-up Eastern Region Division 2 - 1999/2000 (as Mill Hill United)

Runners-up Eastern Region Division 1 - 2001/2002

Winners Eastern Region Plate - 2001/2002

Runners-up Eastern Region Cup - 2005/2006

Winners Newport Pagnell Town 6 a side summer Tournament - 2000

Winners Brentwood Town 5 a side summer Tournament - 2001

Winners Eastern Region 5 a side Tournament - 2002 and 2003

Winners Colchester United 5 a side Tournament - 2002

Runners-up Enfield Town 5 a side summer Tournament - 2004

Runners-up Brentwood Town 5 a side summer Tournament

Winners of Plate in Long Lane (Addeyans) 5 a side summer tournament - 2004

Runners-up East Barnet Carnival 6 a side summer Tournament - 2004

Runners-up Stevenage Borough Vixens 6 a side summer Tournament - 2004