www.nonleaguefootball.org

This page is dedictaed to articles and features regarding players who have represented non-league teams, past and present, based in the West Herts area. If you know of anyone who you feel deserves a mention on this page, then please contact us.

Here is a list of players that at some point played non-league football in West Herts either before or after playing league football.

Reg “Skilly” Williams, born 04/01/1890
Goalkeeper who signed for Watford from Leavesden Hospital in 1920, spent six years with the Hornets before transferring to Brighton & Hove Albion. Finished hi splaying career with non-league Watford Wanderers.

George Birdsall, born 30/09/1891
Defender who had a brief spell non-league with Harpenden Town, went on to make 8 appearances for Derby County in 1921.

Albert Green, born 07/10/1892
Forward who played for Rickmansworth and Watford when they were a non-league club, signed for Charlton Athletic in 1921 and also played pro with Millwall and Reading.

George Stone, born 27/07/1894
Winger who played for Hemel Hempstead in the 1920’s (not related to the current Hemel Hempstead Town who at that time were Apsley FC) he signed for Chelsea in 1925 and made 25 appearances before signing for Watford.

Ernie Wallington, born 07/08/1895
Winger who played for Rickmansworth Town before joining Watford in 1920. Transferred to Arsenal in 1923 but made just one appearance.

Bill Cox, born 19/02/1899
Winger who played for Leavesden Mental Hospital before signing for Watford, then a non-league team. Signed for Charlton Athletic in 1921 and spent five seasons at The Valley.

Joe Groome, born 01/09/1901
Forward who started his career at Hemel (then known as Apsley) before signing for Northampton Town in 1926. Went on to play for Watford and QPR, making 44 professional appearances in total.

Ernie Colledge, born 12/05/1902
Winger who finished his playing career at Leavesden Hospital after a brief spell with Watford in 1924.

Bob Cowan, born 1907
Forward who as a pro represented Durham City, Huddersfield Town and Watford in the 1920’s before joining Leavesden Hospital.

Bill Brown, born 27/02/1907
Defedant who signed for works team Dickinson’s In 1945, formerly played for Huddersfield, Watford, Exeter and Darlington. Brown was 38 years old when he signed for Dickinsons, his professional career ended when his first season with Darlington in 1939 was interrupted by the war.

Jackie Bruce, born 16/07/1908
Goalkeeper who finished his playing career at Leavesden Hospital, as a pro he played for Huddersfield Town in 1928 and Clapton Orient in 1932.

Cyril Walker, born 24/02/1914
Forward who played for many non-league clubs which included Leavesden Hospital prior to signing for Watford in 1935. Went on to play for Gillingham, Sheffield Wednesday and Norwich City.

Frank Gibson, born 07/06/1914
Winger who played non-league with Rickmansworth prior to signing for Watford in 1946.

Reg Dudley, born 03/02/1915
England International Defender, signed for Hemel then known as Apsley in the 1930’s from local rivals Boxmoor St Johns. In 1935, he signed for Millwall, and went on to play for QPR and Watford, making 91 professional appearances in total. Re-joined the club by then known as Hemel Hempstead Town in the 1950’s after non-league spells with Dover and Margate.

Frank Broome, born 11/06/1915
England International forward who started his playing career at Boxmoor St Johns, before joining Berkhamsted Town then signing for Aston Villa in 1934. After spells with Derby County and Notts County, Broome was still playing in the 1950’s and ended his professional career at Crewe Alexandra aged 39.

Maurice Telling, born 05/08/1919
Forward who played non-league with Berkhamsted Town before signing for Millwall in 1946.

Bob Ritchie, born 01/02/1920
Forward who started at Rickmansworth before signing for Watford in 1948, made just one appearance for the Hornets.

Les Hall, born 01/10/1921
Defender who started in the non-league at St Albans, went on to play for Luton Town before finishing his career with Hemel in the 1950’s.

Stan Hopkinson, born 15/03/1922
Goalkeeper, started at Hemel before signing for Watford in 1946, made only 1 appearance.

Tommy Harris, born 30/06/1923
Defender who played for Watford either side of the Second World War, finished his playing career non-league with De Havilland Leavesden.

Ernie Bateman, born 05/04/1929
Defender who played for Hemel prior to signing for Watford in 1952, played 23 games in two seasons for Watford.

Colin Bateman, born 22/10/1930
Defender, brother of Ernie (above) who played for Hemel prior to joining his brother at Watford in 1953, slightly more successful than his sibling as he went on to make 50 appearances.

Roger Darvell, born 10/02/1931
Defender who started at Rickmansworth Town, signed for Charlton Athletic in 1953 and went on to play for Gillingham and Southport.

Jimmy Day, born 09/05/1931
Forward whop played for Watford in 1951, he had spells in local non-league football either side of this – playing fro Berkhamsted Town in the 1940’s and finishing his career at Leavesden Hospital.

Maurice Cook, born 10/12/1931
Forward who played non-league locally with Potton End and Berkhamsted Town before signing for Watford in 1953. Went on to play for Fulham where as a first team regular he scored many goals assisting in their promotion to the old First Division. Ended his pro career with Reading in 1965.

Ken Morgan, born 28/07/1932
Winger who played for Rickmansworth before signing for Fulham in 1950, then spent a season each with Watford, Northampton Town, Brentford and Crystal Palace.

Ivor Harper, born 23/06/1933
Forward who started off at Hemel prior to signing for Watford in 1951, made only 3 appearances for Watford.

Ron Henry, born 17/08/1934
England International defender who played non-league for Harpenden Town in between spells with Luton Town and Tottenham Hotspur. Spent 12 seasons at Spurs in the old First Division during the 1950’s and 60’s, scoring one goal in that time.

Peter Storer, born 14/02/1935
Goalkeeper who started with Berkhamsted Town before signing for Watford in 1958, went on to make 9 appearances.

Jim Standen, born 03/05/1935
Goalkeeper who started with Rickmansworth Town, joined Arsenal in 1957 and went on to play for Luton and West Ham before crossing the Atlantic to spend a season with the Detroit Tigers. Returned to blighty in 1968 with Millwall and finished his career with Portsmouth in the 1970’s.

John Fairbrother, born 12/02/1941
Forward who ended a long playing career at Hemel after playing for Watford, Peterborough United, Northampton Town, Mansfield Town and Torquay United. Also played non-league with Worcester City, Bath City and Barnet before joining Hemel in the mid 1970’s.

John Delaney, born 03/02/1942
Defender who started non-league prior to signing for AFC Bournemouth in 1973. Later returned to non-league and had a spell with Tring Town.

Dick Edwards, born 05/11/1943
Defender who played locally for the Admult works team, went on to play for Luton Town in the 1960’s.

Peter Gibbs, born 24/08/1956
Zimbabwean Goalkeeper who started at Tring Town before signing for Watford in 1975, made 4 appearances for the Hornets.

Bob Booker, born 21/05/1958
Midfielder who started at Bedmond Sports & Social prior to signing for Brentford in 1978, went on to play for Sheffield United and even played in the old First Division before rejoining Brentford and ending his professional career in 1992.

Peter Brown, born 01/09/1961
Defender who started at Chelsea, failed to make any first team appearances before moving to Wimbledon in 1980. Ended his playing career at Tring Town.

Julian Hails, born 20/11/1967
Winger, started at Hemel prior to joining Fulham in 1991, went on to play for Southend United making 252 professional appearances in total.

Julian James, born 22/03/1970
Defender who played for Luton Town for 10 years from 1987, including a spell in the old First Division. Ended his playing career non-league with Tring Athletic.

Keith Ryan, born 25/06/1970
Midfielder who started at Berkhamsted Town, signed for Wycombe Wanderers in 1993 and spent 11 seasons at the club.

Tamer Fernandes born 04/12/1974
Goalkeeper who joined Hemel in 1999 after starting his professional career with Brentford in 1993, also played for Peterborough United and Colchester United before his brief spell at Vauxhall Road.

Jim Benton, born 09/04/1975
Midfielder who played pro for Northampton Town in the early 1990’s, went on to play for Tring Town.

Tony Cook, born 17/09/1976
Midfielder born in Hemel, played for Colchester United 1993. Has since played non-league locally with Hemel Hempstead Town, Berkhamsted Town and Tring Town.

Charlie Mapes born 04/07/1982
Midfielder, started at Tottenham Hotspur before being released in 1998, short spells at Norwich City and Cardiff City before playing non-league for Yeovil, Harrow, Morton, Edgware, Wealdstone and Berkhamsted before joining the pro ranks at Wycombe Wanderers in 2003. Made 10 appearances for Wanderers before being back in the non-league game at Crawley, Canvey and Yeading prior to joining Hemel – left Vauxhall Road in 2007.

Ben Martin, born 15/11/1982
Defender who started at Harpenden Town, signed for Swindon Town in 2003 and was loaned to Lincoln City, but made no first team appearances for either side before returning to non-league football.