Address:

Top Field

Fishponds Road

Telephone:

01462 - 434483

Hitchin Town FC

Hitchin Town Homepage

By Car: 

Via the A1:

MAKE your way up or down the A1(M) and exit at junction 8 (Stevenage North and Hitchin). Take the A602 towards Hitchin, go over two roundabouts and through lights on the one-way system following the signs for Bedford (A600).You will see a large open green to your right, at the next roundabout turn right into Fishponds Road and entrance to the ground is approx 100 yards on your left.

Via the M1:

FROM the M1 take junction 10 , Luton South & Airport  and follow the A505 to Hitchin (signposted all the way). When in Hitchin turn left at the next large roundabout ,the one after a mini roundabout with a petrol station to your right, and follow signs for Bedford A600 . Straight over the next set of traffic lights ,at the next roundabout turn right into Fishponds Road. Entrance 100 yards on the left. 

By Rail:

FROM King's Cross station, trains at 06 and 51 minutes past the hour, arriving Hitchin at 46 and 19 minutes past respectively. From Hitchin station the ground is one mile. Come out the station, go over the Pelican crossing towards B&Q and turn right and follow the road around into Nightingale Road. At the bottom of this road ,at the roundabout, bear right past the Woolpack pub and continue past the church on your right and recreation ground on your left. At the next roundabout take the road that bears slightly right ,past the Victoria pub on your right. Continue up this road ,past two schools and the swimming pool, Hitchin Town Football Club is at the top of the road just before the roundabout.

HITCHIN is an old market town, with the main market open on Tuesdays and Saturdays.

Hitchin, as a historic Hertfordshire market town, has a thriving local community. The town has been a meeting place for hundreds of years.

Pegsdon Hills.

If you enjoy walks, you might like to take a walk in the Pegsdon Hills.  With stunning views from the top of the hills, this is one of the most spectacular reserves owned by the Wildlife Trust.

Purchased by the Trust in 1992 following a public appeal, the hills are part of the Deacon Hill Site of Special Scientific Interest. The valley slopes and chalk grasslands are home to many rare and beautiful wildflowers and make a great day outdoors for all the family.

The chalk grassland which remains today on the steepest slopes of the Pegsdon Hills is a remnant of the pastures which once covered much of the downs. When sheep became less profitable, the pastures were ploughed under and the grasses and wildflowers disappeared, as did the insects, birds and other wildlife associated with them.

The slopes of Barn Hole show what has been lost: thyme, marjoram and basil scent the air on sunny days, while bees visit the candytuft, rock rose, harebell and other flowers which colour the hillside. Skylarks nest in the long grasses.

To get there, take the B655 road west from Hitchin or east from Barton-le-Clay. The Pegsdon reserve lies directly across the road from the centre of the village. The Live and Let Live pub offers a welcome end to a walk and enjoys splendid of the hills from the large gardens.

Also in Hitchin are character buildings, which date back to the 18th century.  The town centre is a 10-minute walk from the ground.  A lot of these buildings can be seen on this walk.

If you fancy a bite to eat, a good place to go is the restaurant Just 32.  It is a superb restaurant tucked away just off the Market Square that is perfect for that “special occasion” meal.

The Just 32 restaurant.

The restaurant is small seating approximately 30 people, with unpretentious décor and a comfortable, relaxed ambience. It is advised that you book early to avoid disappointment.

The style of food is very much in the “bistro” vein with an added cosmopolitan twist and the presentation is a delight. The service is a joy and you never feel rushed to vacate a table. The staff will try to ensure that you are there for the night if that is what you desire.

The menu (which changes on the first of every month) is nicely balanced, giving a choice of half a dozen starters, main courses and desserts.

Vegetarians are always well catered for and food is chosen depending on its seasonal availability. Fish lovers will always find at least two or three dishes that will satisfy a jaded palate and meat eaters will not be disappointed either.

Starters are around the £5 mark with main courses ranging from £12 up to £18 for some of the more unusual fish dishes. The dessert menu, which includes a fine cheeseboard are about £4-5.

The wine list is extensive, and changed regularly depending on what is available. Expect to pay around £10 for the house wine up to £25-30 for better bottles. They also boast a connoisseurs wine list if you are feeling particularly flush, with bottles well over the £50 mark.

In addition to the evening menu, Just 32 also has a lunchtime menu, which is considerably cheaper and provides excellent value for money if you are feeling peckish whilst shopping. It boasts relatively simple fayre such as Bangers and Mash but, as you would expect, is cooked superbly and only using the finest ingredients.

All in all, you will not be disappointed if you book here for that romantic meal for two or for an evening with friends and family.

If you want to have a few drinks and a boogie, popular nightspots include The Corn Exchange and The Loft, both of which are in the town centre.  Otherwise, you might want to consider going to nearby Stevenage, which is easy to get to on either the bus or the train and has a leisure park and plaza that have several bars - Cobarnas, Flares, Chicago Rock Café and Jumpin' Jaks and two nightclubs - Pulse and, for over 24s, Vogue.

When it comes to the match, there are several pubs in the vicinity of the ground, four popular ones being The Woolpack, The Angels Reply, Three Moorhens and The Victoria.

Opposite the ground is also an outdoor swimming pool, which is open in the summer.

James Osborn.

A central midfielder from Islington in London, James Osborn had been associated with Luton Town since the age of 12, having also represented Camden & Islington District and Middlesex County Schools as a junior. He worked his way through the Youth ranks to sign Scholarship forms in June 2000, and made excellent progress in his two years as a full-time Scholar.

In the 2000-01 season, Osborn played 28 games for the U-19s, scoring four goals. He was in outstanding form towards the back end of that season, and was under consideration for a place in the first-team squad for a trip to Brentford on May 3, but unfortunately he was unavailable through suspension, having been sent-off for the juniors against Swansea City two weeks earlier.

After that, he was twice involved with the first-team - firstly making a substitute appearance in a strong Luton side that visited Boreham Wood during the 2001-02 pre-season, and then as an unused substitute in a LDV Vans Trophy game at Dagenham & Redbridge in October 2001.

He formed an exciting partnership with Lee Mansell in the Youth Team midfield, but his form dipped following Mansell's promotion to the senior squad. However, he was one of the stars of the 2001-02 Youth Team, weighing in with a very impressive 13 goals from midfield.

He was rewarded with an extended run in the Reserves towards the end of the season, where he did enough to be kept on for the third year of his football Scholarship. A stylish midfielder and set-piece specialist, Osborn had hoped to make a big impression in the Reserves during the 2002-03 season, and continue his development towards first-team football.

He had been hoping to break into Luton’s first-team during the 2002-03 season, but, with the Hatters looking to break into the Second Division play-off places, manager Joe Kinnear was reluctant to throw any youngsters into the first-team squad, and Osborn made just one first-team appearance during the course of the campaign. His only appearance came in October 2002 at Woking in the LDV Vans Trophy, and he gave a good account of himself on the right of the Hatters’ midfield.

In mid-March 2003, as a third-year scholar, Osborn was given the sad news that he would not be offered a professional contract and he was released with the best wishes of all of the staff at Kenilworth Road.

Looking for a new club, James signed for Luton's Non-League neighbours Hitchin Town after a spell with Harrow Borough in the summer of 2003, having scored 21 goals in 60 appearances in the past three seasons for the U-19 side.  After a spell at Top Field, he returned to Harrow Borough in November 2003 before switching to Dunstable Town, Broxbourne Borough Victoria & Elm F.C and then Chesham United, where he linked up with ex-Hatter Dean Brennan, and Shane Hill, son of Luton legend Ricky Hill.

It was a sad end to James Osborn's time at Kenilworth Road – he had been with the Hatters since the age of 11, but, as we all know, it is extremely hard to make the breakthrough in the professional game.

Robbie O'Keefe.

Kerry Dixon.