Football

Old Albanians v Old Berhamstedians

Arthurian League

Division 2

Saturday 28th March 2026

Kick Off 10.00 Actual 10.08

Old Albanians 2 Old Berkhamstedians 3, attendance 12

6’ 1-0

48’ 1-1

59’ 1-2

61’ 2-2

73’ 2-3

@ The Woollams Playing Fields (Old Albanians R.U.F.C.)

160 Harpenden Road

St. Albans

AL3 6BZ

No Admission or Programme.

When I came here for an Old Albanians game in October 2023, they used Pitch 1 on the St. Albans School section of the playing fields. Today’s game was played on a pitch which is part of the Old Albanians R.U.F.C. section of the complex, on the right hand side as you enter off Harpenden Road, the furthest of the three pitches that run parallel to each other, running lengthways away from the driveway.

The match was 7th versus 6th in the league table and was the final game of the season for Albanians. A win would guarantee them staying in this division next season, but any other result would leave them hoping Lancing Old Boys and Old Brentwoods II fail to pick up a win in their remaining games, which would see them leapfrog them and send them down with already doomed Old Cholmeleians II.

They got off to a great start, going ahead after just six minutes. They had another effort hit the crossbar and saw a shot from the edge of the box tipped around the post in the dying seconds of the half, but it remained 1-0 at the break. It only took Berkhamstedians three minutes of the second half to draw level, when a partially cleared corner was lobbed back over the ‘keeper into the far corner of the net. The visitors went ahead just before the hour mark, following in on an initial shot that came back off the crossbar, but within two minutes Albanians pulled it back to 2-2, finishing with a 20 yarder low into the bottom corner. An unmarked finish from the edge of the box, low into the far corner, saw Berkhamstedians regain the lead with seventeen minutes left and despite pushing hard for an equaliser, Albanians were unable to get back into it, with the nearest they came to drawing level being an in swinging corner that hit the crossbar.

Despite having kicked off eight minutes late, with everyone staying out on the pitch for a very short halftime interval, it was all over by 12.45, so plenty of time to head off for an afternoon match.