Well, to be honest, it wasn’t actually the night before Christmas, as the first game of the ‘Festive Football’ period was on the 21st of December, a bit before the night before Christmas. It was followed by White Ensign away on Boxing Day and Frenford away on the 4th of January 2025, after the New Year shenanigans. But, for the purposes of this literary piece, let’s just go with that first line of festive fun as we take a look at what happened in the world of HSFC over the Christmas period.

It being Christmas and with lots of festivities going on, I couldn’t be at the three games mentioned so here’s an overview and in tribute to the Gavin and Stacey Finale, and in Nessa’s very own words, oh! what’s occurring?

The festive period began with the home game against Benfleet and The Bridge were hoping to add another win to the previous game that they had won on the road at FC Clacton. With 9 points available over the Christmas and New Year period it was a chance to move up the table if all 9 could be added to The Bridge tally and the Christmas & New Year story started well with a 3-1 victory over ESL newcomers Benfleet.

This was an eventful game to kick off the festive football period with The Bridge taking a 1-0 lead with a goal from MOM Callum Knowlden before Benfleet levelled it with a goal from Nathan Saunders just before half-time.

The match had 7 yellow cards, and 2 red cards and Benfleet were down to 8 men at one point with the two reds and a player sin-binned. Ultimately this indiscipline probably cost them the game as The Bridge won it with two late goals, an 85th-minute Owen Bellamy penalty, and a 93rd-minute 3rd from the returning Freddie Moriaty after the visitors had captain Aaron Russell sent off in the 80th minute and Nathan Saunders received his red in the 84th minute.

The 3 points were all wrapped up and sitting under The Bridge Christmas tree as we moved on to Christmas part 2 and a short trip down the road to Burroughs Park, Great Wakering. The Boxing Day visit wasn’t greeted by a White Christmas, but The Bridge were greeted by hosts White Ensign and there wasn’t any sign of a crooning Bing Crosby, let alone Santa who was probably back at the North Pole getting ready for Christmas ’25 by now. However, there would be no Christmas joy for The Bridge from this one as our hosts weren’t giving out any presents as they took a 3-1 home victory. So, there was no celebration dancing from The Bridge nor Fred Astaire and Bing was as silent as Silent Night… Holy Night!

122 festive fans were in attendance to see Ensign ‘sleigh’ (sorry) The Bridge with Albie Keith first on the scoreboard after 25 minutes before Joe Burton equalised in the 32nd minute. A curious second Ensign goal was credited to Robbie Allen after a huge looping deflection couldn’t be kept out by Laurence Whymark and found the Hullbridge net. A Christmas gift? Possibly!

On his return from injury, Ensign centre-back Teddy Rumsby netted the 3rd, getting on the end of a corner and scoring with a well-executed overhead kick and the last game of 2024 ended in defeat for The Bridge which meant they finished 2024 in 16th place with 20 points, 13 more than bottom of the table FC Clacton.

Snow was falling all around us and children were playing, having fun...OK, not really but it keeps the Christmas theme going as we head on into the New Year and game 1 of 2025 at Frenford.

Everyone with Hullbridge Sports in their hearts were hoping that The Bridge New Year resolution was to win more points than in 2024 as the lads set off for the outskirts of Ilford and the game against Frenford. Would it be a Happy New Year for The Bridge? Well, a win at Frenford would be a good start and we hoped it would be New Year, new start for The Bridge. Alas, we got The Bridge 2024 vintage, and the lads began 2025 in 2024 fashion with a heavy 4-1 defeat against opposition we should probably be doing better against.

With this win, Frenford completed a full six points against The Bridge for the season and that alone kind of sums up where we are…no danger of relegation but IMHO we’re not going much higher than where we currently sit table-wise, although I obviously hope we do. Realistically, did we expect more? Since relegation from the Isthmian League, we’ve rebuilt two teams…as Tom (Jones, not Ranger!) would say “It’s not unusual”, because at ESL level it’s not but as Haircut 100 once sang, “Where does it go from here? Is it down to the lake I fear?”

I’m not sure about the lake but even Robbo and Tom (Ranger) must be wondering what the hell to expect next, so even a visit to the lake is possible! Anyway, bearing all that in mind, The Bridge travelled to Frenford with hope, if not expectation but that was somewhat damaged after just six minutes when Sam Ince put our hosts one up. On a day when Sam Carter had a good one but not many others did, The Bridge were always up against it, especially when Nicholas Solomon made it 2-0 after 36 minutes. Frenford’s home record is not overly impressive, with 2 wins, 3 draws, and 7 defeats but a lukewarm Bridge performance was never likely to make it 8 defeats and this was a comfortable home win for the red and white stripes despite a spirited second half Bridge performance.

2-0 swiftly became 3-0 in first-half injury time when Sam Ince grabbed his second and New Year was beginning to look far from happy for the boys in blue and white. Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow…

that would be good, maybe they could postpone the game!

Alas no, the game continued, and suddenly, New Year, new hope as Iziah Antoine reduced the deficit to 2. Further hope ensued when Frenford’s Wilton Domingos earned himself a second yellow and a red card for a wild tackle, but Callum Knowlden, unfortunately, equalled the teams up when he was sin-binned (thought number 1 for 2025, please can we have a different coloured card for sin-bins next season, it’s very confusing at present and requires some clarification!). Anyway, back to the game although I’d rather not, and if we thought it was all over it soon was!

Frenford didn’t need the help of a Russian Lino nor a Geoff Hurst hat-trick, but they were probably Ho, Ho, Ho’ing, and Jingling All the Way as they increased their lead with an 82nd-minute 4th from Elton Tettey. Saturday Nights Alright for Fighting warbled Elton (John, not Tettey), but The Bridge weren’t fighting this Saturday Night, and the Sun Went Down, metaphorically, on their first road trip of 2025 as The Bridge hopes of away points were extinguished like A Candle in the Wind.

As the decs came down, and the Christmas lights were dimmed in Ferry Road, The Bridge were left with 3 points from 9 and a bit of a hangover and, as I write this, snow really could be falling all around if the weather forecast is to be believed. The Bridge Christmas story ‘24/25’ wasn’t a Christmas miracle but it wasn’t a Nightmare Before (during or after) Christmas either. In fact, the Festive Football period was very much like the first part of the 24/25 season…if it were a present, it would be a bottle of exceptional wine, a pair of socks, and a piece of coal!

Christmas comes but once a year and as our old friend Reg Dwight and Kiki once said, “Don’t go breaking my heart”. I fear that our fav footie team may continue to do that from time to time in 2025, but HSFC is for life, not just for Christmas, so as ever….

He’s been a prominent part of The Bridge defence in recent games and was so once again against Benfleet. He also got the first Bridge goal, so take a bow Callum, cue applause and pass the man the medal…well played mate!

Despite the three goals, a solid performance from Connor and another MOM award to add to his collection on another day to forget for The Bridge.