British Timken Athletic take a tonking

It is no secret that a fledgling Stevenage Borough had made a superb start to the 1980/1 United Counties League Division One season – the club’s first after taking on senior status.

Out of their opening 15 league games, Boro had won 12 and scored nearly 50 goals while doing so – an average of more than three goals per game.

They scored seven at Geddington Montrose and six at home to Burton Park Wanderers, but even those huge results were to pale into comparison with events that took place on Saturday, December 6 1980.

In front of a modest gathering of 360, the game against British Timken Athletic stands out above all the rest from that season... and indeed, ever since.

Tim Jolly, Trevor Metcalfe (three), Peter Gittings (two), Danny Dance, Nigel Roberts, Jimmy Daintree and Ken Morgan: those names all found the back of the net that day as Boro romped to an incredible 11-1 victory.

In fact, only five players failed to score that day (including the goalkeeper).

It is a win that is still the club’s biggest to this day – a record that is unlikely to be beaten now.

It seems that British Timken Athletic will forever be a name that resonates in Boro circles.

* Pete Hayman runs BoroGuide, the Stevenage FC internet resource. For more information visit www.boroguide.co.uk or follow him on twitter @boroguide