THE TFFC FOUNDERS' SHIELD was started up as an annual challenge match between the First Team and Second Team in the days when the Club ran two elevens in League football.

Often there was a ‘them and us’ situation between the two sides; the gulf separating the 1sts from the 2nds was at times enormous. It was felt that one method of bringing the teams closer together on a more even level was the Founders’ Shield, a chance for the ‘inferior’ Seconds to put one over their more illustrious comrades.

Any suggestion that the FS would be an annual slaughter for the higher side was soon put to rest in the third such fixture. The Firsts won a trial match by 6-1 in 1979/80, followed by a resounding 14-0 win in a CA Cup tie at Hampstead Heath, a match used for the purpose of the FS because a separate game could not be fitted in. Then, in match number three, the Seconds pulled off a shock 4-3 win in a full-scale practice match at Edgwarebury Park in August 1981.

A year later, the First Team were again humbled by the minnows of the Club, this time by an amazing 8-1. Also a full-scale practice match at the same venue, Steve Feiger scored four goals for the Second Team; the players of this seemingly weaker team never let the big shots forget it for the remainder of the season!

After a two-year break – the congested fixture list and Club politics had no room for a Founders’ Shield encounter – the FS reappeared as the infamous ‘Wiggling Cock’ match in December 1985. That was when Steve Feiger, then elevated to the First XI, suggested that he would wiggle his genitals around the poor old Second Team. The Firsts were on their way to enjoying the Club’s finest season up until then, culminating in the winning of the Division Two championship, whilst the Seconds were enduring another slump in Div.3. Certainly, as one-sided a match as one would wish to see, no doubt! But no! In one of Temple Fortune’s biggest upsets ever, the Second Team pulled off an incredible 3-1 win at Bethune Park, superbly schemed by Danny and Tony Espinoza!

The 1986/87 Founders’ Shield brought in a two-legged affair. The shell-shocked First Team, obviously taking no chances, only fancied winning the trophy if it was played over two games! Game for a laugh and a challenge, the Seconds complied but the result went to form. Well, First Division team against Third Division team, what do you expect? The Firsts then enjoyed two further years of success but in 1989/90, despite them having to play two games, the Second Team captured the Shield for the fourth time by winning 6-5 on aggregate.

Incidently, we say ‘captured the Shield’ but only in name! The actual wooden Shield had bitten the dust – or more accurately, been bitten to dust – by the over-keen dog of a Temple Fortune player a year or two earlier. David Shone, looking after the trophy following one of the First XI’s victories, had to sheepishly report the grave loss to the Club’s hierarchy, which really went down a treat!



The last Founders' Shield competition prior to the Second Team's folding in 1991 was won by the First XI after which the event sadly became redundant for six years.

However, the revival of the Second Team in 1997 meant that the Founders’ Shield was restored. The first of the new competitions involved the Old Boys team as well and was contested as a three-team round robin group, making it the biggest TFFC inter-club footballing event to date. A brand new mahogany shield, fully engraved with all the winners since the inaugural match in 1979, was purchased and is presented annually to the Founders' Shield winners.

Following the Second Team's demise for the second time at the close of the 2004/05 season, the FS was competed by the First Team and the Old Boys Team. This format continued until season 2008/09 when a second Old Boys XI was brought in, namely the 'A' team, making the 2008 Shield competition the first 3-team event since the 2002/03 season.

When the Second Team was reformed again in 2010, the Founders' Shield was contested by three teams in a pre-season 'double-header' at the University of Herts 3G in Hatfield. But for the 2011/12 season, with the FS celebrating its Silver Anniversary, the First Team and Second Team met in a pre-season match at Clitterhouse Playing Fields. The result was a 2-2 draw and for only the second time was the Founders' Shield decided by penalties, with the First Team narrowly winning 6-5.

The end of the 2012/13 season saw the disbanding of the Second Team for the third time which pitched the Masters (Old Boys) team against the remaining MSFL (First) team. But this produced the worst mismatch of any season of this annual fixture as the new-look MSFL team stormed to a 16–1 victory with ease.

For season 2014/15, Co-Founder Peter Kyte was asked to raise a Founders' XI to make the 28th FS a more competitive three-team event, which the Old Boys Team won, making it only their second success. This format proved to be successful and was retained for season 2015/16, when Peter Kyte's Founders' XI won the Shield for the first time, and again for season 2016/17.

The seasons have come and gone since with the Second Team, Old Boys Team and TF Founders' XIs joining in at various times. In fact the Founders' XI actually won the Founders' Shield for the first time in season 2015/16, after three teams had tied on points but the Founders' XI won on goal difference. The 2019/20 Founders' Shield was cancelled because of the Covid-19 pandemic cutting short the season but a year later, although delayed because of the ongoing problems, the 33rd Founders' Shield match was played. Jacob Kalm's newly formed Second Team deservedly beat the First Team 4–1 at Silver Jubilee Park to win the Shield for the ninth time.

WINNERS OF THE FOUNDERS' SHIELD

Below follows a round-up of the Founders' Shield matches with a year-by-year summary from 2000/01 onwards. The 14th Founders' Shield – Winners season 2000/01: THE SECOND TEAM Temple Fortune's Second Team won the Founders' Shield for the first time since 1989/90. Despite playing in a lower division, the Seconds actually beat the First Team on three separate occasions during the 2000/01 season. The second and third matches of this trio of meetings counted for the purpose of the Shield, the Second XI winning 3-1 and 5-3.

The 15th Founders' Shield – Winners, season 2001/02: THE FIRST TEAM Temple Fortune's First Team recorded their first win over the Second Team since 1999 to capture the Founders' Shield once again. The match was played as an end-of-season finale at Woodhouse College astroturf on Sunday 5th May and both teams, missing numerous regulars, were forced to field only ten players each. Due to the results of the various preseason inter-club matches, the Second Team needed only a draw to retain the Shield. However, the Firsts, kitted out in their change shirts of green, were the better side from the outset and led 3-2 at the interval. Steve Feiger (2) – his first goals of the season – and Yali Mamouri scored for the Firsts whilst Dean Ingram and Bryan Silver replied for the Seconds The second half was dominated by the First Team who built up a lead of 7-2 thanks to goals by Ricky Stone (2), Yali Mamouri and Jeremy Fess before Robert Botkai netted his 24th goal of the season to make it 7-3. With the Seconds looking as though they had given up, Ricky Stone (penalty), Yali Mamouri and Simon Allen completed the scoring. Stone and Mamouri celebrated hat-tricks as the First Team won 10-3 to take the Shield for the tenth time. This result was the Second Team's worst defeat against the Firsts for 22 years since losing 14-0 in 1980.

The 16th Founders' Shield – Winners, season 2002/03: THE SECOND TEAM Andy Fridkin's Second Team shocked the life out of a weakened First Team to capture the Founders' Shield for the second time in three years, winning by an amazing 9-4 at Childs Hill Park. The Seconds stormed to a shock 6-1 lead at half-time against the makeshift Firsts, who fielded several newcomers arguably not up to the challenge. Robert Botkai netted a second half hat-trick after coming on as a sub whilst Josh Blitz hit two. The victory was the Second Team's highest over the Firsts and certainly avenged the embarrassing 10-3 hammering of the previous season. The Second Team's success cut the Founders' Shield series score to 6-10 in favour of the Firsts.

The 17th Founders' Shield – Winners, season 2003/04: THE SECOND TEAM A very scratch First Team were humbled by the Seconds at windy West Hendon Playing Fields and fell to a 5-1 defeat. Fielding only three regular players, namely Graham Meyer, Gedis Kortach and Garry Simpson, the team resembled a TF Select XI rather than Temple Fortune's premier side. But that is to take nothing away from the Second Team's performance, inwhich they fielded three new players themselves. Of these, ex-Brady forward Graeme Grossman scored twice and Jonny Litsbit once, whilst Gideon Adler and a late breakaway goal by the excellent Nick Stern completed the Second Team's tally of five. Jeremy Fess scored for the First Team when the Seconds led 3-0 and apart from Steve Feiger hitting the underside of the bar from close range, there wasn't much else to shout about for the makeshift Firsts. So, well done to the Second Team who retain the Founders' Shield for the second season in succession. And thanks go to Andy Fridkin in particular whose help in bringing along quite a few extra players ensured that the depleted Firsts could field any sort of team!

The 18th Founders' Shield – Winners, season 2004/05: THE FIRST TEAM Temple Fortune's MSFL side met the Old Boys XI at Clitterhouse Playing Fields in the second of two consecutive pre-season matches, the difference being that this one counted as the Founders' Shield match for season 2004/05. Despite the Old Boys fielding several different players, including a few from the MSFL squad, the result ended up being the same as the first encounter played the previous week – a comfortable 8-1 victory for the First Team. Second XI all-time top scorer Robert Botkai hit a hat-trick to equal the amount of goals he scored throughout the whole of the previous season, whilst other goals came from Dean Ingram (goal of the game - a scorcher from 20 yards or so), newcomers Kevin Goldberg and Gavriel Noe, Martin Seifert and Steve Feiger. Farid Mamouri, Yali's younger brother, scored the only reply for the Old Boys team.

The 19th Founders' Shield – Winners, season 2005/06: THE OLD BOYS TEAM The Founders' Shield for season 2005/06 was decided by the contingency performance criteria in place when an actual match First Team and Old Boys Team could not be arranged for one reason or another. Nigel Kyte, Chairman and one of the Club's Founders, explained: "With both teams having had a full season, we have run out of time to get a game played. Rather than leave a blank in the Founders' Shield winners list – and I didn't want this carrying over to next season – we used the performance criteria in place for such circumstances. I think that comparing both teams' goalscoring performances in league matches played over the season isn't such a bad idea to determine the winner." The criteria allowed the Old Boys Team to capture the Shield for the first time.

The 20th Founders' Shield – Winners, season 2006/07: THE FIRST TEAM The First Team defeated the Old Boys Team by 8-2 at Whitchurch Playing Fields to win the Founders' Shield, which was being contested for the 20th occasion. The Old Boys got off to the worst possible start by conceding an early penalty, Stephen Brower being adjudged to have pushed Jeff Bathija who converted the spot kick through Steve Feiger's legs, but within 5 minutes, the Old Boys equalised when Robert Botkai's excellent volley beat Phil Small. The Firsts added further goals by Martin Seifert and Gavin Levy to make the score 3-1 after 35 minutes. MIchael Kaye's push into the back of Jeremy Fess just inside the penalty area gave the Old Boys a lifeline on the stroke of half-time which goalkeeper Steve Feiger took advantage of from the resulting spot-kick. At 3-2 down, the Old Boys let in a crucial fourth within 2 minutes of the restart, Jeff Bathija's shot wickedly deflecting off Stephen Brower to wrong-foot Feiger. With the Old Boys clearly tiring, the spaces started developing and further goals seemed inevitable. Martin Seifert scored one fabuolous individual goal, waltzing through a crowd of players. A rare Ged Kortach slip let in Graham Meyer but his shot was splendidly saved by Phil Small to keep the score at 5-2. That was the Old Boys XI's last real chance and the Firsts added three more goals on the break through Seifert (two) – to complete a memorable match for him – and Ben Isaacs. Garry Simpson was presented with the Shield after the match by Chairman Nigel Kyte.

The 21st Founders' Shield – Winners, season 2007/08: THE FIRST TEAM The First Team predictably had the edge on the Old Boys Team, winning the pre-season inter-club friendly by 4-2 and taking the Founders' Shield for the 13th time. But the Masters side nevertheless gave their younger opposition a very good game on the Hillingdon Borough G3 pitch. After surviving substantial early pressure from the Firsts, the Old Boys broke upfield and took the lead after 25 minutes, Geoff Isaacs shooting against Steve Feiger who diverted the ball into the net. The lead lasted 10 minutes before Ollie Buckley continued his pre-season scoring run with a neat equaliser following a fine move. However, the Old Boys retained the lead 8 minutes from the break, Jeremy Fess driving low under make-shift goalkeeper Simon Allen's legs by his near post. Almost immediately, a long ball to the right of the penalty area found Ben Isaacs who managed to tip the ball past the onrushing Serge Weinberger and into an empty net to make it 2-2. After an Old Boys shot had struck the top of the First Team's crossbar, the MSFL XI took the lead for the first time when Luke Simons finished high to Weinberger's left after being given too much space on the stroke of half-time. The second half was mainly dominated by the First Team as the Old Boys began to tire, but the red-shirted Masters side battled gamely and must take a lot of credit for their sustained effort against some faster and fitter youngsters. Serge Weinberger made several fine saves to keep the Old Boys in the game, whilst Simon Allen splendidly pushed one Old Boys atempt over his crossbar. However, for all the effort in the heat, there was just one further goal when Luke Simons grabbed his second with 15 minutes remaining, beating Weinberger with a low drive.

The 22nd Founders' Shield – Winners, season 2008/09: THE FIRST TEAM The First Team won the first three-team Founders' Shield tournament for several years by beating both Old Boys teams in two one-hour games at Hillingdon Borough FC. The first match marked the inaugural fixture of Temple Fortune's new Old Boys 'A' Team, in their red shirts and yellow shorts, against the First Team. An early goal by Ollie Buckley gave the Firsts a 1-0 lead which they held until the closing seconds when Jon Fisher fired home a second. In between, the Old Boys team were mainly on the back foot and had to withstand quite a lot of pressure, but defended quite well after their shaky start. Adam Glekin had little to do in goal for the Firsts but was called upon twice to keep out two long shots, one a hard low free-kick by Jamie Simpson in the second half and another a similar effort from Dean Ingram. Phil Small was far the busier goalkeeper, thwarting the new-look younger opposition several times. But the First Team deservedly won 2-0 despite the best efforts of their older counterparts. In the second match, the fresh Old Boys 'B' Team worked hard but offered little threat against the First Team in their change shirts of green, going down 4-0. Steve Feiger had the best chance for the Old Boys in the second half but the ball was just glanced away by Lee Fegan's touch as Feiger prepared to shoot. At the other end, Serge Weinberger was called on to make a few saves but had little chance when David Selby opened the scoring midway through the first half. And when Daniel Woolfe finished a neat move with the second, the 2-0 lead made prospects of a recovery very hard for the Old Boys. In the closing minutes, Ollie Buckley's header from a fine left-sided cross made it 3-0 before Jon Fisher completed the scoring with time running out. The win retained the Founders' Shield for the First XI and made the fixture between the two Old Boys teams to complete the table more or less redundant.

The 23rd Founders' Shield – Winners, season 2009/10: THE FIRST TEAM The First Team beat the Old Boys Team by 6-2, with goals by Rob Benson (3), Jonathan Cohen, Richard Cooper and Paul Walker. Andy Souber and guest player David Droznika replied for the Old Boys Team. But the match was marred by two nasty injuries in the opening minutes. By far the worse of the two was when David Goldberg's son, Michael, who was guesting for the Old Boys Team, fell awkwardly after being fouled after only 5 minutes, dislocating his shoulder. After a lengthy delay, Michael was led off the field and the match restarted. Within a few minutes, Yali Mamouri took a hefty blow to his nose which left him bleeding profusely, taking a while to stem the flow. As for Michael, who normally plays for Camden Park, an ambulance was eventually called and he was taken to hospital where his shoulder was reset. Yali, on the other hand, was able to continue, albeit very groggy for a while. Both halves of the match were cut down and some players shifted from one team to the other, as the match became an anti-climax with players appearing to lose interest. Even before the match had begun, the kick-off was delayed because both goal-nets had to be erected, a problem which had never been experienced at Hatch End Playing Fields before. As a Founders' Shield fixture, it was as bizarre a match as had been contested in the long-running series.

The 24th Founders' Shield – Winners, season 2010/11: THE FIRST TEAM The First Team played the reformed Second Team for the first time in six years in the opening fixture of two for the 2010/11 Founders' Shield. Held on the G3 surface at the University of Hertfordshire in Hatfield, the Firsts, in their change shirts of green and white stripes, green shorts, were out of sorts and were held to 1-1 for the majority of the hour-long match. A Jonathan Dubiner own goal gifted the First Team the lead but Terry Jefferies netted a fine equaliser on his debut to level the score – the first Second Team goal since 2004! The Firsts improved after the interval and could have scored several goals, Roni Stone making one superb close-range save from debutant Michael Goldberg to keep the score at 1-1. But Goldberg, who in the previous year's Founders' Shield match had dislocated his shoulder, scored neatly after a fine move with just 10 minutes remaining. In the last minute, last season's top scorer Rob Benson hit a third to secure a 3-1 victory. In the second match, the Old Boys Team shocked the life out of the Firsts by taking an early lead through Adam Davis, shooting past Adam Glekin at his near post. But it wasn't too long before Ben Isaacs brought parity with a deft clip past Serge Weinberger following a defensive mess. The half-time score of 1-1 was a deserved reward for an Old Boys team enjoying the benefit of some younger players yet they fell behind in unfortunate circumstances when Gary Burns turned a hopeful cross into his own net. With ten minutes remaining, Scott Shindler scored the third own goal of the morning by placing a long back pass well wide of the First Team goalkeeper, making the score 2-2. However, with time ticking down and a draw seemingly the likely result, Rob Benson fired the winner for the First Team, rough justice for a creditable Old Boys display. James Ryan, the previous season's Old Boys leading scorer, had two glorious chances to score one-on-one opportunities, the second coming in the final seconds when he had just the goalkeeper to beat. So the two wins by the First Team allowed them to win the Founders' Shield for the fifth season running.

The 25th Founders' Shield – Winners, season 2011/12: THE FIRST TEAM The First Team retained the Founders' Shield by winning a penalty shoot-out at Clitterhouse Park but full credit must go to the MSFL Fourth Division's Second Team for giving their more illustrious First Division opponents a very close game. The match was keenly contested from the off with the First Team enjoying most of the early possession but the Seconds defended stoutly as their opponents tried to break through. With the Seconds creating little, the First Team continued to have more of the ball. The breakthrough finally arrived after 32 minutes. A ball was played in towards ROB BENSON who just about managed to stay onside as he nipped past goalkeeper Tony Hirschstein and found the net from an angle. With few chances being created during the remainder of the half, an equaliser looked highly unlikely from the shot-shy Second Team. However, they managed to find the net on the stroke of half-time. The First XI defenders allowed a long Gideon Wetrin throw to bounce about in the penalty area and last season's leading Second XI scorer Terry Jeffries headed home. During the second half, the Second Team looked much more settled and began with increased possession, play changing from end to end. On 55 minutes, a long wide ball found Jon Fisher in acres of space on the right. he took the ball wide and appeared to lose his footing but somehow managed to fire in a cross-shot which evaded Hirschstein and nestled inside the far post, an excellent finish. The Second Team went for the equaliser and it came from a corner on the right after 72 minutes when Dan Markeson rose above two defenders at the far post to powerfully head home. Two-all! The match then went to penalties and the first ten spot-kicks were scored competently. The First XI's sixth kick was converted before goalkeeper Roni Stone dived to his right to keep out Gavin Levy's penalty, giving the First Team a 6-5 victory. Michael Goldberg, Rob Benson, Jason Miller, Paul Walker, Brett Stead and Jon Fisher converted the First Team's penalties whilst the Second Team's scorers were Jeff Bathija, Dan Markeson, Terry Jeffries, Dean Ingram and Ben Glekin.

The 26th Founders' Shield – Winners, season 2012/13: THE FIRST TEAM The First Team won the Founders' Shield again by storming to comfortable 6-1 victory against the Second Team on the 3G at Borehamwood FC. From the start, the Seconds faced wave after wave of attacks but some how survived after several near missing until the 32nd minute. Then a cross from the left evaded the defence and Kane Gilbery slipped in to fire past Serge Weinberger. Several minutes later, the ever-dangerous Shai Davidi skipped into the penalty area and was tripped but before a penalty could be awarded, Craig Edwards side-footed the second goal. The Firsts could easily have extended their lead with better finishing but the Seconds held out for just a two-nil deficit at the interval. Things became a bit fiesty soon into the second half when Kane Gilbery's petulance started some heated handbags near the centre circle. Then tempers became frayed even more after Jamie Simpson deliberately tripped Davidi from behind when he had broken well clear of him. Davidi reacted aggressively, earning both players yellow cards. The First Team continued where they left off in the first period by dominating the possession. Shai Davidi scored a third after cutting inside from the right, followed by Jeff Bathija neatly finishing a great move to make the score 4-0 on the hour. Steven Murad did not have a shot to save until lone striker Terry Jeffries had his one and only chance with 20 minutes remaining; TJ's excellent volley cannoned off a post and past the previosuly redundant Murad for a consolation goal. With tempers seemingly cooled somewhat, the First Team added a fifth goal through a twice-taken Bathija penalty with ten minutes left. And then the same player skilfully walked around Weinberger to grab his hat-trick following another clipped throughball beyond the tiring Second XI defence. With the clock running down, a rare swift breakaway by the Seconds allowed Gavin Levy to have his shot saved by Murad after good work from Dave Sawyer. So a good win for the First Team who played some excellent football. As for the mesmerised Second Team, a gallant effort all-round but the gulf between the two teams looked to be much wider compared to this corresponding match the previous year.

The 27th Founders' Shield – Winners, season 2013/14: THE FIRST TEAM Temple Fortune's new-look MSFL team produced one of the highest wins in the Club's history by thrashing the Masters (Old Boys) team by 16-1 in the 27th Founders' Shield match. It was the fourth highest victory ever and only wins of 22-0, 16-0 and 17-2 surpass it. Played at the Hertfordshire Sports Village in Hatfield on a brand new 4G pitch, the MSFL team dominated from start to finish, scoring eight goals in each half. Admittedly the Old Boys did not have a recognised goalkeeper, but they carried too many lightweights who failed to get stuck in and work hard, notably most of the newcomers. Time and time again some inept defending allowed the younger team to sweep forward and, apart from Dean Ingram who seemed to be the only player in a yellow shirt capable of putting his foot on the ball, the dainty midfield simply gave the ball away repeatedly. Goals were inevitable and they came with a degree regularity. Only substitute Yali Mamouri's lone reply when 7–0 down just before half time gave the Old Boys anything to cheer. The second half reflected the one-sidedness of the opening period as the MSFL team continued to pile on the pressure. A goalkeeper change – Peter Kyte for Allon Schick-Maier – could not prevent further goals and the Old Boys were made to pay for more unforced mistakes. Although a few Masters players gave their all, some were very ineffective, trotting about as though this was a kick-about in the sun where effort was not required. And so the 27th FS finished with a record high 16-1 result in this particular fixture which stretches back to 1979. No fewer than nine different players scored, probably a new record high at the Club. Zack Rich celebrated his debut with four goals, matched by the hard-working Ollie Squires. Another debutant, Darren Zetrin, hit two, whilst the others came from brothers Mark and Matt Leader, a neat Lee Fegan, Tony Hirschfield, Gavin Levy and Rob Jay, who scored a rare goal in the last minute. Pick of the bunch was Gavin's 30 yard pile-driver which zapped into the net. Co-Founder Peter Kyte presented the Shield to victorious MSFL team boss Jonathan Cohen – as easy a start to his managerial career as he could have wished for!

The 28th Founders' Shield – Winners, season 2014/15: THE OLD BOYS TEAM Eight seasons in a row had seen the First XI win the annual Founders' Shield match so it came as a breath of fresh air to have the Old Boys finally break this sequence. The 28th competition was run as a three-team event, which included an invitational Founders' XI, run by TFFC co-founder Peter Kyte, which included several 'old-timers' who had long retired or moved to other teams. On 31st August 2014 the Club held two matches in the form of a 'double-header' at the Hertfordshire Sports Village in Hatfield. The First Team beat the Founders' XI 3–1 but then rather surprisingly drew with the Old Boys Team 1–1. This resulted in the need to stage a third fixture to determine the winners. So the Old Boys Team met the Founders' XI at the end of the season and just about edged home by 6–5 to win the Founders' Shield for only the second time. Gavin Levy fired the Founders' ahead after just two minutes but James Ryan equalised with the OB's first attack. Then Yali Mamouri found space to fire the Reds ahead on 10 minutes against the run of play – two chances for the Old Boys and two goals! Gavin Levy netted his second five minutes later to make the score two-apiece. The Founders' XI kept pressing for a third goal but it was the Old Boys who nudged ahead after 33 minutes. Phil Bloomberg toe-punted a 30-yarder which sailed over Tony Espinoza's head, but just before half-time, OBs defender Gary Burns bowled over Andy Souber to concede a penalty which Steve Feiger despatched to level at three-all at the interval. The second half saw Peter Kyte's scratch side again get caught on the break, Mamouri scoring his second goal after 54 minutes. And when Jeremy Fess broke away from almost the half-way line to net a fifth goal for the Old Boys on 69 minutes, things looked bad for the Founders'. Makeshift striker Lee Fegan reduced the deficit three minutes later, and then, four minutes from time, 16-year old Jamie Kyte calmly fired into the net to restore parity at 5–5. However, another swift break allowed James Ryan to cross the ball for Mamouri to hook home just two minutes from time, a goal which both completed his hat-trick and won his team the Founders' Shield. With goal difference not applying, the Old Boys won the Shield by virtue of being the so-called 'weaker' team! The 29th Founders' Shield – Winners, season 2015/16: THE TF FOUNDERS' TEAM The result of the deciding match of the three-team 'round-robin' group gave Peter Kyte's Founders' XI a first win in the long running Founders' Shield series. Despite losing 2–0 to the Old Boys, the orange-bibbed Founders' side just about did enough to take the Shield on goal difference. So in match 3 of the series, Temple Fortune Old Boys XI, needing a three-goal win to capture the Inter-Club Founders' Shield for season 2015/16, fell one goal short in this sportingly played fixture at Silver Jubilee Park. First half goals by Yali Mamouri and James Ryan set up an encouraging situation where one more goal would be sufficient. But for all their effort, the Old Boys could not grab that vital goal, leaving the Founders' XI to snatch the Shield on goal difference for the first time. Peter Kyte received the Founders' Shield as team manager of his Founders' XI. Results: TF Founders' XI 4, First XI 1; First XI 2, Old Boys XI 0 (both played at Hertfordshire Sports Village, Hatfield in August 2015); Old Boys XI 2, TF Founders' XI 0 (played at Silver Jubilee Park, Kingsbury, May 2016). All three teams tied on points but the Founders' XI won on goal difference. Below: Action from the second match at Hertfordshire Sports Village between the Firsts (yellow shirts) and Old Boys. The 30th Founders' Shield – Winners, season 2016/17: THE FIRST TEAM The First Team won the 30th Founders' Shield competition for the first time since 2013/14. Held at Silver Jubilee Park and played in a mixture of sunshine and rain showers, both games were quite competitive, with the First Team having to work very hard to secure their two victories. The Founders Team were strengthened with several First Team squad players and battled hard to contain the Firsts during the first half. The opening goal came when Jonathan Cohen hit a hopeful cross which lofted over the head of Graham Meyer into the far corner. If that goal appeared to be fortunate there was no luck about the equaliser which came a few minutes later via Gavin Levy. The midfielder collected the ball just outside the area and fired a sweet shot past Will Martyn's right hand and into the far corner. When Adam Speck, marking his first game as team captain, netted low in the corner after an excellent run to give the Firsts a 2–1 lead midway through the second half, it looked as though Simon Linden was heading towards his first TFFC trophy as team manager. But the Founders' team levelled for a second time soon afterwards when Brett Stead drilled a fierce shot low to Martyn's left. With the match poised at 2–2 and the game moving into its closing minutes, Ollie Squires put his misses behind him to score the third – and match winning goal – for the First Team with a competent finish. Defender Sean Ladier added a fine goal also, as did Squires with his second late on, to help secure Linden's team a 5–2 victory. The second match was a rather tight affair too until two late goals decided it in the First Team's favour. The Old Boys Team defended solidly for most of the match as their red-shirt opponents enjoyed the majority of possession. With Jeremy Fess played as the lone striker, the Old Boys rarely managed to get into the opposing half. Gary Burns deflected a shot onto the underside of the cross-bar which was the nearest the Firsts came in the first 15 minutes. Serge Weinberger made several excellent saves but was powerless to stop Robbie Berwald from opening the scoring just before the interval, his neat finish finding the back of the net. The Firsts continued to dominate in the second half but could not add to the lead. Sam Barth came on as a sub for the Old Boys and with eight minutes remaining, he broke away onto a long punt upfield, took the ball really wide and somehow squeezed the ball past Will Martyn and into the net via the far post. This unlikely equaliser looked like giving the Old Boys a surprise draw until, with four minutes remaining, Dan Krieger collected the ball some 20 yards out and lofted a tremendous effort high over Weinberger's head and into the top corner. And with time virtually up, the First Team secured a 3-1 win when Ollie Squires netted near the far post with the final kick of the game. So the First Team finished the morning with two wins which finally recaptured the Club's Founders' Shield. The 31st Founders' Shield – Winners, season 2017/18: THE SECOND TEAM The Second Team won the 31st Founders' Shield competition for the eighth time, the team's first success since 2002/03. They became the fourth different winner in the last four years that the Shield has been contested, following wins by the First Team, Old Boys Team and Peter Kyte's TF Founders' XI. Held at Silver Jubilee Park under the heat of the summer sunshine, the Seconds defeated the Old Boys by 9–2 on Sunday 10th June 2018 in the third and deciding fixture. The previous two matches in the Founders' Shield series had been played at the end of August 2017, when the Firsts defeated the Seconds by 8–1 followed by a shock 4–1 victory by the Old Boys against the Firsts, the ever-green Yali Mamouri grabbing a hat-trick. So these two results set up the decider which the Second Team had to win by six goals or more to take the Shield on goal difference. The Seconds, playing their last match before being effectively disbanded, got off to the worst possible start when the Old Boys scored early on thanks to an own goal. But the younger legs started to dominate and the Seconds scored four times before half-time to set them on the way. Further goals flowed in the second half and even though the Old Boys netted a second late on through Ollie Squires, the younger side comfortably won by 9–2. Jacob Kalms, the newly-crowned Second Team Player of the Year, scored a hat-trick including a penalty, whilst the Second Team Managers' Player of the Year Simon Cohen also hit a treble. Captain Gab Saul, Sam Cicurel and sub Steven Black also found the net. Yali Mamouri, playing his last game for TFFC after a distinguished career spanning some 20 years, missed a late penalty, rolling his kick wide. The whistle sounded with the Second Team capturing the Shield – and also the Jack Kyte Challenge Cup – for their efforts. The 32nd Founders' Shield – Winners, season 2018/19: THE FIRST TEAM The First Team captured the Founders' Shield for only the second time in five years by winning both games prior to the 2018/19 end-of-season Club Awards Presentation event held at Silver Jubilee Park. In the first match, an eager TF Founders' XI drawn from ex-TFFC players, current Old Boys players and several guests from MGBSFL teams gave a good account of themselves and the first half was very even, with the Firsts taking ages to get into the game. The Founders' XI scored first after 10 minutes through Adam Goldman. But eventually the Firsts came more into the game and equalised just before half-time, Darren Zitren finding the net at the far post. In the second half the First Team, in an all-yellow kit, stepped up a few gears and started dominating, going ahead quickly when Zitren scored again to make the score 2–1. Goals then flowed as the Founders' team tired – Daniel Vandemolen helped himself to a couple and Jacob Kalms netted one. Darren Zitren completed a hat-trick to give the Firsts a 6–1 lead. A late consolation by Goldman made the final score 6–2. A five-minute break was virtually all that was allowed before the second match got underway. This time the (mostly) fresh Old Boys team, strengthened with some ex-TFFC players due to so many absentees from the regular team, tried their best to contain the First Team but the younger legs were simply too much. LInden's team tore the Old Boys apart early on and stormed into a 5–0 lead by the interval. Although Graham Meyer reduced the deficit early into the second half, the Firsts enjoyed the majority of possession and it was only a matter of time before more goals flew in. Gil Ashkenazy added a second for the Old Boys later on but by then the score was 7–1. So the First Team won 8–2 and the list of goal scorers were Jacob Kalms 2, Danny Sherman 2, Gab Stone 2, Daniel Vandemolen 1 and Simon Cohen 1. Below: The First Team's Jacob Kalms clears in the match against the TF Founders' XI at Silver Jubilee Park.

The 33rd Founders' Shield – Winners, season 2020/21: THE SECOND TEAM Jacob Kalm's new Second Team, reformed after an absence of three years or so, took on Michael Goldberg's First Team in this delayed Founders' Shield match as part of the Club Awards Presentation event, held at Silver Jubilee Park. Following the cancellation of the previous year's CAPE due to the Covid-19 pandemic, it was good to see this historic fixture back on the TFFC calendar again. The yellow-shirted Seconds were quick out of the blocks and much of the early pressure was on the First Team goal. In their red and yellow striped shirts and including ex-Fortune players Kane Gilbery and Liam Stein, the Firsts struggled to settle and soon went a goal behind when a cross into the middle fell kindly for Eli Cohen to score from close range. Things got worse for the First Team when, midway through the half, replacement goalkeeper Graham Meyer punched a high ball onto the head of onrushing Julian Meir, the ball looping over the 'keeper and into the net to make the score 2–0. Whilst the Firsts huffed and puffed without making much progress towards the opposing goal, the Seconds looked much more dnagerous and added a third just before half-time when former First Teamer Simon Cohen netted after another defensive lapse. Few would have thought that Jacob's new-look side would go in at the break 3–0 up – and thoroughly deserved too! It did not take long for them to add a fourth goal, Gal Alkalay scoring at the far post after a cross was deflected his way. There was a question of offside near the corner flag in the build up but after consulting his assistant, the referee gave the goal. Graham Meyer made some tremendous saves to keep the score at just four-nil whilst at the other end, stand-in goalkeeper Simon Black of the Old Boys Team also did well to keep out a couple of efforts on goal. Two minutes from the end, Kane Gilbery managed to poke the ball under Black for the First Team's solitary reply. An encouraging and fully merited 4–1 win for the Second Team for who Scott Spurling was outstanding in defence. Image: The First Team under pressure during the second half. With thanks to Sharon Avroya (Instagram @sharonavroya_photography)

The 34th Founders' Shield – Winners, season 2021/22 THE FIRST TEAM The First Team huffed and puffed to a narrow 2-1 victory against a rather makeshift Second Team in the 34th Founders' Shield encounter. Held on the 4G surface at the Thomas Parmiter Sports Centre in Garston (Silver Jubilee Park was closed due to a new pitch being laid), the game was a rather scrappy affair, littered with misplaced passes and little cohesion. With very little happening early on, the Firsts, in their change colours of yellow shirts and red shorts, opened the scoring on the half hour when leading scorer Conor Brand flicked home a loose ball following a half-cleared corner. But the Second Team hit back just before half-time with a tremendous long range effort by Richard Goodman, his lofted shot evading debutant goalkeeper Adam Russell and falling into the net just under the crossbar. For all their second half possession, the First Team gave the ball away alot and the final delivery into the penalty area was frequently wasteful. However, they finally regained the lead when Alex Gray cut in near the right of the goal and beat 'keeper Saul Tiano with a fierce angled shot on 73 minutes. Thereafter the Seconds looked the more likely team to force a penalty shoot-out and Russell made a brilliant double save on his goal-line with eight minutes remaining. Then, a rash act of stupidly by Josh Tiano when he hacked down an opponent from behind led to a late red card but the Firsts held out quite a bit of pressure to take the Shield by the narrowest of margins. MGBSFL Chairman David Wolff, who watched the match, presented the Founders' Shield to captain Adam Speck as part of the awards section. The victory was the First Team's 22nd in the Shield series, with nine wins for the Second Team, two for the Old Boys Team and one for the TF Founders' XI. The 35th Founders' Shield – Winners, season 2022/23 THE SECOND TEAM In an entertaining pre-season match played on the brand new pitch at SJP, the Second Team, fielding mostly players from last season's squad, took on a new-look side representing the First Team and deservedly beat them 5–3. In blazing sunshine, the Seconds understandably looked the better drilled team having played numerous sessions at a Powerleague venue over the summer. Their togetherness certainly shone through whilst the 1sts, trialling several players with only five recognisable players from last season's squad starting, looked disjointed with little impact upfront. Despite that, the Firsts did well to lead 1–0 and then 2–1 midway through the first half before a goalkeeping change cost them dearly. During this period leading up to the interval, the Seconds added three goals after some poor opposition defending to lead 4–2. In the second half, there were chances at both ends as the 1sts attempted to get back into the game. They reduced the deficit with a good finish half-way through the period before the Seconds added a fifth goal to make the score 5–3. Scorers for the Second Team were Gal Alkalay 2, David Abraham, Ben Binder and Simon Cohen, whilst Alon Hershkorn, Adam Hilsenrath and debutant Dudi Edreyi knotting the First Team's goals. There was a bit of spice as well and minor spats were quickly dissipated. Jacob Kalms (right) receives the Founders' Shield from co-founder Peter Kyte at the Club Awards Presentation Event in June 2023. Image: Mohammed Ebrahimpour Malmir With both teams fielding more trialists, this was an intriguing rematch from the previous week under the scorching sun at SJP. The First Team started brightly and missed various chances in the first 20 minutes. Almost against the run of play, the Seconds opened the scoring after 30 minutes with a good looping header. After the break, debutant goalkeeper Reuven Sherman made several great saves to thwart the Firsts and how Simon Linden's team were made to suffer – the Seconds added a decisive second 15 minutes from the end after enduring a lot of pressure. And then, as the Firsts tired, Jacob Kalm's side netted two more. Scorers were Nick Goldstein, Gal Alkalay, an own goal and one from David Gance, who last played for Temple Fortune during the 2010/11 season when the First team won the MGBSFL Division 2 title. So the Second Team surprisingly won 4–0 to complete an impressive double, a feat they last accomplished during season 2000/01 when they won 3–1 and 5–3. A big thank you to Jacob for quickly getting his team to fulfil the match after Simon had been let down by two teams earlier in the week. The second of these pre-season games was the 40th played between the First Team and Second Team since the opening fixture in 1980 and the Seconds recorded their 13th victory; it was the second time in three matches that manager Jacob Kalms had led his team to Founders' Shield success.