Home»All Photographs»Dartford FC 2016-17»Hampton & Richmond Borough v Dartford

29 August 2016. Bank Holiday Monday. Dartford lose 4:1 at the Beveree Stadium, a fifth goal for Hampton was disallowed as being offside. After Hampton went 2:1 up, the Beavers, not normally carnivorous rodents, smelled blood and went all out, and Dartford's defence was defeated.

The Beveree, which can be shortened to 'the Bev', has been the home of the Hampton & Richmond Borough since 1959, and although it has a capacity of 3,500, usual attendance is 350 or so. The club is nicknamed the Beavers and there is some debate as to its origins. The ground is known as Beveree – after the nearby house from whose grounds it was originally part of – and it lies adjacent to Beaver Close, which would seem to suggest as to where the tag originates although Beaver Close was built after the ground. Furthermore, an ancient stream (which currently flows underneath the pitch) heads towards the river Thames some 200 yards away, which may indicate that the area could have been the habitat of the animal before it became extinct in the UK hundreds of years ago. Following the renaming of the club from Hampton to Hampton & Richmond Borough, occasionally 'come on the Borough' is heard but in essence, the fans prefer 'Beavers' to anything else, reflected in the naming of the club's youth group as the 'Hampton Beavers' and the supporters, sometimes referred to as the 'Beaver Patrol'. An alternative and somewhat humorous chant often heard emanating from the crowds behind the home goal is 'Up the Beavers'.

Interesting factoid: Actor Santiago Cabrera played for Hampton & Richmond in the late 1990s. He plays Aramis in the BBC series The Musketeers.

Hampton & Richmond Borough FC: Aaron Howe, Michael Kamara, Josh Casey, Kieran Murphy (C), Jay Gasson, Nathan Collier, Brendan Kiernan, Harold Odametey, Nicke Kabamba, Jamal Lowe, Christian Jolley. Subs: Joe Hicks, Billy Bishop, Tom Jelley, Manny Williams, Leon Solomon
Dartford FC: Deren Ibrahim, Tom Gardiner, Tom Wynter, Tom Bonner (C),Keaton Wood, Alex Brown, Ryan Hayes, Lee Noble, Duane Ofori-Acheampong, Danny Harris, Luke Wanadio. Subs: Ellis Brown, Kaka Dembele, Elliot Bradbrook, Andy Pugh, Ben Francis.
Attendance: 678