Today I'm going back 35 years to 1986 and Enfield's pre-season Friendly with Mexican team CF Monterrey at Southbury Road, Enfield. Sadly this venue has long since gone being sold for housing in 1999.
Monterrey came to England following the 1986 World Cup tournament and were actually Mexican champions at the time. They undertook a short tour playing against Newcastle United and Luton Town but kicked off their tour with this match against Enfield. Enfield were also champions themselves! Champions of the Gola League, a forerunner of the National League Premier or Conference League and, ironically, had automatic promotion to the Football League for the champions of the Conference been introduced one season earlier then Enfield would have become members of the Football League. Enfield have since fallen on hard times and have been liquidate and reformed and can presently can be found in the Essex Senior League ground sharing with Bishops Stortford. Confusingly, a fan led breakaway club known as Enfield Town now play back in Enfield very close to their former Southbury Road home and that club has now reached the heights of the Isthmian League, only two levels below the Conference. Perhaps Enfield can still attain Football League status?
The programme cover shows a photo of John Barnes in action for England against Monterrey in a World Cup warm-up match earlier that same summer. Monterrey play at the Technologico Stadium which was the venue for England's first two Group games in the 1986 World Cup (against Portugal and Morocco). The featured match itself was a hugely forgettable goalless draw but the memory of seeing the Mexican champions on a summers evening in Enfield will remain with me for a long time.
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