October 11, 2025
Like London buses, you wait for an age for a home game and then six come along ! Today saw London Lions make their first ever visit to the ASM Stadium, in meeting of 14th versus 18th. Following their 4-0 victory over Marlow in midweek, Thame would be eyeing another home win over lowly opposition to take them away from the lower regions of the league table and into mid-table obscurity.
London Lions FC
Maccabi London Lions FC, to give them their full name, were founded in 1995 by the Maccabi London Association who were looking to progress from Sunday League to Saturday football and entered the Hertfordshire Senior County League. In 1999 they were rebranded London Lions but remained an all-Jewish club.
The club moved to Rowley Lane in Arkley, Barnet but after promotion to the Spartan South Midlands League in 2010 they had to groundshare at St Albans City, Broxbourne and then Hemel Hempstead Town as their ground didn’t possess floodlights or a stand. However, these facilities were installed in 2015 and the club returned to Rowley Lane.
In 2024/25 the Lions finished fourth in the Spartan South Midlands Premier Division, qualifying for the promotion play-offs, where after winning on penalties at Cockfosters in the semi-finals, in front of a home crowd of 406 they defeated Wormley Rovers on penalties in the final to secure promotion to step 4 and the Southern League Division One Central.
Midfielder Max Davis was the leading goal scorer, finding the net 18 times, followed by Dan Creese with 15 goals, then Austin Lipman with 13 and Michael Perkins and Max Kyte on 12 goals. Full-back Yoav Sade is presumably a smooth operator…….
London Lions This Season
London Lions arrived at the ASM Stadium with a 2-0-6 league record, and were ahead of Marlow, and outside the relegation positions purely on alphabetical order.
Their season commenced with a 0-4 defeat at Flackwell Heath but they bounced back to thump Rayners Lane 5-1 in their first home game. Three consecutive defeats were then suffered, Ware Town ( H 0-3 ), Welwyn Garden City ( A 0-1 ) and Barton Rovers ( H 0-1 ). Lions recovered to win 2-0 at home to Hertford Town, avenging their cup exit ( see below ), but they lost their most two recent outings, 1-2 at Beaconsfield Town and 2-7 at home to Biggleswade Town.
In the FA Cup, London Lions exited the competition at the first hurdle with a 1-3 defeat at Hertford Town and a first round exit was also suffered in the FA Trophy, departing after a 0-3 home loss to Tilbury.
Lions appeared to have a very settled squad who had mostly played together for several seasons. Of the players that appeared in their last game, only Zack Gluckstein and Ben Barnett hadn’t played for them last season.
Michael Perkins was the Lions top scorer with three goals whilst centre-back Lindon Lee had found the net on two occasions.
London Lions’s average home league attendance to-date this season was 56, the lowest in the division.
Matchday Information
The journey from Barnet to Thame is 44 miles and should normally take around an hour via the A41. Apart from the dozen or so people sitting in the director’s box, it didn’t appear as if the Lions had brought any supporters to the game.
The weather at the 15.00 kick-off was overcast and the temperature was around 15 degrees.
Entrance to the game was £10 for adults and £5 for concessions, £3 for Under 16s, whilst under 5s went in for free. A large cup of tea cost £1.50. An online programme had been produced for the match.
London Lions made three changes to the side that started the loss to Biggleswade Town. Austin Lipman was in but Adam Lipman was out. Adam Burchell and Benjamin Weinberger came into the XI at the expense of Gluckstein and Creese.
Thame made one changes to the side that started against Marlow, with Curtis Brown replacing Greg Hackett.
London Lions were in lilac shirts with grey shorts, which Fatbear thought was a bit of a fashion faux pas, whilst Thame were in their usual red and black shirts.
Matchday Report
The visitors made a lively start to the game. Jack Mattey dispossessed Luke Tingey and played a pass for Barnett to run into the Thame area, but Tingey recovered well to shepherd the ball out of play for a goal-kick.
The game had only been going for four minutes when we witnessed the first of many antics from Austin Lipman, who furiously complained to the linesman that the ball had not fully gone out of play. Some lip from Lipman…..
Weinberger made a good run to the left-hand byline, but his cross was easy for keeper Johnny Pettitt to claim.
Lions’ keeper Nathan Bloohn needed to be alert to come out of his area to tackle Brown as both went for a long ball out of the Thame defence.
Shortly after, the effing and blinding from the Lions head coach could be heard all the way across the field in the main stand, the like of which hadn’t been heard at the ASM since Mark West was managing Thame !
In the 9th minute, Lions produced a nice move as Barnett and Davis combined to play in Lipman but the goal-bound shot from a tight angle was blocked by the legs of the Thame keeper. At the other end Brown made a good run and passed to Lance Williams in a promising position, but the Thame striker took too long and eventually had to play the ball backwards and the chance had gone.
A Thame free-kick wasn’t cleared properly and the ball fell to Brown, whose shot from the edge of the area went narrowly wide.
Lions then created the best chance of the game so far in the 14th minute, when Weinberger got past Abu Khan and played an inviting ball into the Thame area, but Davis put the ball a few feet over from close range.
Lions’ early dominance continued as Austin won a corner, which Davis hit long for Barnett to head back into the danger zone but Dan West cleared for Thame. A Lions through ball took a deflection and Tingey had to make an important sliding intervention to prevent the ball reaching Lipman, leading to another furious complaint at the linesman, this time for a handball.
Patient build up play from Thame enabled Ethan Lack to make a cross from the right-hand side of the pitch, but the ball went far too high, and Bloohn made a comfortable catch.
With 24 minutes on the clock, play was held up for treatment to Lipman, which appeared to be a leg injury.
The first yellow card of the game was shown in the 26th minute when Sade, in an effort to tackle Brown, ended up kicking him in the leg. One Lions player asked “Why was that a yellow card ?”, presumably unaware that kicking someone in the leg is usually punished !
The free-kick from the edge of the area on the left was well defended with a good header to concede a corner, and Thame’s short corner routine was easily cleared. Thame left-back Callum Hall then went on a strong run from inside his own half to deep into the Lions half but then undid the good work with a poor pass which went through to keeper Bloohn.
Thame keeper Pettitt launched a long ball from his area and Brown turned Sade to latch on to the ball and run into the Lions area. Brown managed to stay on his feet despite an attempt to bring him down, and squared the ball past the Lions keeper for Williams to slide in and put the ball past a defender on the goal-line to score from inside the 6-yard box. It was a goal slightly against the run of play, but Thame led 1-0 after 30 minutes.
Lions’ response to falling behind was for Barnett to turn into space but his 25-yard attempt was blocked by Tingey, and Thame cleared.
Thame almost doubled their lead when Williams latched on to a poor defensive header back to his keeper by Cohen, but his piledriver was blocked by an outstretched leg by Bloohn. Brown picked up the loose ball but his effort was also blocked, then West’s 20-yard first-time attempt went just over the bar.
A long thrown from Hall was then headed wide by Tingey at the near post.
In the 36th minute Lipman played a cute chip behind the Thame back line for Burchell to run on to, but the low ball into the 6- yard area was cleared by Finlay Murray. However, Lipman wasn’t satisfied with Burchell’s delivery, and gave some abuse to this team-mate.
Davis then sent a dangerous cross from the left wing, which Murray, under pressure, did well to head out for a corner. Davis took the set-piece and the ball reached Lipman, who demonstrated what a good player he is, with a fantastic touch and then finish into the top corner from around 14 yards to bring the score to 1-1 with 38 minutes played.
Thame’s attempt to hit back saw West send a free-kick to beyond the far post, but Brown could only put the ball into the advertising hoardings. Shortly after, a Thame long throw saw Mark Riddick, Harry Alexander and Lack all have shots blocked by committed defending.
With half-time approaching, Riddick chested a long ball into the path of Williams, who struck the bouncing ball well from 20 yards, but Bloohm dived to his left to push the ball away.
Lack then went on a mazy run, beating three defenders before losing his footing inside the penalty area. Play went quickly down the other end of the pitch and Burchell did well to run inside the Thame area after dispossessing Hall, but then spoilt it all by going down far too easily when challenged, and then screamed for a penalty.
The final action of the first half saw West release Brown on the left, who cut inside Sade to have just the keeper to beat, but then sent his shot narrowly over the bar. It was a great chance.
The scores were level at the end of an entertaining first-half, and with both sides looking good going forward, and more goals could be expected.
Thame had the first attack of the second period when Williams won Tingey’s long ball and laid off to Alexander, whose shot was blocked. Barnett then showed good skill for Lions beating three Thame players in the middle of the field but then sent a telegraphed pass that was intercepted by Hall.
Burchell robbed Brown near the half-way line and sent Lipman down the right-hand channel, but the chip from close to the by-line was easily caught by Pettitt. After 51 minutes, Lions won a free-kick in a good position, but Lipman’s long-range attempt went harmlessly wide.
A few minutes later, a Thame long throw was headed on by Tutton but partially cleared. Brown chipped the ball back into the 6-yard area but Tutton could only head a couple of feet over the bar. Bloohn was required to come out of his area again, this time chest controlling a long ball before Williams could reach it.
Thame’s West was subjected to continued abuse from the Lions’ manager after tempers flared after a free-kick was awarded to Thame. Shortly after, Khan made a fantastic run down the right-wing and delivered a glorious cross into the Lions area, where West majestically rose to head back across goal inside the near post. It was a magnificent way to regain the lead, and West responded by running over to the Lions’s dugout with his finger over his lips. It was now 2-1 with 57 minutes played.
Before the game could recommence, Thame made three substitutions and Lions one, and Thame nearly conceded an embarrassing own goal as Khan headed a through ball past his on-rushing keeper, but his blushes were spared as the ball rolled inches wide.
Lions could have equalised a few minutes later when Khan failed to cut-out a cross-field pass and Weinberger played an inviting ball in from the left, but Davis missed from 8 yards.
A Thame move featuring substitutes Jenson Wright and Hackett broke down and Lions swiftly broke, but Burchell’s cross needed to be put out for a throw by Tingey. Davis then made a good run down the left and a threatening cross glanced off the top of Tingey’s head before Hall’s attempted defensive header sailed high in the air, and Pettitt made the catch under his crossbar.
The impressive Davis then created some space for himself but his 25-yard effort wasn’t too far over the bar.
With 72 minutes on the clock, Hall played a delicate chip from close to the touchline for Hackett run onto and into the Lions area, but again Bloohn made a brave close range save at the expense of a corner.
Substitute Gluckstein then drilled a low cross from the left wing but Murray cleared well. A minute later, West saw that Lions’ keeper Bloohn had strayed outside of his area and went for goal from the half-way line, but his effort was heading wide as Bloohn tracked back and gathered the ball.
On the next Lions attack, Davis chipped into the Thame area where Lipman failed to win a header but hilariously collapsed to the ground holding his head. Whilst the referee wasn’t fooled by the acting, he was obligated to stop play and allow Lipman to be “treated”.
With 8 minutes left to play, Davis did well on the left to win a corner, but his delivery was easy for Pettitt to claim. Thame broke and Hackett beat two defenders to play in Brown, but Brown’s touch was heavy and the ball rolled through to Bloohn.
As Lions pressed forward in search of the equaliser they left gaps in their defence. Wright released Brown down the right-hand channel, but Brown’s effort was fired across the goal and narrowly wide. Weinberger then gave the ball away to Wright who ran into the Lions area and attempted a square pass for the unmarked Hackett. However, before the Thame player could side-foot into the empty net, John Levy slid into make a great goal-saving tackle and put the ball out for a throw-in. From the long throw, Wright turned and shot just wide.
With two minutes of normal time remaining, Davis robbed Khan and ran into the Thame area, but was forced wide by Tingey and could only shot from a tight angle, and Pettitt pushed the ball away for a corner. However, this wasn’t good enough for “Lippy” Lipman, who loudly complained that Davis should have tried to pass to him through a crowd of players.
Five added minutes were played, and there was still time for West to receive a yellow card, which led to his immediate substitution to prevent further trouble.
Lions launched a free-kick into the mixer and two Thame players fell to the floor, possibly pushed, but the referee allowed play to continue and the ball fell to Perkins four yards from goal. An equaliser looked inevitable, but remarkably, Pettitt dived to his left to push away the shot. A great save had denied Lions the equaliser, and Thame saw out the remaining few minutes to claim the victory.
In summary, this was an entertaining game in which Thame probably deserved to edge the victory. Lions had their chances to equalise but Thame also squandered chances to extend their lead.
Lions played plenty of attractive football and looked good enough to stay in this division, and they should score plenty of goals, but the antics of their manager and Lipman left a lot to be desired.
With this result, Thame moved up to 13th in the table, whilst London Lions remained in 18th.
Thame United : Pettitt – Khan, Tingey, Murray, Hall – West ( Maxwell ), Riddick, Lack ( Tutton ), Brown ( Njogu )– Williams ( Hackett ), Alexander ( Wright )
London Lions : Bloohn – Sade, Cohen, Perkins, Weinberger – Burchell ( Jackson ), Davis, Barnett ( Levy ), Shack, Mattey ( Gluckstein ) – Austin Lipman
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