After the Leathers, we meet another long-serving son of Hayes, Charlie Lethbridge. Son of AP (Bert) Lethbridge, owner of the dairy in Clayton Road and long-time committee member, and brother of AJ, who played a few first-team games for the Mission over four seasons, Charlie was a member of the successful Hayes Council School team in 1920-1 (here pictured standing next to schoolmaster Gaffer Clarke), captained by the ill-starred Doug Long, brother of Fred. Charlie himself captained the Middlesex Junior team, and was able enough to displace Bert Gower at left-back. Over eight seasons, between 1930 and 1938, he made 83 appearances and scored two goals, both within seven days of each other in May 1933 – the first in the last league game of the season, when Hayes had to beat Bromley to avoid applying for re-election, and the other in the final of the Middlesex Senior Cup, when Hayes edged out Hampstead at Lower Mead by the odd goal in five. He twice suffered bad injuries, both in matches with Southall: once, when he broke an arm on the opening day of the 1934-5 season, and then in the final of the Middlesex Senior Cup at Griffin Park on Easter Monday 1937, when he suffered a torn ligament. During World War II he served as a gunner in India and was a member of the 14th Army in Burma in 1944.

Members of the same family playing for Hayes has been a feature of the club’s history. Joe Lewis was a goalkeeper, who was recommended by Bert Taylor, the ‘discoverer’ of Jimmy Bloomfield, made his debut on Easter Monday 1956 at the age of 20, and totalled 191 appearances over the next six seasons. He was daring and agile, with an excellent sense of anticipation, and accurate distribution of the ball with his hands, and played a large part in helping Hayes to win the Athenian League championship in May 1957, although he missed the crucial final games through injury. Next season he had a bizarre experience, when sent off at Carshalton for striking an opponent with his elbow as he went to clear. Hayes pursued the case to FA headquarters at Lancaster Gate, where evidence was given by Arthur Ayres and Derek Williams, and the charge was dismissed. He was often selected for representative matches, for Middlesex, London and the Athenian League during his time at Hayes. He was very popular at Church Road and it came as a surprise when he left to join Redhill in July 1960. But he probably wished that he had stayed, because, when he returned with his new club in October 1960, he conceded eleven goals – at the end of the match, the home supporters sang the negro spiritual "Poor Old Joe" to console him. Next season he was back, as he took over as landlord of the Admiral Nelson public house at Carlton Vale, NW6.

Charlie Lewis was Joe’s cousin, and an outside-right. He followed his cousin to Church Road for the start of the 1956-7 season, when he terrorised defences with his speed and trickery. Although he stayed with Hayes for four seasons, he made almost half of his 75 appearances and scored the majority of his ten goals in his first season. This was largely attributable to his ill luck in twice breaking a leg: firstly October 1958 at Finchley, and secondly in the Amateur Cup replay with Ford United in February 1960, after which he never played for Hayes again. He was selected for Middlesex in his first season, and signed as an amateur for Tottenham Hotspur, as did his cousin. But there was another side to Charlie; in December 1959 he was banned for life from Sunday football for attacking the referee while playing for Notting Hill Dragons in a Chiswick & District League match. After recovering from his second broken leg, Charlie followed his cousin to Redhill in September 1960, and then played for Kingstonian. He turned up again in a feature in the Hayes Gazette in June 1993, when he was pictured studying catering at Quackers Restaurant, Old Mill Lane, Cowley. It was revealed that he had run pubs, just like his cousin, and now wanted to open a restaurant. It was also revealed that he had broken a leg for a third time, and dislocated his elbow during his playing career. But he was still playing, at the age of 55, for New Malden Wanderers.

Hardly meriting inclusion for anything he did at Hayes, Junior Lewis appears here for his subsequent achievements, mainly under Peter Taylor, at Gillingham, Leicester City and Brighton. A left-sided midfielder, he came to Hayes at the start of the club’s Conference campaign, and made only 5+1 appearances. On his debut against Bromsgrove Rovers he missed the most flagrant open goal, only for a defender behind him to save his embarrassment with an own goal to bring Hayes’ first victory at that level. He was soon on his way to Hendon – down a league but for better pay. Whoever said there is any logic in football.