Wealdstone Football Club ( ) is an English semi-professional
football
Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball to score a goal. Unqualified, the word ''football'' normally means the form of football that is the most popular where the word is used. Sports commonly ...
club based in
Ruislip
Ruislip ( ) is an area in the London Borough of Hillingdon in West London, and in the historic county of Middlesex. Ruislip lies west-north-west of Charing Cross, London.
The manor of Ruislip appears in the Domesday Book, and some of the ear ...
,
London Borough of Hillingdon
The London Borough of Hillingdon () is the largest and westernmost borough in West London, England. It was formed from the districts of Hayes and Harlington, Ruislip-Northwood, Uxbridge, and Yiewsley and West Drayton in the ceremonial county ...
, and affiliated to the
Middlesex County Football Association
The Middlesex Football Association is an organisation that regulates and promotes football, aiming to increase the quantity and quality of participation in the historic area of Middlesex.
History
The Middlesex F.A. was founded in 1883 by the Footb ...
. They currently play in the
National League
The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the National League (NL), is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada, and the world's oldest extant professional team s ...
, the fifth tier of English football, having been promoted as champions of the
National League South
The National League South, formerly Conference South, is one of the second divisions of the National League in England, immediately below the top division National League. Along with National League North, it is in the second level of the N ...
for the
2019-20 season. While established in 1899, it has roots dating to 1887 and was created through a series of local mergers in
Wealdstone
Wealdstone () is a district located in the centre of the London Borough of Harrow, England. It is located just north of Harrow town centre and is south of Harrow Weald, west of Belmont and Kenton, and east of Headstone.
The area accommodates ...
, then in
Middlesex
Middlesex (; abbreviation: Middx) is a historic county in southeast England. Its area is almost entirely within the wider urbanised area of London and mostly within the ceremonial county of Greater London, with small sections in neighbour ...
.
For most of its existence the club was based at
Lower Mead
Lower Mead was a football stadium in Harrow, North West London. It was the home ground of Wealdstone Football Club for nearly 70 years from 1922 until 1991, after which it was demolished.
Construction of the stadium was completed in time for t ...
stadium in
Harrow, until 1991. After a long period of homelessness and ground sharing with various local clubs, since 2008 they have been based at
Grosvenor Vale
Grosvenor Vale is a football ground in Ruislip, West London, England. It is the home ground of Wealdstone F.C.
Wealdstone Football Club ( ) is an English semi-professional football club based in Ruislip, London Borough of Hillingdon, and affi ...
. Their traditional colours are royal blue and white, and they are nicknamed "The Stones" or "The Royals".
The club were the first to achieve the famed
non-league
Non-League football describes football leagues played outside the top leagues of a country. Usually, it describes leagues which are not fully professional. The term is primarily used for football in England, where it is specifically used to d ...
'double', winning both the
FA Trophy
The Football Association Challenge Trophy, commonly known as the FA Trophy, is a men's football knockout cup competition run by and named after the English Football Association and competed for primarily by semi-professional teams. The com ...
and the
Alliance Premier League
The National League (named Vanarama National League for sponsorship reasons) is an association football league in England consisting of three divisions, the National League, National League North, and National League South. It was called the ...
(now the National League) in the same season (
1984–85). The latter happened two years before automatic promotions to the
Football League
The English Football League (EFL) is a league of professional association football, football clubs from England and Wales. Founded in 1888 as the Football League, the league is the oldest such competition in Association football around the wor ...
began; Wealdstone has never been a member of the Football League so far. The club also have the distinction of appearing in the first ever football match to be televised in the UK, when the
BBC showed part of their league match against rivals
Barnet in October 1946.
History
Early years
The club was formed at the start of the 1899–1900 season, joining Division Two of the Willesden & District League.
["Today's visitors: Wealdstone – club history" Boreham Wood Football Club] A previous "Wealdstone F.C." existed, for workers at a local gunsmith in
Wealdstone
Wealdstone () is a district located in the centre of the London Borough of Harrow, England. It is located just north of Harrow town centre and is south of Harrow Weald, west of Belmont and Kenton, and east of Headstone.
The area accommodates ...
, a
Middlesex
Middlesex (; abbreviation: Middx) is a historic county in southeast England. Its area is almost entirely within the wider urbanised area of London and mostly within the ceremonial county of Greater London, with small sections in neighbour ...
village to the north of
Harrow Hill - itself has its origins in a club called The Oaks. An article published by the ''
Harrow Observer
The ''Harrow Observer'' was a paid-for local weekly tabloid newspaper covering stories from the London Borough of Harrow. It had separate editions for Pinner, Harrow, Stanmore and Wembley & Willesden. The former newspaper titles were retained by ...
'' states that the Wealdstone football club formed in about 1890, playing home games in a field in Hindes Road (present-day
Harrow) and meeting at the Railway Hotel, close to
Harrow and Wealdstone station
Harrow & Wealdstone is a London Underground and railway station on the Watford DC line and West Coast Main Line in Harrow and Wealdstone in the London Borough of Harrow. It is on the line from London Euston station. It is also the northern te ...
. This club merged into another local club called Harrow Athletic F.C. in September 1894, while other clubs bearing the Wealdstone name soon formed. A merger between clubs called Wealdstone Rovers and Wealdstone Juniors resulted in the formation of Wealdstone Albion F.C. for the 1898 season, and using the same blue and white striped colours of the old Wealdstone F.C. A year later, Wealdstone F.C. took its place.
At this time their home turf was a field between Headstone Drive and Marlborough Hill, Wealdstone.
Their first game was a friendly match on 7 October 1899 against Northwood, which they won 6–1. They were promoted to the league's Division One for the 1900–01 season after Division Two was scrapped.
[ In 1903 they moved to the College Farm Ground in Locket Road, Wealdstone, and soon after another nearby ground in what is now Byron Park.] In 1905–06 the club won Division One, but on 20 October 1906 a notice was posted in the local newspaper stating that the club was to be disbanded due to 'a lack of interest' from players and supporters.[
The club was soon reformed in time for the 1908–09 season, rejoining Division One of the Willesden & District League.][ In 1910 they moved to Belmont Road, and won Division One again in 1912–13. Following ]World War I
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was List of wars and anthropogenic disasters by death toll, one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, ...
the club joined the London League and the Middlesex Senior League.
At the start of the 1922–23 season, Wealdstone F.C. switched to the Spartan League and at the same time moved south to a ground called Lower Mead
Lower Mead was a football stadium in Harrow, North West London. It was the home ground of Wealdstone Football Club for nearly 70 years from 1922 until 1991, after which it was demolished.
Construction of the stadium was completed in time for t ...
in what is now central Harrow;[ this would become the permanent home ground of the club for 69 years.] The club had their record win on 13 October 1923, beating the 12th London Regiment 22–0 in an FA Amateur Cup
The FA Amateur Cup was an English football competition for amateur clubs. It commenced in 1893 and ended in 1974 when the Football Association abolished official amateur status.
History
Following the legalisation of professionalism within footba ...
game.
Athenian League years (1928–1964)
In 1928–29 they switched leagues again, this time joining the Athenian League
The Athenian League was an English amateur football league for clubs in and around London. The league was originally to be called the Corinthian League,Athenian Football League minutes 1912-1921 (National Football Museum, Preston). but this nam ...
.[ In 1929–30 the club won the ]Middlesex Senior Cup
The Middlesex Senior Cup is the most prestigious football cup competition in the historic county of Middlesex, England. The competition is run mainly for non-League clubs in the region, although league clubs have been known to enter the compe ...
and the Middlesex Senior Charity Cup
The Middlesex Senior Charity Cup is a knock-out system football competition that has been running since 1901. It was presented in 1901 by C.S. Goldmann, Esq. and was first played for in the 1901–02 season, the first winners being Clapton Orie ...
for the first time.[ On Saturday 16 November 1929, Wealdstone played ]Dulwich Hamlet
Dulwich Hamlet Football Club is a semi-professional football club based in East Dulwich in south-east London, England. They are currently members of and play at Champion Hill.
History
The club was formed in 1893, by Lorraine 'Pa' Wilson. Th ...
in the FA Cup Fourth Qualifying Round, with the match ending in a record-breaking 7–7 draw; there has never been a 7–7 scoreline in any other FA Cup match before or since, and none either in the top four divisions of the League Pyramid (including play-offs), the League Cup, League Trophy, FA Community Shield, FA Trophy or FA Vase. Four days later, Dulwich won the replay 2–1.
During World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...
the club continued to play, playing at Wembley Stadium
Wembley Stadium (branded as Wembley Stadium connected by EE for sponsorship reasons) is a football stadium in Wembley, London. It opened in 2007 on the site of the Wembley Stadium (1923), original Wembley Stadium, which was demolished from 200 ...
in the final of the Middlesex Senior Red Cross Cup in 1942. In December 1944, they recorded their heaviest defeat ever, losing 14–0 to Edgware Town in the London Senior Cup
The London Senior Cup is the County Senior Cup of the London FA. The London Senior Cup was first won by Upton Park in 1882. Although the leading professional sides in London no longer compete, the Cup has been won in the past by the likes of Ar ...
. In 1946 the BBC showed part of Wealdstone's Athenian League match at Barnet, the first time a live match had been televised.[ The club also appeared in the BBC's first two live ]FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, more commonly known as the FA Cup, is an annual knockout football competition in men's domestic English football. First played during the 1871–72 season, it is the oldest national football compet ...
match broadcasts, with their games against Edgware Town in the third qualifying round and Colchester United
Colchester United Football Club is a professional association football club based in the city of Colchester, Essex, England. The team competes in , the fourth tier of the English football league system.
Founded in 1937, the club spent its earl ...
in the fourth qualifying round being shown on television during the 1949–50 season.[ After beating Colchester, Wealdstone reached the first round of the FA Cup for the first time, losing 1–0 to ]Port Vale
Port Vale Football Club are a professional football club based in Burslem, Stoke-on-Trent, England, which compete in . Vale are the only English Football League club not to be named after a place; their name being a reference to the valley of ...
.[
In 1951–52 the club won the Athenian League, and went on to win the Middlesex Senior Cup in 1959, 1963 and 1964.
]
Amateur Cup win and turning professional (1964–1979)
In 1964 they switched to the Isthmian League
The Isthmian League () is a regional men's football league covering Greater London, East and South East England, featuring mostly semi-professional clubs.
Founded in 1905 by amateur clubs in the London area, the league now consists of 82 t ...
. In 1965–66 the club reached the first round of the FA Cup again, losing 3–1 at Millwall
Millwall is a district on the western and southern side of the Isle of Dogs, in east London, England, in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets. It lies to the immediate south of Canary Wharf and Limehouse, north of Greenwich and Deptford, eas ...
, but went on to win the FA Amateur Cup
The FA Amateur Cup was an English football competition for amateur clubs. It commenced in 1893 and ended in 1974 when the Football Association abolished official amateur status.
History
Following the legalisation of professionalism within footba ...
, beating local rivals Hendon
Hendon is an urban area in the Borough of Barnet, North-West London northwest of Charing Cross. Hendon was an ancient manor and parish in the county of Middlesex and a former borough, the Municipal Borough of Hendon; it has been part of Gre ...
3–1 in the final. The following season saw Wealdstone entered at the first round of the FA Cup, losing 2–0 at home to Nuneaton Borough
Nuneaton Borough Football Club is an English football club that is based in Nuneaton, Warwickshire. The men's 1st team competes in the , the seventh tier of English football.
In 1889, Nuneaton St. Nicholas FC was the first team in Nuneaton t ...
.[
The club joined the Division One North of the Southern League in 1971, turning professional.][ They were moved to Division One South the following season, and won the division in 1973–74, earning promotion to the Premier Division. In 1977–78 Wealdstone progressed beyond the first round of the FA Cup for the first time; after beating Third Division ]Hereford United
Hereford United Football Club was an association football club based in Hereford, England. They played at Edgar Street for their entire history. They were nicknamed 'The Whites' or 'The Lilywhites', after their predominantly white kit, or 'Th ...
3–2 at Edgar Street
Edgar Street is a football stadium in Hereford and was the home of Hereford United Football Club from the club's formation in 1924 until December 2014, when the club was wound up. It is now the home of Hereford FC, a phoenix club formed to rep ...
in a first round replay, they went on to defeat Fourth Division Reading
Reading is the process of taking in the sense or meaning of letters, symbols, etc., especially by sight or touch.
For educators and researchers, reading is a multifaceted process involving such areas as word recognition, orthography (spell ...
2–1 at home in the second round, before losing 4–0 at First Division Queens Park Rangers
Queens Park Rangers Football Club, commonly abbreviated to QPR, is a professional football club based in Shepherd's Bush, West London, England, which compete in the . After a nomadic early existence, they have played home matches at Loftus Ro ...
in the third round.[
]
Conference and non-league double (1979–1988)
In 1979 the club were founder members of the Alliance Premier League
The National League (named Vanarama National League for sponsorship reasons) is an association football league in England consisting of three divisions, the National League, National League North, and National League South. It was called the ...
, the new national top division of non-League football. After finishing 19th in 1980–81 they were relegated back to the Southern League, but then made an immediate return after winning the South Division of the Southern League the following season; a play-off ensued against Midland Division champions Nuneaton, with Wealdstone winning on penalties after winning the home leg 2–1 and losing 1–0 away.[ Wealdstone's return to the Alliance Premier League was much more positive than their first stint, finishing 3rd in 1982–83, and then 4th the following season.
In 1984–85 the club had its most successful season to date. Under the management of Brian Hall, Wealdstone won both the ]Alliance Premier League
The National League (named Vanarama National League for sponsorship reasons) is an association football league in England consisting of three divisions, the National League, National League North, and National League South. It was called the ...
and also the FA Trophy
The Football Association Challenge Trophy, commonly known as the FA Trophy, is a men's football knockout cup competition run by and named after the English Football Association and competed for primarily by semi-professional teams. The com ...
, beating Boston United
Boston United Football Club is a semi-professional association football club based in Boston, Lincolnshire, England. The club participates in the National League North, at the sixth tier of the English football league system. The club is known ...
2–1 in the final at Wembley Stadium
Wembley Stadium (branded as Wembley Stadium connected by EE for sponsorship reasons) is a football stadium in Wembley, London. It opened in 2007 on the site of the Wembley Stadium (1923), original Wembley Stadium, which was demolished from 200 ...
.[ This was first ever occasion that the non-league "double" had been achieved by any team. However, in spite of this Wealdstone were not promoted to the ]English Football League
The English Football League (EFL) is a league of professional football clubs from England and Wales. Founded in 1888 as the Football League, the league is the oldest such competition in the world. It was the top-level football league in Engla ...
. Automatic promotion from the Alliance Premier League would not be introduced until two years later, and Lower Mead was not deemed to meet Football League requirements so the club was not eligible to apply for election.
Following the double, a period of sharp decline soon set in; after finishing tenth the season after with an aging team, they finished 19th in 1986–87, and were eventually relegated at the end of the following season.
Decline and ground loss (1988–2004)
By the end of the 1990–91 season, financial problems caused by boardroom impropriety were seriously exacerbated by the owner selling the club's Lower Mead
Lower Mead was a football stadium in Harrow, North West London. It was the home ground of Wealdstone Football Club for nearly 70 years from 1922 until 1991, after which it was demolished.
Construction of the stadium was completed in time for t ...
ground for commercial development, for which the club, after protracted legal wrangling, received only a very small share of the proceeds.[ They then signed up to an expensive ground sharing arrangement at ]Watford
Watford () is a town and borough in Hertfordshire, England, 15 miles northwest of Central London, on the River Colne.
Initially a small market town, the Grand Junction Canal encouraged the construction of paper-making mills, print works, and ...
's Vicarage Road
Vicarage Road is a stadium in Watford, England, and is the home stadium of championship club Watford. An all-seater stadium, its current capacity is 22,200.
History
It has been the home of Watford since 1922, when the club moved from Cas ...
, and at the end of the 1991–92 season the club were relegated again, dropping from the Southern League Premier Division into the Southern League South Division.
Seeking to reduce expenditure, in 1993 the club began a two-season ground sharing agreement at The Warren, Yeading
Yeading ( ) is a settlement in west London, forming part of the London Borough of Hillingdon, having been developed after the Second World War.
Etymology
Yeading is very early Saxon and was originally ''Geddingas'' or ''Geddinges'', meaning "the ...
's ground. In June 1995, with the club in administration and only having two players to its name, Gordon Bartlett was appointed manager. Later that year, Wealdstone re-joined the Isthmian League
The Isthmian League () is a regional men's football league covering Greater London, East and South East England, featuring mostly semi-professional clubs.
Founded in 1905 by amateur clubs in the London area, the league now consists of 82 t ...
to further reduce their travelling expenses, having to agree to drop a level into Division Three in the process. Yet again, they moved grounds, this time entering into a ground share with Edgware Town at their White Lion ground that was to last ten years.[
After winning the Isthmian League Division Three in 1996–97, they finished second in Division Two in 1997–98 and were promoted again, this time to Division One. However, after finishing third in Division One in the 1998–99, the Isthmian League denied the club promotion to the Premier Division because required improvements at the White Lion ground were not completed until six days after a specified deadline.][
]
Home search and recovery (2004–2019)
The club attempted to redevelop the local disused Prince Edward Playing Fields at Canons Park
Canons Park is a public park and the name of its surrounding residential area, in the Stanmore district of the London Borough of Harrow, north west London. Canons Park was a country estate which partially survives today as a public park. St. Law ...
, owned by the London Borough of Harrow
The London Borough of Harrow () is a London borough in northwest London, England; it forms part of Outer London. It borders four other London boroughs Barnet to the east of ancient Watling Street (now the A5 road), Brent to the southeast, Ea ...
, into a new home ground. Construction of the new stadium started in 2003 but, when over 30% completed, building work was suddenly halted in April 2004 when the private company who were co-financing the project in partnership with the club went into insolvency. Unable to afford to complete the new stadium on their own, Wealdstone were forced to leave the site unfinished for two years, until Harrow Council, frustrated that the site was still unused and falling into disrepair, eventually sold the site lease to Barnet F.C.
Barnet Football Club is a professional football club based in Edgware, North London. The team compete in the National League, the fifth tier of the English football league system. The club was founded in Chipping Barnet, then part of Hertfordsh ...
, who used it as a training centre before later moving permanently in to what became The Hive Stadium in 2013.
In 2004 Wealdstone were promoted to the Isthmian League Premier Division as a result of the creation of the Conference North and South. The club faced Dulwich Hamlet
Dulwich Hamlet Football Club is a semi-professional football club based in East Dulwich in south-east London, England. They are currently members of and play at Champion Hill.
History
The club was formed in 1893, by Lorraine 'Pa' Wilson. Th ...
in the playoff final, with the game finishing 2-2 before Wealdstone won 5-4 on penalties. The club's first two seasons at Premier Division level saw them steer clear of relegation, with back to back 18th placed finishes.[ Off the pitch, the club began a further new groundshare arrangement in 2005, this time moving to Northwood's Chestnut Avenue ground.][ In 2006 they were switched under FA reorganisation to the Southern League Premier Division for a single season, before returning to the Isthmian League the following season.
In January 2008, Wealdstone acquired Ruislip Sports and Social club and the associated lease at ]Ruislip Manor
Ruislip Manor is an area of Ruislip in the London Borough of Hillingdon in West London. It is located approximately west north west of Charing Cross.
The construction of a halt on the Metropolitan Railway in the area in 1912 led to the develop ...
's Grosvenor Vale
Grosvenor Vale is a football ground in Ruislip, West London, England. It is the home ground of Wealdstone F.C.
Wealdstone Football Club ( ) is an English semi-professional football club based in Ruislip, London Borough of Hillingdon, and affi ...
ground, starting the 2008-09 season there.[ With the ground share agreement at Northwood coming to an end and still no specific completion date in sight for the club's Prince Edward Playing Field project, Wealdstone instead decided to invest in the Grosvenor Vale stadium to upgrade the playing facilities as a priority, in order to meet the necessary ground grading requirements to play Isthmian League Premier Division football in the 2008–09 season. The club's first 3 seasons at the Vale saw the club fail to reach the playoffs, finishing 7th, 6th and then 12th. They did however reach the first round of the FA Cup in 2009-10, where they lost 3-2 at home to ]Rotherham United
Rotherham United Football Club, nicknamed The Millers, is a professional football club based in Rotherham, South Yorkshire, England, which compete in the . The club's colours were initially yellow and black, but changed to red and white around 1 ...
2011–12 saw Wealdstone embark on a run the FA Trophy which saw them reach the semi-final and knock out three teams from higher divisions. A 2-1 win at home to Conference side Barrow and a 1-0 win in a replay against Dartford
Dartford is the principal town in the Borough of Dartford, Kent, England. It is located south-east of Central London and
is situated adjacent to the London Borough of Bexley to its west. To its north, across the Thames estuary, is Thurrock in ...
of the Conference South set up a quarter-final away at Cambridge United
Cambridge United Football Club is a professional association football club based in the city of Cambridge, England. They compete in EFL League one , the 3rd tier of the English football league system. The club is based at the Abbey Stadium on Ne ...
which Wealdstone won 2-1 thanks to a Richard Jolly brace, before eventually losing 3–1 on aggregate to Newport County in the semi-final. They also reached the promotion play-offs in the Isthmian Premier Division that year, but lost 2–1 to Lowestoft Town
Lowestoft Town Football Club is a semi-professional football club from Lowestoft, Suffolk, England. They are currently members of the and play at Crown Meadow.
History
The club was established in 1887 as Lowestoft F.C. by a merger of East Suf ...
in the semi-finals. The following season saw them losing in the play-off semi finals again, this time losing 2-1 against Concord Rangers. However, in 2013–14 did win promotion as league champions,[ with their promotion to the ]Conference South
The National League South, formerly Conference South, is one of the second divisions of the National League in England, immediately below the top division National League. Along with National League North, it is in the second level of the N ...
being secured with a 1-0 win away to Margate
Margate is a seaside town on the north coast of Kent in south-east England. The town is estimated to be 1.5 miles long, north-east of Canterbury and includes Cliftonville, Garlinge, Palm Bay and Westbrook.
The town has been a significan ...
.
Wealdstone did not win any of their first 9 games in the Conference South, with the run ended by a 1-0 victory away to Whitehawk
Whitehawk is a suburb in the east of Brighton, England, south of Bevendean and north of Brighton Marina. The area is a large, modern housing estate built in a downland dry valley historically known as Whitehawk Bottom. The estate was original ...
. An upturn in form meant that they finished the 2014-15 season in 12th place, and they would go on to finish 13th the following season. The summer of 2016 saw the club change ownership when Peter Marsden, previously chairman of Accrington Stanley
Accrington Stanley Football Club is a professional association football club based in Accrington, Lancashire, England. The club competes in League One, the third tier of the English football league system. They have spent their complete his ...
, took over the club in late July. The 2016-17 season saw Wealdstone experience a greater degree of success on the pitch, with the club pushing for the playoffs. However, their hopes were dashed when it was announced that they would be ineligible to compete in the playoffs due to missing the cut off point to meet ground grading requirements. Wealdstone's eventual 8th placed finish would not have seen them compete regardless.[
On 21 August 2017, Gordon Bartlett stepped down as Wealdstone manager after 22 years. A day later, Bobby Wilkinson, formerly of Hungerford Town, was appointed manager.] Wilkinson's first season at Wealdstone ended an unremarkable 11th-placed finish in the league, although the club reached the semi final of the FA Trophy
The Football Association Challenge Trophy, commonly known as the FA Trophy, is a men's football knockout cup competition run by and named after the English Football Association and competed for primarily by semi-professional teams. The com ...
, where they lost 3–0 on aggregate to eventual winners Brackley
Brackley is a market town and civil parish in West Northamptonshire, England, bordering Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire, from Oxford and from Northampton. Historically a market town based on the wool and lace trade, it was built on the inter ...
. In January 2019, chairman Peter Marsden was voted out of his position, and replaced by Rory Fitzgerald. On the final day of the 2018–19 season, Wealdstone rose from 10th to 7th on with a 2–1 win over Hemel Hempstead
Hemel Hempstead () is a town in the Dacorum district in Hertfordshire, England, northwest of London, which is part of the Greater London Urban Area. The population at the 2011 census was 97,500.
Developed after the Second World War as a new ...
to ensure a place in the playoffs. Wealdstone began their playoff campaign with a win away at Bath
Bath may refer to:
* Bathing, immersion in a fluid
** Bathtub, a large open container for water, in which a person may wash their body
** Public bathing, a public place where people bathe
* Thermae, ancient Roman public bathing facilities
Pl ...
to secure a semi final against Woking
Woking ( ) is a town and borough status in the United Kingdom, borough in northwest Surrey, England, around from central London. It appears in Domesday Book as ''Wochinges'' and its name probably derives from that of a Anglo-Saxon settlement o ...
, which Wealdstone narrowly lost 3–2. Wilkinson subsequently left the club at the end of the season.
Title win and the National League (2019–present)
On 21 May 2019 Dean Brennan
Dean Brennan (born 17 June 1980) is an Irish former footballer and manager. He is currently the head coach of Barnet.
Career
Brennan began his footballing career at Sheffield Wednesday but despite impressing at youth and reserve levels, he n ...
was appointed as new manager, with Stuart Maynard joining as his assistant. 10 wins in the first 11 games of the 2019–20 season saw Wealdstone rise to the top of the league. On 26 March 2020 the season was suspended due to the global COVID-19 pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identi ...
, with Wealdstone still top of the league. On 17 June it was confirmed that the club were to be promoted to the National League
The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the National League (NL), is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada, and the world's oldest extant professional team s ...
as champions of the National League South
The National League South, formerly Conference South, is one of the second divisions of the National League in England, immediately below the top division National League. Along with National League North, it is in the second level of the N ...
, on the basis of points won per game.
The club's first season in the fifth tier for 32 years started positively, with 5 wins in the first 8 seeing the club rise to 2nd in the league. However, following a slump in form, Brennan departed his role as manager on 2 February 2021. The club subsequently appointed assistant manager Stuart Maynard
Stuart Maynard (born 18 October 1980) is an English football manager and former player who is the manager of National League club Wealdstone.
Playing career
Maynard started off his career as an apprentice at Watford, before being released in 1 ...
as manager, with Matthew Saunders
Matthew Saunders (born 12 September 1989) is a retired professional English footballer. He is currently the assistant manager of Wealdstone.
Playing career
Saunders graduated from Fulham's academy. Despite never making an official first team ap ...
as his assistant. On 5 April, Wealdstone defeated local rivals Barnet 5–1. The club ended their first season back at National League
The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the National League (NL), is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada, and the world's oldest extant professional team s ...
level in 19th place.
In their second season in the National League, Wealdstone recorded a 16th placed finish, their highest league position for 35 years. The season also saw a new attendance record set at Grosvenor Vale, when Wealdstone defeated Barnet 1-0 in front of a crowd of 2,662. The following campaign saw them host 2,817 in a 0-0 draw with Wrexham.
Club crest
The club's crest first appeared on team shirts in the 1960s. It contains four quarters representing the traditional colours of the club (royal blue and white); the "Three Lions
"Three Lions" is a song by the English comedians David Baddiel and Frank Skinner and the rock band the Lightning Seeds. It was released on 20 May 1996 to mark the England football team's participation in that year's UEFA European Championshi ...
" representing England; a football representing the club's sport; and the emblem of Middlesex
Middlesex (; abbreviation: Middx) is a historic county in southeast England. Its area is almost entirely within the wider urbanised area of London and mostly within the ceremonial county of Greater London, with small sections in neighbour ...
, the historic county of the London Borough of Harrow
The London Borough of Harrow () is a London borough in northwest London, England; it forms part of Outer London. It borders four other London boroughs Barnet to the east of ancient Watling Street (now the A5 road), Brent to the southeast, Ea ...
where the club is from.
Rivalry
Wealdstone's main rivals are often considered to be Barnet. The clubs were both founding members of the Alliance Premier League
The National League (named Vanarama National League for sponsorship reasons) is an association football league in England consisting of three divisions, the National League, National League North, and National League South. It was called the ...
and played each other regularly throughout the 1980s, although games were rarely played after that with the clubs being in different divisions. The rivalry came back to prominence when Barnet moved into The Hive Stadium which was initially meant for Wealdstone. The two clubs do now play in the same division. Other rivals have included Harrow Borough
Harrow Borough Football Club is an English football club based in Harrow, London. They were founded in 1933 and compete in the . Harrow Borough's home ground is Earlsmead Stadium, which has a capacity of 3,070. Harrow Borough moved into Ear ...
(with whom the "Harrow Derby" is contested), Enfield
Enfield may refer to:
Places Australia
* Enfield, New South Wales
* Enfield, South Australia
** Electoral district of Enfield, a state electoral district in South Australia, corresponding to the suburb
** Enfield High School (South Australia)
...
, and Hendon
Hendon is an urban area in the Borough of Barnet, North-West London northwest of Charing Cross. Hendon was an ancient manor and parish in the county of Middlesex and a former borough, the Municipal Borough of Hendon; it has been part of Gre ...
, with Wealdstone beating the latter in the 1966 Amateur Cup final.
Players
Current squad
Out on loan
Notable former players
For all Wealdstone F.C. players with a Wikipedia article, see
The club's all-time leading goalscorer is George Duck. Duck scored 251 goals for Wealdstone in 370 appearances between 1972 and 1979, and additionally set unmatched scoring records for penalties and hat-tricks. In every season he played for the club Duck was top scorer in league and cup competitions.
Amongst former players who have gone on to notable careers at the highest level of professional football are Stuart Pearce
Stuart Pearce (born 24 April 1962) is an English professional football manager and former player, who was most recently a first-team coach for Premier League club West Ham United. He was nicknamed "Psycho" for his unforgiving style of play. ...
, Vinnie Jones
Vincent Peter Jones (born 5 January 1965) is a British actor, presenter, and former professional footballer.
Jones played professionally as a defensive midfielder from 1984 to 1999, notably for Wimbledon, Leeds United, Sheffield United, Chels ...
and Jermaine Beckford. Harold Smith was the first ever player to leave Wealdstone FC for a professional career, joining Notts County in 1930.
Non-playing staff
''As of 26 May 2022''
Management
:''As of 29 March 2021''
Managerial history
* Pre 1961 Team selection committee
*
* June 1961 – April 1968 Vince Burgess
*
* May 1968 – December 1969 Dave Underwood
*
* December 1969 – June 1970 Howard Moxon
*
* June 1970 – March 1972 Alan Humphries
*
* March 1972 – March 1974 Syd Prosser
*
* March 1974 – March 1976 Eddie Presland
Edward Robert Presland (27 March 1943 – 1 August 2021) was an English footballer who played as a defender in England for West Ham United, Crystal Palace, Colchester United, Chelmsford City and Wealdstone and for Jewish Guild in South Africa. ...
*
* April 1976 – February 1977 Geoff Coleman
*
* February 1977 – September 1979 Alan Fogarty
*
* September 1979 – November 1980 Ken Payne
*
* November 1980 – August 1983 Allen Batsford
*
* August 1983 – January 1987 Brian Hall
*
* February 1987 – September 1987 Colin Meldrum
*
* September 1987 – November 1987 Terry Burton
*
* December 1987 – October 1989 Tony Jennings
*
* October 1989 – December 1990 Alan Gane
Alan Gane (born 11 June 1950) is an English former amateur footballer and manager. He is notable for promoting Wycombe Wanderers from the non-League Isthmian League into the Conference National in 1986.
Playing career
Gane played football betwe ...
*
* December 1990 – September 1992 Brian Hall
*
* September 1992 – September 1993 Dennis Byatt
*
* September 1993 – June 1995 Fred Callaghan
Frederick John Callaghan (19 December 1944 – 13 September 2022) was an English professional footballer, who made over 290 appearances in the Football League for Fulham as a left back. After retiring as a player, Callaghan became a manager an ...
*
* July 1995 – August 2017 Gordon Bartlett
*
* August 2017 – May 2019 Bobby Wilkinson
*
* May 2019 – February 2021 Dean Brennan
Dean Brennan (born 17 June 1980) is an Irish former footballer and manager. He is currently the head coach of Barnet.
Career
Brennan began his footballing career at Sheffield Wednesday but despite impressing at youth and reserve levels, he n ...
*
* March 2021- Stuart Maynard
Stuart Maynard (born 18 October 1980) is an English football manager and former player who is the manager of National League club Wealdstone.
Playing career
Maynard started off his career as an apprentice at Watford, before being released in 1 ...
Records
*Best FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, more commonly known as the FA Cup, is an annual knockout football competition in men's domestic English football. First played during the 1871–72 season, it is the oldest national football compet ...
performance: Third round, 1977–78[Mike Williams & Tony Williams (2020) ''Non-League Club Directory 2021'', p511 ]
*Best FA Trophy
The Football Association Challenge Trophy, commonly known as the FA Trophy, is a men's football knockout cup competition run by and named after the English Football Association and competed for primarily by semi-professional teams. The com ...
performance: Winners, 1984–85[
*Best ]FA Vase
The Football Association Challenge Vase, usually referred to as the FA Vase, is an annual football competition for teams playing in Steps 5 and 6 of the English National League System (or equivalently, tier 9 or 10 of the overall English footb ...
performance: Third round, 1997–98[
*Best ]FA Amateur Cup
The FA Amateur Cup was an English football competition for amateur clubs. It commenced in 1893 and ended in 1974 when the Football Association abolished official amateur status.
History
Following the legalisation of professionalism within footba ...
performance: Winners, 1965–66[
*Record attendance: 13,504 vs ]Leytonstone
Leytonstone () is an area in east London, England, north-east of Charing Cross. Part of the London Borough of Waltham Forest, a local authority district of Greater London. It adjoins Wanstead to the north-east, Forest Gate to the south-east, ...
, FA Amateur Cup fourth round replay, 5 March 1949[
*Biggest victory: 22–0 vs 12th London Regiment, FA Amateur Cup, 13 October 1923][
*Heaviest defeat: 0–14 vs Edgware Town, ]London Senior Cup
The London Senior Cup is the County Senior Cup of the London FA. The London Senior Cup was first won by Upton Park in 1882. Although the leading professional sides in London no longer compete, the Cup has been won in the past by the likes of Ar ...
, 9 December 1944[
*Most appearances: Charlie Townsend, 514][
*Most goals: George Duck, 251][
]
Honours
League
*Alliance Premier League
The National League (named Vanarama National League for sponsorship reasons) is an association football league in England consisting of three divisions, the National League, National League North, and National League South. It was called the ...
(Tier 5)
**Champions (1): 1984–85
*National League South
The National League South, formerly Conference South, is one of the second divisions of the National League in England, immediately below the top division National League. Along with National League North, it is in the second level of the N ...
(Tier 6)
**Champions (1): 2019–20
* Isthmian League Premier (Tier 7)
**Champions (1): 2013–14
* Isthmian League Division 3
**Champions (1): 1996–97
* Southern League Division One South
**Champions (1): 1973–74
*Southern League South Division
**Champions (1): 1981–82
*Athenian League
The Athenian League was an English amateur football league for clubs in and around London. The league was originally to be called the Corinthian League,Athenian Football League minutes 1912-1921 (National Football Museum, Preston). but this nam ...
**Champions (1): 1951–52
*Willesden & District League Division One
**Champions (2): 1905–06, 1912–13
Cups
*FA Trophy
The Football Association Challenge Trophy, commonly known as the FA Trophy, is a men's football knockout cup competition run by and named after the English Football Association and competed for primarily by semi-professional teams. The com ...
**Winners (1): 1984–85
*Southern League League Cup
**Winners (1): 1981–82
*Southern League Championship Shield
**Winners (1): 1981–82
*Southern League Championship Cup
**Winners (1): 1981–82
*FA Amateur Cup
The FA Amateur Cup was an English football competition for amateur clubs. It commenced in 1893 and ended in 1974 when the Football Association abolished official amateur status.
History
Following the legalisation of professionalism within footba ...
**Winners (1): 1965–66
*Middlesex Premier Cup
**Winners (4): 2003–04, 2007–08, 2008–09, 2010–11
*London Senior Cup
The London Senior Cup is the County Senior Cup of the London FA. The London Senior Cup was first won by Upton Park in 1882. Although the leading professional sides in London no longer compete, the Cup has been won in the past by the likes of Ar ...
**Winners (1): 1951–52 (shared with Wimbledon)
*Middlesex Senior Cup
The Middlesex Senior Cup is the most prestigious football cup competition in the historic county of Middlesex, England. The competition is run mainly for non-League clubs in the region, although league clubs have been known to enter the compe ...
**Winners (11): 1929–30, 1937–38, 1940–41, 1941–42, 1942–43, 1945–46, 1958–59, 1962–63, 1963–64, 1967–68, 1984–85
*Middlesex Charity Cup
The Middlesex Senior Charity Cup is a knock-out system football competition that has been running since 1901. It was presented in 1901 by C.S. Goldmann, Esq. and was first played for in the 1901–02 season, the first winners being Clapton Orie ...
**Winners (9): 1929–30, 1930–31, 1937–38, 1938–39, 1949–50, 1963–64, 1967–68, 2003–04, 2010–11
*Middlesex Junior Cup
**Winners (2): 1912–13
*Suburban League North Division
**Champions (1): 1990–91
See also
*The Wealdstone Raider
Gordon Parmar Hill (born 31 January 1966), better known as The Wealdstone Raider, is an English builder who later gained prominence as an Internet meme. A long-time supporter of Wealdstone F.C., he gained attention due to a humorous viral video ...
References
External links
*
{{Coord, 51, 34, 09.85, N, 0, 24, 59.90, W, region:GB_type:landmark, display=title
Association football clubs established in 1899
Football clubs in England
Football clubs in London
Southern Football League clubs
Sport in the London Borough of Harrow
Isthmian League
Athenian League
1899 establishments in England
National League (English football)
Wealdstone F.C.