Woodford Wells F.C.
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2019}}
{{Infobox football club |
| clubname=Woodford Wells
| image=Cross of the Knights Hospitaller
| fullname=Woodford Wells Football Club
| nickname=
| founded=1869
| dissolved=1876
| ground=Monkhams Lane
| capacity=
| chairman=
| mgrtitle=Secretary
| manager=A. H. Tozer,{{cite book |last1=Alcock |first1=Charles |title=Football Annual |date=1870 |publisher=Sportsman |location=London |page=55}} A. A. Robertson{{cite book |last1=Alcock |first1=Charles |title=Football Annual |date=1875 |publisher=Virtue |location=London |page=145}}
| league=
| season=
| position=
| website =
| pattern_b1 =
| leftarm1 = 000000
| body1 = 000000
| rightarm1 = 000000
| shorts1 = ffffff
| socks1 = 000000
|}}
Woodford Wells Football Club was an English association football club from Woodford Wells in Essex.
History
File:1873–74 FA Cup first round, Woodford Wells 3–2 Reigate Priory, Field, 18 October 1873.png
The club was founded in 1869 and its first match, against Forest School at the start of 1870, was played to a modified rugby code. The match was 15 per side (at the time association laws did not specify the size of teams) and included three Kaye brothers, three Spicer brothers, and two Powell brothers.{{cite journal |title=Forest School v Woodford Wells (1 touchdown each) |journal=Sportsman |date=5 January 1870 |page=3}} The return fixture the next month was to association laws, although the club only had 10 players.{{cite journal |title=Forest School 3-0 Woodford Wells (1 touchdown each) |journal=Sportsman |date=12 February 1870 |page=3}}
The 1872 A.G.M was held at the Travellers Rest Inn (now The Travellers Friend) at which the following officiated:
- President: J Spicer
- Hon. Sec.: A.H.Tozer
- Captain: H.E.Kaye
- Vice-Capt.: A.E.Hooper
The club's first entry into the FA Cup was in 1873–74. In the first round, the club beat Reigate Priory by 3–1 or 3–2; the Priory claimed a goal in the last minute and the sole umpire, Mr Bouch from Crystal Palace, gave it as "undecided".{{cite journal |title=Woodfood Wells v Reigate Priory |journal=Sporting Life |date=15 October 1873 |page=1}} In the second round, the club lost 2–1 to the Swifts after playing into the wind for most of the game.{{cite journal |title=Swifts 2-1 Woodford Wells |journal=Sporting Life |date=26 November 1873 |page=4}}
The following year saw the club's best FA Cup run, beating High Wycombe{{cite journal |title=Football - Woodford Wells v High Wycombe |journal=Woodford Times |date=7 November 1874 |page=5}} and Southall to reach the quarter-finals, losing to Shropshire Wanderers in a replay. The initial tie (at the Kennington Oval) ended 1–1 after the sides agreed to play the optional 15 minutes of extra-time.{{cite journal |title=report |journal=Sportsman |date=26 January 1875 |page=3}} Shropshire won the replay (at the same venue) 2–0, the clinching goal being a Frazer own goal after a clearance bounced back off him.{{cite journal |title=report |journal=Sportsman |date=9 February 1875 |page=4}}
The club's final FA Cup appearance was in the 1875–76 tournament, losing to Panthers in the first round at the neutral ground of Winchester College.{{cite journal |title=The Panthers v the Woodford Wells Football Club |journal=Dorset County Chronicle |date=11 November 1875 |page=6}} Woodford Wells' final reported match was a 3–0 defeat to the Royal Engineers in March.{{cite journal |title=Royal Engineers 3-0 Woodford Wells |journal=The Field |date=25 March 1876 |page=354}} However the club decided to dissolve in July 1876,{{cite journal |title=Woodford Wells Football Club |journal=Woodford Times |date=8 July 1876 |page=5}} apparently because of the lack of a club secretary;{{cite journal |title=Football |journal=Woodford Times |date=21 August 1875 |page=5}} three of its regular players joined Upton Park instead, and a short-lived new club (Buckhurst Hill) formed in the town itself.{{cite journal |title=Correspondence |journal=Woodford Times |date=4 November 1876 |page=6}}
Colours
The club's kit was black jersey, stockings and cap, with white Maltese cross on jersey and cap.{{cite book |last1=Alcock |first1=Charles |title=Football Annual |date=1871 |publisher=Virtue |location=London |page=63}}
Ground
The club's first ground was on Mr Buxton's field{{cite journal |title=Football |journal=Woodford Times |date=26 October 1872 |page=5}} in Monkhams Lane (at the rear of the Travellers Rest),{{cite book |last1=Alcock |first1=Charles |title=Football Annual |date=1873 |publisher=Virtue |location=London |page=76}} which is now The Woodford Wells Club. In October 1874 it moved to the Castle Green,{{cite journal |title=Football |journal=Woodford Times |date=3 October 1874 |page=5}} with the club house at the Castle Hotel.{{cite journal |title=Football |journal=Woodford Times |date=2 October 1875 |page=5}}
Records
- Best FA Cup performance: Quarter-final – 1874–75
- Biggest win: 6–0 v Trojans, 11 February 1871{{cite journal |title=match report |journal=Sportsman |date=14 February 1871 |page=4}}
Former players
- {{flagicon|WAL}}George Thomson, who played for the club in the 1875–76 season,{{cite journal |title=The Panthers v the Woodford Wells Football Club |journal=Dorset County Chronicle |date=11 November 1875 |page=6}} and who was capped for Wales while registered with Woodford Wells.{{Cite web|title = Welsh Newspapers Online . THE WELSH AND SCOTCH FOOTBALL MATCH AT PARTICK, GLASGOW.{{!}}1876-03-31{{!}}The Cambrian News and Merionethshire Standard – Welsh Newspapers Online|url = http://newspapers.library.wales/view/3307865/3307872/61/|website = newspapers.library.wales|access-date = 2016-01-27}}