Saturday 19th October 2024
Erith & Belvedere vs Wallingford & Crowmarsh
The Isuzu FA Vase 1st Round Proper
Kick-off 3.00pm
The Acclaim Handling Community Stadium, Park View Road, Welling, Kent, DA16 1SY

The road to Wembley continues tomorrow as we welcome Wallingford & Crowmarsh to the Acclaim Handling Communtiy Stadium for the first ever meeting between the two sides.

Here are all the details for tomorrow's game.

Admission Prices
£8 - Adults
£5 - Concessions
Free- Under 16's

Can pay by cash or card on the turnstiles.

Tickets can still be brought online by clicking here

Match Officials
Referee: Thomas Murray
Assistant Referees: Olga Sviakevic & Martin Belsom

The Opposition
Club Name: Wallingford & Crowmarsh
Ground: Wallingford Sports Park, Hithercroft Road, Wallingford, OX10 9RB
Distance from Park View Road (Round Trip): 185.6 miles
Colours: Orange & Black
Manager: Lee Matthews
Last Season: 18th (Combined Counties League Premier Division South)

History
The club is a result of a merger between Crowmarsh Youth Football Club and Wallingford Town AFC, starting from the 2022/23 season. Both of the clubs have a proud and rich history.

The original Wallingford Town, a Hellenic League side at the time, founded in 1922 and neighbours Wallingford United, who had been founded in 1934. The newly merged club was named AFC Wallingford. In 1997-98 the club became champions of the Chiltonian League and gained promotion into the Combined Counties League. In 2001-02 Wallingford won the Combined Counties League comfortably and then were runners-up to Withdean 2000 and AFC Wimbledon in the two succeeding two years. However, the facilities at their ground Hithercroft did not meet the standards of the Isthmian League and thus they were denied further promotion. A Football Association grant of £100,000 was used to fund ground improvements which would make promotion possible if they were again to win the Combined Counties League.

However, after disruption caused by heavy player turnover (with several leaving for Didcot Town, who then won the FA Vase), the 2004–05 season saw AFC Wallingford unable to avoid last place and relegation. The 2005–06 season saw an upturn in fortunes for the club, with a runners-up finish in the Combined Counties League Division One, which resulted in a promotion and with it a switch to the Hellenic League Premier Division, a league deemed better suited to AFC Wallingford's geographical location in Oxfordshire.

In 2011, Wallingford set up its first junior teams. During the close season of 2013, the club reverted to its former name, to become Wallingford Town AFC, as part of its bid to become more synonymous with and representative of the town itself and switched from the red and black kits of the past 40 years back to the original 1922 club colours of red and white stripes.

After several seasons in the North Berks League, the club was successful in their application to move into the non-league pyramid as Chairman Simon Cowlard and Manager Duncan Mitchell presented the clubs case to The FA at Wembley.

In the 2016–17 season, the club resumed competing in the Hellenic League, which saw the club continue to develop on and off the pitch. Manager Mitchell oversaw a solid 7th place finish before moving into the Vice Chairman role.

The club hired manager Glenn Goudie who had previous experience at several non-league clubs as well as managing a very successful period for Thames Valley Premier League side, Reading YMCA. After three seasons of mid-table finishes, the club moved back to the Combined Counties League after The FA performed a re-structure of Step 5 & 6 leagues. FIrst team manager Glenn Goudie stood down to take on the Chairman’s role after COVID-19 halted the season proper and the club installed former Didcot Town Development, Ardley United and Abingdon Town manager Lee Matthews, to the role of First Team Manager for the 2021–22 season

From the Crowmarsh half of the club, it started from a team organised by a few local enthusiasts who played friendly matches in the local area, in the 1960s. The team was granted the use of a field in Cox Lane by the Crowmarsh Parish Council and entered the North Berks Boys competitions in the 1963/64 season. In their first season the under 15's reached the cup final losing 2-1 to Didcot Town. It is very noteworthy that the first home league game was watched by over one hundred and fifty spectators. The Club won its first trophies the following season winning the under15's league and the under 14's cup and continued being successful through the rest of the decade. A supporters club was started in thr 1966/67 season and the club appointed its first "coach". An under 11 side was fielded for the first time in 1968/69 with Jimmy Luscombe as the manager. The Club continued to play at Cox Lane, with older teams using the Bullcroft in Wallingford, until the building of the Crowmarsh bypass when the ground became the site of a roundabout. Permission was granted to use the recreation ground at North Stoke which was reclaimed from overgrown swamp land in the summer of 1982 by much hard work and the club used this facility for most of the 1980's. By now the Club was running sides from under 10 to under 16 providing organised football for over 100 boys each season. A move back to their spiritual home in Crowmarsh was made when the new Recreation Ground came into use in the early 1990's.

The Club has continued from strength to strength and is now fielding sides from under 7 (small sided games) through to under 16. The aim is still to provide football for local boys and girls at the lowest possible cost with training facilities, kit and footballs as well as the cost of playing being heavily subsidised. (Less than half of the necessary money being collected in players' subscriptions.) Since 1997 the main source of fund raising has been the Annual six a side tournament held at Crowmarsh in early June each year with teams from the local leagues and much further afield taking part.

As well as regular success on the playing field, the Club has earned a reputation for good organisation and sportsmanship. Several ex players have gone on to the professional game and at least two, (John Dreyer and Gary Elkins) have played in the dizzy heights of the Premiership, while others are currently with Nationwide League sides including local sides like Oxford and Reading. Many current players have been selected for the youth academy squads at professional clubs.

Head to Head
First meeting between the two clubs

Elsewhere in the League
All Kick Offs are 3.00pm unless stated

Friday
Isuzu FA Vase 1st Round Proper (SCEFL Teams)
Faversham Strike Force v Heywards Heath Town - 7.45pm

Saturday
Isuzu FA Vase 1st Round Proper (SCEFL Teams)
Athletic Newham v Lydd Town
Faversham Town v British Airways
Lordswood v Rochester United
Stansfeld v Peacehaven & Telscombe
Stansted v Clapton Community
Sutton Athletic v Fleet Town
Tunbridge Wells v Pagham
VCD Athletic v Roffey
Whitstable Town v Virginia Water
Yateley United v Bearsted

SCEFL Premier Division
Hollands & Blair v Larkfield & New Hyth
Kennington v Corinthian
Punjab United v Fisher
Rusthall v Holmesdale

SCEFL Division One
Bridon Ropes v Staplehurst Monarchs
Canterbury City v Halls AFC
Croydon v Greenways
Lewisham Borough v Meridian VP
SC Thamesmead v Tooting Bec
Welling Town v Forest Hill Park