Wroxham F.C.
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Wroxham | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Full name | Wroxham Football Club | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Nickname(s) | The Yachtsmen | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Founded | 1892 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Ground | Trafford Park, Wroxham | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Capacity | 2,000 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Chairman | Tom Jarrett | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Manager | Damian Hilton (player/manager) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| League | Eastern Counties Football League Premier Division |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2005/06 | Eastern Counties Premier Division, 8th |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Wroxham F.C. are a football club based in Wroxham, Norfolk, England. They were established in 1892 by Mr G.E. Preston, an ex-Norfolk Captain and in the early days they played on Wroxham Park, sporting the rather natty colour combination of pick and black. Their location meant that they quickly became known as The Yachtsmen, a nickname that they still have today.
Initially they played friendlies prior to joining the East Norfolk League and then Norwich City Junior League, before joining the East Anglian League in 1935 where they went on to enjoy a number of successful years. However in the early 1950’s they hit upon lean times and stepped down to the Norwich & District League with fortunes really hitting rock bottom when they suffered a not so memorable 24-0 defeat.
At the start of the 1963/64 season they applied to become founder members of the Anglian Combination and although early years in the new league saw little success, things took a turn for the better in the mid 70's as rapid progress was made through the divisions and in 1974/75 they won their first major trophy, the Norfolk Junior Cup, beating Norwich Lad's Club 2-1 in the Final. In season 1975/76 they went one better, winning their first ever league title, the Anglian Combination League Division Two Championship and the following season the run of success continued as the Division One crown was secured at the first attempt.
The early 80's saw them achieve new levels of success as they dominated the Anglian Combination for several seasons. The Premier Division title was won for the first time in 1981/82 and it was successfully defended for the next three seasons. After missing out in 1985/86. the following season saw them capture the title for a fifth time. The 80's also brought significant success in cup competitions with the Knock-out Cup being won on no fewer than four occasions, 1980/81, 1982/83, 1984/85 and 1986/87.
Season 1988/89 saw them accept a new challenge as they were accepted into membership of the Eastern Counties Football League's newly formed First Division. It was a challenge that was successfully met as their tremendous run of success continued as they pipped Halstead Town on goal difference to become the Divisions first ever champions. Promotion to the Premier Division followed and after initially heading the table, they ended the season in a highly respectable twelfth place. That season also saw them reach the semi-final of the East Anglian Cup for the first time, losing to Harlow Town.
1991/92 marked the beginning of another period of success, winning the League Championship with a then record 99 points. They marked their centenary in season 1992/93 and fittingly it provided the pinnacle of their achievements. After receiving a commemorative certificate from the FA, they completed a treble of Eastern Counties League Championship, Eastern Counties League Cup and Norfolk Senior Cup. Matthew Metcalf was that season’s leading goalscorer, setting a record by hitting the back of the net 50 times in the league alone. The icing on the cake was provided by their Reserves who followed in the footsteps of the First Team to capture the Anglian Combination League First Division title.
The following season saw them making the record books again, capturing a hat-trick of League Championships. 1994/95 saw the First Team finish runners-up to Halstead Town, whilst the Reserves completed the Anglian Combination League and Cup double. 1995/96 saw the Reserves retain the League Cup, whilst the First Team finished 3rd in the League behind Halstead Town and Diss Town. That season also saw them reach the Norfolk Senior Cup final, losing to Diss, but the following season they got their revenge by beating the Tangerines 4-1 at Carrow Road to capture the Norfolk Senior Cup
Before going on to regain the League Championship with a record 109 points. 1997/98 saw the double repeated with Swaffham Town being beaten 3-1 in the Norfolk Senior Cup Final before just pipping Ely City in the penultimate game of the season to take the title for a fifth time. After a slow start to the next season they completed another hat-trick of League Championships, capturing the title for a sixth time.
The following season they had to settle for runners-up spot after ending the season a single point behind Histon, but this marked a fantastic effort as at one stage they had a 20 point deficit to make up. They still captured some Millennium silverware though as the League Cup was won for a second time following a 3-1 win over rivals Diss Town and the Norfolk Senior Cup returned to Trafford Park after a 4-0 rout of Gorleston at Carrow Road.
Midway through season 2002/03 managers Marty Hubble and Peter Smith resigned, with Club Captain Darren Gill taking over the reigns, but despite the disruption, they still finished as runners-up in the League for the second successive season and won the League Cup at Brewers Green Lane, beating Clacton Town 2-1.
The following season saw the man behind the club’s achievements in the 80’s and 90’s, Bruce Cunningham, return as manager and in December he was joined by former Sudbury and Halstead boss Keith Martin. The Norfolk Senior Cup was won for the sixth time, by beating Diss Town on penalties.
They are currently managed by Damian Hilton who was a youth team player with Norwich City and also played for Brighton. He is assisted by former Norwich City and Coventry City defender Greg Downs, who won the FA Cup with Coventry in 1987 and Steve Furlong who played for the club from the mid 80's to the mid 90's and also manages Wroxham Under 18's.
[edit] Ground
Since the Club was formed Wroxham has seen football at several venues. The first pitch was just off Norwich Road and subsequent grounds were at The Avenue and Keys Hill. The Avenue ground has now reverted back to agricultural use, whilst the others have been built upon.
Around the time of the Second World War, they moved to a field close to the railway line in Skinners Lane, where the tracks are as close to the ground on one side as any in the country, taking with them an old timber pavilion that was erected and used as a primitive clubhouse! 15 years later it was replaced by pre-fabricated buildings, which were themselves flattened to make way for a splendid new clubhouse that was opened in 1994.
The current main stand was built in 1990, replacing an earlier structure that had stood on the same site for around 10 years. Other improvements over the years include the addition of floodlights and a post and rail fence system around the pitch. The capacity at Trafford Park is 2,000 but this has yet to be tested despite continued success on the field. The visit of Wisbech Town for a crunch league game posted the biggest crowd to date at the ground, with 1,011 paying customers in attendance.
[edit] External links
| Eastern Counties Football League Premier Division 2006/07 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Cambridge Regional College | Clacton Town | Dereham Town | Diss Town | Felixstowe & Walton United | Halstead Town | Harwich & Parkeston | Histon Reserves | Ipswich Wanderers | King's Lynn Reserves | Kirkley | Leiston | Lowestoft Town | Mildenhall Town | Needham Market | Newmarket Town | Norwich United | Soham Town Rangers | Stanway Rovers | Wisbech Town | Woodbridge Town | Wroxham edit |
||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||
