| Full name | Hayes Football Club | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Nickname(s) | The Missioners | ||
| Founded | 1909 (as Botwell Mission) |
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| Dissolved | 2007 | ||
| Ground | Church Road, Hayes (Capacity: 4,730 (500 seated)) |
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| 2006-07 | Conference South, 19th | ||
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Hayes F.C. was an English football club based in Hayes, in Greater London. The club started out as Botwell Mission in 1909 taking its present name in 1929. The team nickname, The Missioners was a salute to the history of the team. The club played in the Conference South for their last few seasons in existence. Their home stadium was Church Road which seats 500 with a total capacity of 6,500 (although the record attendance at this ground was 15,370 for an Amateur Cup tie against Bromley in 1951). The team was recognised by their red and white striped shirt. The club's last manager was Kevin Hill, who got the job on a full-time basis after successfully steering the team clear of relegation after the departure of Willy Wordsworth towards the end of the 2006-07 season. Wordsworth had been unable to emulate the success of his predecessor, the highly-regarded Terry Brown, who left to take a vacancy at Aldershot Town in 2002.
Hayes merged with Yeading on May 18, 2007, to form the new club Hayes & Yeading United, who continued to play in the Conference South.[1]
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Hayes were formed in 1909 by a lady by the name of Eileen Shackle, who wished to create a club to encourage boys to participate in sport as well as encourage their religious convictions. Their original name, 'Botwell Mission', was because they changed at the small mission church and stored their kit there.
After winning the Isthmian League in 1996, Hayes had a six year stint in the Conference National, spanning from 1996 to 2002, and reached their highest league finish in 1999, ending the season just seven points away from promotion to the Football League, via a Conference championship.
During their time Hayes have claimed some acknowledgable cup triumphs, some of the most noteworthy being those against Fulham, Bristol Rovers and Cardiff City. In 1999 they missed out on a lucrative third round tie with Chelsea after defeat in extra time to Hull City. An FA Cup tie against Reading in 1972 brought Missioners player Robin Friday to the attention of a wider public, and he was signed by Reading soon after. Friday was voted Reading and Cardiff City's 'Cult Hero' on the BBC's Football Focus.
Church Road has seen the start of the career of a number of players who went on to higher levels, among them Les Ferdinand, Cyrille Regis, Blackburn Rovers striker Jason Roberts, Crewe Alexandra's Justin Cochrane and French goalkeeper Bertrand Bossu.
The club was also runners up in the FA Amateur Cup to Wycombe Wanderers in 1931. Approximately 32000[2] watched Hayes succumb to a late goal at Highbury.
This achievement was arguably the club's biggest ever, alongside winning the Isthmian League in 1996 and thus securing promotion to the Conference. The club reached the FA Cup second round on four occasions, while in the FA Trophy they have reached the quarter-finals twice.
Amongst the club's honours they can count a 3rd place finish in the Football Conference, Isthmian league championship, Athenian League title, Spartan and Great Western suburban league champions.
They have reached the first round of the FA Cup 22 times, the second round 4 times, the semi-finals of the FA Amateur Cup in 1957, the final in 1931 and various other regional cup wins. These include the Middlesex Senior Cup (10 times winners), the London Senior Cup (twice winners) and single London Charity Cup and Premier Midweek Cup wins.