Windsor F.C.

Windsor

Full name	Windsor Football Club
Nickname(s)	The Royalists / The Guardsmen
Founded	3 February 2011
Ground	Stag Meadow, Windsor
Ground Capacity	4,500 (450 seated)
Chairman	Kevin Stott
Manager	Mick Woodham
League	Combined Counties League Premier Division
2012–13	Combined Counties League Premier Division, 6th
Home colours

Windsor Football Club is an English football club formed in 2011 after Windsor & Eton folded. The club are current members of the Combined Counties Football League Premier Division and play at the former Windsor & Eton's Stag Meadow ground. The club is affiliated to the Berks & Bucks Football Association.^[1]

History

The new club was founded in 2011 and placed into the Combined Counties Football League Premier Division.^[2] In their first season Windsor FC finished as runners up, only one point behind champions Guildford City, and reached the Berks & Bucks Senior Trophy semi-final losing on penalties to Abingdon Town.^[3][4]

The following season chairman Kevin Stott made the decision to remove the playing budget for the foreseeable future, stating "the club had already lost its way".^[5] The decision was made after Stott attended the 2012 London Olympic Games and was humbled by the determination and passion of the Olympians.^[5] Stott decided that the focus had to be shifted from paying players to win games at grass-roots level to inspiring youth to be determined to win through passion and loyalty. With the budget removed the manager Keith Scott, his assistant Jim Melvin and the playing squad were offered the chance to stay and play under the new terms or move on.^[6] The management and the majority of the squad moved on, their last game together being the First Qualifying Round for the FA Cup against Didcot Town, after the club had made its debut in the competition starting in the Extra Preliminary Qualification Round.^[7][8] Mick Woodham stepped into the management void and began to build a squad.^[9]

Ground

Windsor F.C. – Home ground

Windsor's home ground is Stag Meadow, St Leonards Road, Windsor, Berkshire, SL4 3DR.

The football ground was placed there in 1911 following an order from the Monarchy that an area of The Great Park should have an area for football. The ground was leased to Windsor & Eton until their demise on 2 February 2011. Stag Meadow is a traditional non-League football ground with terraces all around the pitch and a small stand on one side. There is capacity for 4,500 inside the ground with 450 of these seated and 650 covered. There is also an officials' bar and a supporters' bar as well as a tea hut and club shop. The pitch is tended to by head groundsman Ian Gould whose company is in charge of the maintenance.

Honours

• Combined Counties Premier Division^[3]
  • Runners-up (1): 2011–2012

Current squad

The first ever signing for Windsor FC was announced on 23 June 2011 as experienced goalkeeper Rob Bullivant (retired). Bullivant had spent three seasons with Windsor and Eton FC and previously represented the British Universities.

Note: Flags indicate national team as has been defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Position Player GK Matthew Collis GK Carl Dennison DF Adam Cooke DF Matthew Day DF Carl Garstang DF Dan Hicks DF Kyle Jeffrey DF Adam Kirby DF Matthew Lazaczuk DF Jordan Lee-Brown DF James Quinn DF Jordan Rowland DF Mathew Mouncey MF Joe Blount MF Tom Carlin MF Adam Cash MF Chris Dean

No. Position Player MF Luke Dexter MF Adam Lazaczuk MF Dan Hicks MF Chris Kelly MF Robert Lazarczuk MF Kyle Lucas MF Aaron Minhas MF Miles Norman MF Harry Pearse MF Owen Richardson MF Jason Sheehan MF Bevan Van Wyk FW Ben Harris FW George Gould FW Kane Jones FW Robert Lazaczuk FW Dean Wharam

(*) Denotes a player who had played for the former club Windsor & Eton

Records

• Highest attendance – 806, 27 December 2011, vs Egham Town^[10]
• All-time top goal scorer – Ryan O'Toole (50)^[11][12]
• Most goals in a season – Ryan O'Toole (43), 2011–2012^[13]
• Most appearances – Chris Ellis (59)^[11][12]
• Most clean sheets in a season – Rob Bullivant (12), 2011–2012^[11]
• Biggest victory – 11–0 vs Banstead Athletic, 1 October 2011^[13]
• Biggest defeat – 2–8 vs Egham Town, 10 September 2012^[13]
• Highest finish – Runners up, Combined Counties Premier Division 2011–2012^[3]
• Best FA Vase place – Second Qualifying Round 2011–2012^[3]
• Best FA Cup place – First Qualifying Round 2012–2013^[8]

Notable former players and staff

Players

Former Windsor & Eton striker Damian Spencer returned to Stag Meadow in 2012 following an extensive career in the Football League and Football Conference. At the end of the club's inaugural season Spencer moved on from Stag Meadow.

Following his release by Oldham Athletic, Antigua and Barbuda international Josh Parker trained with several league teams while on trial. During this time to keep match fitness Parker played games for Windsor having played with a number of squad members in the past. After four appearances and two goals Parker left to join Oxford United on non-contract terms.

Staff

Former Windsor & Eton striker and manager Keith Scott returned to Stag Meadow to manage the first team in their inaugural season. Scott had spent his playing career rising from non-league to the Premier League and back again before taking up management in the non-league game. Scott guided Windsor to the runners-up position in their first season but resigned following the opening few games of the 2012–2013 season.

Mascot

Windsor FC's mascot is Scotty the Stag and he has helped raise money for charity and visited children at Wexham Park Hospital.^[14] Scotty has also taken part in a number of mascot races, the first at Windsor Race Course when he managed 3rd place, and the second at the Annual Mascot Grand National at Huntingdon Race Course when he finished 6th. In 2012 he finished second out of 47 runners at the Mascot Grand National at Kempton Park Racecourse.^[15]

Sponsorship

Windsor FC became the first football club in history to make their kit available on a wrapped car in 2014. Their new kit features a Union flag in red, white and green which can be wrapped around a Fiat 500, exclusively provided by their sponsors, Thames Motor Group.

Windsor FC Youth

Windsor FC has 28 youth teams in place with over 300 players from the under-7s up to the under-16s. Windsor FC Youth compete locally in the cup competitions and leagues of their age groups. Several players have joined professional club academies, with Max Kinseler and Calvin Morgan joining the Berks & Bucks U-16s as well as Adam Richards and Brandon Blair taking places at the John Madejski Academy. The club has also signed a formal link with Reading with many of the youth team players representing both Windsor FC and Reading FC at their age group.^[16]

Famous fans

Barry Davies MBE stated in an interview when working on the BBC that he was a fan of Windsor and Eton FC. Since their demise he has remained a close follower of Windsor FC and is also the club's President.^[17]

Governance

The financial basis of the club will be as a social enterprise.^[17]

References

External links

• Official site
• Official Supporters Club

Coordinates: 51°28′10.06″N 0°37′21.95″W / 51.4694611°N 0.6227639°W / 51.4694611; -0.6227639