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Woodbridge Town F.C. History |
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Woodbridge
Town Association Football Club was formed following a meeting held on the 23rd
July 1885, and the first match was played between the Club’s own
members, “The Hornets” and “The Wasps” on Farlingaye Hall
pitch. The first recorded match against another club took place on
the 7th November 1885 when St Helens (Ipswich) were defeated 10-0.
This year also saw the formation of the Suffolk County Football
Association with Woodbridge Town as one of the founder members, and
Woodbridge had the distinction of becoming the first winners of the
Suffolk County Senior Cup after beating Ipswich Town 3-1 in the
final at Portman Road.
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A
2-1 win over R.F.A. Ipswich in 1908/09 secured the Suffolk County
Junior Cup, and later that season Senior status was regained
followed by, in 1912/13, the winning of the Ipswich and District
League Senior Division Championship. In 1925/26 Town regained the
County Junior Cup by defeating Southwold Town 4-2, whilst the
previous season the Reserves were the first winners of the County
Minor Cup. In the 1928/29 season Woodbridge reached the County
Senior Cup final but their opponents, Ipswich Town, who were by this
time playing in the Southern League, gained revenge for their defeat
43 years previously with a 5-0 victory in front of a crowd of 8,349.
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The
Woodpeckers experienced many changes over the following decades,
with one major problem being the securing of a permanent home venue.
During the 1950’s and 1960’s no fewer than five different venues
were used, whilst on the field the highlight was the winning of both
the IDL Division One Championship and the County Junior Cup in the
1970/71 season. Woodbridge therefore regained their Senior status
which had been lost in 1957, and in 1977/78, after a 92 year wait,
Town, now with Mick Banthorpe as Manager, regained the Suffolk
Senior Cup by defeating Cranes 2-1 at Portman Road.
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1982/83 Town were relegated, but four years later Dave Dixon and
Mick Banthorpe steered Woodbridge to the double of the Division One
Championship and victory in the Junior Cup
final. In
1988/89 the Suffolk and Ipswich League Senior Division Championship
was won under the management of Bill Riseborough, and it was during
this season that Woodbridge applied for membership to the expanding
Eastern Counties League. Town were duly accepted into Division One
of the Jewson League and for the first season, 1989/90, home games
were played at Kingston Field. During the three previous years
negotiations had been taking place to secure a new ground and in
March 1990 work began on the pitch, changing rooms and clubhouse
facilities at Notcutts Park. In September that year Town moved to
the new ground and the official opening in October was marked by a
floodlit friendly against an Arsenal XI, which attracted a crowd of
around 3,000. |
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After managing Woodbridge to respectable mid-table
positions in their first two Jewson League seasons, Bill Riseborough
resigned in March 1991 and was replaced by Dave Dixon and Les
Simmons who steered the team to third place in each of their first
two seasons, missing out on promotion in 1992/93 on goal difference.
Consolation came with another Suffolk Senior Cup Final victory by
defeating Stonham Aspal 5-3.
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The
1993/94 season was one of Woodbridge’s most memorable so far. By
finishing runners-up in Division One the Club achieved promotion to
the Premier Division, and further successes came via the retention
of the Suffolk Senior Cup, the Harwich Charity Cup and the Churchman
Cup. Woodbridge also became the first Division One side to win the
Jewson League Cup by beating Chatteris Town 2-0 in the final. Having
gained promotion, Town finished in a respectable tenth position
under the guidance firstly of Dave Dixon and then, following his
resignation, by Malcolm MacKenzie, whilst 1995/96 saw further
improvement when fifth place was achieved and the final of the
Suffolk Premier Cup was reached for the first time, although after
two goalless games Bury Town lifted the trophy following a penalty
shootout.
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In
1996/97 the last 32 of the F.A. Vase was reached for the first time
and the Harwich Charity Cup was won for the third time in five
seasons. Towards the end of the season Malcolm MacKenzie resigned as
Manager and was succeeded by ex-Town striker David Hubbick. In his
first season in charge Hubbick guided Woodbridge to their second
Jewson League Cup triumph, defeating Warboys Town 4-2 in the final,
and also presided over The Woodpeckers’ best F.A. Cup run so far,
reaching the Third Qualifying Round
before losing to Solihull Borough. Town’s F.A. Vase hopes
were ended by AFC Lymington in the last 64, and after enjoying a
promising run in the New Year, Woodbridge faded to finish twelfth in
the league.
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For
much of the 1998/99 campaign Woodbridge remained in the relegation
zone, before finally finishing safely in 19th position,
but they provided their followers with some memorable moments in
reaching the quarter-final of the F.A. Vase for the first time. A
record crowd of 1,051 gathered at Notcutts Park but after a tense
and goalless ninety minutes Woodbridge went out of the competition
as Thame United struck with two goals in extra-time. The following
season saw a dramatic improvement, with the team ending the campaign
in seventh position, and once again the F.A. Vase provided plenty of
excitement. Three wins preceded a defeat in the last sixteen trip at
Ramsgate, and for the second year running Woodbridge had the honour
of being the last remaining Jewson League club left in the
competition.
In
2000/01, Town finished in seventh position for the second
consecutive season, and reached the Third Qualifying Round of the
F.A. Cup for the second time. The following season, after a slow
start, the team recovered well to finish in eighth place, at one
stage putting together a sequence of just two defeats in twenty
matches, but 2002/03 was much more traumatic. |
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First Division was a constant threat, and in February Dave
Hubbick’s six-year tenure as Manager was terminated. Carl David,
Marty Thorpe and Craig Oldfield took charge for the remaining
matches, and a tremendous run of six wins and a draw in the last
seven games not only secured survival on the last day of the season,
but also enabled the team to lift the Harwich Charity Cup. Success
was also brought to the Club by Daniel Frost’s Under 15s, who
regained the Suffolk County Minor Cup after a gap of 78 years.
Immediately
after the last league match, a new management team of Colwyn Rowe
and Gary Barker was appointed, but once more the club battled
against the threat of relegation, until another sensational run of
seven consecutive wins ensured survival in the penultimate match of
the season. |
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Following Colwyn Rowe’s move to Heybridge Swifts, in
May 2004, the Club appointed former Ipswich Town
legend Mick Stockwell as manager; Mick immediately
embarked on a rebuilding programme which, in
conjunction with a thriving and developing youth
structure, was intended to bring long-term success
and stability to Notcutts Park. A significant number
of young players broke through into the First Team
squad, and acquitted themselves very well. In Mick’s
time with the club, the Harwich Charity Cup was
brought back at the end of the 2005/06 season and we
made good strides forward away from the relegation
zone. Mick resigned in 2007 following a ninth place
finish in 2006-07 and a brand new management team of
Glenn Read, Andy Lawrence and Sean Thacker were
appointed from within.
The 2008-09 season began with a new Chairman at the
helm with John Beecroft taking over from Keith Dixon
who served the club for over sixty years as player,
Secretary and for the past three decades as
Chairman, A period that saw the club rise from the
second division of the Ipswich & District League to
the Eastern Counties League Premier Division. In
February the club appointed Christian Appleford to
replace Glenn Read who resigned his post as the club
hovered perilously near the foot of the table but an
18th position was achieved to ensure survival. At
the beginning of 2009-10 Mark Scopes took charge and
began rebuilding an under strength squad. We flirted
with relegation once again but a flourish in March
and April earned enough points to rise clear of
Wivenhoe Town and away from the threat of
relegation.
After an inauspicious start in 2010-11 the team
prospered to finish in a creditable 10th position.
This was again improved in 2011-12 with the club
finishing in 6th place, the club's highest finish
since 1995-96. This season in 2012-13 the club embarks on its
eighteenth consecutive year of Eastern Counties
Premier League Football as the longest serving
member of the Eastern Counties (Thurlow Nunn)
Premier Division, with Mark Scopes starting
his fourth season in charge assisted by club stalwart
Marty Thorpe. |
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1898 |
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1908-09
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Suffolk Junior Cup |
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1924-25
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Suffolk Minor Cup |
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1970-71 - Suffolk Junior
Cup |
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1977-78 - Suffolk Senior
Cup |
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1993-94 - Suffolk Senior
Cup - Jewson League Cup |
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2002-03 - Suffolk Minor
Cup |
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2010-11 |
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