Walthamstow Avenue

Walthamstow Avenue FC was a non-league football club formed in 1900 in the east London district of the same name by former pupils of Pretoria Avenue School. Avenue were one of the leading lights in amateur football in its boom years after World War Two.

The club merged with Leytonstone/Ilford in 1988 to become Redbridge Forest, which can be read about here, before Forest merged with Dagenham FC to become Dagenham & Redbridge FC whose page can be seen here.

‘The A’s’ started out playing the 1901-02 season in Division Two of the London League before dropping down to local football prior to becoming members of the Spartan League and then the Athenian League in 1929-30, winning the title in their debut season and then ending as runners-up twelve months later.

Walthamstow were crowned as champions in 1932-33 and then for third time in 1933-34. Success continued to arrive at Green Pond Road, which they had moved into in 1928, before the War as the team ended second in 1936-37 before adding further titles in 1937-38 and 1938-39.

Avenue’s FA Cup exploits in the FA Cup gave them added respect, with three first round appearances. The side to reached the second round in 1936-37 where they lost to Exeter City, 1938-39 with Stockport County winning after a replay, 1945-46 where it took two games for Brighton & Hove Albion to win.

Following the return to peace, Avenue joined the Isthmian League becoming the first champions after the War in 1945-46 as well as reaching the semi-final of the FA Amateur Cup, going out to Bishop Auckland. Green Pond Road staged the match between Turkey and the Republic of China in the 1948 Olympic Games.

The A’s ended as league runners-up in 1948-49 where they went out in round two of the FA Cup to Oldham Athletic and 1950-51. However, glory was to come in 1951-52. Tilbury, Wimbledon and Walton & Hersham were defeated to set up a 2-1 Amateur Cup final win against Leyton after extra time at Wembley Stadium in front of 100,000 fans.

Jim Lewis and Dennis Hall scored the goals with Stan Gerula starring in goal under the leadership of captain Derek Saunders in a side that also included Essex and England cricketer Trevor Bailey. Action from the final can be seen here.

Crook Town ended hopes of a return to the final the following season in the semi-finals. But the 1952-53 thrust Avenue into the limelight in the FA Cup run as well as their second Isthmian League title. A win against Stockport County in front of 12,400 fans at Green Pond Road set up a fourth round tie at Old Trafford against Manchester United.

Prolific striker Lewis scored ten minutes from time to earn a 1-1 draw, with United winning the replay 5-2 as 53,000 spectators flocked to Highbury to see Lewis net a brace for Avenue. Round two was reached in the following two seasons as Walthamstow lost out to Ipswich Town and then Darlington after defeating Queens Park Rangers.

Back in the league Avenue ended as runners-up in 1953-54 before lifting a third championship in 1954-55. Further forays into the first round of the FA Cup followed in 1956-57 against Crystal Palace, 1958-59 versus Coventry City and in 1959-60 when Bournemouth & Boscombe Athletic ended any ideas of a prolonged run.

The 1960-61 campaign saw a FA Cup first round defeat to Queens Park Rangers, a league runners-up place but a run in the Amateur Cup saw Avenue reached the final, one step further than the 1958-59 campaign. The Wembley final was won 2-1 against West Auckland Town as Stan Prince skippered the side to victory.

A league runners-up spot was achieved in 1966-67 before the side went out in round two of the FA Cup to Bournemouth & Boscombe Athletic the following season, the final occasion that the club would progress from the qualifying rounds.

Following this the team performed without any real hope of league honours for several seasons, with fifth place the best performance in 1972-73. Despite this Avenue remained in the top flight of the expanded Isthmian League, which had become the Premier Division.

Walthamstow were league runners-up in 1979-80 and ended in fifth in 1981-82, their best final performance before the side were relegated in bottom spot in 1986-87 at Green Pond Road, which by now was in a shabby condition with low crowds the norm.

Walthamstow Avenue ended the 1987-88 season fifteenth in Division One of the Isthmian League before they merged with Leytonstone/Ilford and playing under that name for another season at Green Pond Road before the name change to Redbridge Forest and a move to Victoria Road, Dagenham.

A modern-day Walthamstow Avenue was formed on what would have been the original Walthamstow Avenue's centenary anniversary in 2000. Playing at Town Mead in Waltham Abbey, they competed London County Football League for three seasons.

They then moved to the Middlesex County Football league for the 2003-04 season, before merging with Walthamstow Pennant, who went on to join Leyton Pennant to change names to Waltham Forest FC who are now Walthamstow FC, who can be read about here.

My visit

February 1984

While at college in Boreham Wood I took one of my first ever days out groundhopping around East London one Sunday. My first point of call was to jump off the tube at Blackhorse Road station and walked up Forest Road and Highams Hill Road to find Green Pond Road.

The ground certainly looked impressive from the outside but that looked as near as I would get to seeing it as the gates were locked. I saw a door open under the stand and entered into the clubhouse where I was greeted by a friendly bloke and a menacing looking Alsatian.

I asked if there was any chance of having a look inside and he said it would be a pleasure, especially when I explained I was a Scarborough fan, but I was too young to visit in the FA Trophy in the 1976-77 when the sides drew 0-0.

‘The Pond’ as locals called the ground, was an impressive venue. I looked up to see a large seated main Stand tower over the terraced paddock below. The Highams Hill Road End to my right was a covered terrace as was the Winns Avenue Side opposite.

There were signs that turnstiles were once in operation along that side of the ground when crowds were bigger. The far end was open terracing with an artificial training area at the far side of the stand.

Not for the only occasion in London, I regretted not getting to a game during my spell at college, but I never thought that anywhere as impressive as that will disappear. If only digital cameras had been invented, I'd have taken far more photo’s but times were hard!

Click here to read more history and see images of Avenue on a splendid Blog.