Wembley

Wembley FC, whose Vale Farm is in view of Wembley National Stadium in North West London, were formed in the boom years just after the War in 1946 from local youth teams; Sudbury Wanderers and Sudbury Ratepayers. 'The Lions' started out life in the Middlesex League, where they won the league title in 1947-48 before joining the Delphian League as founder members in 1951.

In 1956 Wembley moved to the Corinthian League and then the Athenian League when it was disbanded in 1963. The England World Cup squad were amongst the teams that used Vale Farm for training purposes during the 1966 tournament. The club ended league runners up in the 1974-75 season, which led to progression to the Isthmian League the following season.

In the 1980-81 season Wembley reached the FA Cup Round One, where they went down to Enfield. Around this time the Main Stand at Vale Farm was lost in a fire. The club played in the several lower tiers of the Isthmian League over a period of thirty one years until the leagues were re-organised in 2006 with The Lions being placed in the Combined Counties League.

Action at Vale Farm in front of the old Main Stand
photo scanned from a book

Soon after this the club was bought by new Chairman Brian Gumm and homeless Hendon moved in to play their home games at Vale Farm. In the 2011-12 season Wembley's FA Cup Extra Preliminary Round cup tie away to Ascot United was shown live on cup sponsors Budweiser's Facebook page; which was a first in broadcasting.

Budweiser became the club sponsors on 15th March 2012, which the company offering plentiful facilities as well as an upgrade of the clubhouse. A couple of weeks later Terry Venables was unveiled in a role of Technical Advisor. The major announcements didn't end there as on the 21st June 2012 it was announced that Budweiser had funded the signings of veteran internationals Graeme Le Saux, Martin Keown, Ray Parlour, Brian McBride and Claudio Caniggia as well David Seaman as goalkeeping coach to appear in the 2012-13 FA Cup competition.

Wembley FC will play in the Combined Counties League Premier Division in season 2012-13.

My visits

I spent a pleasurable afternoon groundhopping in May 1999, soon after my arrival in London after I told a pyramid selling company where to shove their job after I'd sussed out what they intended me doing. One minute my mentor was telling me how we'd be knocking on doors in St. Albans selling our wares and the next I'd walked away with a one day all zones travelcard!

I called in on Vale Farm that day for a quick look and it quite impressed me from the outside with its ornate metal gates, despite access being restricted.

Wembley 1 Great Wakering Rovers 1 (Tuesday 22nd August 2000) Isthmian League Division Two

I decided to attend a Ryman League game against newcomers to the league, Great Wakering Rovers of Essex on Tuesday 22nd August 2000. I walked to Neasden from home and took the 182 bus to Watford Road for the short walk to the ground. It was a pleasant evening and Vale Farm looked well. I had a couple of beers in the clubhouse before surveying the scene.

The clubhouse side had a small cover and some open flat standing up to the half way line where a stand once stood before it burned down in the early 80's which threatened the very existence of the club. The far end of the touchline was occupied by a thin covered terrace. A similar cover ran half way behind the far goal before open flat standing took over. Opposite the clubhouse ran a stand containing red tip up seats with shallow open terracing either side of it. Flat open standing with a row of tip up seats propped against the back wall behind the goal nearest the entrance to complete the picture.

I was frantically texting Scarborough fan, Simon Keane in Gillingham constantly to keep in touch with goings on at the McCain Stadium as it looked like it may have been Boro's last ever game owing to a financial crisis. They drew 2-2 with Morecambe on the evening but continued in peril for a few years after.

I called in one morning in 2006 to take the photos on this blog.

I returned to Vale Farm on 1st January 2011 to see a game between Hendon and Harrow Borough. To read about it, go to:

http://worldgroundhop.blogspot.com/2008/06/hendon.html

Wembley 3 Langford 2 (Saturday 11th August 2012) FA Cup Extra Preliminary Round (att: 421)

When the FA Cup draw was first made I was dismayed at Scarborough Athletic’s draw away to Spennymoor Town, knowing of their financial background and playing pedigree. It was double misery when I checked the date of the game and realised that I wouldn’t be able to make the game as I was on night shift. I looked for a Plan B.

Wembley FC had hit the headlines a month or two earlier, when after a sponsorship deal with FA Cup sponsors Budweiser, they unveiled a number of big name veteran signings to play for them in the competition as well as the earlier appointed Technical Advisor; Terry Venables. The news was met with various reactions from non-league fans. Some argued that the gimmick devalued the cup, whereas others reasoned that it brought the game at that level some welcome publicity and would maybe attract some new fans.

The deal with Budweiser had helped to provide new facilities including a refurbished clubhouse. Vale Farm was looking in tip top condition for the game, with Wembley Stadium in the distance getting ready to stage the Olympic final between Brazil and Mexico.

The match had attracted the live ESPN TV cameras and as a consequence the game was brought forward to a 12.45 kick off. The TV company had given the game the full treatment with temporary gantry’s behind one goal and on the half way line as well as the usual presentation team. The media were there in their hordes, particularly the cameramen who were trained on Venables and goalkeeping coach David Seaman as their team warmed up. Just what the regular Wembley players and the visitors from Langford thought of it all I can only imagine.

Wembley were to start the game with Graeme Le Saux, Ray Parlour, Brian McBride and Claudio Caniggia in their line-up, with Martin Keown on the bench. I had to give them credit for turning out. I had many a disappointment over the years as many big names failed to appear at the Scarborough Cricket Festival after much publicity. Plenty of blokes were spared answering questions as several brought their ladies with them to the game, no doubt with the enticement of drinks, TV cameras and famous names. The FA had done their bit by providing the famous old cup so that fans could have their photos taken with it.

The teams came out past a battery of cameras all pointing to the tunnel to get snaps of Venables. Wembley started the game in warm and sunny conditions like the relative strangers that they were. It took a Langford defensive error and a cool finish from the 45 year old former Argentinian international Caniggia to open the scoring and settle the home side down to a more passing game. The visitors, from a step below, plied their trade in the second tier of the Spartan South Midlands League. They gradually got into the game and realised that the senior players weren’t the quickest as they created a shock by equalising from where Le Saux should have been defending.

The home Lions went back up to the other end and man of the match Daryl Atkins put them back ahead and would have  added another but for a fine save from a spectacular scissor kick. After the break I thought Langford had a good shout for a penalty which was turned down, by a ref who didn’t seem to be camera shy. As what often happens, the other side went up to the other end to score as Atkins neatly finished Caniggia’s slide rule pass.

This fired Langford up, and they got one back following a scramble, and could well have equalised when a fine individual run ended with a shot coming off the foot of the post. Some near the incident reckoned the ball crossed the line.

Wembley made three subs, with only McBride from the celebrities making ninety minutes. The changes seemed to tighten the game up, with the home player-manager/captain/record appearance holder/groundsman and Caniggia lookalike Ian Bates running the midfield. There were plenty of delays for injuries, including one for the ref who had to be replaced, which broke up the rhythm of the game.

The full time whistle was greeted with relief from the home faithful. It had been a hard fought win.

Out of the celebrities I thought Le Saux showed class but was off the pace. Parlour was about as fit as me, with his face a similar colour to his red shirt. McBride was like always; hustling and good in the air without being as fit as he was, but the stand out was Caniggia. He was the eldest of the stars and obviously he wasn’t as quick as in his prime, but his first touch and passing was simply brilliant.

I had gone to Wembley unsure of what I would experience. I have to say that I thoroughly enjoyed myself at a friendly club who had made the most of the resources gifted to them. The cup signings were extremely professional throughout and Langford also deserved immense credit for the way they played the game. I can think of some of Boro’s opponents over the last few years who would have used a more agricultural approach.

Wembley would be travelling to Uxbridge in the next round, while I went a few miles to fit in an afternoon match as I got updates from Spennymoor. It had been a good day out apart from Boro’s result, seeing two highly competitive games for a total of £11 admission fees.

For further pictures of the day, go to my Facebook page at:

http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10151356254519676.569212.624784675&type=1