Woodford Town (1937)

The original Woodford Town FC was a non-league football club formed in 1937 who represented the Essex district of the same name in the north east of Greater London nearby to the M11 on the approach to the capital.

The club playing at their ground on Snakes Lane East joined the London League after World War Two, finishing as league runners-up in 1950-51 prior to becoming founder members of the Delphian League for the following season.

A third place finish in 1958-59 was ‘The Woods’ best finish in the competition before they moved to the Metropolitan League for the 1961-62 campaign before leaving at the end of 1966-67 for a break prior to re-joining the competition for the 1970-71 season.

1971-72 was spent as members of Division One South of the Southern League. After another break Town joined the Essex Senior League in 1976-77 before a move to the Athenian League in 1979-80 as Jimmy Greaves played out his final season with the club.

Woodford transferred to the Southern League Southern Division in 1982-83, going on to compete against Piacenza in the Anglo-Italian Trophy in 1986. The 1986-87 season saw a third place league finish and a first ever appearance in the first round of the FA Cup where Town went down 1-0 at home to Orient as the club erected a temporary stand for the occasion.

Despite the relative success, the club decided to drop back down to the Essex Senior League, finishing as runners-up in 1989-90. Woodford were evicted from their home ground in 1993, leading to them joining Division One of the Spartan League.

The club played home games at various East London venues before becoming founder members of Spartan South Midlands League Premier Division South in 1997-98. Twelve months later Town were founder members of London Intermediate League, where the team ended in third place.

Their spell in that competition lasted just a season before re-joining the Essex Senior League in 1999-00. Woodford struggled on for a few more seasons at the bottom end of the table, playing out a final campaign in 2002-03 as tenants at Clapton FC’s Old Spotted Dog Ground.

 A few miles away, a club called Goffs Oak who played in the Herts County League changed their name to Bush Hill Rangers in 2012. The joined the Spartan South Midlands League in 2014-15 before changing their name to Woodford Town, playing at the Goldsdown Stadium in Brimsdown.

The new incarnation of the name lasted just one season. A new Woodford Town FC was formed in 2017, who can be read about here.

My visit

February 1984

Woodford Town played at Snakes Lane East at a basic venue. I popped in while on a winters day groundhopping in February 1984 while at college. I got there by taking a Central line tube to Woodford station and taking the ten minute walk to the ground. The gates were open so I had no problem gaining access.

There was nothing aside flat grass standing behind either goal apart from high netting to retrieve loose shots at goal. The entrance side had a small low seated Main Stand with the clubhouse behind it. 

Further along the touchline were toilets, a snack bar and supporters club hut. There was a smaller basic cover on the opposite side of the pitch with bench seating.

The lower three photos of the ground have been taken from the internet.