Wembley

Wembley FC 

Ground: Vale Farm

Capacity: 2,450

Club Founded: 1946

League: Combined Counties League Division One - Step 6/Tier 10 (current level)

While fans of celebrating clubs sing about heading to Wembley, I'm not sure that they realise that there is a proud non-league club that can see the arch from their home ground. Here is the story of Wembley FC.

Club History

Early Years

Wembley FC was formed in 1946 following the merger of local sides Sudbury Wanderers and Sudbury Ratepayers. As members of the Middlesex League, the team lifted the title in 1947-48 before joining the Western Division of the Spartan League. The ‘Lions’ became founder members of the Delphian League in 1951-52. 

Five years later they joined the Corinthian League. When that competition was disbanded, Wembley became a member of the Athenian League as a Division One club in 1963-64, winning promotion to the Premier Division four years later. Further progression to the second tier of the Isthmian League followed in 1973-74.

The Main Stand, later destroyed by fire

 

FA Cup Run and the Main Stand Fire

In the 1980-81 season, Wembley reached the FA Cup first round for the first time, where they went down to Enfield. Around this time, a fire destroyed the Main Stand at Vale Farm. The side was relegated to its third tier at the end of the 1995-96 campaign. The side regained its previous status before dropping back down a level.

Following league reorganisation, Wembley were placed in Division One North in 2002-03, dropping back down to Division Two at the end of the season. Further non-league restructuring four years later saw the club being allocated a place in the Premier Division of the Combined Counties League.

My sketches of Wembley FC
Click on the image to enlarge it.

Terry Venables and Budweiser

Soon after, the club was bought by new Chairman Brian Gumm. Homeless Hendon FC 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 sponsor Budweiser's Facebook page, which was a first in broadcasting. That was just the start of the story.

Budweiser became the club sponsor on 15th March 2012. The company provided plentiful facilities as well as an upgrade of the clubhouse. A couple of weeks later, Terry Venables was appointed as Technical Advisor alongside player-manager Ian Bates.

International Players Star for Wembley

The major news didn't end there as on June 21st, 2012, Budweiser announced that they had funded the signings of veteran internationals Graeme Le Saux, Martin Keown, Ray Parlour, Brian McBride, and Claudio Caniggia, as well as David Seaman as goalkeeping coach to appear in the 2012-13 FA Cup competition. 

Long after the kerfuffle had died down, Wembley were moved laterally to the Premier Division of the Spartan South Midlands League in 2014-15, with Bates still in charge of the team after playing over 1,000 games for the club.

In 2017, the club once again received national spotlight. This time, the FA, the owners of Wembley Stadium, got involved in a trademark dispute over the Wembley Lions’ logo. The FA claimed it could lead to confusion with the stadium. The dispute was eventually resolved. 

Wembley returned to the Premier Division North of the Combined Counties League for the 2021-22 season. Three years later, the team finished in the relegation places, dropping down to Division One. They reached the playoffs but lost their semi-final to Bedfont.

My visits

Saturday 15th May 1999

I spent a pleasurable afternoon groundhopping in May 1999, soon after I arrived in London to live. This was after I told a pyramid-selling company where to shove their job after I'd sussed out what they intended me to do to earn a crust.

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 travelcard! It was certainly not the job I had believed I had applied for, so rather than waste everyone's time, I did something much more worthwhile for the rest of the day.

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. Ironically, the FA Trophy final was being played a mile or so away, with occasional cheers being audible.

Continuing on my way, making the most of my free travel, I also managed to fit in other visits to Kingsbury Town and Ruislip Manor, obviously oblivious to the fact I'd spend many occasions at both venues, only watching Hendon, Edgware Town, and Wealdstone in future years.

Wembley 1 Great Wakering Rovers 1 

Isthmian League Division Two - Tuesday 22nd August 2000

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I decided to attend a Ryman League game against league newcomers, Great Wakering Rovers of Essex. I walked from home to Neasden 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.

It was a neat and tidy venue with the standout feature being a stand with red tip-up seats and shallow open terracing on either side. 

I was frantically texting Scarborough fan Simon to keep in touch with goings-on at the McCain Stadium. It looked like it might be Boro's final game owing to a financial crisis. They drew 2-2 with Morecambe, but continued in peril for a few years after.

Wembley 3 Langford 2 

FA Cup Extra Preliminary Round - Saturday 11th August 2012

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When the FA Cup draw was first made, I was dismayed that Scarborough Athletic were drawn away to Spennymoor Town, knowing their financial background and playing pedigree. It was double misery when I checked the date of the game and realised 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 sponsor Budweiser, they unveiled several big-name veteran signings to play for them in the competition, as well as Terry Venables' appointment as Technical Advisor.

The news was met with different reactions from non-league fans. Some argued that the gimmick devalued the cup, whereas others reasoned that it brought the game to that level. Meanwhile, some welcomed the publicity that may attract some new fans.

The deal with Budweiser had helped to provide new facilities, including a refurbished clubhouse. Vale Farm looked 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 gantries behind one goal and on the halfway 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 towards the tunnel to get snaps of Venables. Wembley started the game in warm, sunny conditions, like the relative strangers that they were, who were also well past their prime.

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 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 I, with his face a similar colour to his red shirt. McBride was, as always, hustling and good in the air without being as fit as he was, but the standout 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 were 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 that had made the most of the resources it had been gifted. 

The cup signings were extremely professional throughout, and Langford also deserved immense credit for the way they played. I can think of some of Scarborough’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 at London Tigers, 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 in admission fees.

Monday 3rd August 2020

Certain COVID-19 restrictions were in place, prohibiting spectators from attending semi-professional football. The friendly game announced online between Cricklewood Wanderers and Lopes Taveres didn’t fall into that category.

Cricklewood Wanderers were tenants at Wembley. I headed up there to see if I could watch and have a good walk to exercise at the same time. A fella was coming out of his club office, so I asked him if the game was on.

He did everything he could to deny there was a match taking place, from asking me who I was and how I heard about it, all in an aggressive manner. He said no spectators, and it’s not here. He wouldn’t tell me where they were playing! In the end, the opponents were arriving.

The match was being played on an AstroTurf pitch at the sports centre next door. I didn't bother looking, not that I could be stopped from looking on from beyond a wire fence if I'd been desperate or stubborn. No worries about not being admitted. I hadn't travelled far and had a nice sit in a park and walk instead.

I could understand club officials being edgy and only gave myself a 50/50 chance when I set out, but his attitude was aggressive and awful. Especially when a little bit of camaraderie among the so-called football family would have been appreciated.

As I said when I left, I’m a non-league football fan, not the police, and I might want to spend money at his club. Perhaps the colour of my skin was the problem?

Further Visits

I visited Vale Farm twice more to watch Hendon FC home games while they were Wembley FC's tenants.