Sawbridgeworth Town

Sawbridgeworth Town FC is a non-league football club who are from the town of the same name which is located on the Essex/Herts border about 50km north of London. The club, who are nicknamed the 'Robins' were formed in 1897 as Sawbridgeworth FC starting out life playing at Pishiobury Park.

After joining the East Herts League around the turn of the century, the club moved to Great Hyde Hall before another relocation followed to a field next to the Hand and Crown Public House. A move to their present home ensued in 1930.

Sawbo became members of the Spartan League post-war, remaining there until joining the Herts County League in 1953 before becoming a founder member of the Essex Olympian League in 1966. Ten years later the club added 'Town' to their name at the same time as joining the Essex Senior League. 

The team went on to finish as runners-up in the 1992-93 season. A third place was achieved in 2003-04 without ever challenging for the title in the period leading up to it. As several promising league positions arrived upwards of midtable the club put increased efforts into its youth set-up.

Richard Branchflower was appointed as manager ahead of the 2007-08 campaign, remaining in the post until being replaced by Peter Wickham after just over a season at the helm. Mark Das was appointed in the manager's role in 2013, lasting in the position until the 2015-16 campaign.

John and Mark Watters were the new joint managers, taking their side to fifth place in 2016-17. They were replaced by Lee Mackman in May 2019 who was succeeded by Callum Ibe 2020. The duo of Alex Salmon and Kieran Amos were next in the hot seat from September 2021 as the side struggled badly.

Ben Taylor was appointed as manager in the summer of 2022 before the club was transferred to the Premier Division of the Spartan South Midlands League followed in 2023-24, which saw a bottom-of-the-table finish before Sawbridgeworth returned to the Essex Senior League.

Sawbridgeworth Town FC will play in the Essex Senior League in the 2024-25 season.

My visit

My good mate Dave Cammish moved with his wife Wai to Sawbridgeworth a few years previously from East London. I was on a visit to see them so we went for a walk with his young son Ashley. I mentioned I wouldn't mind seeing the football ground so he took me around to Crofters End.

The pitch had a single rail and post fence with a path around it, apart from on the far side which had a training pitch next to it. The surroundings were all flat paths and grass. On the entrance side, there was a clubhouse and changing rooms with a lean-to cover at the front. It seemed a pretty basic venue.

I received some suspicion as I took my photos as a junior game was taking place on the adjoining pitch and a club official was not keen on me taking photos. I was genuinely unaware of the laws that he told me about. All was fine after I had explained everything.