Ruislip Manor

Ruislip Manor FC was a non-league football club, formed in 1938, that hailed from the London suburb of the same name in the northwest of the capital and was based at Grosvenor Vale. It folded while playing as Tokyington Manor in the summer of 2014.

The club joined the London League in 1951-52 after playing in local competition, under player-manager Charlie Drinkwater, who brought Football League experience with him. A move to the Spartan League followed in time for the 1958-59 season.

The Athenian League was joined as a Division Two side in 1965-66, with Manor going on to be crowned champions in 1972-73. The competition was swallowed up by the Isthmian League in 1984-85, with the Ruislip outfit being placed in Division Two South. 

As members of the restructured Division Two in 1991-92, the team were promoted to the second tier Division One as runners-up. They remained there until the completion of the 1995-96 campaign, when they finished in the relegation places.

Manor went down to the Spartan League, which became the Spartan South Midlands League a year later following a merger. The boys of Grosvenor Vale were placed in the Premier Division South.

Third place in 1997-98 was rewarded with promotion to the Premier Division after further restructuring, where they remained until the 2007-08 campaign, when they were relegated. Yet, bigger issues were to unfold.

 

The Ruislip Manor Social Club was sold while in debt to new owners. The football club was evicted, with Wealdstone FC becoming tenants of Grosvenor Vale, leaving Ruislip Manor FC homeless. The committee resigned at the same time.

Terry Springer from the Tokyngton Community Centre took over the club and its debts and changed its name to Tokyington Manor, playing home games at Viking Sports at Greenford before having to postpone several games in 2019-10 owing to it being unsafe, while a Division One side in the Spartan South Midlands League.

The league punished the club with a one-year ban, before they returned in 2011-12 playing as tenants of Amersham Town at Spratleys Meadow. They took a sabbatical for the 2012-13 season before returning to action in 2013-14.

That was to compete in Division Two of the Middlesex League. Home games were played at Northwick Park Playing Fields and Gibbons Recreation Ground. The team finished second from bottom in the table, and the club finally folded.

My visits

Saturday 15th May 1999

An interesting day, all things considered, for this naïve pup who had recently moved to London. Despite applying for several jobs, I had heard nothing back, so I answered an interesting ad where a company was recruiting on a sunny Friday afternoon.

The people all employed by the company seemed upbeat as I and other potential members of the team witnessed cheers and applause for each other as sales figures and success stories were related. I even headed back to where I was staying near Brixton with my brother Paul in a positive frame of mind.

Returning the following morning, I was designated a leader and a colleague. Off we traipsed towards a railway station, with me still not sure of what was going on. I was given a Zone 1-6 plus extension to St Albans travelcard for the day and told that we would be going door to door selling our wares.

This did not exactly fit into my plans, nor my skill set, being a relatively shy bloke who was normally sold poor quality goods rather than selling them to others. After a few minutes thought as we walked, I announced I was resigning before even being officially employed.

It didn’t go down particularly well, but I don’t like wasting mine or others' time. Plan B was quickly in operation as I went visiting as many non-league grounds that I’d never previously been to as possible after a mooch around the city.

I seem to recall that the current home of Hillingdon Borough, then of Ruislip Town, followed by Kingsbury Town, were two at the later stages of the day, with the FA Trophy final being played, but I considered the ticket price too expensive.

Grosvenor Vale, after Wealdstone FC became tenants

On I continued, with there just being time to call in to Ruislip Manor as the light began to fade. What a job I had trying to locate the entrance, despite having an A-to-Z map book. Eventually, I cracked the code and went inside for a mooch around.

It was not a thing of beauty and showing signs of age, but it had a seated stand on either side of the pitch, the nearside one at a strange angle, and a cover behind the far goal. The facilities were at the near end in the corner behind the goal.

I never got to see a Manor home game, even though they played midweek matches on a Monday night when there wasn’t much else to do. Friends who went regaled me with tales of getting their hot drinks out of proper mugs.

Once Wealdstone became tenants, I visited many times, including the opening game once they had tarted up the venue, which can be read about on their page.