Wembley

Wembley FC is a non-league club based in northwest London that was formed in 1946 following the merger of local sides Sudbury Wanderers and Sudbury Ratepayers. Wembley National Stadium can be seen from their Vale Farm home.

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. 

They remained there until 1956-57 when a move was made to the Corinthian League. When that competition was disbanded, Wembley joined the Athenian League as a Division One club in 1963-64, winning the title in 1967-68 to be promoted to the Premier Division.

The team finished as Athenian League runners-up in 1973-74, which saw the club advance to Division Two of the Isthmian League, which was renamed Division One a couple of years later, as the team generally finished in midtable.

The Main Stand, later destroyed by 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 the Main Stand at Vale Farm was lost in a fire. The side was relegated to its third tier at the end of the 1995-96 campaign.

The Lions went back up twelve months later before being relegated once more in 1998-99. 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.

My sketches of Wembley FC

Further non-league restructuring saw the club join the Premier Division of the Combined Counties League in 2006-07, where they finished in third place. Shortly after this, the club was bought by new Chairman Brian Gumm, with homeless Hendon FC moving 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. That was just the start of the story.

Budweiser became the club sponsors on 15th March 2012, which the company offered plentiful facilities as well as an upgrade of the clubhouse. A couple of weeks later, Terry Venables was unveiled in the role of Technical Advisor alongside player-manager Ian Bates.

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.

Fourth place in the league was achieved in 2016-17, before once again the club received national spotlight. This time, the FA, the owners of Wembley Stadium because of a trademark dispute over the Lions’ logo. The FA claimed it could lead to confusion with the stadium. The dispute was eventually resolved. 

Wembley returned to the Combined Counties League, to Premier Division North in 2021-22, finishing ninth the following season. The 2024-25 campaign saw the team finish in the relegation places as they dropped down to Division One.

Wembley FC will play in the Combined Counties League Division One in the 2025-26 season.

My visits

Saturday 15th May 1999

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 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 all zones travelcard! It was certainly not the job I had believed I had applied for, so rather than waste everyone's time, I did something 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 (Tuesday 22nd August 2000) Isthmian League Division Two (att: 70)

I decided to attend a Ryman League game against newcomers to the league, Great Wakering Rovers of Essex. 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 halfway 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 on 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.

Saturday 1st January 2011

I returned to Vale Farm to see a game between Hendon and Harrow Borough, which can be read about here.

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 several 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 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 to the tunnel to get snaps of Venables. Wembley started the game in warm and 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 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, 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 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.

Hendon 1 Harrow Borough 2 (Tuesday 5th March 2013) Isthmian League Premier Division (att: 153)

One of Hendon's final games as tenants before they moved in with the victors of this match, which can be read about on this page.

Monday 3rd August 2020

Certain COVID-19 restrictions had been put in place by the government, which stopped 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? 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 outside AstroTurf. I didn't bother even looking, not that I could be stopped from looking on from beyond a wire fence if I'd have 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 at a time 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 one day I might want to spend money at his club. Perhaps the colour of my skin was the problem?