| OLD WIMBLEDONIANS FOOTBALL CLUB |
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Prospect Youth FC Prospect Old Wimbledonians FC Old Wimbledonians Prospect FC Old Wimbledonians FC |
| OLD WIMBLEDONIANS FOOTBALL CLUB |
|
Prospect Youth FC Prospect Old Wimbledonians FC Old Wimbledonians Prospect FC Old Wimbledonians FC |
A Brief History
In 1969 a group of enthusiasts from the Prospect Youth Club, attached to St Matthias's Church, Worcester Park, decided to form a football team. How little did they know what they had started. From this small group of youngsters, Old Wimbledonians Football Club has grown to be one of the largest and best-organised Sunday League Club in the region.
After a year of playing friendlies they joined the newly formed Leatherhead and District Football League calling themselves Prospect Youth F.C. and in the early days home games were played at Cheam Recreation Ground.
Club members included several O.W's, some of whom were playing rugby at Chessington on Saturdays as well as football for Prospect on Sundays. This link was used as a lever to gain permission to use the ground at Chessington for soccer.
In 1976 Prospect Youth F.C came to Chessington and the name of the club was altered to Prospect (O.W.) F.C. This was later changed to Old Wimbledonians (Prospect) F.C and finally, when Rugby and Football moved to the Atkinson & Morley Ground in West Wimbledon, to Old Wimbledonians F.C, completing the group of OWRFC, OWCC and OWFC.
Over the years the club prospered with more success on the social front than on the field. In the early years the annual dinner attracted upwards of 150 people at prestigious hostelries in the Wimbledon area.
The club so prospered that in the late 1970's it was found possible to run two sides in the Leatherhead and District League. Support was sufficient to run three European tours. The proud boast is that during this period the club was 'unbeaten in Europe'. For a period of time annual overseas tours were undertaken in conjunction with Old Tiffinians FC, a benefit to both clubs. This close link with Tiffs was complemented by the fact that many players turned out on Saturdays for Tiffs and then on Sundays for the O.W's and for many years a Boxing Day friendly was played against Old Tiffinians.
With the move to Wimbledon in 1980 the club continued to expand with the formation of a 3rd Team. The only problem initially was that the home ground only had one football pitch and the 3rd's had to play home games at the Wimbledon Common Extensions. For one season there was even a return to the Chessington ground to make up the shortfall of pitches.
The club continued to develop by asking its members to approve a constitution and introducing a club kit. At this time the club also decided to finally break with the Leatherhead & District League and move to the more demanding and highly regarded Morden & District League.
With the local authority looking to close the Atkinson Morley Hospital and hence the loss of the pitches there, the Old Wimbledonians Association bought the current home ground in Coombe Lane in conjunction with Donhead Prep School and subsequently finally sold the Chessington Ground. This, as well as bringing the Cricket Club back to share with the winter sports clubs, also meant that the Football club finally had two pitches.
The Football Club with permission from the Civil Service, the previous owners of the ground, actually started using the Coombe Lane Ground long before the sale was finalised. Once again expansion was on the cards and a fourth side was created. Unlike the other three sides this new side, the Strollers, was not a league side but a Vets/Friendly side but still playing around 20 games a season in a mixture of pure friendlies as well as taking part in the Millennium Friendly League.
The club continued to thrive in an environment where many sports clubs, let alone football teams had folded. The 2003/2004 season saw the Strollers finally join the other 3 teams when they joined in the Morden & District's newly created Vets Division.
It is no accident that the club has grown and prospered. It is due to the hard work of all its committee members down the years. From the early years of formation with the likes of Chris Davis, Roger Meloy, Mike Rogers, Dave Clare, to the years of establishment and then growth with the likes of Clem Dolan, Pat Walsh, Denis Garvey, Brian McCarthy and Stef Milewczyk.
The club is nothing without its members who continue to enjoy their football in their green and yellow and maroon kits! Win or lose we’ll be back in green and yellow and maroon!
©2011 Old Wimbledonians FC