Waltham Abbey F.C.

Football club infobox
clubname = Waltham Abbey


fullname = Waltham Abbey Football Club
nickname = The Abbotts
founded = 1944
ground = Capershotts, Waltham Abbey
capacity = 3,500
chairman = Joe Collins
manager = Bobby Ballard
league = Isthmian League First Division North
season = 2007–08
position = Isthmian League First Division North, 14th
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pattern_la2=|pattern_b2=|pattern_ra2=
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Waltham Abbey Football Club is an English football(soccer) club based in Waltham Abbey, Essex. The team currently plays in the Isthmian League Division One North.

History

Waltham Abbey Youth Club, based in Waltham Abbey, Essex, first played football at “Capershotts” during the Second World War and in later years the club became known as firstly Waltham Abbey, then Abbey Sports. Both clubs gained numerous honours in the Northern Suburban League.

Waltham Abbey United emerged in the late sixties and a new clubhouse was built. In 1974 the club amalgamated with the successful Beechfield Sports and joined the Metropolitan League, which later became the London Spartan League.

In 1976 the club won the Essex Junior Cup and later that summer dropped the Beechfield Sports tag on the advice of the F.A. Two years later the club reached the final of the Essex Intermediate Cup and won the league’s Division One title, and, having gained Senior Status, were promoted. In their first season they won the title without losing a game and were again promoted this time to the Premier Division where they remained until season 2000/01.

Season 2001/02 was spent in the Essex & Herts Border Combination to allow them to move across the pyramid. They were elected to the Essex Senior League for season 2002/03. In 2004/05, in addition to winning both the League Cup and the Gordon Brasted Memorial Trophy they finished in their highest position of 3rd.

In 1990/91 the club were inaugural finalists in the Roy Bailey Memorial Trophy, a competition for local teams including Cheshunt FC, Ware FC, and Hertford Town F.C.

It was won for the first time in 1994/95 when they beat Hoddesdon Town FC. In both 1996/97 and 2005 (in the final held over from the previous season) they beat St Margaretsbury.

In 1998/99 they won the London Senior Cup with a fine 3-2 win over Bedfont at Dulwich Hamlet’s ground, and they also secured the Spartan South Midlands Challenge Trophy.

Recent seasons have seen a lot of changes on and off the pitch with floodlights being installed in 1990 and the ground levelled. A great amount of work has been done around the clubhouse and a 200-seater stand built. A number of seats were purchased from “Maine Road” and these will be installed during the summer of 2005 as the club strives to improve facilities on and off the field and move up the non-league pyramid.

External links

* [http://www.wafc.net Waltham Abbey F.C. Official Site]