Football club
 | |||
| Full name | Woodbridge Town Football Club | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Nickname(s) | The Woodpeckers | ||
| Founded | 23 July 1885 | ||
| Ground | Notcutts Park, Woodbridge | ||
| Capacity | 3,000 (50 seated) | ||
| Chairman | Paul Leech | ||
| Manager | Luke Hyam | ||
| League | Eastern Counties League Premier Division | ||
| 2023–24 | Eastern Counties League Premier Division, 13th of 19 | ||
| |||
Woodbridge Town Football Club is a football club based in Woodbridge, Suffolk, England. They are currently members of the Eastern Counties League Premier Division and play at Notcutts Park.
History
The club was formed at a meeting held on 23 July 1885. Their first match was against St Helens of Ipswich on 7 November, which resulted in a 10–0 win. The Suffolk County Football Association was formed in the same year and the club were a founder member. They entered the inaugural Suffolk Senior Cup in 1885–86 and went on to reach the final against Ipswich Town. After the first two matches ended in 2–2 and 0–0 draws, Woodbridge won the second replay 3–1. The 1908–09 season saw the club win the Suffolk Junior Cup, beating RFA Ipswich 2–1 in the final; they also won Division Two of the Ipswich & District League, earning promotion to Division One. In 1912–13 the club were champions of the Ipswich & District League.
In 1924–25 Woodbridge were runners up in Division 2A of the Ipswich & District League, earning promotion to Division One. They won the Junior Cup again in 1926–27, beating Southwold Town 4–2. The club finished bottom of Division One in 1929–30 and 1931–32 but avoided being relegated. However, after finishing bottom of Division One again in 1933–34, they were relegated to Division 2B.
Woodbridge were Division One champions and Suffolk Junior Cup winners again in 1970–71. They won the Suffolk Senior Cup in 1977–78, beating Crane Sports 2–1 in the final. The club were relegated from the Senior Division in 1982–83 after finishing second-from-bottom of the division, but returned to the Senior Division after winning the Division One title and Suffolk Junior Cup in 1986–87. They won the Senior Division title in 1988–89, earning promotion to Division One of the Eastern Counties League.
Woodbride won the Suffolk Senior Cup for a third time in 1992–93, beating Stonham Aspal 5–2 in the final. They retained the cup the following year with a 4–0 win over Saxmundham Sports, and were also runners-up in Division One, resulting in promotion to the Premier Division. After finishing bottom of the Premier Division in 2013–14 the club were relegated to Division One. They won the Suffolk Senior Cup again in 2017–18 with a 3–0 win over Bungay Town in the final. The club were Division One champions in 2017–18 and were promoted back to the Premier Division. The following season saw them finish second in the Premier Division.
Ground
Woodbridge initially played on a pitch at Farlingaye Hall. However, they became a nomadic club, playing at five different grounds during the 1950s and 1960s. By the late 1980s the club were playing at Kingston Field. In September 1990 they moved to Notcutts Park, which was opened with a friendly match against Arsenal.
Honours
- Eastern Counties League
- Division One champions 2017–18
- League Cup winners 1993–94, 1997–98
- Suffolk & Ipswich League
- Champions 1912–13, 1988–89
- Division One champions 1970–71, 1986–87
- Division Two champions 1908–09
- League Cup winners 1978–79
- Suffolk Senior Cup
- Winners 1885–86, 1977–78, 1992–93, 1993–94, 2017–18
- Suffolk Junior Cup
- Winners 1908–09, 1926–27, 1970–71, 1986–87
Records
- Best FA Cup performance: Third qualifying round, 1997–98, 2000–01
- Best FA Vase performance: Quarter-finals, 1998–99
- Record attendance: 3,000 vs Arsenal, friendly match, 2 October 1990
See also
References
- ^ Mike Williams & Tony Williams (2012). Non-League Club Directory 2013. p. 649. ISBN 978-1-869833-77-0.
- ^ "History". Woodbridge Town FC.
- "Honours". Woodbridge Town FC.
- "Suffolk & Ipswich League 1979–1989 + 2000–2004". Non-League Matters.
- ^ Woodbridge Town at the Football Club History Database
External links
52°05′07.97″N 1°17′27.46″E / 52.0855472°N 1.2909611°E / 52.0855472; 1.2909611
Categories: