STOW V SAWBRIDGEWORTH TOWN ESSEX SENIOR LEAGUE SATURDAY 17TH OCTOBER 2020 WALTHAMSTOW FOOTBALL CLUB Match Day Centres, Wadham Lodge, Kitchener Road, Walthamstow, London, E17 4JP CLUB MANAGEMENT President: June Brazier Chairman & Secretary: Andy Perkins Vice Chairman: Steve Howe Company Secretary: Vacant Treasurer: Vacant Communications Manager & Assistant Secretary: Andrzej Perkins Club Historian: David Chapman Charter Standard & Veterans Secretary: Tony Brazier Life Members: A. Brazier M.B.E., J. Brazier, D. Chapman, D. Crabb, C.E. Gross, K.J. Harris, S. Howe, G. Larkbey, A. P. Perkins, D. Salmon, K. Thomas, C. Ward, D.E. Ward FIRST TEAM MANAGEMENT Manager: Max Mitchell Assistant Manager: Terry Spillane Coaches: Tony Faulkner, Anthony Ioannou, Danny Cohen Physiotherapists: Saarah Akhlaq, Lucelta Eugene MEDIA Programme editor: Andrzej Perkins Programme contributors: Bill Badger, Tony Brazier, David Chapman, Graham Larkbey, Steve Howe, Aaron Moore, Charlie Ward Videographer: Nathan Hobley Photographers: Bill Badger and Andrzej Perkins SOCIAL MEDIA Facebook: facebook.com/walthamstowfc Instagram: @walthamstowfc Twitter: @walthamstowfc YouTube: youtube.com/walthamstowfc Website: walthamstowfc.com THE EDITOR After a disapointing evening on Tuesday, we look to get back to winning ways this afternoon in the league Good afternoon everyone, welcome to Wadham Lodge for another home game, this time against Sawbridgeworth Town. We’ve got four away games on the bounce after today, and only two home games planned between now and the end of November. I think that by now, most of you will have heard about the return of Dwade James to the club. We’re all delighted to have him back, and after a few weeks of hard work, we finally got our man on Thursday. The headline figures are that Then on Wednesday, we featured in the New Dwade scored 64 goals in 60 starts for us, but he York Times. London-based journalist Rory Smith brings so much more than just goals to the team. wrote a piece about football crowds, focusing on His hold-up play improved so much last season, how we were getting record attendances, while and his work rate is incredible. With Dwade and Leyton Orient, a couple of miles down the road, Jon Clements up front, defences aren’t going to aren’t allowed anyone in. There was the added get a minute’s rest. inconsistency of Enfield and Bishop’s Stortford having different attendance limits, despite playing It does however, mean that there’s been a couple at the same ground. of departures. Emile Aiken and Reece Conway both depart with our best wishes, and hope that Walthamstow in the New York Times... whatever they know they’re always welcome at Wadham next. My attempts to replace the picture of me Lodge. and my partner with the Times article have so far been unsuccessful, but I won’t be giving up In the last couple of weeks the club has featured without a fight. in some prestigious local and international publications. It’s another crucial game this afternoon, as we look to put Tuesday night’s defeat behind us; In last Friday’s Evening Standard Magazine, there something I know Max and the boys are all keen was a feature on us, and how our crowds have to do. rocketed since the start of the season. A huge thanks to James McMahon for writing the piece, Enjoy the game, and Bill Badger for his support on this one. Andrzej 3 THE GAFFER Max looks back at a disapointing night on Tuesday, but has news of a big return to the playing squad. Good afternoon all, Welcome back to Wadham Lodge for today’s fixture against Sawbridgeworth Town FC; a warm welcome to all of their management team and players for this afternoon’s ESL contest. Results and performances have generally picked up over the last few games in the league and we have started to see performances week to week, bar Tuesday’s night display away to Hoddesdon. We were poor defensively and didn’t keep the ball well enough over the course of 90 minutes and especially in the midfield areas, which allowed Hoddesdon to build up a head of steam. To be fair to them, they punished us on the counter-attack, although we had good opportunities in the game to answer back, but we just couldn’t find the target on the night a missed a few guilt-edged chances. A performance we need to learn from but one to forget quickly and put behind us and move on. In terms of the squad we have had a bit of a reshuffle to the playing staff; Emile Aiken and Reece Conway have left the club via mutual consent. I’d like to thank all three players for their contributions over this season and wish them all the very best. Dwade James returns today, and this is a huge coup for the football club, Dwade has been in the pipeline for a few weeks now and after a short spell away with Hendon and due to circumstances out of Dwades control, its worked out better for Dwade to return to his home town club and play football regularly after such a long lay off. Dwade is a player I hold in high regard not just for his goal-scoring attributes but his all-round persona and attitude which is going to be so important to us moving forwards. Today is our last home game until the 3rd of November, and we’re looking for a result and a reaction from Tuesday night. The players are fully aware of the expectations set by us as a management team and our league ambitions this year, and we need to rally together and start to realise our full potential. There’s still lots of positives this season; a fantastic run in the FA Cup, we’re still in the FA Vase and the league is a marathon and not a sprint and we are right in the mix and will be at the end of the season. Despite the rain, there was great support on Tuesday from the Rabble, and we can’t thank you enough. COME ON YOU STOWWWWW!! Kind Regards, Max Mitchell 4 THE STOW CLUB SHOP Next to the turnstiles or at walthamstowfc.com THE TREE SURGEON It was a disapointing result on Tuesday evening, but Charlie Ward looks at the progress we’ve made as a club over the last few years Today, we entertain No wonder that manager, Max Sawbridgeworth in the Essex Mitchell, has felt the need to Senior League. put himself on the bench for the last few games. Last season, Sawbo were cemented to the foot of the I would not be at all surprised table and would certainly have to see one or two new faces in been relegated but, for the the squad come this afternoon. season being null and void. I am not saying that we played This season they sit in eleventh badly on Tuesday. Certainly, place, which may not seem a we showed enough attacking great position but, they have intent, especially in the second already picked up as many half at 2-1 down, to have got points in the first two months ourselves back into the game of the season as they did last but, we just do not seem able season when the season ended to finish in clinical fashion at in March. the moment, something which Hoddesdon did with superbly, Our League fortunes took a which is why they won the decided turn for the worse on game. Tuesday, when we were beaten at Hoddesdon by four goals to I still feel that given the skill and two. experience in our side, we are well capable of mounting a title We started so well too, with challenge. Certainly, the one Jason Beck heading home a game that we approached with Scully cross but, the night got full bore and conviction was our progressively worse for both home victory against Hashtag - the player and the team. even when we were behind, we continued to dominate and ask The team selection was all the questions. hampered by four absentees on Tuesday, Fletcher/O’Connor/ If you go back three or four Campbell and Dash, were all seasons, we were bracketed missing. with clubs like Barkingside/ Ilford/Eton Manor/Clapton and The early injury to skipper, Hackney Wick as the sides Reece Conway, very early in the who would be battling against game, hardly helped matters. relegation. 6 but, to keep the momentum going that has built up. We’ve seen Increased sponsorship, as well increased attendances and increased media visibility, which have all put the club into a very good position of late and I just hope we can keep people interested. Currently, we continue in our FA Vase journey, with a relatively comfortable over London Lions, with goals from Tim Monshiju, on his debut, a Michael Toner penalty and a stonking strike from Callum Ibe and let us hope this run continues all the way to Wembley but, we could go out and then that will just leave the ESL, as I notice that there does not seem to be any Essex Senior Cup or ESL League or Gordon Brasted Trophy, this season. So today’s game, if not crucial to But, since our Houdini like escape from relegation, our season, I feel is an important we are seen on the same level as clubs like landmark for us to show the other contenders we Hashtag/Saffron Walden/Stansted/Hadley and are not going away and will continue to challenge Cockfosters, who are all consiadered a good bet for the top places.