Woodford Town Football Club was established in 1937, and were founder members of the Delphian League. They had football legend Jimmy Greaves who went on to become Tottenham Hotspur's highest ever goal scorer. And Johnny Hayes played for the club in the early days, who went on to play for Fullham FC and England.
The Woods amazingly played in the Anglo-Italian Cup in 1986. A competition that was played intermittently between 1970 and 1996 between clubs from England and Italy.
They made it to the semi-final losing 4–0 to Piacenza, however it was a great achievement.
Woodford had a glory year in 1986/87 where a 3rd place finish was attained, winning 22 out of 38 games in the Southern League. They also had a great FA Cup run that took them to the first round in the FA cup (first time in the clubs history). They faced local league rivals Leyton Orient and lost 1-0 in a very close match.
In 1993 it all went downhill for Woodford Town, as they lost their home ground in Snakes Lane and transferred to Division One of the Spartan League. The side was forced to play in Broxbourne and Harlow. It was a struggle for the club to stay alive losing most of their fan base in Woodford.
Going into the 2000s, The Woods played in The Essex senior League. They entered a dark road as they finished rock bottom of the table in 00/01, 01/02 and 02/02. The club folded in 2003 as the club wasn't elected for the 03/04 season.
There were reports that a group of supporters were looking to reform the club with applications to several step 5 leagues in 2006.
In 2017, they returned to the Essex Senior League. Redbridge Council got behind the dream of chairman Tony Scott to restore the club to the heart of its original community in Woodford. However, the Covid-19 pandemic forced a year-long delay before the move to Ashton’s could be completed.
And in 2021, dreams became reality as One of London’s iconic non-league football clubs made an emotional return to their ancestral home. In a £1.6 million investment from the council, a new ground was developed at Ashton Playing Fields reviving the historical club.
The Leader of Redbridge Council, Cllr Jas Athwal, said: "What a great homecoming it must be for Woodford Town Football Club after all these years. They are now back in their rightful and spiritual home."
Jas Athwal played at the old Snakes Lane Ground as a young man. He was a massive help in the move back home for Woodford Town and because of this, they named a stand after him.
On 13 August 2021, Woodford played their first game at the stadium, losing 2–1 against Stanstead in front of 822 spectators. However it was a brilliant day for everyone involved to witness the start of a new journey for the club.
Currently, Woodford Town sit 3rd in the Essex Senior League one win away from topping the table! They have an incredible set of fans called "The Woodford Towners", and have gained a deserved reputation as one of the loudest, most inclusive and diverse Supporters Groups around.
Find out more about Woodford Town at https://woodfordtownfc.com/
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