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First Team |
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Reserves |
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A Team |
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B Team |
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Kestrels: U7s |
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Kestrels: U8s |
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Kestrels: U9s |
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Kestrels: U10s |
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Kestrels: U11s |
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Kestrels: U12s |
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Kestrels: U13s |
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Kestrels: U14s |
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Kestrels: U15s |
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Kestrels: U16s |
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Kestrels: U18s |
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| Story Posted: 26 April 2009 |
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Congratulations to Woodley Town Men's 1st team on winning the Reading Football League Senior Division and the League’s Berkshire Trophy Centre Senior Cup. The last time the club completed a double was in 1909 – 10 when the team competed in the Wargrave & District League.
It has been a dramatic twenty three years since the club last won the blue riband title of the old Reading & District League Premier Division and the current success is richly deserved for everyone who has been and is a member of the club. In particular past 1st team managers the late John Ellis, Neil Hawkins, Dave Wills, Michael Doe, Alan Grimsey and Albie Stevenson together with current manager Andy Abraham and his assistant Cyril Fairchild.
Also thank you to long time linesmen the late Maurice Watmore and current Life Vice President Pat Connell.
The team’s success in winning the Reading Football League Senior Division for the first time must easily rank along side the club’s successes in 1957 – 58, 1958 – 59 and 1985 – 86 when they were crowned champions of the Reading & District League.
The success also marks the end of an amazing nineteen seasons that saw the first team fold during the 1990 – 91 season to leave the club with one team in Division 4 Kennet of Reading Football League and one in the Premier Division of the Reading & District Sunday Football League.
Despite competition from local clubs Woodley Arms, Forest Old Boys and Earlbourne, Town set about the long path to the Senior Division, which was achieved for the first time in 2002 – 03, by winning the Division 4 Kennet title in 1992. This was immediately followed in 1993 with the Division 3 Kennet title and the Reading Evening Post Challenge Jubilee Cup.
The 1993 – 94 season saw the introduction of a Reserve team and Dave Tyrrill and Paul Newitt joining the club. Both have gone on to play over three hundred games with Paul also scoring 134 goals with eight in one match in 1994 – 95 against Ibis “B”. Paul has a little way to go to match V Illsley who is recorded as having scored over 400 goals and more recently Jason Mole’s total of 160.
It was not until 1997 – 98 that the club won promotion from Division Two Kennet which was followed in 1998 – 99 with success in the Reading Evening Post Challenge Junior Cup coming from a goal down to win 2 – 1 against Shinfield. This was also the year current 1st team captain Jim Nightingale made his debut for the club.
More success followed the next season with the Berks & Bucks FA Junior Cup being won 2- 1 in extra time against Midgham. This was Paul Wilder’s first season with the club and in addition to scoring the Junior Cup final winner he also scored a total of thirty nine goals for the 1st team. How fitting that in his tenth season with the club Paul should score in the win at Reading YMCA to clinch the Senior Division title.
Success continued in 2000 – 01 and 2001 – 02 with the 1st team gaining two successive runners up places to secure promotion for the first time into the Senior Division for season 2002 – 03. 2000 – 01 also saw the Reserve team finish third in Division Two Thames and be elevated into Division One Thames while 2002 saw the first team finish runners up to Royal Mail in the Reading Evening Post Challenge Senior Cup final.
Apart from Senior Division football in 2002 – 03, the club decided to concentrate solely on Saturday football and withdrew its Sunday side from the Bracknell Town & District Sunday League in favour of entering it as a third men’s team in the Reading Football League. This season also saw the creation of the youth section Woodley Town Kestrels that has since gone on to produce players for the men’s section in addition to numerous cup and league success, most notable being the winning of the Berks & Bucks u13 Minor Cup in 2008.
This is the fourth county cup the club has won with the Berks & Bucks FA Sunday Junior Cup won in 1984 and the Berks & Bucks FA Sunday Junior Trophy won in 1995.
It is pleasing to see so many ex – players involved today with the Kestrels either as Managers / Coaches or as parents of the players.
A disastrous start to the 2002 – 03 season resulted in relegation to the Premier Division, but the club re-grouped, finished runners up in the Premier Division and once again claimed a Senior Division place for season 2004 – 05.
While the 1st team were making steady progress in the Senior Division, the Men’s “A” (3rd) team gained successive elevations in 2006 – 07 and 2007 – 08 seasons to reach Division Two while also winning the Reading Evening Post Jubilee Cup in 2007 – 08 to equal the earlier achievement of the club.
This season saw an unprecedented four Men’s Cup Finals with each team in the League Cup Final for their section and the 1st team also in the Reading Evening Post Reading Challenge Cup Senior Cup final. Unfortunately the only success was in the BTC Senior Cup final.
In addition to success on the park, the club has also been awarded The FA Charter Standard Development Club standard this season.
Next season sees the club venture into new pastures as it competes at Step 6 in the Hellenic League Division One East, the highest level a club from Woodley has ever played at and amongst the top 850 non league clubs in the country.
Success has not just been confined to the Men’s section as the u16 Kestrels Whites won the East Berks Youth League Division One while the u13 Whites and u12 Whites completed Division One League and Cup doubles in the Berkshire Development Youth League. The u14 Whites retained the Slough & Windsor Open Challenge trophy while the u12 Navys won the Division Two Cup and finished runners up in the Division Two League.
The Evening Post Get Reading web site contains the following item:
Woodley Town FC in four cup finals
Woodley Town FC crowned Senior Champions
Treble on for Woodley
Andy Awbery Photos contains pictures from the deciding League match and Reading YMCA and from cup finals
Woodley Town FC photographs
Videos from the Reading YMCA match appear on You Tube:
Paul Wilder’s goal v Reading YMCA
Presentation Celebrations
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