Flanagan's Football Files

I thought for my latest article I woukd write about some of the list grounds of London & Essex, football obviously my own club Barkingside had the lease to their Oakside ground sold by a former chairman Micky Woodwood who then left & joined Grays Athletic & did the same there.

SNAKES LANE - WOODFORD TOWN FC
Founded in 1937, as a result of a public meeting for the express purpose of having a senior amateur club in the borough. A piece of waste ground was rented from the council and 'officials, players and supporters worked prodigiously throughout the lose season' to get it ready.

Woodford Town FC was apparently a one-time hotbed of successful amateur football. In the post-war years, Town were much-loved by their many fans and much-feared by their rivals in the game.The club produced a succession of international players at amateur level. Jimmy Greaves played out his career for Woodford Town before retiring.

The club were trying to relocate to a ground within the borough of Redbridge since losing the rights to their Snakes Lane home in 1992. They were playing football at Clapton's ground until Woodford Town were removed from the Essex Senior League about 2003. The club is now thriving in the Essex Senior League since their formation from part of the old Mauritius sports club amongst others.

BROOKLANDS (ROMFORD) - ROMFORD FC
Romford F.C. were established in 1876 and reached the Quarter-Finals of the FA Cup in the 1880-81 season. Brooklands was the home of Romford from 1929 until April 1977. The stadium's oval shape was similar to the original Hampden Park in Glasgow. Over 18,000 spectators watch Southall visit for an FA Amateur Cup match in 1953 and subsequently the capacity was increased to 25,000 when the entire terracing was concreted over and a 1,500 all-seater stand was built.

The grandstand and floodlights rivalled many a football league club and underlined the ambitions of the club who sought election to the Football League. Disappointingly for the club, Romford were beaten by Oxford United in the vote for a club to join the 4th Division in 1962. With no return on their investment in the facilities at Brooklands, Romford Football Club was heavily in debt and losing large amounts of money. Another feature of the stadium was a very wide playing area and oval perimeter wall which meant Brooklands was ideally suited for Speedway and the Romford Bombers competed there for a number of years from 1969. A bridge was built for the bikes to reach the track from the pits and Romford Supporters called this the "Bridge over Troubled Supporters." The club were forced to sell up & the final game was played in 1977, the stadium was demolished and the area is now a housing estate. Parts of the original boundary fencing still remain.

SUNGATE GROUND - COLLIER ROW FC (and Romford FC)
Collier Row FC formed in 1966 & were founder members of Essex Olympian League. Romford FC relocated here in 1996 and soon acrimoniously merged to form Collier Row & Romford FC (Division Two of the Isthmian League) and then renamed Romford in 1997. Sungate was vacated during the 2001-02 season due to the deterioration of the pitch and other facilities and a major clubhouse fire. Several issues at Sungate were never satisfactorily resolved and the Club moved out mid-season, playing out the season on borrowed grounds and reluctantly forwarding its resignation from the Ryman League. The highest recorded attendance at the ground that I can find was 820 (against Leatherhead). Aldershot Town were the high profile visitors in 1997 while working their way up the non league pyramid.

Romford now have a groundshare deal and play at Mayesbrook Park along with Barking. Meanwhile, the Sungate is barely recognisable as a football ground apart from the old floodlights. There were some large dogs running loose on the site so I didn't get too close

LEYTON STADIUM (HARE & HOUNDS)
​In 1975 Leyton FC merged with Wingate FC to become Leyton-Wingate FC, until 1992 when the two clubs parted company and the name reverted to Leyton until 1995 when the club merged with Walthamstow Pennant and moved away from Leyton Stadium to become Leyton Pennant F.C. However, some people were not happy at the relocation and after a few years started up a new, separate club called Leyton Sports at the old ground and following a High Court case in 2002, won the right to be recognised as a continuation of the original club and changed their name to Leyton FC. Leyton Pennant then changed their name to Waltham Forest FC.

In January 2011, and after a short suspension from the (Isthmian League Division One North) for not paying its subscription, the club was forced to withdraw from the league due to debt.Following this, the chairman, secretary, management and players all left the club, effectively ending its existence. Until its demise Leyton FC was the second oldest existing club in Greater London, after Cray Wanderers.

The Leyton Stadium had a capacity of 4,000.Leyton FC’s last ever match saw 45 people turn up. A Sunday boy's team and a women and girls' team all flying the Leyton FC banner carried on playing at the ground for a short time afterwards.

The floodlights have been removed and the pitch is used as a car park for the Starlight Suite banqueting hall on Lea Bridge Road and the stands have been left to rot. The turnstiles which were originally sited at the old Wembley Stadium still remain.

NEW WRITTLE ST. STADIUM CHELMSFORD CITY.
This was City's home from 1922 until 1997, featuring a 25,000 capacity by the 1963–64 season. The ground was known for significant investment in the 1960s, including covered stands and a social club, before being demolished for housing.
New Writtle Street had an amazing capacity for a ground used by a non-league club that during its time there has seriously ambitions of becoming a football league club it actually held up to 25,000 spectators at its peak.

It was demolished in the late 1990s and replaced by residential housing.

I hope you have enjoyed reading a few examples of grounds from years gone by they may have been lost but they have certainly never been forgotten.

Jimmy Flanagan