Northwood F.C.

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Northwood
Club logo
Full name Northwood Football Club
Nickname(s) The Woods
Founded 1926
Ground Northwood Park Stadium, Northwood
(Capacity: 3,075 (308 seated))
Chairman Ian Barry
Manager Gary Meakin
League Southern Football League Division One Central
2010–11 Southern Football League Division One Central, 20th
Home colours
Away colours

Northwood F.C. is an English football club based in Northwood in the London Borough of Hillingdon. They play their home games at Northwood Park Stadium. The club will play in the Southern Football League Division One Central for the 2011–12 season.

Contents

[edit] History

A club in the Northwood area was established in 1899, however Northwood as they are today were not believed to have been formed until 1926. Their early history is largely unknown and it is unclear what leagues they played in until 1931, when they joined the Harrow & Wembley League. They were champions of this league for six years in a row just prior to World War II and three more times after the war. This success did not last, however, and the 1950s and 1960s were mainly spent playing local junior-level football. In 1969 the Woods joined the Middlesex County Senior League. Northwood began life as Northwood Rovers and later United, but after The Second World War they dropped the suffix, to become what they are today, Northwood F.C.

In 1978, Northwood won the Middlesex League championship and were able to step up to the Hellenic League Division One, which they won in their debut season. This led to promotion to the Premier Division, where they spent five, mostly mid-table, seasons.

The club moved across the pyramid in 1984 to the London Spartan League, which was renamed back to the Spartan League in 1992. In an eight-season spell, Northwood finished in the top three on four occasions, culminating with the Premier Division title in the 1992–93 season, leading to admission to the Isthmian League in 1993.

Northwood gradually climbed through the divisions of the Isthmian League under Tony Choules, reaching the Premier Division in 2003, but were switched to the Southern League in 2005, where they remained until 2007. After relegation from the Southern League Premier Division, they were moved "sideways" to the Isthmian League Division One North and in 2007, Northwood won the Middlesex Senior Cup. Incidentally, it was the same year current Chairman Ian Barry joined the club. In the last few years Northwood have seen a few managers come and go. Dave Anderson (now at Harrow Borough) was the most successful in that period, as he helped the club finish 6th and 10th in the 2008–09 and 2009–10 season's respectively. However when he departed in March 2010, his assistant Mark Barnham took the reins at the club, but he resigned in November of the same year due to the poor league position. Then (in November 2010) it was the turn of former Woods favourite Steve Hale to have his crack at Chestnut Avenue, however after a poor run of form he was dismissed in March 2011, replaced by 27-year-old Gary Meakin who arrived from Hillingdon Borough. Meakin enjoyed three spells as a Northwood player. Northwood were shuffled across from the Isthmian League Division One North in 2010 to the Southern League Division One Central. They will compete in the same division in the 2011–12 campaign having just avoided relegation in 2010–11, finishing 20th.

Northwood have made a decent start to the 2011–12 season, and sat comfortably in the top half at Christmas, even creeping into the play off places courtesy of a 1–3 victory away at Bedworth United on New Year's Eve. They have not fared well in cup competitions this season, falling at the first hurdle of the FA Cup, the FA Trophy and the Middlesex Senior Cup. However, Northwood have progressed to the Third Round of both the Southern League Cup and the Middlesex Charity Cup. The club were hit with the blow that defender Junior Osborne is unlikely to play again this season as a result of the knee injury he sustained in October. Despite this, they will be hoping for a decent second half of the season. Northwood's journey in the Southern League Cup came to an end however, on 10 January away at Chesham United as they went down 6–0. On 21 January 2012, Northwood finally registered their first win of the calendar year with a 2–1 home win over Ashford Town (Middlesex). In January 2012, Meakin strengthened his squad with the signing of Burnham goalkeeper James Reading. Reading - a highly rated 21-year-old - was signed to compete with number one Mitch Swain and back-up Derek Lewis. In February 2012, Meakin signed 21-year-old striker Lewis Putman from Oxhey Jets. Putman had a spell with Hendon last season before returning to the Jets and made history by scoring 14 goals in one game - albeit in the Watford Sunday League. His exploits earned him an interview on Sky Sports, and he is expected to compete for a spot in the Northwood first eleven. However Putman then reconsidered and subsequently agreed to stay with Oxhey Jets. On 6 February 2012, Meakin further strengthened his squad with the signing of another Oxhey Jets striker in Spencer Bellotti - Putman's strike partner - who notched up 30 goals in 37 games this campaign before moving to Chestnut Avenue. Meanwhile, Northwood did see three players move on, Andrew Mensah moved to Hillingdon Borough, teenage midfielder Jack Hutchinson joined Barnet as an apprentice, and strikers Kurt Morlese and Ben Alexander left by mutual consent in a bid to find first team football elsewhere. On 24th February, the club confirmed the signings of Kwasi Frempong from Harrow Borough, Adamson Ajayi from Chalfont St. Peter and Wayne O'Sullivan who rejoined the side from Bedfont Town.

[1][2]

[edit] Stadium

The club plays at Northwood Park Stadium (often referred to as Chestnut Avenue), which is also home to Watford Ladies who play in the FA Women's Premier League National Division and the Northwood reserve side. The stadium has a capacity of 3,075, of which there are 932 terraced places and approximately 308 seats. The stadium was officially opened in 1978, prior to this Northwood had played on local fields in the surrounding area.

The ground itself has three covered stands, one of which houses the 308 seats, the other two house the standing terraced areas. There is also uncovered standing accommodation to the right of the technical area and behind the goal closest to Northwood cemetery. The highest attendance at the ground is recorded as 1,642 for a friendly match versus a Chelsea XI in 1997.

[edit] Club records

[edit] Honours

  • Hellenic League
    • Division One champions 1978–79
  • Spartan League
    • Premier Division champions 1991–92
  • Isthmian League
    • Division One North Champions 2002–03
    • Charity Shield winners 2001–02
  • Middlesex Senior Cup
    • Winners 2007

[edit] Notable former managers

  • Tony Choules 1997–2004 (guided Northwood to the Isthmian League Premier Division as well as the FA Cup 4th Qualifying round and FA Trophy 3rd Round in 2000–01 season, Now plying his trade at local rivals Uxbridge)

[edit] List of former/present Northwood managers

(Please note that it is unknown who managed the side between its formation in 1926 and 1971)

  • Pat Byrne 1971–1973
  • John Myers 1973–1974
  • Paul Byrne 1974–1975
  • Pat Madigan 1975–1976
  • Tony Saunders April–June 1976
  • Pat Coburn 1976–1985
  • Pete Moran 1985–1986
  • John Powell 1986–1987
  • Steve Revell 1987–1988
  • Alan Merison 1988–1994
  • John Walsh 1994–1995
  • Alan Merison 1995–1996
  • Steve Emmanuel 1996–1997 & assistant manager under Gary Meakin, 2011
  • Alan Merison 1997 (Caretaker)
  • Tony Choules 1997–2004 (Northwood's most successful manager, now at Uxbridge)
  • Mick Harvey 2004–2005
  • Colin Payne 2005–2008
  • Dave Anderson 2008–2010
  • Mark Barnham March–November 2010
  • Mark Burgess November 2010 (Caretaker)
  • Steve Hale 2010–2011
  • Gary Meakin 2011–

[edit] Notable former players

[edit] Management team

  • Gary Meakin (Manager)
  • Greg Phillips (Assistant Manager)
  • Gus Douglas (1st Team and Goalkeeper Coach)
  • Chad Smith (Physio)
  • Nick Aston (Masseur)
  • Mick Humphries & Errol Dyer (Joint Reserve Team Manager)
  • Scott Cousins (Reserve Team Coach)
  • Ian Buckingham (Reserve Team Coach)
  • Dave Fox (Under 18's Manager)
  • Andy Parslow (Under 18's Coach)

[edit] Current squad

as of 25/02/12

Goalkeepers
  • Mitch Swain
  • Derek Lewis
  • James Reading
Defenders
  • Scott Raper
  • Liam Fowler
  • Lee Grant
  • Doug Fitzgerald
  • Junior Osborne
  • Ryan Phillips
  • Ronayne Marsh-Brown (Captain)
  • Reece Yorke
Midfielders
  • Sam Sharples
  • Craig White
  • Harry Wright
  • James McCluskey
  • Jonathan Constant (can also operate as a striker)
  • John Christian
  • Romaine Walker (can operate as a striker)
  • Wayne O'Sullivan
  • Kwasi Frempong
  • Adamson Ajayi
Forwards
  • Kyle Matthews (can operate in midfield)
  • Oliver Hawkins
  • Garry Senior
  • Spencer Bellotti
  • Myles Stephenson

[edit] Sources

[edit] References

  1. ^ "2006-2007 Season Middlesex County Football Association Senior Challenge Cup Knockout History". Football Mitoo. http://www.football.mitoo.co.uk/KOHist.cfm?TblName=Matches&DivisionID=743&LeagueCode=MCFA2006. Retrieved 2007-09-29. 
  2. ^ "Fixtures & Results - County Cups - MCFA Senior Challenge Cup - 2006-2007". Middlesex County FA. http://www.middlesexfa.com/FixturesAndResults/CountyCups/MCFASeniorChallengeCup/Archive/2006-2007/. Retrieved 2007-10-01. 

[edit] External links
Premier Division
Division One
Central
Division One
South & West
Seasons

Coordinates: 51°36′03″N 0°24′57″W / 51.6008°N 0.4157°W / 51.6008; -0.4157

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