Windsor & Eton F.C.

Football club infobox
clubname = Windsor & Eton


fullname = Windsor & Eton Football Club
nickname = The Royalists
founded = 1892
ground = Stag Meadow,
St. Leonards Road,
Windsor, Berkshire
capacity = 3,500
chairman = Peter Simpson, OBE
manager = Simon Lane
league = Southern League
Division One South and West
season = 2007–08
position = Southern League
Division One South and West, 8th
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Windsor & Eton Football Club are an English association football club based in Windsor, Berkshire, currently playing in the Southern League Division One South and West.

In the 2004-05 season they finished fifteenth in the Isthmian League Premier Division, but the following year were relegated in 21st place, and after a re-structuring of the non-league set-up were placed in the new Southern League Division One South and West. In 2006–07 they finished in a mid table 14th position, which they improved upon the following year by finishing in 8th place.

History

Windsor & Eton F.C. was formed on 18 August 1892 by a merger of Windsor Phoenix and Windsor St. Albans. They began in the Southern Alliance (which included teams like Tottenham), and in 1893 they merged with Windsor Victoria and entered the first FA Amateur Cup. A decline in fortunes saw them withdraw from the Berks & Bucks Senior League in 1901 before a ball had been kicked. In 1902 Windsor & Eton Temperance F.C. was the subject of a take over, with the name being shortened to the title now used.

Among prominent people connected with the club in this era was H.R.H. Prince Christian, and the royal patronage continued with Kings George V and George VI up to the present patron H.R.H. Duke of Edinburgh, hence the club's nickname of "The Royalists".

Over the years the club has competed in the Southern League (1895-96), West Berks League (1903-04), Great Western Suburban League (1904/22), Athenian League (1922/29), Spartan League (1929/39), Great Western Combination (1939/45), Corinthian League (1945/50), Metropolitan League (1950/60), Delphian League (1960/63), then the Athenian League again (1963/81), until joining the Isthmian League in 1981. During this time Windsor won their County Cup five times in a row (1941/45), which, until recent times was an English record. In 1922 they recorded their best ever Amateur Cup run, reaching the 4th Round Proper, and in 1925 reached the 2nd Round Proper of the FA Cup, losing 2-5 to Charlton Athletic at the Valley.

Without doubt the best period in Windsor's history was the 1980s. They started the decade by winning the Athenian League and reaching the last four in the FA Vase (just one year after losing in the quarter final). The league title was retained in 1981, when they were also League Cup finalists and reached the 1st Round Proper in the FA Cup. Then came promotion to the Isthmian League Division Two, where they finished 5th in their first season. Promotion came the following season after finishing 2nd. The following season the Division One Championship was won, along with another appearance in the FA Cup 1st Round Proper.

Their first campaign in the Premier Division saw them finish 5th as well as a draw at home against AFC Bournemouth in the 2nd Round Proper of the FA Cup. Windsor eventually lost the replay with both sides already knowing that the winners would have a home tie against Manchester United in the next round. Since then they have had four further appearances in the 1st Round Proper and three appearances in the Berks & Bucks Senior Cup final, winning in 1988 & 89.

The 1990s started with Windsor celebrating their centenary in 1991/92. They suffered a poor following season and their 9 year spell in the Premier Division came to an end when they finished second from bottom and were relegated to Division One. 1993/94 saw them finish 21st again, to be relegated to Division Two and although they improved their position by one place the following season, it still wasn't enough to avoid the dubious honour for the third season running in 1994/95.

Season 1995/96 saw a revival in the club's fortune when they finished third in Division Three and were the Isthmian League's leading scorers with 117 goals. Season 2000/01 saw a complete overhaul of the club and the changes were vindicated when the club achieved promotion to Division One by finishing runners-up.

In November 2001, following a poor start to their Division One campaign, which wasn't helped by a horrendous early-season injury list, the Royalists finished in bottom place, although a league restructure meant relegation was never a worry.

Season 2002/03 saw some more experienced faces added to the squad during the course of the season and the club enjoyed its best FA Trophy run for years beating Welling United, Hitchin Town and Vauxhall Motors before bowing out on penalties to Aylesbury United. Two years later a re-organisation of the Pyramid saw them moved into the Premier Division, where they remained until another re-orgnaisation saw them moved into the Southern League in 2006.

In July 2006, Simon Lane was installed as the new manager. After rebuilding the squad from scratch, Simon guided the club into 14th place by the end of the 2006/07 season

Player Movements 2007/08

In: Steve Butler (from AFC Wimbledon), Ryan Parsons (From Maidenhead), Jermaine Roach (From Marlow) Out: Rob Ursell (To Carshalton), Darren Grieves (Released), Dave Tilbury (to Hillingdon Borough), James Edgerley (To Hayes and Yeading), Chris Cahill (released)

Ground

Early grounds at which the club played were Windsor Recreation Ground and Balloon Meadow (now part of Windsor Racecourse) before the move to the present ground at Stag Meadow in 1911.

In 2003 the Isthmian League awarded the ground an 'A' grade following some frenetic building activity which saw terracing completed all the way around the ground, plus a new turnstile block and an extension to the covered terracing on the far side of the ground.

Notable former players

Two players who turned out for Windsor during the inter-war years were Vic Woodley, who later distinguished himself in goal for Chelsea, Derby County and England, and Billy Coward, who joined QPR before moving to Walsall and playing in the famous 'giant-killing' side which beat the mighty Arsenal in the FA Cup in 1933.

Famous fans

*Barry Davies (BBC Sport commentator, also the club's president) [cite web|url=http://www.wefc.co.uk/wefc_02.asp|title=Windor & Eton FC - Club Information|accessdate=2008-09-11]

ources

*fchd|name=Windsor & Eton|id=WINDSORE

References

External links

* [http://www.wefc.co.uk/ Official site]