Great Wakering Rovers F.C.

Football club infobox
clubname = Great Wakering Rovers


fullname = Great Wakering Rovers Football Club
nickname = Rovers
founded = 1919
ground = Burroughs Park, Great Wakering
capacity = 3,500
chairman = Roy Ketteridge
manager = Iain O'Connell
league = Isthmian League
Division One North
season = 2007–08
position = Isthmian League
Division One North, 13th
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pattern_la2=|pattern_b2=|pattern_ra2=
leftarm2=FF0000|body2=FF0000|rightarm2=FF0000|shorts2=0000FF|socks2=FF0000

Great Wakering Rovers F.C. is a football club located in Great Wakering, near Southend on Sea in Essex, England. They were established in 1919 and were founding members of the Essex Intermediate League Division 3 in 1989.

History

The club was formed in 1919 by soldiers demobbed after World War I and finding employment in the local brickfields. They first played in the Southend & District League, where they played until 1982, being the league's most dominant club especially in the 1960s and 1970s. In 1982 they switched to the newly formed Southend & District Alliance Football League, but this league folded in 1989. At this point the club decided to make the step up to intermediate level and join the Essex Intermediate League.

They remained in this league for three seasons, winning the championships of Divisions Three and Two in successive seasons, after the latter of which they successfully applied to join the Essex Senior League. They were league champions in 1994-95 and were league runners-up three times in the subsequent four seasons. On the last of these occasions they finished in second place behind Saffron Walden Town, but as the latter club failed to meet the ground grading requirements for a place in the Isthmian League, Great Wakering Rovers were promoted in their place, gaining a place in Isthmian League Division Three for the 1999-00 season.

At the first attempt they were promoted to Division Two, then moved to Division One North in 2002 due to league reorganisation. Further reorganisations saw them switched to the Southern Football League Eastern Division for two seasons, but in 2006 they were switched back to Isthmian League Division One North.

Club records

*Best league performance: 7th in Isthmian League Division Two "(then Step 4)", 2001-02
*Best FA Cup performance: 2nd qualifying round, 1998-99, 2006-07
*Best FA Trophy performance: 1st round proper, 2002-03, 2004-05
*Best FA Vase performance: 5th round, 1997-98, 2001-02

Notable former players

*Les Stubbs began his career with Great Wakering before going on to play professionally for Southend United and Chelsea.

Ground

Burroughs Park was constructed in 1985 on the site of 104 disused allotments which the local council gave to the club, and was named after local farmer (and former player) Roger Burroughs in recognition of his assistance to the club. The ground has floodlights and also boasts a clubhouse and tea bar. The highest attendance ever recorded was 1,150 for a pre-season friendly against Southend United in 2006.

ources

*fchd|name=Great Wakering Rovers|id=GT-WAKER

External links

* [http://www.greatwakeringrovers.co.uk/ Official website]