Colliers Wood United F.C.
 |
|
| Full name | Colliers Wood United Football Club |
|---|---|
| Nickname(s) | The Wood |
| Founded | 1874 (as Vandyke) |
| Ground | Wibbandune Sports Ground, Wimbledon |
| Capacity | 2,000 (102 seated) |
| Chairman | Steve Turner |
| Manager | Tony Hurrell |
| League | Combined Counties League Premier Division |
| 2015–16 | Combined Counties League Premier Division, 8th |
Colliers Wood United Football Club is an English semi-professional football club based in West Wimbledon in the London Borough of Merton. The club is affiliated to the Surrey County Football Association. The club are currently members of the Combined Counties League Premier Division and play at the Wibbandune Sports Ground.
The club, one of the oldest in the country, and which has now been in existence for 141 years, received a well deserved recognition award from the FA for 125 years of playing football during 2011. Collliers Wood United FC was founded way back in 1874 and the early years of their existence were spent in the Wimbledon and Sutton leagues before moving on to the Surrey Intermediate League (Southern Division). During the late sixties and early seventies, the club were members of the Surrey Senior League for a short time, playing in the newly formed division one where they won the league title in 1969/70. The reserves won their division in 1970/71 going undefeated. Over the years, “The Wood” have reached a number of Surrey FA Cup Finals. In 1988/89 they lost 1-2 to Bradbank Sports in the Intermediate Cup Final. In 1991/92 they beat Woking & Horsell 4-0 in the final of the same competition. The reserves reached the final of the 1988/89 and 1989/90 Lower Junior Cup but were beaten on both occasions. The local recreation ground prevented the progress of the club due to the limited facilities and a search for a new ground was launched. Adequate facilities were found at Wibbandune Sports Ground in 1991 and the ground has steadily improved since then. 2001/2 saw the club enter the Surrey County Senior League where they finished a creditable 5th. The following season, they finished as runners up. In 2002/3, the league amalgamated with the Combined Counties League and the club were founder members of the new division 1 where they finished as runners up and were promoted to the Premier Division. They have continued to improve. In 2004/5, they finished 14th of the 24 clubs. The following season, they finished fourth and had a fine FA Vase run, beating Chichester City United, Raynes Park Vale and Greenwich Borough, before losing to VCD Athletic in the 2nd round proper. In 2006/7 they entered the FA Cup for the first time, defeating Chipstead after a replay before succumbing to Worthing 0-3. After a brief ground share at Croydon FC, the club moved back to Wibbandune where ground improvements included the addition of excellent flood-lighting, a new covered terrace and a 120-seat stand. In March 2012, the club added a new away team changing room, new spectator ground lavatories and relaid the entire playing surface including drainage thanks to a £71,000 grant from the Football Association. They also reached the 2011/12 final of the League Cup at Farnborough FC on 4 May v Guernsey FC in front of 667 spectators, which they lost 0-2 after extra time, becoming the first club to keep a 90-minute clean sheet against The Islanders. Following a second renovation of the pitch in April, the club returned to Wibbandune in July 2013 and the under 18 youth section was restarted.
...
Wikipedia