Saffron Walden Town F.C.
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| Full name | Saffron Walden Town Football Club |
|---|---|
| Nickname(s) | The Wardens, The Bloods, The Saffron |
| Founded | 1872 (as Saffron Walden) |
| Ground | Catons Lane, Saffron Walden |
| Capacity | 2,000 |
| Chairman | Brian Wilson |
| Manager | Stuart Wardley |
| League | Eastern Counties League Premier Division |
| 2016–17 | Eastern Counties League Premier Division, 9/21 |
Saffron Walden Town F.C. is an English football club based in Saffron Walden, Essex. The club are currently members of the Eastern Counties League Premier Division and play at Catons Lane.
The club was established as Saffron Walden in 1872 and are the oldest senior football club in Essex. They entered the FA Cup in 1876–77, but withdrew after being drawn against holders Wanderers as they could not afford to travel. Two years later they made their first appearance, losing 5–0 to Upton Park in the first round.
In 1882 the club were founder members of the Essex County Football Association. In 1890 club secretary Arthur Smith, the headmaster of the local Boy's National School, negotiated an annual fee of £3 with Lord Braybrooke for the use of a piece of land in Loft's Lane; previously the club had played on the town common, but had been unable to charge spectators an entrance fee. The club reached the final of the Essex Junior Cup in 1894–94, but lost 3–0 to Barking Excelsior. In 1896–97 they reached the final again, beating Leytonstone 6–1 in a replay.
In 1899 they entered the Haverhill and District League, which they won in 1907–08, 1922–23, 1923–24, 1928–29, 1929–30 and 1933–34. The club also entered the Stansted and District League, the Cambridgeshire League and Hertfordshire and Essex Border League during the same era, winning the Stanstead & District League on seven occasions and the Border League once. In 1926 the club reached the final of the Essex Junior Cup, where a record crowd of 6,000 saw them lose 2–1 to Rainham Athletic.
The club moved to the Essex & Suffolk Border League and the North Essex League, before joining the Spartan League in 1933. In 1936–37 they won Division Two.
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