Welcome to the Home of Walsham Le Willows Football Club
WALSHAM LE WILLOWS FOOTBALL CLUB HISTORY
The Meadow has been the home of the village football and cricket clubs going back to the late 1800s and the old pavilion still survives on the far side of the ground, originally this had a thatched roof and water was carried across to it by bucket and then a two wheeled hand water cart was pulled across by the players. With no electricity in the original building changing could be somewhat hazardous after the game on a cold December Saturday. Football and cricket were both played at the present ground in Summer Road until the outbreak of war when the field was ploughed up to provide land suitable to grow food on. There is some confusion regarding the road that the ground stands on to this day because the signs erected by the highways authority show different names at each end of the road, Sumner Road at the main road and Summer Road at the village end. Football started up again after the war and was played at Grove Road in the village from 1947 and the club competed in the Bury & District league Division 2. A new pitch was developed on Gallents Meadow in Ixworth Road and used from 1948 to 1951 (the reserve side was formed in 1949 to compete in the Bury village league) when the club moved back to its present site after the generosity of the Martineau family provided the grass seed to reseed the field. Originally the pitch was across the field but upon the resumption of football at the meadow the direction of the pitch was changed to allow a new cricket square to be laid in the centre of the field. The thatched pavilion was still in use and the additions of calor gas for lighting and a calor gas boiler for tea making improved the facilities for everyone. The amalgamation of the cricket and football clubs in 1952 then formed Walsham le Willows Sports Club. The original football stand was built in the 1950s with the new pavilion in 1973, mains electricity was added at this time and the addition of a bar and lounge area followed soon after with the snooker room, kitchen and car park added the following year. The clubs teams have participated in the Bury & District league, Bury Village league, Stowmarket league, Suffolk & Ipswich league and now the Ridgeons league. As a junior side the club won the Suffolk Junior cup three years running in 87-88, 88-89, and 89-90 after being beaten finalists in 73-74. Numerous Bury and district titles and cups were won before entering the Suffolk & Ipswich league in 89-90, promotion to the senior league was achieved in that season and was quickly followed by relegation before we established ourselves as a senior side in 97-98 by finishing in 4th position. League positions then went 3rd and 4th with the league knock out cup being won in both seasons. Current manager Paul Smith was appointed for the following campaign and the league record then went 4th, 1st,1st and 2nd with one league knock out cup victory.
Season 2004-05 was our first in the Ridgeons league and we finished 4th with our first ever Suffolk Senior cup final appearance at Portman Road. The following season cup success was achieved at Portman Road by winning the Suffolk Senior cup in a thrilling extra time 4-3 victory over Capel Plough. A creditable 5th position was achieved in the league and our first ever appearance in the F A Cup. The installation of floodlights, new changing rooms and the 100 seater stand give us a facility to be proud of and in season 06-07 we became champions of Division One after exiting all cup competitions early. Last season proved to be a sharp learning curve with the gap in standards between the two divisions being very noticeable. We finished in 16th position with 47 points and hopefully can improve upon that total this season. We are fully committed to the Ridgeons league and have teams in the reserve section and U18 floodlight league with our “A” side competing in the Suffolk & Ipswich league.
WALSHAM LE WILLOWS FOOTBALL CLUB HONOURS
Eastern Counties League (Ridgeons) Division One Champions 2006-07
Ridgeons Reserve North Div. Runners-up 2008-2009
Ridgeons Reserve North Div. Champions 2007-08
Ridgeons U18 Central Div. Champions 2007-08
Suffolk & Ipswich League (SIL) Senior Champions 2001-02 and 2002-03.
SIL Senior Division Runners-up 2003-04.
SIL Omnico Cup Winners 98-99, 99-2000, 2001-02.
SIL Omnico Cup Finalists 02-03.
Suffolk Senior Cup Winners 2005-06.
Suffolk Senior Cup Finalists 2004-05.
SIL Intermediate A Champions 2001-02.
SIL Intermediate B Champions 96-97
SIL Ryan Cup Winners 2004-05
SIL Division One Champions 89-90, 94-95.
Suffolk Junior Cup Winners 87-88, 88-89, 89-90.
Suffolk Junior Cup Finalists 73-74
SIL Division Four Champions 2000-01.
SIL Division Six Champions 96-97
SIL Orwell Cup Winners 96-97, 97-98, 99-00, 02-03.
SIL Senior Club of the Season 2001-02 and 2002-03.
SIL Junior Club of the Season 89-90.
Bury Sunday League Div Four Champions 2001-02.
Bury Sunday League Div Four K.O.Cup winners 01-02.
Bury Sunday League Div Two K.O. Cup Winners 04-05.
2/12/09 TONIGHTS RESERVE GAME OFF December 2, 2009
Waterlogged pitch
CHELL TROPHY DRAW (RES) December 1, 2009
CHELL TROPHY DRAW
The draw for the quarter finals of the Chell Trophy is:-
Gorleston v Ipswich Wanderers or Leiston
Great Yarmouth Town v Lowestoft Town or Braintree Town
Halstead Town or Walsham-le-Willows v Whitton United or Norwich United
Haverhill Rovers v Hadleigh United
Matches dates to be advised
RIDGEONS LEAGUE CHALLENGE CUP QUARTER FINAL DRAW (FIRST TEAM) December 1, 2009
RIDGEONS LEAGUE CHALLENGE CUP QUARTER FINAL DRAW
The draw for the quarter finals of the League Challenge Cup is:-
FC Clacton v Walsham-le-Willows
Hadleigh United v Newmarket Town
Mildenhall Town v Kirkley & Pakefield
Needham Market v Great Yarmouth Town or Wroxham
Matches to be played on Tuesday January 19th, except the match at Needham Market which will be played on Tuesday January 26th.
WALSHAM RESERVES 2 NEEDHAM MARKET RESERVES 1 November 30, 2009
The Reserves entertained the talented Needham team at Summer Road today.
The game started well for the away side with Needham taking the lead after corner was not cleared by the Home defence. Walsham took their time getting into the game but they did start to boss the game with Needham trying to counter attack down the wing with good effect at times.
More effort was shown by the home side just before half time with BROWN netting from close range closely followed by BIRCH with a good header from a corner. HT 2 - 1
A sad incident of the first half was when a Needham player suffered a serious injury, and was taken to hospital, everybody at Walsham wishes the player a very speedy recovery.
With Needham coming out of the blocks fighting in the second half it was end to end with two committed teams, Brown for the home team hitting a post, along with a cross from Kemp which was diverted over the line by a defender(neutral supporters view) which was not allowed, a couple of offsides which looked well on side could have seen a better score for Walsham but Needham also had chances, end of the day a good 3 points for the home side. But no more big B's on a Friday night/Saturday morning, please.
FRAMLINGHAM TOWN U18'S 3 WALSHAM U18'S 6 November 26, 2009
A fine win for Rob Francksen's lads
NEEDHAM MARKET 3 WALSHAM FIRST TEAM 1 November 30, 2009
Taken from the Needham web site many thanks
Needham Market made three changes from their midweek League Cup victory over Stowmarket with Barber,Buckle and Horlock replacing Boyland,Evans and Agricole for the visit of locals Walsham Le Willows on a chilly late November afternoon.Needham Market had their new signing Damian Hilton on the bench.
Craig Parker received his 100th appearance award from now “Online” chairman David Bugg before the game.
The first action of the game was a booking for Musgrove for handball in the 8th minute before a Butler shot was tipped over by Walsham’s Mcanally in the 15th minute following a Thrower corner.Musgrove fired over from 20 yards after 23 minutes and Smith’s cross was too high for Thrower five minutes later after a fine Buckle pass but neither side were keeping hold of the ball long enough to create any chances on goal. It looked as though a low key half was going to drift towards the break goalless until Walsham took the lead 3 minutes before the half time whistle when from a Walker long throw STEVE HOLDER rose highest to head in from close range before Tatham was booked for a foul on Butler to bring a poor half to a close.
H/T NEEDHAM MARKET 0 WALSHAM LE WILLOWS 1
With hopes of a livelier second half Walsham started the better and Barber had to block a Musgrove effort on his goalline two minutes in to the half after Jones spilled a Tatham cross.Needham introduced new boy Damian Hilton after 53 minutes replacing Buckle before JAY DENNISS equalised 4 minutes later scrambling home a Thrower corner.All of a sudden there was some life in the Needham crowd and they started to get involved in the game instead of the social chit chat of the first hour and Bethell had an effort blocked by Mcanally 62 after minutes.Pemberton was booked for a foul on ex-Needham man Sim a minute later being joined in the book by Holder in the 67th minute.Phillips replaced Smith in the 69th minute before Needham took the lead when in the 74th minute when CRAIG PARKER converted a Hilton header back across goal following a Horlock cross.Clarke was booked for a foul on Parker after 75 minutes and Walsham made a double substitution introducing Soanes and Cusack for Head and Partridge.Cusack was soon in Mr Tynes book for dissent and Bethell was replaced by Evans with the game now a lot livelier but few good chances were being created with Walsham’s Tatham and Holder failing to test Jones until DANNY PHILLIPS chased down a Horlock long ball,brushed aside Newman and fired past Mcanally to make the game safe in the 89th minute.
F/T NEEDHAM MARKET 3 WALSHAM LE WILLOWS 1
Three good points against a Walsham team who never stop and a 3-1 victory for Needham at half time looked unlikely
WALSHAM ' A ' 5 KIRKLEY & PAKEFIELD ' B ' 2 November 30, 2009
Friday 27th November
Suffolk County Primary Cup
Round 3
Walsham le Willows “A” 5 v Kirkley & Pakefield “B” 2
The “A” team had the pleasure of playing under the lights and the use of the facilities of the changing rooms etc at Walsham for this 3rd round Suffolk Primary Cup Tie, they started off rather quietly with Kirkley & Pakefield taking the game to them, Patrick Lawrence then opened the scoring for Walsham with a well taken goal and he then scored his second from the penalty spot to give Walsham a 2 – 0 lead. Kirkley & Pakefield to their credit battled back in to the game with 2 goals to go in at half time level. Early on in the second half Karl Tarpley gave Walsham the lead again but to their credit Kirkley still battled on and the game was rather tight, substitute Dan Mayhew then beat the keeper to the ball to give Walsham that much needed 4th goal and to ease the pressure on the defence and in the closing minutes Patrick Lawrence collected a through ball and rounded the keeper to completed his hat trick to make the score 5 – 2 to Walsham
NEW YOUTH SECTION
A new Youth Section has been added to the Web Site new items will follow on this section.
NEW PLAYERS ARE WANTED FOR ALL TEAMS IN THE YOUTH SECTION PLEASE CONTACT:-
