Wroxham F.C.

Wroxham Football Club is a football club based in Wroxham, Norfolk, England. They are currently members of the Eastern Counties League Premier Division and play at Trafford Park.

For the Welsh club, see Wrexham A.F.C.
Wroxham
Full nameWroxham Football Club
Nickname(s)The Yachtsmen
Founded1892
GroundTrafford Park, Wroxham
Capacity2,500 (50 seated)[1]
ChairmanLee Robson
ManagerJordan Southgate
LeagueEastern Counties League Premier Division
2019–20Eastern Counties League Premier Division (season abandoned)

History

The club was established in 1892 by George Preston, a former captain of the Norfolk County team.[2] They played friendly matches until entering teams into the East Norfolk League and the Norwich City Junior League. They joined the East Anglian League in 1935,[2] but after finishing bottom of the league in 1953–54 and 1954–55,[3] they dropped into the Norwich and District League, a time during which they suffered a record 24–0 defeat.[2]

When the East Anglian League merged with the Norfolk & Suffolk League to form the Anglian Combination in 1964, Wroxham joined the new league, becoming a member of Section D.[4] After winning the Norfolk Junior Cup in 1974–75,[2] they were Division Two champions in 1975–76 and Division One champions the following season, earning promotion to the Premier Division.[4] In 1980–81 the club won the Knock-Out Cup, and in 1981–82 they were Premier Division champions, going on to retain the title in for the next three seasons, also winning the Knock-Out Cup in 1982–83, 1984–85 and 1986–87.

After winning the Premier Division of the Anglian Combination for a fifth time in 1987–88,[4] Wroxham moved up to the newly formed Division One of the Eastern Counties League.[5] They won the division in its inaugural season, beating Halstead Town to the title on goal difference, and were promoted to the Premier Division. After finishing twelfth in their first season in the Premier Division, the club finished eighth or higher in each of the next 22 seasons,[5] winning the division for the first time with a record 99 points in 1991–92. The 1992–93 was the club's centenary, and saw them beat their record by retaining the league title with 100 points, as well as winning the League Cup and the Norfolk Senior Cup. In 1993–94 they won a third consecutive Premier Division title.[5] After a gap of two seasons, the club won the Premier Division again in 1996–97 with 109 points,[5] a season in which they also won the Senior Cup. They retained the title and the Senior Cup in 1997–98, before winning the league for a third time in a row in 1998–99.[5]

Further success saw Wroxham win the League Cup and Norfolk Senior Cup in 1999–2000, the Norfolk Senior Cup in 2001–02, 2003–04 and 2007–08, and the Eastern Counties League Premier Division title in 2006–07. In 2009–10 the club reached the final of the FA Vase, but lost 6–1 to holders Whitley Bay.[6] In 2011–12 they won the Premier Division for the eighth time this time taking promotion to the North Division of the Isthmian League. Although the club finished in the relegation zone in 2013–14, they were reprieved from relegation when Worksop Town resigned from the Northern Premier League. The club finished in the relegation zone again in 2015–16, but were again reprieved. However, they finished second-from-bottom of the division the following season and were relegated back to the Eastern Counties League Premier Division.[5]

Ground
Wroxham (blue and white) ahead of an FA Cup tie against Saffron Walden.

The club initially played at Wroxham Park.[2] They subsequently played at The Avenue and Keys Hill. In the 1940s the club moved to Trafford Park, a field on Skinners Lane.[7] An old timber pavilion was moved from the previous ground and used as a clubhouse.[7] This was replaced by pre-fabricated buildings around fifteen years later.[7]

The current main stand, the Les King Stand, was built in 1990, replacing a stand that had been in use for around a decade.[7] Floodlights were erected in the early 1990s and a new clubhouse built in 1994.[7] The record attendance of 1,262 was set in 2010 for an FA Vase semi-final against Whitehawk.[8]

Honours
  • Eastern Counties League
    • Premier Division champions 1991–92, 1992–93, 1993–94, 1996–97, 1997–98, 1998–99, 2006–07, 2011–12
    • Division One champions 1988–89
    • League Cup winners 1992–93, 1999–2000
  • Anglian Combination
    • Premier Division champions 1981–82, 1982–83, 1983–84, 1984–85, 1987–88
    • Division One champions 1976–77
    • Division Two champions 1975–76
    • Knock-out Cup winners 1980–81, 1982–83, 1984–85, 1986–87
  • Norfolk Senior Cup
    • Winners 1992–93, 1996–97, 1997–98, 1999–2000, 2001–02, 2003–04, 2007–08, 2014–15
  • Norfolk Junior Cup
    • Winners 1974–75

Records
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See also
  • Wroxham F.C. players

References
  1. Mike Williams & Tony Williams (2016) Non-League Club Directory 2017, Tony Williams Publications, p368 ISBN 978-1869833695
  2. A brief history of Wroxham Football Club Wroxham F.C.
  3. East Anglian League 1908–1964 Non-League Matters
  4. Anglian Combination 1964–2003 Non-League Matters
  5. Wroxham at the Football Club History Database
  6. History as Bay clinch third Vase The FA, 9 May 2010
  7. Wroxham Pyramid Passion
  8. Wroxham Football Club Shuttercraft

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