Westfields F.C.

Westfields Football Club is a football team from Hereford, England, formed in 1966 and currently playing in the Hellenic League Premier Division. The club is affiliated to the Herefordshire County FA.

Not to be confused with Westfield F.C. (Surrey) or Westfield F.C. (Sussex).
Westfields
Full nameWestfields Football Club
Nickname(s)The Fields
FoundedNovember 1966 (1966-11)
GroundWidemarsh Common, Hereford
Capacity2,000
ChairmanJohn Morgan
ManagerSean Edwards
LeagueHellenic League Premier Division
2019–20Hellenic League Premier Division (season abandoned)

History

Westfields FC were formed in November 1966 by a group of local youths who played friendlies on Widemarsh Common. One of the youths, Andy Morris, is still involved with the club and is now its chief executive.

Westfields initially entered the Herefordshire Sunday League, where they played for ten years, winning a number of trophies. In 1973, they fielded their first Saturday team in the Worcester and District League. Two years later they moved their ground from the King George V playing fields to Thorn Lighting's Rotherwas headquarters where they gradually developed the ground over the subsequent years.

In 1978 the club stepped up to the West Midlands (Regional) League, initially in Division Two. Promotion to Division One came in 1983–84, followed by a further step up to the Premier Division three years later.

The 2002–03 season saw the Fields do a league and county cup double, becoming the West Midlands Regional League Premier Division champions for the first time and defeating rivals Kington Town to win the Herefordshire County Senior Challenge Cup. The title win saw them promoted to the Midland Alliance, where they finished sixth in their first season, although their second season saw them flirt with relegation before finishing in 20th position.

In the 2015–16 season, Westfields progressed through to the Herefordshire County Cup Final at Edgar Street, but lost to newly-formed Hereford F.C. of the Midland Football League.

During the 2016–17 season they qualified for the first round of the FA Cup for the first time in their history where they played Curzon Ashton and were knocked out after losing 3–1 in a replay after drawing 1–1 initially at home.[1][2]

Colours

Westfields took their claret and blue colours from West Ham United, as its founders admired Bobby Moore, Martin Peters and Sir Geoff Hurst, who were part of the England squad that won the World Cup in the year they were founded.[3]

Ground

After playing for many years at the sports ground of Thorn Lighting on the Rotherwas Industrial Estate to the south of Hereford, Westfields began their first Midland Alliance campaign playing their home games at Stourport Swifts' Walshes Meadow ground. The Fields moved to a new £250,000 ground in the heart of the city in December 2003. The new ground gained the rather unusual name of allpay.park thanks to a sponsorship deal with Hereford-based firm allpay.net.

Current squad

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player
— GK  WAL Keiron Blackburn
— GK  ENG John Hopkins
— GK  ENG George Burton
— DF  ENG Sam Rawlings
— DF  ENG Phil Glover
— DF  ENG James Febery
— DF  ENG Scott Jackson
— DF  ENG Matt Sysum
— DF  AUS Kane Kahaki
— DF  ENG Sam Archer-Plane
— DF  WAL Stuart Davies
— MF  ENG Sam Gwynne
No. Pos. Nation Player
— MF  ENG Ben Hayes
— MF  CAN Alex Hainault
— MF  POR Carlos Moreira
— MF  ENG Ben Miller
— MF  ENG Craig Jones
— MF  ENG Matt Reeve
— MF  ENG Anthony Robbins
— MF  ENG Lewis Platt
— MF  GHA Kingsford Adjei
— FW  WAL Richard Greaves
— FW  ENG Aidan Thomas
— FW  ENG Dan Polan

Backroom staff
Position Name
ManagerSean Edwards
Assistant Manager/ PhysioNathan Rivers
First Team CoachAndy Bevan
Player CoachScott Jackson
Goalkeeper CoachRory Hollingshead
KitmanBen Morrison

Club records
Westfields (claret and blue) in action against Coventry Sphinx
  • Best league performance: 2nd in Midland Football Alliance, 2011–12, 2012–13
  • Best FA Cup performance: First Round Proper, 2016–17
  • Best FA Vase performance: Fourth round, 1986–87, 2013–14
  • Record attendance: 1825 against Hereford 31 August 2015

References
  1. "FA Cup: Ninth-tier side Westfields into first round". BBC. 15 October 2016. Retrieved 17 October 2016.
  2. "Curzton Ashton 3 Westfields FC 1".
  3. "FA Cup: The side founded on World Cup glory among those eyeing first round". BBC. 13 October 2016. Retrieved 17 October 2016.

Sources
  • Mike and Tony Williams (2006). Non League Club Directory 2006. Tony Williams Publications Ltd. ISBN 1-869833-54-6.
  • Westfields at the Football Club History Database

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