Welcome back to Cro�ers for the first compe��ve game of the 2024/25 season!
It seems like only yesterday we were travelling all over Her�ordshire and Bedfordshire in the Spartan South Midlands League which was a tough ask in an extremely challenging season for our players and management. We now look forward to a return to “where we belong” in the Essex Senior League playing against some of our nearest and dearest rivals and at the end of the day what is football without rivalry?
There have been some addi�ons to the management team over preseason as we welcome Shane Bambridge as Joint Manager together with Mark Mezen as 1st team coach. Sureyya Kephalas remains as our physio. We have worked �relessly since the end of last season to assemble a newly formed fresh faced squad with a different playing style that will bring an entertaining brand of football to Cro�ers.
We look forward to showing what this new look group can bring to the Club - high energy, good tempo together with grit and determina�on, these are our non-nego�ables.
Please get behind us tonight as we kick off our campaign, let’s hope for a posi�ve 2024/25 season. We look forward to your support as it always makes the difference.
Ben Taylor & Shane Bambridge Managers Sawbridgeworth Town FC
CHAIRMANS CORNER
Welcome to everyone, the 2024/25 is already upon us, and we kick off the serious stuff tonight with a Herts FA Charity Shield contest, to which my usual message applies, lets all have a good evening and enjoy an exciting and competetive game of football.
That was certainly a tough season last year, the travel, the way the fixtures fell and bad luck all conspired to make it a year to forget, but the Under 18’s were a real inspira�on with their magnificent season.
But some things are constant, and in par�cular the amount of work which is undertaken by a small group of totally voluntary people who run this Club, and they need help. If you feel you can give us some of your valuable �me, no ma�er how li�le and par�cularly on Matchdays, please get in touch with any of the Commi�ee members or email club@sawbotownfc.co.uk. There is a large range of du�es that we need help with.
On the subject of the Commi�ee we have some changes and new faces this year, details are on the rear cover of this Matchday Programme.
Personally, I have not been in the best of health, but am working back to fitness and am really looking forward to seeing everyone in the next few matches and catching up on the news and gossip!
So lets get behind the lads tonight and remember…………UP THE SAWBO !!
Steve Day, Chairman
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Mezen
Kephalas
LaForce & RossLivermore
vaughan David Seymour
Leadbeater
FULL NAME
Sawbridgeworth
Town Football Club
NICKNAME
Robins
FOUNDED 1897
GROUND
Crofters End CAPACITY
2,500 (175 seated)
HONOURS
East Herts League Champions 1923–24
Essex Olympian League Champions 1971–72
Herts Junior Cup Champions 1926–27
BESTFACUP PERFORMANCE:
First qualifying round, 2016-17 and 2023-24
BESTFAVASE PERFORMANCE:
Third round replay, 1980–81
SAWBO Club history
Itwasin1897thatmembersof Sawbridgeworth Cricket Club decided to start a football club during the wintermonths.
The first match was a ”friendly” against a public school XI, (probably Felstead) and a then schoolboy spectator at the game, tells that the Sawbridgeworth XI wore purple jerseys and the ref, (probably a schoolmaster) wore a black and white blazer. Sawbridgeworth lost 1-0.
Their first League was the Stortford and Stansted, and there are fixture cards dating back to 1900, playing at Great Hyde Hall, just on the Herts side of the Herts/Essex border. HQ was a room in the White Lion pub in the town centre.
In the 1920’s they played in the East Herts League, winning the title in 1924. During this period they played Burnham Ramblers, (who would become Essex Senior League fellow members 50 years later) in a Cup Final at Coopers Field, a popular ground roughly where the Hand and Crown pub is now. Gate takings were £50 and as the entry fee was sixpence, that suggests that 2,000 people were at the match! Ramblers won 2—1.
In1930 STFC moved to the present ground. Surrounded by farmland, access was from Cambridge Rd (still used by pedestrians). It became known as ‘The Cambridge Road Ground’. In the late 1960’s/early 70’s the housing estate was built and a new entrance made at the end of Crofters, hence “Crofters End”.
After an unsuccessful season in the Spartan League, STFC joined the Herts County League Div One in 1953 but another unsuccessful season saw them join the Bishops Stortford, Stansted and District League in 1955.
The Club was a founder member of the Essex Olympian League in 1966 and League Champions in 1972, also winning the Herts Intermediate Cup, beating Cockfosters 1-0 at Ware’s old ground.
In 1975 the Club applied to Herts County to gain senior status and were advised to apply for entry into the Herts Senior Cup. Despite losing 2-1 away to Boreham Wood, they acquitted themselves well enough to attain Senior status.
STFC joined the Essex Senior League in 1976 and spent 47 seasons there, League runners up in 1993 on goal average to Ford Utd and runners up to Canvey Island in 1996. The Reserves won their League title twice. STFC hold the record for the number of League Cup Final appearances (seven times) but only winning it once when beating Stansted 2-0. The Club also won the Herts Charity Shield three times playing the matches at the Hertfordshire HQ at Letchworth.
In 2023 STFC were moved from into the Spartan South Midlands Prem League, but return for 2024/5 to the Essex Senior League - Back Home !!
Letchworth Garden City Eagles 1 STFC 2
FA Vase 26th August 2023
Almost a year ago now we travelled to Letchworth and came away with a hard fought win. The first half was comfortable and confident, we led, Letchworth pinned one back against the run of play,but we quickly re-asserted our lead to go in 1-2 ahead at the break.
The second half started badly, a sin-bin penalisation for us changed the mood of the match completely, pushed us back and Letchworth took advantage to pile on pressure which we had to hold off and gladly managed to do so and stabilise again to see the match out.
Introducing Letchworth Garden City Eagles FC
Manager Mark Nunn
Assistant Marc Haynes
Coach Tim West
Coach Antonio Traetto
Coach Danny Bennett
Physio Stuart Alexander
Letchworth Garden City Eagles was formed in 1979. However the beginnings of the club date back to 1973 at Briar Patch Children’s Home when Vince Paige took over as head of the home. The children at the home wanted a football team so Vince decided to form one with the children from the home and friends.
They played against the local school teams. Some tours were organised to Brighton and Huddersfield where the children camped out and played local teams.
Later the team became known as the Westbury Eagles covering the school and the local estate with support from the fathers.
In 1979 they entered 2 teams into the league – an under 12 and an under 14 team – with a club membership of 30 and the Garden City Eagles as it was then known was formed. Vince Paige was the club Chairman and Bob Wright was the club Secretary.
During the early eighties the Garden City Eagles got approval to be called the Letchworth Garden City Eagles and acquired the current grounds between the Letchworth Town football ground and the Leisure Centre.
Sawbridgeworth Town Football Club supports the recent FA statement that there should be a zero tolerance approach against racism and all forms of discrimination. Accordingly any form of discriminatory abuse, whether it be based on race or ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender, faith, age or ability, will be reported to the Football Association and the offender will be asked to leave the stadium immediately.
CROFTERS END IS A NO SMOKING VENUE
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A first real look at the new squad for a good sized crowd of regulars last saturday. By half time the question was ‘how are we not winning this - shades of last season you may say?
But that is where the similarity ends however. This team played with an altogether more mobile and aggressive midfield and interplay both in the centre of the park and also in neat triangles on the flanks was slick and pacey.
Most noticably, wide runners were found with well-weighted line breaking passes and it just needed some extra precision and indeed luck to increase the score. Unfortunately a missed penalty just before half time turned out to be crucial and Baldock, with some pace on the flanks of their own took advantage of tiring legs to seal the match in the second half. . Overall though, good to watch and full of promise.
