 | |||
| Full name | Wealdstone Football Club | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Nicknames | The Stones, The Royals | ||
| Founded | 1899; 126 years ago (1899) | ||
| Ground | Grosvenor Vale | ||
| Capacity | 4,085 (709 seated)[1] | ||
| Chairman | Rory Fitzgerald[2] | ||
| Manager | Sam Cox | ||
| League | National League | ||
| 2024–25 | National League, 20th of 24 | ||
| Website | wealdstone-fc | ||
 Current season | |||
Wealdstone Football Club (/ˈwiːldstoʊn/WEELD-stone) is an English semi-professionalfootball club based inRuislip,London Borough of Hillingdon, and affiliated to theMiddlesex County Football Association.[3] They currently play in theNational League, the fifth level of theEnglish football league system. Their traditional colours are royal blue and white, and they are nicknamed "The Stones" or "The Royals".
Whilst formally established in 1899, the club has roots dating back to 1887 and was created through a series of local team mergers.[4] For most of its existence the club was based at theLower Mead stadium inHarrow until 1991. After a long period of homelessness and ground sharing with various local clubs, since 2008 they have been based atGrosvenor Vale.
The club were the first to achieve the famednon-League 'double', winning both theFA Trophy and theAlliance Premier League (now the National League) in the same season (1984–85). The latter happened two years before automatic promotion to theFootball League began;[5] Wealdstone has never been a member of the Football League so far.
The club was formed at the start of the 1899–1900 season, joining Division Two of the Willesden & District League.[6] A previous "Wealdstone F.C." existed, for workers at a local gunsmith inWealdstone, aMiddlesex village to the north ofHarrow Hill - itself has its origins in a club called The Oaks. An article published by theHarrow Observer states that the Wealdstone football club formed in about 1890, playing home games in a field in Hindes Road (present-dayHarrow) and meeting at the Railway Hotel, close toHarrow and Wealdstone station.[7] This club merged into another local club called Harrow Athletic F.C. in September 1894, while other clubs bearing the Wealdstone name soon formed. A merger between clubs called Wealdstone Rovers and Wealdstone Juniors resulted in the formation of Wealdstone Albion F.C. for the 1898 season, and using the same blue and white striped colours of the old Wealdstone F.C. A year later, Wealdstone F.C. took its place.[4] At this time their home turf was a field between Headstone Drive and Marlborough Hill, Wealdstone.[8]
Their first game was a friendly match on 7 October 1899 against Northwood, which they won 6–1. They were promoted to the league's Division One for the 1900–01 season after Division Two was scrapped.[6] In 1903 they moved to the College Farm Ground in Locket Road, Wealdstone, and soon after another nearby ground in what is now Byron Park.[8] In 1905–06 the club won Division One, but on 20 October 1906 a notice was posted in the local newspaper stating that the club was to be disbanded due to 'a lack of interest' from players and supporters.[6]
The club was soon reformed in time for the 1908–09 season, rejoining Division One of the Willesden & District League.[6] In 1910 they moved to Belmont Road, and won Division One again in 1912–13. FollowingWorld War I the club joined theLondon League and the Middlesex Senior League.
At the start of the 1922–23 season, Wealdstone F.C. switched to theSpartan League and at the same time moved south to a ground calledLower Mead in what is now centralHarrow;[6] this would become the permanent home ground of the club for 69 years.[8] The club had their record win on 13 October 1923, beating the 12th London Regiment 22–0 in anFA Amateur Cup game.
In 1928–29 they switched leagues again, this time joining theAthenian League.[6] In 1929–30 the club won theMiddlesex Senior Cup and theMiddlesex Senior Charity Cup for the first time.[6] On Saturday 16 November 1929, Wealdstone playedDulwich Hamlet in the FA Cup Fourth Qualifying Round, with the match ending in a record-breaking 7–7 draw; there has never been a 7–7 scoreline in any other FA Cup match before or since, and none either in the top four divisions of the League Pyramid (including play-offs), the League Cup, League Trophy, FA Community Shield, FA Trophy or FA Vase. Four days later, Dulwich won the replay 2–1.
DuringWorld War II the club continued to play, playing atWembley Stadium in the final of the Middlesex Senior Red Cross Cup in 1942. In December 1944, they recorded their heaviest defeat ever, losing 14–0 toEdgware Town in theLondon Senior Cup. In 1946 the BBC showed part of Wealdstone's Athenian League match atBarnet, the first post-war match to be televised live.[6]
Television cameras followed Wealdstone in the FA Cup qualifying rounds in 1949-50, with a 1-0 success at Edgware Town in the Third Qualifying Round and a home victory against Colchester in the Fourth shown live on the BBC.[9] Wealdstone reached the first round of the FA Cup for the first time, losing 1–0 toPort Vale.[10][11][12]
In 1951–52 the club won the Athenian League, and went on to win the Middlesex Senior Cup in 1959, 1963 and 1964.
In 1964 they switched to theIsthmian League. In 1965–66 the club reached the first round of the FA Cup again, losing 3–1 atMillwall, but went on to win theFA Amateur Cup, beating local rivalsHendon 3–1 in the final.[10] Thefollowing season saw Wealdstone entered at the first round of the FA Cup, losing 2–0 at home toNuneaton Borough.[10]
The club joined the Division One North of theSouthern League in 1971, turning professional.[6] They were moved to Division One South thefollowing season, and won the division in1973–74, earning promotion to the Premier Division. In1977–78 Wealdstone progressed beyond the first round of the FA Cup for the first time; after beating Third DivisionHereford United 3–2 atEdgar Street in a first round replay, they went on to defeat Fourth DivisionReading 2–1 at home in the second round, before losing 4–0 at First DivisionQueens Park Rangers in the third round.[10]
In 1979 the club were founder members of theAlliance Premier League, the new national top division of non-League football. After finishing 19th in1980–81 they were relegated back to the Southern League, but then made an immediate return after winning the South Division of the Southern League thefollowing season; a play-off ensued against Midland Division champions Nuneaton, with Wealdstone winning on penalties after winning the home leg 2–1 and losing 1–0 away.[10] Wealdstone's return to the Alliance Premier League was much more positive than their first stint, finishing 3rd in1982–83, and then 4ththe following season.
In1984–85 the club had its most successful season to date. Under the management of Brian Hall, Wealdstone won theAlliance Premier League and also theFA Trophy, beatingBoston United 2–1 in the final atWembley Stadium.[10] This was first occasion that the non-league "double" had been achieved by any team. However, in spite of this, Wealdstone were not promoted to theEnglish Football League; automatic promotion from the Alliance Premier League would not be introduced until two years later, and in any case Lower Mead was deemed not to meet Football League stadium requirements so the club was not eligible to apply for election.
Following the double, a period of sharp decline soon set in; after finishing tenth theseason after with an aging team, they finished 19th in1986–87, and were eventually relegated at the end of thefollowing season.
By the end of the1990–91 season, financial problems caused by boardroom impropriety[citation needed] were seriously exacerbated by the owner selling the club'sLower Mead ground for commercial development, for which the club, after protracted legal wrangling, received only a very small share of the proceeds.[6] They then signed up to an expensive ground sharing arrangement atWatford'sVicarage Road, and at the end of the1991–92 season the club were relegated again, dropping from the Southern League Premier Division into the Southern League South Division.
Seeking to reduce expenditure, in 1993 the club began a two-season ground sharing agreement at The Warren,Yeading's ground. In June 1995, with the club in administration and only having two players to its name,Gordon Bartlett was appointed manager.[13] Later that year, Wealdstone re-joined theIsthmian League to further reduce their travelling expenses, having to agree to drop a level into Division Three in the process. Yet again, they moved grounds, this time entering into a ground share withEdgware Town at their White Lion ground that was to last ten years.[6]
After winning the Isthmian League Division Three in1996–97, they finished second in Division Two in1997–98 and were promoted again, this time to Division One. However, after finishing third in Division One in the1998–99, the Isthmian League denied the club promotion to the Premier Division because required improvements at the White Lion ground were not completed until six days after a specified deadline.[6]
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The club attempted to redevelop the local disused Prince Edward Playing Fields atCanons Park, owned by theLondon Borough of Harrow, into a new home ground. Construction of the new stadium started in 2003 but, when over 30% completed, building work was suddenly halted in April 2004 when the private company who were co-financing the project in partnership with the club went into insolvency. Unable to afford to complete the new stadium on their own, Wealdstone had to leave the project unfinished for two years. Eventually, Harrow Council, frustrated that the site remained unused and was falling into dereliction, eventually sold the property lease toBarnet F.C., who used the site as a training centre before later moving permanently in to what becameThe Hive Stadium in 2013. The terms of the council's lease offer indicated that the new owner should complete the stadium for Wealdstone's use, but this was ultimately ignored and the club's financial investment in the project was lost.
In 2004 Wealdstone were promoted to the Isthmian League Premier Division as a result of the creation of the Conference North and South. The club facedDulwich Hamlet in the playoff final, with the game finishing 2–2 before Wealdstone won 5–4 on penalties.[14] The club's first two seasons at Premier Division level saw them steer clear of relegation, with back to back 18th-placed finishes.[10] Off the pitch, the club began a further new groundshare arrangement in 2005, this time moving toNorthwood's Chestnut Avenue ground.[6] In 2006 they were switched under FA reorganisation to the Southern League Premier Division for asingle season, before returning to the Isthmian League the following season.
In January 2008, Wealdstone acquired Ruislip Sports and Social club and the associated lease atRuislip Manor'sGrosvenor Vale ground, starting the2008-09 season there.[6] With the ground share agreement at Northwood coming to an end and still no specific completion date in sight for the club's Prince Edward Playing Field project, Wealdstone instead decided to invest in the Grosvenor Vale stadium to upgrade the playing facilities as a priority, in order to meet the necessary ground grading requirements to play Isthmian League Premier Division football in the 2008–09 season. The club's first 3 seasons at the Vale saw the club fail to reach the playoffs, finishing 7th, 6th and then 12th. They did however reach the first round of the FA Cup in2009-10, where they lost 3–2 at home toRotherham United[15]
2011–12 saw Wealdstone embark on an FA Trophy run in which they reached the semi-final, knocking out three teams from higher divisions in the process. A 2–1 win at home to Conference sideBarrow and a 1–0 win in a replay againstDartford of the Conference South set up a quarter-final away atCambridge United which Wealdstone won 2-1 thanks to a Richard Jolly brace,[16] before eventually losing 3–1 on aggregate toNewport County in the semi-final. They also reached the promotion play-offs in the Isthmian Premier Division that year, but lost 2–1 toLowestoft Town in the semi-finals. Thefollowing season saw them losing in the play-off semi finals again, this time losing 2–1 againstConcord Rangers. However, in2013–14 did win promotion as league champions,[10] with their promotion to theConference South being secured with a 1–0 win away toMargate.[17]
Wealdstone did not win any of their first 9 games in the Conference South, with the run ended by a 1–0 victory away toWhitehawk. An upturn in form meant that they finished the2014-15 season in 12th place,[18] and they would go on to finish 13ththe following season. The summer of 2016 saw the club change ownership when Peter Marsden, previously chairman ofAccrington Stanley, took over the club in late July.[19] The2016-17 season saw Wealdstone experience a greater degree of success on the pitch, with the club pushing for the playoffs. However, their hopes were dashed when it was announced that they would be ineligible to compete in the playoffs due to missing the cut off point to meet ground grading requirements.[20] Wealdstone's eventual 8th-placed finish would not have seen them compete regardless.[10]
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On 21 August 2017, Gordon Bartlett stepped down as Wealdstone manager after 22 years.[21] A day later, Bobby Wilkinson, formerly of Hungerford Town, was appointed manager.[22] Wilkinson's first season at Wealdstone ended in an unremarkable11th-placed finish in the league, although the club reached the semi-final of theFA Trophy, where they lost 3–0 on aggregate to eventual winnersBrackley. In January 2019, chairman Peter Marsden was voted out of his position, and replaced by Rory Fitzgerald.[23] On the final day ofthe 2018–19 season, Wealdstone rose from 10th to 7th on with a 2–1 win overHemel Hempstead to ensure a place in the playoffs.[24] Wealdstone began their playoff campaign with a win away atBath[25] to secure a semi final againstWoking, which Wealdstone narrowly lost 3–2.[26] Wilkinson subsequently left the club at the end of the season.[27]
On 21 May 2019,Dean Brennan was appointed as new manager, with Stuart Maynard joining as his assistant.[28] 10 wins in the first 11 games of the2019–20 season saw Wealdstone rise to the top of the league.[29] On 26 March 2020 the season was suspended due to the globalCOVID-19 pandemic, with Wealdstone still top of the league. On 17 June it was confirmed that the club were to be promoted to theNational League as champions of theNational League South, on the basis ofpoints won per game.[30]
Wealdstone'sfirst season in the fifth tier for 32 years started positively, with the club winning 5 of its first 8 games.[31] However, following a slump in form, Brennan departed his role as manager on 2 February 2021.[32] The club subsequently appointed assistant managerStuart Maynard as manager, withMatthew Saunders as his assistant.[33] With matches being played behind closed doors and the level below having been voided, Wealdstonefurloughed a number of first team players in the second half of the 2020–21 season,[34] which contributed to the club suffering a number of heavy defeats. Despite this, they ended their first season back at National League level in 19th place, clear of what would have been the relegation zone.[35]
In the2021–22 season, Wealdstone recorded a 16th-placed finish, their highest league position for 35 years.[36] The2022–23 season began with Wealdstone winning 4 of their first 5 league games, seeing the club go top of the National League.[37] They ultimately ended the season in 13th place.
On 16 November 2023, they announced plans for a new stadium after being allocated land byLondon Borough of Hillingdon.[38]
On 18 January 2024, Maynard and Saunders left their roles at Wealdstone to joinLeague Two sideNotts County.[39] Eight days later, thenSt. Albans City managerDavid Noble was named as Maynard's successor.[40][41] His tenure saw only 2 league wins in 15 games, leaving the club in 20th and only above the relegation zone on goal difference. 73 days after his appointment, Noble was relieved of his duties after a 4–0 loss away to relegation rivalsBoreham Wood.[42] First team coachSam Cox took charge for the remainder of the season. He guided the team to 3 wins from their last 5 games, finishing in 16th and 4 points clear of Boreham Wood in 21st.[43]
In May 2024, formerWalsall andShrewsbury bossMatt Taylor was announced as manager.[44] This was coupled with the news that the club would transition to a hybrid training model for the2024–25 season.[45][46] On 2 November 2024, Wealdstone made theFA Cup second round for the first time since1983–84, after beatingLeague Two sideGrimsby Town 1–0.[47] They were drawn against League One sideWycombe Wanderers but lost 2–0 in front of a record crowd of 3,534 at Grosvenor Vale.[48][49] In January 2025, with the club sat 21st in the league, Taylor left to joinSolihull Moors.[50]Neil Gibson was appointed as his replacement four days later.[51] Wealdstone began the final day of the season in the relegation zone, however a 3–1 win overFC Halifax Town, combined withDagenham & Redbridge only drawing with Solihull Moors, saw the club stay up by a point.[52] Gibson subsequently departed by mutual consent.[53]
In June 2025, Sam Cox was reappointed as manager on a permanent basis.[54]
The club's crest first appeared on team shirts in the 1960s. It contains four quarters representing the traditional colours of the club (royal blue and white); the "Three Lions" representing England; a football representing the club's sport; and the emblem ofMiddlesex, the historic county of theLondon Borough of Harrow where the club is from.[55]
Wealdstone's main rivals are often considered to beBarnet. The clubs were both founding members of theAlliance Premier League[56] and played each other regularly throughout the 1980s, although games were rarely played after that with the clubs being in different divisions. The rivalry came back to prominence when Barnet moved intoThe Hive Stadium which was originally intended for Wealdstone.[57] With the two clubs playing in the same division (until the 25/26 season), the rivalry has become heightened after ex-Stones managerDean Brennan joined Barnet, originally as Director of Football before becoming manager in late 2021.[58] Other rivals have includedHarrow Borough (with whom the "Harrow Derby" is contested[59]),Enfield, andHendon,[60] with Wealdstone beating the latter in the 1966 Amateur Cup final.[61]
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined underFIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
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Note: Flags indicate national team as defined underFIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
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For all Wealdstone F.C. players with a Wikipedia article, seeCategory:Wealdstone F.C. players
The club's all-time leading goalscorer is George Duck. Duck scored 251 goals for Wealdstone in 370 appearances between 1972 and 1979, and additionally set unmatched scoring records for penalties and hat-tricks.[citation needed] In every season he played for the club Duck was top scorer in league and cup competitions.[citation needed]
Amongst former players who have gone on to notable careers at the highest level of professional football areStuart Pearce,Vinnie Jones andJermaine Beckford. Harold Smith was the first ever player to leave Wealdstone FC for a professional career, joining Notts County in 1930.
As of 4 August 2025
| Position | Staff |
|---|---|
| Manager | Sam Cox |
| Assistant Manager | Danny Payne |
| First Team Coach | Kenny Mutsanya |
| First Team Coach | Liam Badcock |
| First Team Coach | Steve Bates |
| Goalkeeping Coach | Jason Scannell |
| Strength and Conditioning Coach | Ethan Brewer |
| Sports Therapist | Georgie Turner |
| Kit Manager | Brett Aherne |
| Head of Youth Academy | Cameron Mawer[63] |
| Name | Role |
|---|---|
 Rory Fitzgerald | Chairman |
| Dominic Whyley | Vice-chairman |
| Darren Linden | Executive Director Engagement and Media |
| Nick Symmons | Executive Director Operations |
| Danny Kindell | Executive Director Academy and Community |
| Quentin Fox | Executive Director Legal |
| Peter Worby | Associate Director |
| Paul Fruin | Associate Director & Club Secretary |
| Joe Campbell | Head of Media |
| Richard Hopwood | Chief Operating Officer |
| Andrew Lane | Company Secretary |
League
Cup
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
51°34′10″N0°25′0″W / 51.56944°N 0.41667°W /51.56944; -0.41667
