Aylesbury FC are a non league football club from the county town of Buckinghamshire, who were originally formed as Stocklake FC in 1930 who were formed by the workers of the Negretti and Zambra company, playing in local league football. The club played on the Stocklake Industrial Estate and became members of the Chiltern League in 1988.
Another local club Belgrave FC began life in 1983 by Jim Sullivan of Belgrave Road for his two sons along with his neighbours. By 1990 the club consisted of five youth teams and six years later it added two senior sides, all playing in local competition.
Both clubs merged to form Haywood United FC for the 2000-01 season after Haywood Way, where their ground was located. The club joined the Spartan South Midlands League and continued to develop by installing floodlights and gradually improve their home. Promotion to the leagues Premier Division was achieved at the end of the 2003-04 season.
At the start of the 2005-06 season the club changed their name to Aylesbury Vale FC to enhance their identity within the town and further afield. At the end of the 2008-09 season the club changed to Aylesbury FC with the aim of promotion and ground improvements. A proposed merger with Aylesbury United fell through.
The team reached the FA Cup Fourth Qualifying Round where they lost out to Wealdstone in front of a record crowd of 682 at Haywood Way. Joy was to follow at the end of the season as the Spartan South Midlands League title was lifted with promotion to the Southern League as a reward.
After a good debut season in their new surroundings, 'The Moles' struggled the following campaign. Former Football League striker Craig Faulconbridge was appointed as player manager for the 2012-13 season.
Aylesbury FC will compete in the Southern League Division One Central for the 2013-14 season.
My visit
Sunday 14th October 2012
It was a beautiful autumnul day and I was off work. I was suffering with back ache, but determined not to waste such good weather. A scan at the fixtures showed that Aylesbury United were at their shared home at Leighton Town in the FA Vase. I decided that as well as wanting to see their derelict Buckingham Road stadium, I could also have a good bracing walk and visit Aylesbury as well.
After an elongated train ride when I later found out that I'd paid more and taken more time than I really needed to, I got out at Aylesbury station and set out on a walk of around two miles to Haywood Way. It took me on busy dual carraigeways, which reminded me older versions of Crawley or Stevenage. The amount of traffic shocked me. I was of an age to remember when the local shop would close at midday on a Sunday and it was a day of rest. Now everybody was heading to retail estates on the edges of towns. I was not convinced it was an improvement.
Eventually I found Jackson Road and a few minutes later I was along the small cul-de-sac that was Haywood Close with the clubhouse at the end. Lots of junior players were coming out of the ground after collecting their gear following matches of their own. The gate being open gave me all the opportunity I required to pop inside for a look.
The ground was relatively basic with a seated stand in front of the clubhouse and a covered standing area at the near end. The rest of the ground consisted of flat open standing. There was room between the fence keeping the fans in and the actual metal tailed perimeter if demand or the money became available.
My timing was sublime as no sooner had I left and was taking my clubhouse photos, a gent came out and locked the ground for the day. I went on my way to the former home of 'The Ducks', feeling sorry and empathising for the now homeless club watching their junior rivals becoming the towns highest ranked side.
Leighton Town FC are a non league football club from the Bedfordshire town of Leighton Buzzard, which was the opening point of the Grand Union Canal and was the nearest town to where the Great Train Robbery took place.
'The Reds' were formed in 1885, playing local league football before changing their name to Leighton United and becoming founder members of the South Midlands League in 1922. Thirty years later the club were also founder members of the Hellenic League, but they reverted to their previous league after just two years.
In 1963 the club reverted to becoming Leighton Town, going on to be crowned league champions four years later. They joined the United Counties League for the 1974-75 season, but after a two year spell they re-joined the South Midlands League.
The 1991-92 season saw Town being crowned champions of the Premier Division, which led to promotion to the Isthmian League. A couple of divisional titles followed in the ensuing campaigns before the re-organisation of non league football saw the club placed in the Southern League. From the 2009-10 season, neighbours Aylesbury United shared an agreement to share Bell Close after they were evicted from their home ground.
Leighton Town FC will play in the Southern League Division One Central in the 2013-14 season.
My visit
Aylesbury United 0 Kidlington 2 (Sunday 14th October 2012) FA Vase Round One (att: 159)
I entered Bell Close for the first time not quite sure what to expect? What I found was a decent enough homely old fashioned ground, which was now looking a little tired. A lick of paint and the repairs of one or two of the fences would have made it look good, but I guess it must have been extremely frustrating if vandals undo the previous good work.
The near end had a couple of steps of terracing and the clubhouse and changing rooms behind. The snack bar had its own little roof for diners. The left hand side of the pitch bordered the towns cricket club, with spectators only having access down a third of the pitch. Opposite this was a mixture of open flat hard standing and grass, with a neat seated stand straddling the half way line. At the far end stood a long cover with a couple of steps of terracing, with an exit and turnstiles in the centre, which were out of use.
It wasn't the best stadium I'd ever visited, but give me something traditional close to the town centre like Bell Close rather than a souless out of town site with plastic and metal stands.
For a description of my day out and a match report, please go to the Aylesbury United page at:
http://worldgroundhoptwo.blogspot.co.uk/search/label/Aylesbury%20United
Aylesbury United FC are a non league football club from the town of Aylesbury, which expanded from the 1960's onwards as housing estates were created for it to become an overspill for residents in London. The club were formed in 1897 following the merger of Night School FC, Printing Works FC and Aylesbury Town FC.
After playing in local football United became members of the Spartan League in 1908. They remained there, playing their home games at Turnfurlong Lane, until the became founder members of the Delphian League in 1951. Three years later 'The Ducks' won the title, but a decade after that the league was disbanded with the club joining the Athenian League.
In 1976 the club progressed to the Southern League and in 1983 they appointed Trevor Gould as manager, who went on to oversee probably the most successful years in the clubs history. A year later a young local called Cliff Hercules made his debut on his way to becoming the clubs greatest player as he racked up 669 appearences and scoring 301 goals.
The team began a run of reaching the FA Cup Round One. The club sold its old home and moved to a new stadium at Buckingham Road. Success came in the league as United were promoted to the Premier Division before going on to become crowned Southern League champions at the end of the 1987-88 season, winning promotion to the Football Conference.
Their achievement was celebrated as a full England side took on The Ducks at Buckingham Road in preparation for Euro 88, running out 7-0 winners in front of a full house of 6,000. Round Two of the FA Cup was reached on three occasions, but their Conference spell lasted just one season before they were relegated back to the Isthmian League. Although details are sketchy it would appear that the ground was sold in 1990 to a holding company based in the Channel Islands, paying rent to remain there. Later that year a home FA Cup tie with Walsall was shown live on Sky TV.
The money from the ground sale was spent on playing resources, but it did not bring a promotion. In 1992 the club lost an FA Cup Round One tie 8-0 at The Hawthorns against West Bromwich Albion. By 1994-95 Steve Ketteridge had taken over as team boss as he led the team all the way to the FA Cup Round Three as Boreham Wood, Edgware Town, Baldock Town, Moor Green, Newport IOW and Kingstonian were seen off leading to a home tie with Queens Park Rangers, which was switched to Loftus Road. During the run, the team brought fame to the club with their 'duck walk' goal celebration.
In 2001-02 the first round of the FA Cup was once more reached, while the following season United reached the FA Trophy semi-final where eventual winners Burscough ended the run, as Sven Goran Eriksson's England side used Buckingham Road for training. After re-organisation of the pyramid in 2004, The Ducks returned to the Southern League.
In 2006 chairman Bill Carroll decided to resign after the Southern League refused his plans to install an artificial pitch at Buckingham Road to try and make the club sustainable after the cash from the ground sale had dried up. The popular local businessman Graham Read took over, but the following year the grounds owners decided not to renew the clubs lease and evicted them as the team were relegated.
A groundshare deal for two seasons was signed with the team playing 'home' games at Chesham United. A further relegation was suffered in 2009 to the Spartan South Midlands League with the club by now sharing Bell Close with Leighton Town. A 'Bring the Ducks Campaign' was in full swing, creating much publicity but no concrete plans. The Aylesbury United Supporters Trust gained control of the club in 2009.
At the beginning of the 2012-13 season the local council began to make promising noises about assisting the team to return to Aylesbury and finding a suitable home for the club. Meanwhile the owners looked to convert Buckingham Road into a care home and housing.
Further good news came on the pitch after The Ducks finished runners up in the Spartan South Midlands League in 2012-13, winning promotion to the Southern League.
Aylesbury United FC will play in the Southern League Division One Central in the 2013-14 season.
My visits
Buckingham Road (Sunday 14th October 2012)
I had the day off work, and although I had just about given up the idea of heading anywhere, I woke up in the mood for football and to go somewhere new on such a beautiful day. United were playing at their 'home' in Leighton Buzzard in the FA Vase so to get myself in the mood I thought it only right to head to Aylesbury first and then take a bus to the game.
After a visit to the tidy but basic home of the new boys on the block; Aylesbury FC, I continued my walk through the town and head to Buckingham Road. I passed through a sprawling housing estate before arriving at a very sad sight indeed. I walked towards the derelict stadium.
The entrance to the car park had been blocked off by concrete barriers, which I clambered over and found myself behind the Main Stand. A wooden fence had been knocked down so I went inside, as the birds scattered from under the stands roof. It was a really strange experience. I got over the concrete wall and onto what was once a football pitch, but was now wild overgrown plants, grass and weeds.
The structures still seemed sound under all the greenery. The Main Stand was a single tiered block of seating with the players tunnel on the half way line. Basic cantilever shelters covered the terracing behind the Buckingham Road goal and down the far side. The few rows of terracing went all the way around the pitch. Vandals had smashed down doors to the buildings and done unrepairable damage to any furniture. I went inside a small room at the end of the stand, which I imagined to be the old club shop. A few weather worn programmes and a filing cabinet was strewn across the floor.
I walked away in quite a sombre mood. I hate people who get old of football grounds for financial gain and leave the supporters heartbroken. I found it even more repugnant when the grounds are left to rot in the hope of gaining planning permission for profitable housing and to make a real asset to the community homeless. I hope such people rot in hell.
Anyway, I decided to take another good walk. I made a couple of tweets on Twitter, which the club responded to. They seemed a nice bunch. I recalled the previous time I'd seen United in action was in the FA Cup Fourth Qualifying Round in a 5-0 win at Yeading. They had taken a good following to West London, and we all settled around the TV waiting for the draw for the first round. Scarborough's result was late coming in, and The Ducks fans sat around me seemed genuinely disappointed for me when it transpired we'd lost away to Whitby. Things like that live with you.
I was still early for the bus, so I ended up walking to the far end of Bierton, a small village a mile or so outside the northern outskirts of the town. My carraige arrived and I got on board, with a couple of United fans already in their seats, ready for the main event of the afternoon.
Aylesbury United 0 Kidlington 2 (Sunday 14th October 2012) FA Vase Round One (att: 159)
The bus dropped me off in Leighton Buzzard High Street at 2.30. I decided to head straight to Bell Close, despite passing some mighty tempting pubs on the way advertising cask marque ales. This lodged immediately in the memory bank for post match activities.
My afternoon got off to a very pleasant start when the lady on the turnstile saw my Scarborough Athletic rain jacket and told me that her Dad went to school in Scarborough and later had the Pigeon Pie at Sherburn. I gave her my £7 admission fee, which included a programme and went inside the clubhouse for a pint of Tetley's smoothflow. The live game between Preston and MK Dons did little for me, so I went out in the search of nourishment.
I had a cheeseburger and chips, which represented decent value for the moderate sized portions. I wandered around the ground before settling behind the bottom end goal expecting to see a glut of goals, despite United missing several regulars for a variety of reasons. I had seen Kidlington shed in six at Shrivenham in the FA Cup earlier in the season, with some real 'Carry On' defending and goalkeeping.
They had a new bigger and more experienced keeper this time and it was making the world of difference, despite The Ducks having most of the play. The visitors took the lead against the run of play when a fine lob from Jack Dunmore after twenty minutes found its way in after a break was blocked. But for a fine save, it would have been two soon after.
Kiddy had a physicality about them in their illuminous all orange change kit, while United were laboured in their attempts to break them down. They were so far down to the bare bones that they only had one sub, Stacey Field; who came on after twenty four minutes despite suffering with severely bruised ribs. I giggled as a home fan had a duck quacker which he blew each time the Kiddy keeper took a goal kick.
The away teams bench and following of around thirty fans were getting a little upset by the actions of Aylesbury's forty one year old player boss, Terry Joyce; who was making his first appearance for two years. First of all I thought he looked a real jolly character, but he knew all the tricks in the book and would have driven me round the bend if he'd been playing aganst Scarborough. A great line came from the Kiddy bench after the aging ref gave Joyce's side another decision. " You don't have to give him everything ref just because you're the same age" and then "just give him the whistle" after another free kick went against them.
Field gradually grew into the game, while Joey Acheampong who started off well. quickly went off the boil. The pitch was tight to the surrounding fence, which made it a better spectacle and made me feel like I was part of the action. At half time I was just six numbers out on the 50/50 draw, which the first prize was £44. It was announced by the excellent tannoy man that the Aylesbury Vale Council were discussing the potential for The Ducks to go home at a meeting the following Wednesday, with all fans encouraged to attend.
To much joy from the visitors, Joyce talked his way into the referees notebook shortly after the restart. There were further ironic cheers when the man in black gave Kiddy a free kick. Kidlington doubled their lead when Jack Sillitoe in the home net flapped with the ball going in from Ryan Curtin.
The game became stretched as United tired and Kiddy had the advantage of using three subs. Matt Dixon in the visitors goal was using all his experience, as well as an unhealthy dose of play acting after a harmless brush when taking a cross. The Aylesbury faithful were not happy. Half chances came the way of their favourites but the ball wouldn't go in. A shot rattled the foot of the post, which was as close as they got.
By now some of the humour had dissipated into plain tiresome whining from both sides, but particularly from Kiddy. The Oxfordshire side could have added to their tally, but a mixture of bad luck and rank bad finishing kept their tally to two. Joyce, who had generally pushed his luck and played along like he was a close pal of the ref, went one step too far and was given a second yellow for a niggly foul too many. The roars of joy from the visitors was as loud as for their goals. Joyce simply jumped over the perimeter fence and stood and watched the remaining few seconds.
I expected the Kidlington contingent to be happy at full time, but their celebrations were a little over the top. I personally think that you can be good winners as well as good losers, but they had crossed the line.
I walked back to the station past all the tempting pubs. The weather had grown cold and I wanted to get home. I was back in my Kingsbury flat before 7pm having had a good day out, and hoping for a return to Aylesbury for The Ducks in the near future.
For a ground description of Bell Close, go to the Leighton Town page at:
http://worldgroundhoptwo.blogspot.co.uk/search/label/Leighton%20Town
