Tuesday, September 02, 1980

Walthamstow Avenue FC

Walthamstow Avenue 2 Harlow Town 1 - Isthmian League, Premier Division


Walthamstow is a large suburban district of North East London and the administrative headquarters of the London Borough of Waltham Forest. It is situated 7.5 miles Northeast of Charing Cross. It was historically an ancient parish in the county of Essex. As part of the suburban growth of London, Walthamstow significantly increased in population and was incorporated as a municipal borough in 1929. It has formed part of Greater London since 1965. Walthamstow is recorded c. 1075 as Wilcumestowe ("The Place of Welcome") and in the Doomsday Book of 1086 as Wilcumestou. At one point Walthamstow was just a culmination of five small villages, and affairs were discussed at Vestry House, acting as the first town hall. In 1870 it had grown to the size of a small suburb and a town hall was built in Orford Road from which affairs of the village were run (which now takes place in Forest Road - since 1941). The main route through the district was Hoe Street. Additionally, there were various smaller lanes, crossing the town. The road now known as Forest Road was originally called Clay Street. Further south, the High Street was named Marsh Street, and led from the original settlement out to the marshes. Shernhall Street is an ancient route, as is Wood Street, to the east. In the 1660s Sir William Batten, Surveyor of the Navy, and his wife Elizabeth Woodcocke had a house here where, according to Samuel Pepys, they lived "like princes" and cultivated a vineyard. With the advent of the railways and the ensuing suburbanisation in the late 19th century, Walthamstow experienced a large growth in population and speculative building. The LGOC X-type and B-type were built at Blackhorse Lane from October 1908 onwards. The B-type is considered one of the first mass-production buses. The manufacturing operation later became AEC, famous as the manufacturer of many of London's buses. On 13 June 1909, A. V. Roe's aircraft took to the air from Walthamstow Marshes. It was the first all-British aircraft and was given the ominous nickname of the "Yellow Terror" but officially carried the name Avro1. Roe later founded the Avro aircraft company, which later built the acclaimed Avro Lancaster.

Green Pond Road

Founded in 1900, the club joined Division Two of the London League in 1901, but left at the end of the season. In 1929 they joined the Athenian League and won the league in their first season. In 1930–31 they reached the first round of the FA Cup for the first time, losing 5–1 at home to Watford. The club won back-to-back titles in 1932–33 and 1933–34, and in 1937–37 defeated Football League opposition in the FA Cup for the first time, beating Northampton Town 6–1 in the first round, before losing 3–2 to Exeter City in the second round. The following season they won the Athenian League title for a fourth time, before retaining it the following season. After World War II the club switched to the Isthmian League and was its first post-war champions in the 1945–46 season. In 1951–52 they won the FA Amateur Cup, defeating Leyton 2–1 in the final. They won the league again in 1952–53, a season in which they also reached the fourth round of the FA Cup. Entering at the first round stage as a reward for winning the Amateur Cup the previous season, they defeated Wimbledon in the first round, Watford in a second round replay, and Stockport County in the third round, becoming the first amateur club to reach the fourth round for 24 years. Drawn away to Old Trafford, they held Manchester United to a 1–1 draw, before losing the replay, which was moved to Highbury, 5–2. The following season saw the club defeat Gillingham in the first round of the FA Cup before losing to Ipswich Town in a second round replay. In 1954–55 they won their third and final Isthmian League title, and also reached the second round of the FA Cup again after defeating QPR in a second replay in the first round, the last time they defeated a Football League club. In 1960–61 the club won the Amateur Cup, defeating West Auckland Town 2–1 in the final. Based at Green Pond Road, they play in dark and light blue hooped shirts, and light blue shorts.

Green Pond Road

This Pieman travelled to this particular part of Walthamstow by the Victoria Line, alighting at Blackhorse Road. The walk to the ground from there taking less than ten minutes. The home side defeated Harlow Town 2-1 in this midweek Isthmian League encounter.





Programme: 15p



PIEMAN'S UPDATE

In 1988 Walthamstow Avenue FC was merged into Leytonstone Ilford FC. In 1990 Leytonstone Ilford FC changed their name to Redbridge Forest FC, later vacating Green Pond Road to share Victoria Road with Dagenham FC. In 1992 Redbridge Forest FC merged with Dagenham FC to form Dagenham & Redbridge FC.

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Subsequent visits to Green Pond Road

15 April 1983 - Walthamstow Avenue 2 Tottenham Hotspur 3 - Friendly - Attendance: tbc
12 April 1988 - Walthamstow Avenue 3 Basildon United 3 - Isthmian League, Division One - Attendance: tbc

Total visits to this venue = 3 


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