Our history

If you were involved in Wymondley Park in its earlier years, we would love to hear from you so we can build up a history of the club - famous victories, crises overcome, colourful characters, players who went on to star elsewhere as adults. Please contact us through the email address on the home page. You can see some photographs from the early days of the club here.

Wymondley Park FC was formed by parents of children at William Ransom school in Hitchin so their children could play football competitively. The first competitive season was 1980-1981.
The name of the club comes not directly from the nearby villages of Great and Little Wymondley but from the estate in Hitchin around Halsey Drive that used to be known as Wymondley Park, where some of the founders lived. Matt Washington, a centre forward in one of the very first teams, says the name was voted on by the players and a logo decided through a competition.
WPFC started off with one team of Under-10s players, all from William Ransom school. An Under-8s team was established the following season. Growth was slow but steady and by the late 1980s there were four teams of different ages. Val Still, who now lives in Somerset, was secretary for some years. When she started there was just one team but by the time she retired from the post there were nine, all playing in the Royston Crow league.
Over the years various teams have joined the club from outside. For example, back in 1991 an under-11s team was formed from two Scout groups and became a Wymondley team that continued for five seasons. Recently the Firesharks came under the WPFC umbrella. We currently have 11 teams and expect to have the same number in the 2008-2009 season.
Wymondley Park's colours are black and white but oddly, given that Hitchin Town play in yellow and green, the original kit was yellow tops and black shorts although a light blue kit was also used, according to John Ferguson, a founder and father of two players in the original teams. Perhaps there were no Hitchin Town junior teams at that time. Hitchin Colts were established in the 1940s but were independent and Hitchin Town Youth's forerunner was Purwell United. If you know more, please send us an email.
Initially, WPFC played on William Ransom School's pitch but when the club joined the Royston Crow League, then called the Royston Youth League and running since 1971, it had to move to council pitches because the school pitch was deemed too small. Little Wymondley hosted the club for a while and then Great Wymondley and some players from the villages were taken on. Now, of course, Lucas Lane is where we have our home pitches through agreement with the Cricket Club since the early 1990s.
Training was at the Lady Bowes Lyon school, which has been replaced by Priory School, in the early days, according to Matt Washington and his brother Brett. Days out included trips to the Spurs training ground in Cheshunt and the occasional Luton Town match.
It took time for the club to develop winning teams - the Washington brothers remember some heavy defeats but stress that everyone just loved playing. The first big trophy won by the club was the Under-10s league cup in the 1987-88 season under manager Geoff Robinson. But an Under-10s team was runner-up in the 1985 league cup final and in 1982 a team won a five-a-side tournament at Walsworth Common.
Since then, Wymondley Park FC teams have won numerous league and tournament trophies. In addition, the Under-18s team was runner-up in the Hertfordshire County Cup in 1998-1999, with the Under-13s winning the final in 2001-2002 and the Under-15s crowned champions in 2003-2004.
A graduate from the club was Andrew Potiadis who went on to play as a forward for Luton Town from 1995 to 2003 when he moved to Peterborough for a season before retiring with ruptured ligaments. He also played for the England Under-15s and Under-18s.