Match Preview: Waltham Abbey v Urchins

[Ian_W]

v        On Tuesday, the team's attention turns to the Essex Senior Cup in the Quarter Final clash against fellow Premier Division side Waltham Abbey. This match was due to be played earlier this month but was one of several to fall foul to 'Frozen Britain'.  Should there be any weather related issues we will update the website, forum and Twitter. The Urchins go into this match having finally got a game under their belt following several postponements with a 3 - 0 win over Bognor Regis Town. Waltham Abbey's game was postponed and they have not had a game since they lost 3 - 0 on Boxing Day.       The two teams have already met once this season in the league, when The Urchins handed out a 5-0 thrashing thanks to goals from Gray (2), Hunt, Flack & Boyce, however despite the oppositions lowly position the team will not be taking this fixture lightly and will be looking to extend their unbeaten run to nine matches with a victory..         In order to reach this stage Hornchurch beat East Thurrock United 4-0, whilst The Abbotts beat Bowers & Pitsea 4-1. The other Quarter-Final ties are Colchester United v Maldon Town, Dagenham & Redbridge v Hullbridge Sports and Chelmsford City v Aveley     Waltham Abbey are currently 22nd in the league.         Form Guide from last 6 league matches             W D L GF GA PTT Abbotts 2 0 4 11 16 6 Urchins 4 2 0 9 3 14     Abbotts Home / Urchins Away Record over last 6 league matches           W D L GF GA PTT Abbotts 1 0 5 5 13 3 Urchins 2 2 2 8 4 8           Previous Matches:       2008/9 Home - did not play each other   2008/9 Away - did not play each other       2007/8 Home - did not play each other   2007/8 Away - did not play each other         2006/7 Home -did not play each other   2006/7 Away - did not play each other       2005/6 Home - Urchins beat Waltham Abbey 1-0 (Essex Senior League) with the goal coming from Nicky Cowley  - report     2005/6 Away - Urchins beat Waltham Abbey 2-0 (Essex Senior League) with goals from Kris Lee & Amos Foyewa - report           Website:- http://www.wafc.net   Forum:- http://www.nonleague.co.uk/walthamabbey   Twitter:- http://twitter.com/wafc       Address of Waltham Abbey:- Capershotts, Sewardstone Rod, Waltham Abbey, Essex EN9 1LU - Tel: 01992 711287 Grid Reference: 51.68229 0.00539     Admission Prices:- Adults £8, Concessions £3, Under 16 £1         Public Transport:-         Tube Station:- Loughton (6 miles)   Train Station:- Waltham Cross (3 miles)     Travel Line Website (Public Transport Directions)   National Rail Planning       Directions:-     Exit M25 at Junction 26, Take 2nd left at roundabout and follow Honey Lane (A121), at the Sewardstone Roundabout take the 3rd exit which is Sewardstone Road. You will then pass over the M25. The ground is shortly on your right BEFORE the cemetery. See Map & aerial photograph above.         AA Route Planner         Distance from The Bridge:- 20.2 Miles           Weather Forecast:-    http://news.bbc.co.uk/weather/forecast/2389       Manager:- Glen Alzapiedi   Nickname:- The Abbotts   Colours:- Green & White Stripes/White/Green         History:- Capershotts, the home of Waltham Abbey FC, has seen many changes over the years with football being played at the ground since the 1940’s. During the 1950’s and 1960’s Abbey Sports and Abbey Rovers, who amalgamated in the late 1960’s as Waltham Abbey United shared the ground. By 1974, despite some success over the years, it was evident that the club needed new blood. They had a clubhouse with changing rooms, a partially enclosed ground and shelter for spectators - all that was needed to take the club further but they began to flounder whilst local rivals Beechfield FC, playing at Lodge Lane less than 100 meters away, were having huge success.1974 saw Waltham Abbey United and Beechfield FC amalgamate and they opened the 1974/75 season as Beechfield Sports (Waltham Abbey) FC with Billy Broomfield, the successful Beechfield manager and highly regarded former Enfield player at the reigns. In 1976 they won the Essex Junior Cup and later that summer, on the advice of the F.A., dropped the Beechfield Sports tag and Waltham Abbey FC was born. In 1977/78 the club won the London Spartan League Division One championship, reach the final of the Essex Intermediate Cup and were granted senior status. 1978/79 saw them become the first to complete a Spartan League season unbeaten, a feat which resulted in promotion to the Premier Division where they remained until 2000/01.       Floodlights were installed in 1990 and a 200-seater stand built although the seats, purchased from Manchester City’s demolished “Maine Road” Stadium, were not installed until 2005.       In 1997/98 they were finalists in the Middx Charity cup, losing 1-2 to Isthmian League Hampton FC (now Hampton & Richmond Borough FC), and won the Spartan South Midlands Challenge Trophy. The following season, with a 3-2 win over Bedfont at Dulwich Hamlet’s ground, the London Senior Cup. Due to the clubs good fortune in the various cup competitions and the appalling weather, the 2000/01 league program was hampered and the club had no option but to resign from the league for financial reasons - the fines for unfulfilment of fixtures far outweighed the fine for withdrawing outright! As a return to the SSML would have meant a demotion to the first division which was not seen as a wise move, the club competed in the Essex & Herts Border League for season 2001/02.       They were elected to the Essex Senior League for the 2002/03 season where they finished in 10th position. This was improved upon in 2003/04 when a creditable 6th position was attained. Finishing 3rd in 2004/05, the club won its first Essex Senior League silverware. The Gorden Brasted Memorial Trophy was won with a 5-3 penalty victory over Burnham Ramblers (0-0 AET) and the League Cup was won when they emphatically defeated local rivals Enfield Town 4-1 in the final at Barkingside FC. In addition, striker Billy Holland won the Don Douglas Trophy for league’s leading goal scorer. The Middlesex Millennium Cup - a one off trophy organised by the Middlesex Federation to celebrate the County of Middlesex - was also won. The final, at Brentford FC on Thursday 19th May 2005, against Ruislip Manor FC was won 2-0 with Rikki Burbridge and Harry Elmes scoring the goals. A quadruple was completed by winning the held over Roy Bailey Memorial Trophy (3-0) at the expense of St Margaretsbury.       With the loss of key players to AFC Hornchurch, who were eventual Essex Senior League “Treble” winners, during the summer, season 2005/06 got off to a slow start. However, after losing to promotion contenders Burnham Ramblers, at the beginning of February the club reached the end of the season without further loss - 8 wins & 3 draws - to secure runners-up spot and promotion to the Ryman League Division 1 (North). The final of the Roy Bailey Memorial Trophy, which Ware FC won 1-0, was also reached.       The club’s first ever Ryman League match in season 2006/07 ended in a 1-3 reversal at Aveley with Lee Mitchell having the distinction of scoring the club’s first goal. After acclimatising to the higher level of football the club finished in a creditable 10th position and Harry Elmes won the division’s Golden Boot with 24 goals to his name.       There were a number of heavy defeats during 2007/08 which resulted in a final position of 14th. The high point was the 3-2 win at Champions Dartford before a crowd of 1,402 whilst the low point was the clubs heaviest home defeat (2-8) to local rivals Enfield Town.       In 2008/09 the club finished 4th and qualified for the playoffs. Four days after a sintilating 4-1 semi-final win at Brentwood Town (Harry Elmes, Aaron Gayle(2) and Marc Sontag were the goal scorers), a tense final against Concord Rangers was witnessed by 459 - a record home attendance for a competitive fixture. The visitors’ took a shock lead but, with 12 minutes remaining, Harry Elmes levelled the tie. With no further score during extra-time the winners had to be determined by a penalty shoot out. Billy Holland, who had missed a spot kick for Redbridge in the previous season’s final, made no mistake as his kick sent The Abbotts into the Premier Division for the first time in their history.       http://www.wafc.net