Thank you for memories

[DERBY]

Well folks what can we say,not a lot really that hasn't already been said on here,but from the old fogeys in the Chicken Run thanks for everything over the years,the bad times as well as the good times,especially to the players who this season have served the club with great pride & comitment through what has been a really tough time,to the management team who put together the fine squad of players along with the few who remained loyal from last year,I do hope they all finf clubs to play for & wish them all the success in the world & maybe just maybe some of them will be once again seen in the red shirt of Windsor.

 

But it is now time to move on & hopefully upwards but not at all costs,to Kevin you must get some assistance on the board & not try to do it all yourself as that will only lead to another disaster for the club & yourself,but your efforts to save the club has been wonderful & your efforts have been greatly appreciated by one & all,despite the negative comments you got on Saturday from a certain member who was present on Saturday evening.

 

Also thanks to the many supporters of other teams who have taken the trouble to come on here & have such sympathy with out plight & I do include the Slough Town supporters in this.

 

Will the powers that be ensure that any information has to the new club be put in the public domain,remembering that not all supporters have acess to the internet,especially one person who openly admits that he is at the blunt end of technology & doesn't ven have a telly,I think you all know who I mean.

 

Finally to all the frineds that I have made over the years at Stag Meadow good luck to you all & hopefully we will all meet again in August ready willing & able for the new challenge wherever that maybe,& to all those who have been there for a few years the delight of grounds in the FA vase like Arundel,Saltdean etc.

 

Cheers one & all

[Rother]

Having only been around for a couple of years I'm not qualified to contribute much to this thread, except to say Luke and I have thoroughly enjoyed our time supporting W&EFC and have had some great father / son moments that will, I am sure, stay with us always. (sniff)

 

It'll be a bit poignant but we did take quite a lot of video of the last game so I will post a lot of that up over the next day or so. Unfortunately, I missed Tom's goal. ([****!!****]!)

 

 

 

 

[mgoss]

Such sad news, I first went to Stag Meadow aged 9 in 1945 during the Corinthian League days. Always followed the progress of W&E during my junior football years until I joined as a player in the mid 1960's. Even when I quit playing I continued to watch the odd games and always looked for the results. Since moving to Canada I have kept in touch via the Forum. Last visit to Stag Meadow was for cup game against Newport during a visit to England.

Hope you can rebuild and start again.

 

Good Luck

 

Mike Goss

[Spital Rover]

So glad to be there for the last game @ home.

 

So sad it all had to fall apart how it has.

 

When I first went to Stag Meadow back in the early 60's with my grandfather (who always told me he came to the games before the first world war with his dad) I thought as long as I lived or worked around the area the football club would be there, It just goes to show nothing is forever.

 

However after last years achievement which was fantastic, this year the Manager & players just showed how great the club is & could still be, best of luck to them all.

 

Roll on next season in whatever guise the club will become, I'll be there when I can to cheer on whoever we can get together to take the Windsor legacy forward for another 100 years.

 

Thank you Mudgie, Byron and all of the players for making this season so memorable.

[Sue]

Hope it all works out for you guys. As I said in one of my STFC posts no matter how big the rivalry no-one wants a team to fold.

 

Hopefully we will soon be shouting at each other in our usual "friendly" banter.

 

Good luck and best wishes we are sure you will soon bounce back.

 

Sue and Aidan.

[Bald Bloke Horsham]

From All Horsham FC Supporters

 

We are all very sad with this news and am sure you will somehow bounce back. Our two sets of supporters have enjoyed some great times in the past. League reorganisationsplit us up which was a real shame. I loved my trips to Stag Meadow.

 

Gary still comes up in our conversations at HFC.

 

Wishing you all our best

 

Lardy Boys

xx

[Geggy]

The Lardy Boys,

 

Our favourite supporters! We really appreciate the comments. We all definitely miss the Horsham games, you're right the reorg killed our games.

 

Maybe another to add to a potential pre-season friendly list if clubs can agree, would be great to get the fixture back - so many great memories. The Gary clubhouse incident always will be legendary!

[Generally Speaking]

Another sorry tale where the supporters are the ones that lose out.

 

Geggy, are you the same guy that used to help to distribute the End 2 End magazine?

 

Anyway, may I add Chesham United's condolences to the long list which says everything about you as supporters, what a shame it went so wrong off the pitch. Whereas I get increasingly frustrated by club's that fail to take their financial responsibility seriously, it's the supporters that lose out again. I have no doubt that you will bounce back, and probably come back stronger than you are now.

 

It was only five years ago that Chesham United found ourselves facing a similar situation. The figures were not as huge and we were fortunate enough to be able to bring in a "knight in shining armour" to clear the immediate threat and send us down the path to recovery. Five years on our club is now run by the supporters, we have strict management accounts that ensure we don't spend what we don't have, we have just received FA Community Charter Status standard, we work closely with local community groups, we are as transparent as possibly makes sense in a business and, although we may not be able to push the boat out for immediate success, we are seeing the benefits of having people that love the club (but not the financial ability to get carried away) running the club. I think the league table shows that our model works.

 

With regards to your future - you will bounce back, and you will be much stronger without the debt. In that instance you have an advantage over us, we are still servicing loans that covered past overspending (going back way beyond the five years) which equates to a large monthly outgoing, but we know about it, and we budget for it and work around. We need more clubs to prove that football at this level is not all about money, a good manager and good team spirit is priceless; along with all the values in football that have been lost at the top of the game - loyalty, caring for supporters, community involvement and, hey, fun.

 

If any Windsor & Eton season ticket holders miss your football fix over the next few months, at Chesham United we are fairly local, and if you bring your season ticket along we will ensure you get in free of charge. We don't expect to convert you, but hey, it's live football.

 

Similarly, if anyone involved in setting up your new club wants to meet up for an informal chat about how we run our club, what we changed to make it a more supporters' run, community based, self-funding club, I'm sure I talk on behalf of my fellow supporters/board members I/we would happily have a chat at any point - not for one minute suggesting that we can teach grandma to suck eggs, but the offers there if you want any help, support or even just someone to bang ideas off of. We are far from perfect, but we have experienced much of what you will be going through.

 

Finally, memories of playing Windsor & Eton? Many. More recently they have involved defeats, but a 900+ crowd at Abingdon for the 1992(?) B&B final will take some beating, as will the last day of the season a week later at your place...

 

Good luck, whatever you do in the future - live the dream, but only what you can afford. You'll be amazed how much more support from local businesses and community groups you will get.

 

Alan Calder

Chairman/Lifelong Fan, Chesham United

[Barry Turner]

May i add condolences from all at Cinderford Town. A sad day in non-league football.

[Rother]

Great threads these. Sends a little tingle up the spine to see so many supporters from other clubs offering their sympathy and support.

 

Particularly generous offer from Chesham - I really enjoyed the 2 games against them at Stag Meadow this season - the fact we won both helped but I enjoyed the football they played and the 'keeper was up for a friendly chat which always leaves a decent memory...

[Windsor_Sec]

Too many memories to list on here, some good and some not so good.

 

The FA Vase semi-final 2nd leg at what basically was a local recreation ground and the devastation I felt at losing.

 

A freezing cold night on the terraces at Dean Court for our FA Cup replay at Bournemouth with my Dad, whilst my Mum sat at home on her own enjoying [!] their wedding anniversary.

 

Another Vase game, this time Shoreham away on a snowy day in December. None of the family were with me that day as it was Sue & Vic's wedding and, yes, I chose football [My excuse was I went to her first wedding] !

 

FA Cup matches at Torquay, Gillingham,Wimbledon, Brentford, etc.

 

That FA Cup match at Burton Albion [you had to be there to believe it!]. Vauxhall Motors away was another one.

 

Another freezing cold FA Vase match, this time at Halesowen when the ground was like a park pitch with a stand like our cow-shed at one end of the ground and just me and 2 others in amongst 100 or so home fans singing our hearts out - a laugh and a half.

 

On the playing front we've seen legends and leg-ends - anyone remember Trevor Rockett ? The only 'keeper I've ever seen fall down a rabbit hole whilst taking a goalkick.

 

And that's just scraping the surface - maybe we should get a book together just based on supporters anecdotes rather than anything historical ?

 

Do you know the really strange thing though? Despite the heartache of what has now happened I'm actually looking forward to doing it all again as we hopefully make our way back up the pyramid.

[Duty281]

From myself and all other Truro City fans can I say how sorry I was to hear of the news that your club would fold today. It seems horrible to think that a club with a long and rich history such as yours goes bust that easily because of off the field events. I hope you bounce back stronger than ever next season.

[Stag Whippet]

Just to reiterate what others have said above and I have PM to one of your number. Sad to see it finally come to an end. Never believed it would come to this despite all the goings on over the last 6 months or so. I suppose you always think a russian or an arab will apear over the horizon but it was not to be.

When I shouted at Mr Jack at our place last season after he left us for you "Greedy" and shouted an offer of a drink after to another player because "I know you can't afford it as your not being paid" it was all good banter, little did I know how serious it was.

Can you assure me that this forum will conitinue, I read it nearly as much as ours, it is the best around and have enjoyed the last 14 months on here.

 

 

[KarlMarx]

As I've already said further up in this thread, myself and my brother have only become regulars this season, and our only regret is that we didn't join you all week in, week out earlier.

 

We've watched football in many places up and down the country, after the demise of Hounslow FC many years ago, and we were often on the look out for a non league club where we could finally settle and call home - a club where you were given a warm welcome and people who didn't know you wouldn't treat you not as a stranger but as a new member of their family, where you would receive a smile and a handshake and never feel like an outsider. Well it took us over 20 years, but we finally found that 'ideal' club at Stag Meadow, and we quickly became extremely fond of Windsor & Eton FC. Therefore it's a kind of sad irony for us that having taken so long to find somewhere we felt that we could really enjoy our football, that it has gone before we could really get to know it.

 

However, where one chapter closes, another will hopefully open soon, and we'll be there. As many of you will know, I was reporting online for Hospital Radio Wey on the club this season and I will hopefully be doing the same next season, whatever league the new club is in. I have already enquired as to the possibility of full match commentary of our historic first home league game. I haven't had an answer yet and can't promise anything, but I'll be doing my best to try and get something organised to give the club a good PR boost in the local area.

 

I have found the posts from other club's fans to be wonderfully touching, especially the generous offer of support from the Chesham Chairman. It just shows how many friends our, late lemented but soon to be resurected, club has in the non league world, and not every club can say that.

 

Now, I'm not ready to watch any football anywhere else this season right now, but by next season I will be. Step 5? Step6? Wherever? Windsor FC, Windsor Town FC, AFC Windsor, Eton & Windsor FC? Whatever the club will be called, it will still be Windsor & Eton to it's supporters - Bring it on!

[N.D.]

I never post on forums but in light of what has happened to 'our club' I feel compelled to post.

 

The enormity what has happened has finally hit me today. I may not of been a follower of the Royalists for too long but in my time following the club they have made football fun and enjoyable for me again. I have met some wonderful people at WEFC and the welcome from all made me want to follow the Royalists home and away. I really do hope a new Windsor team takes to the field again in time for next season. Whatever level the club plays at I will be there. As has already been said, 'The club is dead, long live the club'. One final word, I would just like to thank the fans of other clubs for their kind words, i'm sure all Windsor fans really appreciate that.

Edited February 2, 2011 by N.D.

[A Rebel and a Saint]

Very sorry to hear about what has happened to WEFC. It is just so unfair that bigger clubs survive the High Court and the taxman time and time again while clubs like Windsor end up folding. Hopefully it won't be too long before the local derby comes back.

 

Good luck to you all for the future, I'm sure you will bounce back strong.

[chris sliski]

The history is completed ... but a new beginning starts here and now .

 

.Good luck to you all and before you know it with all you help and new benifactor, will

 

see rise up and will look back at this blip of history...

 

you have a ground and supporters and a clean sheet to start the road to recovery..

 

good luck ... from all at the Slough Town Supporters Trust.

[A.nonymous]

Very sorry to hear of this. I've been to the ground a few times in the past. Such a sad story, look at what has happened to football. Those non league clubs such as Windsor and Eton now ceasing to exist is just painful. I play at Chalfont Wasps and I'm sure you will be more than welcome down at the Nest. Any idea as to what the club is going to do now?

[Rother]

Basically start again somewhere down the pyramid and with a Business Plan where the main objective is, after necessary capital expenditure funded by our new Chairman, to become quickly financially self-sufficient. And stay that way.

[chels - WEFC]

Far too many memories to even contemplate putting into words. From my old grandad Ernie abusing every non-league official he could lay his eyes, and mouth on, to the first time Dennis Greene pulled on the famous red and green at Met Police away with that hideous bleach blonde hair.

 

All the away days by train and coach like Tiverton in the cup, Cinderford away with the keeper who said he would drive me and then everyone on the coach abusing him as he walked out the ground. Countless trips into Oxford to Rosie O'Gradys and Harty's trip to the grapes (!), Abingdon, Lewes (grass bank will live long in the memory) and far too more to remember.

 

Hopefully the new club can be run properly and that can see the club rise back to where it belongs, and whatever step the new club starts at, i'm sure every single Windsor & Eton fan will be there to witness the dawn of a new local club.

 

 

UTR!