Spartan South Midlands Football League, Premier Division
Date: 29 July 2025
Kickoff: 19:45
Wormley Rovers FC vs. Sawbridgeworth Town FC
View from the chair
Welcome everyone to The Lane for our second league game of season 25-26 as we try to emulate our achievements of last season, our first at step 5 football, when we had the highs of reaching a Cup final and the play off final and the lows of losing out both times, the play off final on penalties which was a tough blow for the squad. On reflection the team and the management should be immensely proud of coming so close to an incredible second promotion in two seasons but alas it wasn’t to be so we dust ourselves down and get ready to do the whole thing again this season.
A particular warm welcome to the players officials and supporters of Sawbridgeworth Town who we play for the first time in our history today in the league after their sideways move from the Essex Senior league. They won on Saturday so we will have to be at our best to get anything from the game.
A tough start for us on Saturday saw us narrowly lose by the odd goal in five at Kings Langley despite spending large parts of the game dominating possession and creating enough chances to get something from the game.
Ryan and his management team have been working hard to strengthen the squad and as always in pre-season there have been a few comings and goings and for those players who have gone on to try their luck at a higher level we wish them well and thank them for their time with us.
There is no question the league has got stronger this year and there are plenty of clubs throwing ridiculous money at players at this level which just makes the challenge even more difficult to stay in the promotion mix but we will continue to do things our way and I am sure we will have a great season with some great football being played.
Thank you to all of our sponsors who once again have stepped up this year to support the club again and good luck to our new Under 23’s this season which will be mostly made up of our U18 group of players and will play in the Herts County League under Robbie Hayter’s leadership.
Hope you enjoy the game and thanks for your support COYW
Welcome to our opponents
It was in 1897 that members of Sawbridgeworth Cricket Club decided to start a football club during the winter months.
The first match was a friendly” against a public school XI, (probably Felstead) and a then schoolboy spectator at the game, tells that the Sawbridgeworth XI wore purple jerseys and the ref, (probably a schoolmaster) wore a black and white blazer. Sawbridgeworth lost 1-0.
Their first League was the Stortford and Stansted, and there are fixture cards dating back to 1900, playing at Great Hyde Hall, just on the Herts side of the Herts/Essex border. HQ was a room in the White Lion pub in the town centre.
In the 1920’s they played in the East Herts League, winning the title in 1924. During this period they played Burnham Ramblers, (who would become Essex Senior League fellow members 50 years later) in a Cup Final at Coopers Field, a popular ground roughly where the Hand and Crown pub is now. Gate takings were £50 and as the entry fee was sixpence, that suggests that 2,000 people were at the match!
Ramblers won 2—1.
In1930 STFC moved to the present ground. Surrounded by farmland, access was from Cambridge Rd (still used by pedestrians). It became known as ‘The Cambridge Road Ground’. In the late 1960’s/early 70’s the housing estate was built and a new entrance made at the end of Crofters, hence “Crofters End”.
After an unsuccessful season in the Spartan League, STFC joined the Herts County League Div One in 1953 but another unsuccessful season saw them join the Bishops Stortford, Stansted and District League in 1955.
The Club was a founder member of the Essex Olympian League in 1966 and League Champions in 1972, also winning the Herts Intermediate Cup, beating Cockfosters 1-0 at Ware’s old ground.
In 1975 the Club applied to Herts County to gain senior status and were advised to apply for entry into the Herts Senior Cup.
Despite losing 2-1 away to Boreham Wood, they acquitted themselves well enough to attain Senior status.
STFC joined the Essex Senior League in 1976 and spent 48 out of 49 seasons there, League runners up in 1993 on goal average to Ford Utd and runners up to Canvey Island in 1996. The Reserves won their League title twice. STFC hold the record for the number of League Cup Final appearances (seven times) but only winning it once when beating Stansted 2-0.
The Club also won the Herts Charity Shield three times playing the matches at the Hertfordshire HQ at Letchworth.
This season STFC return to the Spartan South Midlands League, and after a season in the Essex Senior League
Match Day Squads
Wormley Rovers FC
Keeper: All Green or All Purple
Red Shirts | Black Shorts | Black Socks
Reece Mosanya
Danny Haigh
Marcus Crowther
Harry Andic
Finbar King
Kaidyn Michael
Erald Desa
Daniel Wappett
Noah Mosanya
Craig Tolley
Ryan Stevenson
Louis Offer
Bradley Empson
Mason Oakley
Thomas Mulqueen
Ryan Thomas Hammond
Yayah Jalloh
Adam Hart
Shay Darcheville
Valentino Stewart
Luca Lepley
Harry Philippou
Cass Grant
Matt Walsh
Manager: Ryan Wade
Asst Manager: Tony Faulkner
Coach: Adam Hart, Lee Protheroe
Physio: Stephanie Symeou
Sawbridgeworth Town FC
Keeper: All Yellow
All Blue
Max Arnold
Morgan Arnold
Adam Blair-Park
Owen Braddick
Josh Darby
James Darvill
Kieran David
Josh Fox
Austen Garrod
Elijah Grant
Freddie Griffiths
Teddy Hall
George Lusardi
Tom Millett
Danny Palmer
Jimmy Parker
Ethan Richards
Steve Smith
Michael Toner
Costi Varsoi
Myles Weekes
Manager: Ben Taylor
Asst Manager: Shane Bambridge
