CLASSIC PROGRAMMES - WALTHAMSTOW AVENUE v ROMFORD - 1977

September 1977 saw then Southern League Division One (South) side Romford make an FA Cup 1st qualifying round replay trip to Green Pond Road to face local rival's Walthamstow Avenue who at the time were playing in the Isthmian League Premier Division.

Romford spent the 77/78 season ground sharing after they lost their historic Brooklands and were suffering from a lack of funds and financial problems which saw them unfortunately fold in the summer of 1978. In a little over a decade they had gone from winning the Southern League title in 66/67 and applying to join the football league to having no ground and eventually no club until they were thankfully re-formed in 1992. How things can change so rapidly in football? 

The planned new ground at Old Church in Romford which is mentioned in this programme unfortunately wasn't built in the end. 

Romford's last visit to Green Pond Road is mentioned in the programme which was also in the FA CUP First Round of 1962/63 when the visitors won 2-3 in the last minute with a twice taken penalty by none other than then Malcolm Allison. He played for Romford in the early 60s after leaving West Ham United. He went on, of course, to have a distinguished career in management. 

The first game, played at Aveley's Field Mill ground in front of 455, of this tie was drawn 1-1 with Dean Mooney scoring for Avenue in the 36th minute only for Micky Hanson to score in the 90th minute. T

Avenue got their revenge for the 1962 defeat by winning this game 3-2 with goals coming from Lewis (12th min), Dick Sedgwick (45th) and Vinny Cotter in the 73rd minute via the penalty spot. Romford's goal came from Micky Hanson (60th) and Graham Parker (75th). The crowd was 408. 

The line ups as per the team changes from whoever purchased this programme were - 

WALTHAMSTOW AVENUE 

Barry Willson, John Webberley, Richard Bradford, Lewis, Barry Lock, Ray Jarman, Warrell, Dick Sedgwick, Dean Mooney, Vinny Cotter and Barry Walder. Alan Hunter had been subbed on in the 70th minute for Lewis. 

ROMFORD 

Steve Briggs, Ian Woodward, Paul Gilbert, Bill Bailey, Joe Peck, Ron Pettit, John Arnold, Graham Parker, Kevin Walsh, Less Cobb and Micky Hanson. Ian Hamilton had been subbed on for Bill Bailey in the 35th minute. 

Avenue went on to beat Rainham Town and Corinthian-Casuals before losing to Billericay Town in the 3rd Qualifying Round.  

 

Like Romford they lost their historic ground in the 1980s and merged into Leytonstone/Ilford who later became Redbridge Forest and then Dagenham & Redbridge. 

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The name was revived in 2000 as a new Walthamstow Avenue were formed playing at the Town Mead pitches in Waltham Abbey firstly in the London County League and then in the Middlesex County Football League before a merger with Walthamstow Pennant to form Walthamstow Avenue and Pennant - The club then merged with Mauritius Sports to form Mauritius Sports and Pennant in 2007 and went through a series of name changes before leaving the Essex Senior League in at the end of the 2016/2017 campaign. 

The name was once again brought back by a team playing in the Essex Sunday Corinthian League in the 19/20 season at the Leyton County Ground. 

Walthamstow Avenue's motto was 'NIL SINE LABOUR' which translates to 'Nothing without Work' - Good words - especially in football!