Willesden had been members of the Spartan League, Delphian League, London League, Aetolian League, Greater London League and the merged Metropolitan London League prior to joining the Athenian League in 1974.
In 1977 the crossed over to the Isthmian League Division Two along with a number of other clubs including Epsom & Ewell, Letchworth Garden City, Farnborough Town, Cheshunt, Hemel Hempstead Town and Feltham.
The programme featured in this article is from the summer of 1977 when The Floaters with their single 'Float On' had their only number one in the UK Charts and just a few months earlier Liverpool had won their first European Cup against Borussia Monchengladbach in a 3-1 win in Rome.
On Saturday 27th August Rainham Town made the journey West to The Willesden Stadium in Donnington Road, NW10 to play Willesden Football Club for a Isthmian League Division Two game.
Sadly the modern day Willesden Football Club which had been formed just after the Second World War left the Isthmian League in 1981 after 17th (17), 17th (18), 17th(19) and 17th (2) finishes in Division Two and did not play again.
They had left Donnington Road in the late 1970s due a dispute over rental payments being increased by the local council.
There had been a club called Willesden Town which played in the London League in 1898 to 1900 and in the 1904/05 season.
Constantine United were formed in 1976 and were founder members of the Middlesex County League - they won the title in 1985, 1996, 1998, 1999 and 2011. Their name refers to the famous West Indian Sir Learie Constantine who moved to England in the 1920s to play cricket for Nelson in Lancashire.
In 1943 the manager of a London hotel refused to accommodate the Constantine family on the grounds of their race - He successfully sued the hotel company and the case is recognised as a milestone in British Racial Equality. He was a major influence in the passing of the 1965 Race Relations Act in Britain and was quite rightly Knighted for his work in 1962.
Ricky Hill, Enoch Showunmi and Junior Agogo had all played played for Constantine before having highly successful football league careers.
The club was formed by Roy Forbes-Allen who also owned the famous Hawkeye Record and Bakery shop in Craven Park Road hence the name Willesden Hawkeye. The club moved up to the London Spartan League Division One after winning the Middlesex County League in 1991. The won the Division One title at the first time of asking and were promoted to the Premier Division which they won in the 93/94 season. The club left the London Spartan League in 1996. Barry Hayles played for Hawkeye prior to his move to Stevenage FC in 1994
I was fortunate to play for willesden Fc, Learie Constantine, and willesden Hawkeye, most of the guys were semi pro standard, and could possibly have hold their own has a professional, we had some memorable moments and achievements, which we still talk about, there was never a better feeling, than when the whistle was blown, and the battle started, Wow !!
ReplyDeleteI was fortunate to play for both teams and the talent I was surrounded by in both teams was unbelievable. It's disappointing that there are no teams representing the black community now. Those days we lived for football, very happy memories
ReplyDeletei was the last manager of willesden constantine who won the league in the 2010/2011 season.
ReplyDeleteIt was a pleasure to play for Constantine, played great football with very good players at very good level, 2 players went and played later at professional level. Part of the last Willesden Constantine team , very sad that this football club had to terminate, I could see a very bright future if we had support of the local council and other sources. Great team ,brillant coaches/managers.
ReplyDeleteI played for Willesden F.C.69/70 and 70/71. The names I can recall were the president,Mick Power, Manager, George Waites, ex Torquay pro.Colin Everret and Johnny Turnbull.I took a friend of mine along to.train and play, ex Leyton Orient player Malcolm Slater also a Scotsman, George Waites remembered playing against him in the English 3rd division. Nice memories, Murray Geddes.
ReplyDeleteI’m George WAITES’s son Paul... I used to go regularly with my Dad to games and sometimes training ... I actually played a few games in the first team as a 16 yr old Chelsea schoolboy ... I remember one game the ref Alf Buksh checking my age because I was small lol
ReplyDeleteThe names ... Ray Bennett ..Richard Holliday ... Tommy Kerwin .. Greg Shoemake .. Jimmy Grant .. most of them boys played for Legionaires on a Sunday morning
My Dad was taken down to Willesden when we moved to Watford and he started playing for Blues on a sunday morning .. not sure who but one of Jimmy Muir .. Peter Barnes .. Richie Dormer took him to Willesden with them as they all played for them on a Saturday
I could write a book !!!
P.s.
Malcolm Slater had followed my Dad to Leyton Orient I believe that’s how they knew each other ... they both were Right wingers for the O’s ... I believe Malcolm has died recently so RIP Malcolm
I Played under Larry for Constantine. played my last ever football match for them, had a crucial ligament injuey. Me and enoch in central Midfield Rocky up front. Very Semi pro Squad.
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