CLASSIC PROGRAMMES - CROWN & MANOR v SOUTHWARK BOROUGH - 1988/89

The history of the Crown & Manor club can be traced back to 1903 when the New North Road Club was founded by the Rev Claude Eliot who was the vicar of Christchurch in Hoxton. The club went under a variety of names for the first few years and it catered for children in one of the most 'notorious parts of London' at the time. The club was renamed Hoxton Manor in 1921. The club suffered financial problems ands instability for a number years but was rescued by The Manor Trust who were the body which managed the famous Eton Manor Club - this was when the building of new premises in Wiltshire Row was arranged.  

A football team was formed and gained senior status in 1932 when they joined the Spartan League - Division Two East where in the first season they were champions winning the league by 14 points and scored an impressive total of 102 goals in just 26 games. This gained them Promotion to the Premier Division. 

Their opponents their first season were RAF Henlow, Bushey United, Hitchin Town Reserves, Stevenage Town, Lea Bridge Gas, Harlow Town, Polytechnic, Ware, Letchworth Town Reserves. Hertford Town Reserves, Welwyn Garden City, Lyons Club Reserves and Waltham Comrades. 

They were very successful and earned a title of 'The wonder team from Wiltshire Row'. It was believed they were the youngest team playing Senior Football in London at the time. 

They went on to finished second in Division One in 33/34 and were promoted to the Premier Division where they finished in third place for the 34/35 season with Metropolitan Police and Hitchin Town above them. Mid-table finishes followed between 1935 and 1938 with a thirteenth place (of fourteen) finish in 38/39. 

With the outbreak of World War II came the amalgamation of Hoxton Manor and The Crown Club who were also based in the local area with the club continuing throughout the war with players on leave making up numbers. 

Crown & Manor searched for a ground of their own after the war. They played in Cheshunt, Hendon and Wimbledon before playing at Turkey Street (where Old Ignation FC now play) in Enfield from 1974 where they played until 1984 when they played at various venues around London before playing at The Mile End Stadium which is only a few miles away from their spiritual home in Hoxton. 

The club's first team were founding members of the London Spartan League in 1975 where they remained until 1991. The club returned for one season in 97/98 when they played in Division One (South) of the then Spartan South Midlands League alongside Chingford Town, Leyton, Leyton Youth and Leyton County. They played in the London Intermediate League until 2003 when they joined the Middlesex County League Premier Division where they played until 2006 - their last game was  4-1 victory over Brazilian on Saturday 20th May 2006. They had beaten Walthamstow Avenue & Pennant 2-0 on Thursday 18th May. 

Crown and Manor played in the FA Cup during the late 40s and regularly entered the FA Vase in the 1970s and 1980s. In 83/84 they reached the fourth round beating Brightlingsea United, Tring Town, Stowmarket Town and Holbeach United before losing to Leyton Wingate 5-0 at the famous Hare & Hounds ground in Leyton. 

The Crown and Manor club is still located in Wiltshire Row an area which has changed remarkably since the 1920s. A new state of the art building was opened in early 2013 with classrooms, computer rooms, multi-purpose gym, a games room and a weight's room. It continues to provide valuable facilities to children and young adults in the Hoxton and surrounding areas. 

The club still have a number of youth teams in local football. The club's sessions "build confidence, motivation and respect for yourself and others"

It would be fantastic to see Crown and Manor return to adult's football - With Eton Manor, another highly respected local club their history deeply rooted in London's East End, not playing since 2017 maybe a combined Crown and Eton Manor FC could play in a local league? 

CROWN AND ETON MANOR FC? just an idea for a forthcoming season?

The Cold End has featured another Crown & Manor programme from 1976 when they played Enfield FC in 1976 - Please click here to read the article. 

The Cold End has featured a number of Eton Manor's programmes from the 1975/76 season - Please click here to read the article. 

Crown and Manor's opponents for this game were Southwark Borough who had been formed as Southwark Sports in 1975 and played in Sunday football up until 1982 when they joined the London Spartan League. In 1988 they changed names to Southwark Borough and left the league at the end of the 88/89 season. They were ground-sharing at Fisher Athletic's Surrey Docks Stadium at the time. 

The club made an application to join the Essex Senior League which was unsuccessful and unfortunately the club was folded on Tuesday 3rd April 1990 which as a mark of respect was one year to the day after one of their finest ever results which was a 1-1 draw against Fisher Athletic (then a Conference side) in front of a crowd of 325 people. 

The club's official crest during the 88/89 season was the 'Cockney Sparrow' so it was very fitting for them to be playing Crown & Manor!