Wembley F.C.

Did You Know?

• Vale Farm was used as the training base for the England national team during their successful 1966 FIFA World Cup campaign.
• In 2011–12, Wembley's FA Cup tie against Ascot United was the first sporting event ever streamed exclusively on Facebook.

History

Wembley Football Club was founded in 1946, born from the post-war surge in football interest. Locals found it strange that the area housing England’s national stadium lacked its own senior side. The club came together from two junior teams, Sudbury Rangers and Sudbury Ratepayers, and adopted the Latin motto “A Posse Ad Esse,” meaning “From Possibility To Reality.” Just two seasons later, in 1947–48, they won the Middlesex Senior League title.

After two years in the Spartan League Western Division, they claimed that championship in 1950–51. The following season, they helped form the Delphian League as a founding member. In 1952, a local derby against Wealdstone drew 2,654 spectators to Vale Farm, a record for the ground. The 1955–56 campaign saw them finish league runners-up and reach two cup finals: the London Senior Cup, where they lost 1–3 to Briggs Sports at Ilford, and the Middlesex Senior Cup, falling 1–2 to Hendon at Wealdstone.

Key players from that period included captain Len Berryman, prolific striker Stan Lowen, and long-serving defenders Tony Carroll and Arthur Percy. The team wore red and white quartered shirts. They switched to the Corinthian League in 1956–57. When that league merged with the Athenian League in 1963, Wembley landed in the First Division, where they stayed until earning promotion to the Premier Division in 1968.

Malcolm Allison began his managerial career at Wembley, but the Big Freeze of 1962–63 limited his impact. The club’s best FA Amateur Cup run came in 1967–68, reaching the second round proper. In 1972–73, they finished bottom of the Premier Division but avoided relegation when many clubs left the Athenian League for the Isthmian League. That exodus forced the Athenian League to restructure into two divisions, and Wembley remained in the top tier. At the end of the 1974–75 season, they were elevated to the Isthmian League.