On Saturday we make the trip to Sawbridgeworth Town for a SSMFL Premier Division game. This will be the first meeting of the two clubs.

Sawbridgeworth Town were transferred laterally from the Essex Senior League Premier Division during the close season. The Robins finished in 17th position last term.

This season they have started the season well, winning their opening two league games 3-2 against Winslow United (h) and Wormley Rovers (a). Last Saturday the Robins progressed to the Preliminary round of the Emirates FA Cup with a 2-0 win at West Ensign which sets up a home tie with Eynesbury Rovers.

OFFICIALS
Referee: Nicholas Marriott
Assistant Referee: Richard Komenda
Assistant Referee: Elisha Yaria

ADMISSION
Adult £8.00
Concession £5.00
u16 FREE

SAWBRIDGEWORTH TOWN FC HISTORY

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