The Isthmian League (Part 3) 2007- 2014

Following just one year in the Southern League the FA moved the club back across the pyramid to the Isthmian League Premier Division.

Prior to the start of the 2008/9 season, it was announced that the club would be moving operations from Northwood to Grosvenor Vale, Ruislip Manor.  In doing so it would be taking over the lease from Ruislip Manor FC and, in effect, having its first “home” for 17 years.

With its own HQ and Social Club, the club could now bring in income, investment and sponsorship in order to allow Gordon Bartlett to start to build a team in a more structured and coherent manner.  From this point the team started to enjoy greater success, looking towards the upper reaches of the table rather than glancing anxiously over its shoulder at the relegation places.

In the 2009/10 season, the club made its first appearance in the FA Cup 1st Round Proper since its Gola League days of the mid-1980s.  In an exciting match the team were shaded 3-2 at Grosvenor Vale by Football League side, Rotherham United, in front of 1,638 spectators and the presence of TV cameras.

The 2011/12 season saw the club reach the FA Trophy semi-finals.  Having knocked out Conference South Dartford and Conference National sides Barrow and Cambridge United, they lost 3-1 over 2 legs to Newport County. In the same season the team achieved a promotion play-off spot but lost the play-off tie 2-1 to Lowestoft Town.

Richard Jolly enjoyed his best season for the club in scoring 48 goals from 57 matches, a goals return bettered only by George Duck’s 62 goals in the 1973/74 season.

The 2011/12 season also saw the most successful link-up with Watford.  Two young players, forward Britt Assombalonga and midfielder Connor Smith, spent several weeks on loan with the club to great success. Connor demonstrated both energy and skill while Britt proved to be a dynamic forward notching 11 goals in 13 appearances. Young central defender Tommy Hoban also arrived on loan from Watford to play 10 games during a crucial period of the season.

The next season saw the club once again qualify for the promotion play-offs and yet again fail to win the play-off tie. This time it was a home match against an obdurate Concord Rangers.  Leading 1-0 until the 89th minute, a scrappy equaliser was conceded that knocked the stuffing out of the team for extra time, during which Concord secured their winning goal.

The 2013/14 season was a special one for the club in that it won the Isthmian League Premier Division title by 11 points from runners-up, Kingstonian. In so doing, arguably the club had returned to the level from which it had been relegated 26 years earlier. In theory one promotion further would place the club back to the top level of non-league football, but that division was now mostly populated by full-time professional clubs.

The excellent championship winning side was turned into an outstanding one by the addition of Glen Little, the ex-Burnley, Reading and Portsmouth winger. Despite being 37 years old Glen still displayed sublime touch and set about regularly passing opposition teams off the pitch. One of 2 goals he scored at Dulwich Hamlet was magnificent. Collecting the ball inside his own half, the languid Glen sashed past several home players before exquisitely chipping he ball over the despairing dive of the goalkeeper.

Despite playing just 12 games and scoring only 5 goals, young Millwall loanee Charlie Penny wrote his name large in Wealdstone folklore by scoring the only goal in a 1-0 win at Margate that secured the championship and promotion.

The club spent 7 seasons in its third spell as members of the Isthmian League playing 298 matches, winning 136, drawing 81 and losing 81, in the process scoring 506 and conceding 370 goals.

During the 7 seasons Wealdstone competed in the Isthmian League between 2007 and 2014:

• Richard Jolly made a total of 296 appearances for the club over 3 spells in which he scored 171 goals
• Between 2005 and 2007 Lee Chappell made an additional 54 appearances for the club.

Author: Mick Fishman

[24062022]

Results and Match Reports (season by season) can be viewed by clicking on the link(s) below:-