Looking Back through the Archives

It's become champions of the Gloucestershire County League. To see where this success has stemmed from we search back through the clubs history. Ellwood Football Club was established in 1907 and like most clubs had successes and failures. Before the war they were an established Northern Senior Club, but afterwards lost their senior status and played in the Forest League, and later the lower reaches of the North Gloucester League. During these slumbering times, the vision was still for senior football and a foresight by the supporters club made this a reality.

From humble beginnings, a corrugated hut with tin baths, one of the best, hard working committees (to this day) began a campaign for fund raising in the interest of making the football club the best in Gloucestershire. Meetings and Harvest Festivals were held at the Miners Arms, Sling, and the Miners Inn Clements End. Barbecue's, Pig roasts, Fun fairs, Sheep-Dog trials and 6-a-side competitions during the 1960's and 1970's made valuable funds for future development. A new fine club was built and the football pitch must be one of the best in the county. Those giants on past and present committees were George Hoare, Gerald Biddle,Bill Hudson, Jack Cox, Norman Cole, Bob Watkins, David Haviland, Maurice Prout, Mike Gething, Ian Edwards and they were well supported by the likes of Pete and John Adams,Ewart Morgan,Julie Mason, Evan Rosser, Derek Cole, Ivor Ellis, Ron Jones, Geraldine Martin, Alan Lewis, Gerald Elsmore and Dave Morgan.

This success off the field now filtered its way through to the playing staff, and four giants on the field have emerged over the last 20 years -

Terry Osborne, Don Jenkins, Les Hatton and George Young.

During the 1970's, first Terry Osborne and then Don Jenkins created teams that were good enough for senior football, and but for the voting system of the Northern Senior League, who knows, Ellwood may have won the County League 10 years before they did.

From the heady days of the early 1970's only 4 players eventually stayed the distance and played in the County League with Ellwood. They were Gary Hurcombe, Ian Edwards, Rob Cole and Les Lewis, but because of father-time or injury, players like Terry Osborne, Don Jenkins, Ivan Matthews, Johnny Wildin, Roy Baldwin, Keith Powles, Alan Childs, Roger Martin, the Cole brothers Derek and Norman, Dave Fryer, the Jones brothers Mike and Les, Ian Pendry and Brian Nash would have graced any county league ground in the blue and white colours.

Les Hatton arrived at the club in 1981 and the club has never looked back.

His appointment enabled Ellwood to fulfill their ambitions. Eventually being voted into the Northern Senior League for the start of the 1983 season they won promotion into the County League in two years, with the help of some quality players such as Mike Porter, Steve Tucker, Lee Williams, Paul Ennis, Alan Creed, Mark Penny and Brian Peats.

The county league has proved to be a hard league to win and to achieve this aim Ellwood have not been afraid to add more quality players to a very long list. Such players as Wayne Jones, Chris Worgan, John Ward, Les Foxwell and Harold Skinner have made this goal of winning the County League for new manager George Young and of course ELLWOOD A.F.C.

If we've missed anyone out we're sorry, you have all contributed in making this success.

Here's to the next 20 years.

Division 3 Winners 1968/69

Division 2 Winners 1969/70 1975/76 (Reserves)

Division 1 Winners 1976/77 (Reserves) 1977/78 (Reserves)

Premier Division Winners 1973/74 1977/78 1978/79 1979/80 1981/82

Division 2 Runners up 1982/83

Division 1 Runners up 1983/84

Runners up 1986/87

Winners 1989/90

Runners up 1975/76

Winners 1976/77 1978/79 1981/82

Winners 1969/70

[EOB]