As we are now celebrating the Centenary of Northwood FC, the club having been founded in 1926 as Northwood United, we are also looking back at the earlier football clubs which represented the town in their day. Our photo above shows Green Lane, Northwood, in 1910!

Following the demise of the first Northwood FC, a new club named Northwood Rovers, was formed, and they played only friendly matches in their season, 1910-11, with the first match taking place at Pinner Recreation Ground on 22nd October against Pinner Juniors. They started with what was described as “a brilliant win by six goals to nil”, J. Milton 2, F. Puddiford 2, G. Askew, R. Lord scoring.

Northwood Rovers, playing at Dene Road enclosure, staged their first-ever home game seven days later, and they defeated St Andrew’s Institute, Cricklewood 3-1 after conceding the first goal. Rovers’ team was: P. Bugden, A. King, T. Allen, F. Fountain, F. Frayne, A. Cherry, G. Askew (capt.), F. Puddifoot, J. Milton, R. Lord, J. Parks – Cherry, Milton and Puddiford getting the goals. Rovers enjoyed a good season, losing just once at home, to Brondesbury Argyle on Good Friday, watched by “over 350 people”.

They joined the Wembley & Harrow League first division in 1911, winning 4-1 versus Allen’s Athletic at Dene Road in the first league; the players were: E. Gray, G. Baldwin, J. Park, H. Lord, W. Bugden, S. Frayne, W. Grainger, J. Milton, A. Parker, A. Cherry, R. Lord – Cherry scored all four goals!. Rovers finished the campaign in sixth place of nine clubs. Rovers moved to the pitch in Northwood Recreation Ground for the following season, but it turned out to be a poor one – they finished tenth of ten teams, with just three league wins all season.

1912-13 proved to be a poor season for Northwood Rovers. They got off to a bad start, losing 1-7 away to Elgin Rovers in the opening game, when Rovers fielded: R. Cox, G. Baldwin, J. Park, H. Fincher, W. Grainger, J. Milton, C. Wilson, F. Arnold, A. Cherry, W. Milton (scorer), R. Lord. The club finished bottom of the table with eight points, however, they still continued in the top division the next season!

The Rovers believed that their prospects for the 1913-14 season were very bright, and they also started a reserve team to compete in the newly formed Third Division of the Harrow and Wembley League. The club also adapted new colours of claret and sky blue (described as “Aston Villa pattern”), having previously worn white. However, the high hopes were not rewarded, as the team struggled from the start, winning just one game all season, against bottom side Perivale Rubber Works, and took seventh place of eight clubs. The opening game had seen Rovers lose 0-1 to Roxeth & Harrow Brigade Old Boys at the Rec, and set the tone for the coming months; the players that day were A. Palmer; G. Green, J. Park; S. Woodman, A. Cherry, S. Frayne. W. Milton, F. Rowland, J. Milton, F. Arnold, R. Lord.

After World War I broke out in July 1914, local football was suspended as many young men volunteered to serve including seventeen members of Northwood Rovers; over 1,000 players registered with the Middlesex FA signed up within a few weeks.

It is sobering to think that those young men playing football in Northwood went off to war, some never to return. Some were killed, including Reginald Lord (who was club secretary and also a player; he was a postman in Northwood), R. Cox (also a postman), Sidney Frayne, Albert King (killed at Battle of the Somme) and Arthur Parker; others were seriously injured. That was the end of Northwood Rovers – like some of their players, the club did not return after the war.

29 June 2026

New Woods Manager Manny Williams has assembled the backroom staff that will assist him for the forthcoming season after taking charge at the Skyline Roofing Stadium.

Joining as Assistant Manager is the 38-year-old Liam Enver-Marum, a vastly-experienced striker who started out at Reading And Cambridge United, enjoying a long and successful career which included spells at National League sides Woking, Eastbourne Borough, Forest Green Rovers, Ebbsfleet United, Braintree Town and Maidstone United. Other clubs have included Bishop’s Stortford, Basingstoke Town, Slough Town, Chelmsford City, Farnborough Town and the Met. Police before finishing at Step 5 sides Risborough Rangers and Winslow United. We welcome Liam to the club.

Onto the coaches, and we are also delighted to welcome Tom Nyama, Abdul Osman and Chico Ramos to Northwood for the new campaign.

Tommy arrives having been with Metropolitan Police as first-team coach in recent seasons. The 41-year-old enjoyed a long career as an attacking midfielder, playing in Sierra Leone and Sweden (for Akropolis and Arameisk Syrianska) as well at here in the UK for Met. Police, Merstham, Kings Langley and Hendon. Tom founded his own coaching academy – TK Born and Raised - which operates both here and in Sierra Leone.

Abdul is 39 years old and has also enjoyed an extensive playing career as a midfielder which started at Hampton & Richmond Borough before he joined Watford’s Academy and then Maidenhead United. From there he played for Gretna, the first of four Scottish clubs he has played for which includes Partick Thistle, Queen of the South and Brechin City. After Gretna went into administration, he moved to Northampton Town, making over 100 appearances before 69 matches for Crewe Alexandra. He has also played for two club in Greece – Kerkyra and Lamia – while more recently he saw service at Dartford, Walton Casuals, Sittingbourne and Hanwell Town.

Finally, Chico joins the club as a Goalkeeping Coach, also with vast experience behind him. He had spells at Belenenses, Benfica and Amora as a young goalkeeper in Portugal before coming to the Uk and playing for Maidenhead United, Yeovil Town, Hampton & Richmond Borough, Dulwich Hamlet and Walthamstow amongst others. Now 42, Chico has since coached, managed and assisted at a variety of clubs including a spell in charge at Arlesey Town.

Everyone at the club looks forward to meeting them all in the coming weeks as we build up to the new season!

23 June 2026

We are now celebrating the Centenary of Northwood FC, which was founded in 1926 as Northwood United. But what of the earlier football clubs which represented the town in their day? Football clubs in Northwood have included: Northwood (1), Trinity Northwood, Northwood Endeavour, Holy Trinity Northwood, Northwood Rovers, Northwood (2), Northwood United (1), Oaklands Gate Northwood and Emmanuel Northwood. Then there was the aforementioned Northwood United (2), renamed Northwood (3) in 1946.

The first Northwood FC was formed in 1899 – still Victorian England – and played their initial match on 23 September 1899, but lost 0-4 at home to Amersham. The team was: E. Price, W.H. Brownbill, H. Green, A. Marks, R. Price-Williams, E. Nichols, A. Price, Partridge, Hadd, Castle, Brown. The population of the village at the time was 711!

After playing just friendlies initially, Northwood joined the Willesden & District League for the 1900-01 season, which wasn’t terribly successful as they finished ninth of ten teams with three wins – Wealdstone were placed fifth. The population had risen to 2,500 in two years. Northwood’s best season in the Willesden League was in 1903-04 when they were promoted to the first division. The photo above is from the 1905-06 season.

In October 1906, a crowd of over 350 watched Northwood – whose home ground was a private field in Dene Road – play a second round Middlesex Junior Cup tie when Breakspear Institute from Harefield were the visitors. Breakspear took a two-goal lead within ten minutes, but Northwood levelled before half-time through W. Nichols and F. Elms, and although Breakspear scored a penalty, Elms equalised again to level the tie “amidst great excitement”. Unfortunately, Northwood lost 0-4 in the replay when there were three more penalties scored!

Northwood’s biggest victory came in October 1907, when they won a League game 13-1 against Paddington Technical Institute, J. Thomson 3, M. Aris 5, W. Park, F. Nicholls 2 and S. Aris 2 all scoring. An estimated 1,000 people at Rickmansworth saw Northwood lose 0-2 to Pinner in the final of the Rickmansworth Charity Cup on Easter Monday in April 1908. But the final season for Northwood was 1908-09, when they were placed second last in the top division of the Willesden League, and the club had disappeared when the next season arrived.

In the same time-frame as the first Northwood existed, Northwood Endeavour took over the Willesden & District League division two fixtures of Kilburn Springfield during the 1903-04 season, but they then entered the Wembley & Harrow District League division two in 1906-07, taking a win and a draw from their first two games before losing 1-7 to Breakspear Institute in the Middlesex Junior Cup. W.S. Park scored for Endeavour, who fielded: E. Foster, H. Hilton, G. Milton, E. Ford, W.S. Park, T.E. Shaw, J.B. Fulford, A.S. Park, W. Moon, W. Smith, T. White. Endeavour played on a pitch in Pinner Road, and were Wembley & Harrow District League division two runners-up behind Wembley in 1907-08, but seem to have disappeared by the following season.

The town’s third club at this time was Trinity Northwood, who played on a pitch at Park Farm in Duck’s Hill Road, and in 1908-09 competed in the Willesden & District League division two, one below Northwood. A year later, Northwood had gone, whilst Trinity struggled near the foot of the Willesden League, and also failed to re-start after that season.

What next for football in Northwood, you ask? Very soon, another new outfit came along…..

19 June 2026

We are, of course, now celebrating the Centenary of Northwood FC, the club having been founded in 1926 as Northwood United. But what of the earlier football clubs which represented the town in their day?

Our recent researches have revealed that there were several more clubs in the past than we are aware, so coming up soon will be a review of Northwood football in the early years, dating back to the end of the 19th century! Our photos here show the Northwood team of 1906 and Maxwell Road in 1910!

Past football clubs in Northwood have included: Northwood (1), Trinity Northwood, Northwood Endeavour, Holy Trinity Northwood, Northwood Rovers, Northwood (2), Northwood United (1), Oaklands Gate Northwood and Emmanuel Northwood.

But what leagues did they play in? Who were their players? Where were their grounds? We will be bringing you this information over the coming days….!!

12 June 2026

On this day 94 years ago - 8th June 1930 - Northwood United held their Annual Meeting at Emmanuel School, at which the Chairman of Northwood Urban Council - Lieutenant-Commander Samuel William Jabez Todd R.N. (retd.) - was elected President of the club.

The meeting reported that the club had been promoted to the first division of the Harrow & District League, their second promotion in three seasons of taking part in competitive football, and that they were now forming a reserve team for the first time.

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At the time, Northwood United were still playing home games at Northwood Playing Fields, Dane End (adjacent Haste Hill golf course), off The Drive, Northwood - but the following season would move to Northwood Recreation Ground.

8 June 2026

Newly-appointed Woods manager Manny Williams has told John Lyons in the Non-League Paper today that he aims to bring back the success the club have had before.

"I live very close to the club and it's a good club," said Williams, appointed a week-and-a-half ago. "They have had a really difficult time and I'm hoping to give them that fresh belief.

"We are definitely going to be challenging – I wouldn't go there just to make up the numbers. Northwood are a big club that should be playing Step 4 and above.

"My aim is to be the one that brings back that success they have had before. I am definitely looking to compete in that league and it's getting a squad together to do that.

"I'm getting an exciting squad together – a few experienced players with a lot of young players around them. The experienced players have to be the right ones in the changing room to guide the younger boys."

As a player, Williams' aim was to get on the scoresheet, but he stresses that his focus as a manager will be on getting the right balance throughout his team.

"We will definitely be a team that looks to score goals, but we will look to defend first," he explained. "We will defend from the front, I'm getting players in who can do a high-energy press.

"I want defenders that want to defend first, but are going to be able to play themselves as modern day defenders do.

"We want to build a solid foundation and then look to play attacking football further up the pitch where it's needed.

"It's a fresh start, an exciting time and I'm going to grab this opportunity with both hands."

We are all wishing you all the very best with that, Manny!

7 June 2026

A fabulous time was had by all at the Northwood Under 18s Presentation night! The clubhouse was packed with players, parents, supporters and volunteers attending.

Manager Jamie Barry chaired the evening alongside his dad, Club Chairman Ian, and there was a great reception as well as plenty of emotion due to Jamie stepping down after two amazing seasons, with the team winning the Isthmian Youth League and Middlesex Senior Youth Cup. Ian also presented Jamie with his Chairman’s award to mark his wonderful efforts for the club.

A very memorable evening and a great celebration of the fantastic achievements of this group of players and the management team!

It may have been mainly about the Under 18s, but the club also presented a First Team Player of the Season award which went to Freddie Ford and was presented by Chairman Ian Barry. Freddie played in pre-season and impressed enough to start in games and his all action displays combined with goals made him a regular and a deserved winner of this award.

Check out all the photos from the evening here.

6 June 2026

A great time was had by all at the celebrity football match last month - but it wasn't the first time that such games have been staged by the Woods!

The stars were out in force at Northwood Park for the stadium's official opening match game on 27th March 1978, when a Northwood Select XI played the Entertainers and over 1,000 people turned up to watch. The Entertainers XI had been formed in 1960, and travelled the country playing charity football matches, and included many stars of the time from television, theatre, and the music world - and they won the match 7-6.

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And on 22 January 2006, the Arsenal Ex-Professionals XI and Celebrity XI visited Northwood Park. Again there was a large crowd, but this time the former footballers and celebrities were much more talented and fitter than the Northwood Select XI, and they were 7-1 winners.

2 June 2026

71 players wore the Northwood shirt in competitive matches during the 2025-26 season - and they have now all been added to the Woods Players A-Z, which details all 1,309 who have represented the club since we moved up from junior football to join the Middlesex League in 1970!

You can read about any or all of the 1,309 Northwood footballers here.

If you have any information or photos to add to this record, indeed if you have played for Northwood at any time (including prior to 1970), please email us at NFC.enquiries@gmail.com. We are particularly keen to add to our pre-1970 records!

1 June 2026