HISTORY OF FOOTBALL IN NORTHWOOD 1899-1926
Researched and written by Ken Green
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 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. 1903-04 when they were promoted to the first division. The team photo above is from 1905.
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 scored again to level the tie “amidst great excitement”. Unfortunately, Northwood lost 0-4 in the replay when there were three more penalties!
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, whose team was: 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 Ducks 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 comes along…..
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.
The war ended on 11 November 1918, so the first season afterwards for local football was 1919-20, and a new Northwood Football Club were formed in just five weeks from early August, and they were able to enter two teams into the Harrow & District League. The club “tendered most hearty thanks to the residents of Northwood for their monetary assistance, and good wishes, which enabled them to form a brand new club in the short space of time”. Mr W. Weller was club president, Mr Fountain, chairman and Mr L Faint secretary. However, in their first game, on 13 September 1919, they lost 1-7 away to No. 4 Stores Depot. Harrow St Peter’s were beaten 4-2 in the first game at Northwood Recreation Ground a week later, but then followed a series of reverses. The season saw the new Northwood FC finish eighth of 12 clubs, whilst the second team were also eighth, of ten teams.
At the same time, another club was formed in the town, named Northwood United, and they competed in Division 2 of the Harrow League, alongside Northwood Reserves. Mr E. H. Parramore was United’s secretary. However, they struggled all season, finishing in last place in the table – and then agreed to merge the club into Northwood FC at the annual meeting.
Northwood had a fine start to the 1920-21 season, winning 12 of their first 13 league games, including a 5-1 defeat of Ruislip Manor at the Rec, J. Milton scoring four and S. Tilbury getting the other; the team was: L. Faint, C. West, R. Allen, P. Osbourne, F. Arnold, W. Allen, S. Tilbury, P. Barr, W. Barr, J. Milton, G. Beckford. Northwood slipped to only their second defeat of the season on 26th March, to Alperton, but that was the first of six successive losses that saw the side slip from top to fifth in the final table.
1920-21 saw the launch of another team in the town, the church side Emmanuel Northwood, who acquired a pitch on Moor Park Road, Northwood, and entered into Division 2 of the Harrow & District League. They finished the season 9th of 13 clubs – four places and 13 points behind Northwood’s second team.
Northwood had prospects of not having a pitch to play on when in the summer of 1921 the Council decided to close the Recreation Ground to football teams. Fortunately, they reversed that decision in mid-August and players and officials worked rapidly to bring the area into order; the club made their headquarters and dressing room at the Northwood Men’s Club – something of a trek to the pitch! The club also said that “the old warrior, W. Allen, has again signed, this being his twenty-first year of football”. Three of the Northwood men – Beckford, H. Parramore and G. Green – had trials with Queen’s Park Rangers during the summer.
They started with a 2-1 home win against Stanmore Athletic in mid-September, W. Barr and A. Wrights scoring for Northwood, whose team was: H. Parramore, H. Butler, G. Green, J Cook, C. West, F. Arnold (capt.), T. Saunderson, J. Elworthy, W. Barr, A. Wright, H. King. The best win of the season, 8-0, came a week later against Wembley Brigade Old Boys, W. Barr getting a hat-trick. Northwood enjoyed a steady campaign, finishing fifth in the table.
A highlight came in the inaugural Northwood War Memorial Charity Cup, in which Northwood defeated Harrow St Mary’s, Rickmansworth and Wealdstone Rangers to reach the final at Northwood Recreation Ground on Easter Monday. The Rec was closed by permission of the Council so that an admission of men 6d, boys 3d (no mention of females!) could be charged – and “fully 1,000 souls” paid to watch Northwood beat Hamilton’s Wealdstone 1-0! The Rickmansworth & District brass band “had kept the crowd entertained with several selections”. Northwood’s team in that match was: E.H. Parramore, C. West. G. Walden, J. Cook, J. Wright, F. Arnold, P. Barr, W. Barr, F. Nicholls, A. Wright, Ratcliffe. The cup was in later years known as the Northwood & Pinner Hospital Cup, won a few times by the present club under the names of Northwood United and Northwood.
However, at the end of February 1922, Northwood had an important league fixture away to Wembley Institute, and after a hard-fought match with disputed decisions, Northwood lost 2-1 despite a goal from C. Green. At the final whistle there was mayhem and “abuse in the air” from the Northwood players. The club was charged by the Middlesex Football Association, the referee saying that he had been strongly sworn at by two players. C. West and G. Green. At the hearing both players denied swearing, and when asked if the referee was lying, they replied, “He must be.” Club secretary Leslie Faint was asked if he had heard any bad language, and he said: “No.” However the referee was believed, and the two players were suspended for the rest of the season. Additionally, the whole Northwood club was suspended for two weeks from 1st April 1922.
As a result of the suspension, Northwood were unable to play Roxeth & Harrow Old Boys on 1st April and lost the points. The club were annoyed at the Harrow League’s response, so much so that during the close season they pulled out of the league after the Annual General Meeting, and gained election to the Uxbridge & District League Premier Division for 1922-23. Amongst their opponents in the new league were Harefield, later to merge with Breakspear Rovers to form Harefield United. It wasn’t a good season – Northwood lost 2-7 at home to Botwell Mission in their first game, whilst in Uxbridge Division 1, the reserves opened by losing 0-9 to Tickler’s Works. The first team managed just two wins all season, versus Iver Unity and Steel Barrel Works, and finished second bottom, whilst the reserves won seven games for 14 points and were placed 7th.
1923-24 proved to be a disaster for Northwood FC; the reserves struggled for players from the start, and pulled out of their division in January. Meanwhile, the first team gained zero points all season, losing every fixture until they lost 0-7 away to Yiewsley reserves on 1 March, and they were unable to field a side for the remaining games – all of which were marked as a defeat but recorded nevertheless as 0-0 in the table. That was the end of the second club named Northwood FC, leaving Emmanuel Northwood and Holy Trinity Northwood in the Harrow & District League to represent the town.
