FINCHAMPSTEAD ROAD:
A TRIBUTE

To hear a sound snippet from the last day at Finch Rd click here

Finchampsted Road is the home of the great Wokingham Town FC; no longer.
In July this ground will be redeveloped after the club was forced to sell the site to pay off short term loans. Developers will turn the hallowed turf into a mass of houses, road and gardens to help our cash strapped club. This was brought about after the club amassed over half a million pounds in debt since the beginning of the nineties. During the 1988/89 season Town very nearly clinched the Premier league title, ground improvements were needed if they were to get promotion to the Conference. It was decided at the time to risk making the nesscercary improvements and work began on a stand, seating and terracing.This proved ten times more expensive as the club anticipated as problems were experienced during construction and it was from here that the financial difficulties began. Loans were taken out to pay for the extra work and this spiraled into a crisis in the following years, culminating in the bailiffs knocking on the door on more than one occasion. The descsion was taken to sell the town centre location ground to pay off the debts and to build a new ground on cheaper land on the edge of town. However all has not gone to plan as no site has been found for a new stadium and Town may have to undertake an expensive ground sharing agreement with a local Ryman club until a new ground is built. This may leave the club with not enough money to buy the land for a ground let alone build a stadium, fans are worried. The end of the 1998/99 season also sees the end of our ground, Wokingham v Bedford on the 2nd May 1999 will be the last two teams to grace the pitch.

v Abingdon, last game of 97/98 season.
Over 90 years of history will be lost in one fall swoop, a part of every Wokingham fan going with it. Town moved to Finch Road in 1906 after moving between Oxford Rd, Wellington Rd, and Langborough Rd in the previous years. A new grandstand was opened in 1939 in front of 900 people against Chelsea and in 1966 the floodlights were installed. In its current state it is a class A ground that can house Premier division football. The grandstand remains on one side of the ground together with the bar and dugouts, the opposite side has an impressive covered terracing and seating area, not forgetting the tea bar. The railway station end has uncovered terracing behind the goal and the club shop raised above at the back, the other end has no stand of any description.

I'm sure that all Town fans have fond memories of the ground and I would like to hear what they are. Whether it be a certain game, incident, season or moment at the ground it will live with us forever. I only really started supporting Town properly 2/3 years ago so due to our slow demise over this period I don't have an enormous amount of good memories to draw upon. I always liked the big games myself with the big crowds. Being part of the Band I always like to make noise and have a bit of banter with the opposing supporters. My favourite times at Finch Rd was the F.A Trophy match v Woking in January 1997. Around 1500 colourfully clad Woking fans turned up and Wokingham held their own against the high flying Conference side and were unlucky to go down 1-0. If only Andy Gray had put away that great chance in the second half to bring us level. But perhaps my favourite game at Finch Rd was the game against top of the league Aldershot on Easter monday 1998. Town were fighting against relegation and The 'Shots' were going for the title. Although we went down 3-0 Town enjoyed their loudest and best support for recent years. 30 Wokingham fans out sung 1500 Aldershot supporters and the atmosphere was brilliant.

I would like to hear from any Wokingham fans about there Finch Rd stories and perhaps any other non-league supporters who have been to the ground. All stories will be added to this page and will remain here forever in tribute to this wonderful ground. Email your thoughts to Chris Atkins at chrisquinze@hotmail.com 


In and around Finch Rd



 

Memories of Town Fans : 
Memories, like the ones we used to know.
A supporter of Wokingham Town football club since the days of my youth, I
am now a university student and my support of the mighty Town only
took on a new meaning as a member of the Wokingham band in the last three
years. Unfortunately this has not seen W.T.F.C. in it's prime, and has
instead been dominated with financial difficulties, boardroom mix-ups, and
subsequently a poor standard of football. However, I have my own memories
of special performances at Finchampstead Road.
Obviously, the greatest moments for the band were shared when there were
crowds to play to. The Woking game saw a packed ground and a superb
atmosphere. Undoubtedly, the game was hard fought and we were unlucky not
to get anything out of the game, but just to see a non-league ground
filled, almost has a better atmosphere than the average Premiership games.
I felt I was part not only part of the crowd but part of the game at
Finch.Rd. especially when Aldershot visited us near the end of our
relegation season last year. Aldershot were in a way our rivals although
financially and skillfully they outclassed. But to see so many Aldershot
fans get out sung by the Wokingham band for much of the game, emphasized the
spirit of Wokingham Town Football club.
Earlier that year I had got tickets to see England v. Cameroon at Wembley,
and to get there in time for an evening kick-off, I had to leave
Finchampstead Road at half-time. The comparison could then be made. At the
Town game, we could watch OUR team play and feel that our presence along
with the drum, trumpet and cowbell, could be felt. At Wembley, I could
shout till I was blue in the face and Shearer wouldn't bat an eyelid. There
is something about being able to touch the goal net, chat with the linesman
and attempt to annoy the opposition's keeper that gave Finchampstead Road
it's appeal for me.

.Mark Bradley 


When Bar manager and ex-player Kevin Merryweather was asked about his Finch Rd memories he remembered his playing days most vividly. Although he only made 12 appearances on the hallowed turf he says he will never forget his game against Aldershot Town when he got sent off 7 minutes after coming on as a substitute. He was booked after 2 minutes and then was sent off by famous referee Phillip Don 5 minutes later. Kevin also went on to talk about the most famous players to have graced the Finch Rd pitch. Pat Jennings, Tony McIlvoy, Vinny Jones, Kenny Samson, Stan Collymore, Andy Townsend, and many more. Here's a picture of movie star Vinny Jones playing for Chelsea against Town in a preseason friendly in the early nineties :
 

I have been a supporter of WTFC for over 46 years.  I remember one game in the 50's where we played at home to Haywrads Heath, they had the great Ronnie Rooke of Arsenal playing for them. We were 4-0 down at half time, pulled level at 4-4, then Ronnie Rooke scored from 40 yards out beating Town keeper John Runnacles to win 5-4. Afterwards the entire team went to the Ritz cinema only to find young members of WTFC waiting outside for autographs. I also remember in the 60's we played at home to Cheshunt in the last game of the season, needing a win to avoid relegation. We were winning 2-1 with about 5 mins left when Cheshunt equalised. With Town supporters leaving the ground absolutely dejected, we scored with virtually the last kick of the game to win 3-2.

Terry Morris


Most memorable game : V Cardiff City F.A Cup 1st round, early 80's, great game, 1-1, a replay (lost 3-0), crowd approx 4,000 +, crowd trouble, game stopped for 10 minutes, Roy Merrywheather tried to restore calm by walking onto the pitch and addressing everyone with a megaphone !  Other memorable games : Slough at home 1988/98, the year we nearly made it to the conference. V Hendon last game of the season to decide between us and Slough for the title. 0-0 as I remember, Slough won anyway so it was academic.

Bill Kerry


Speaking of the last game at Finch Rd V Bedford :

' This is one of the saddest days of my life. After working for and supporting the club for 41 years, to think it has come to this. Although the directors won't agree, I believe the club cannot return to the town. Still I have some wonderful memories of a once great club. '

Nene Nott

Having followed the club for 30 years, since moving to Wokingham, I've seen many memorable games and goals. But being a season ticket holder at Reading I have to divide my loyalties between the two, a football league team and my own local non-league club. Having seen Elm Park's final game against Norwich, I shall be here today supporting the Town. Whilst it was sad to see Elm Park knocked down, the prospect of watching Reading at the Madejski stadium was a new era of greater times ahead. Today I feel sad as although we are playing at Stag Meadow for three seasons, I can't ever see the team returning to the Town.

David Johnson (Scores)

An Ode to Finch Road

     Finch Road is the home,
     To the Wokingham Football Team
     It has that special something,
     of which others can only dream.

     It may not be a spectacle,
     it may not be a sight,
     but Finch Road is the home,
     it makes me feel just right.

     You can hear the cheer for miles around,
     when the amber and black appear,
     the crowd will shout and leap about,
     it fills their players with fear,

     Memories of our Finch Road,
     we always will remember,
     for this day now, till that day then,
     it will never be forgetten.

Edward Balch

I reckon Bobby Purser's goal against Hayes (can't remember the year) but it must have
been in the early 90's.
It was 0-0 with only a few minutes to go and Bobby (the left back) hit a screamer from 35
yards which ended up stuck in the triangular stanchion of the net.For a split second
nobody realised he had scored.

All the best to WTFC

From an exiled fan in Northampton

You have to include the Wokingham town win against Barton Rovers at
home where we won 4-1 or 4-0.  This game is special as it was Matty
Miller's first hat-trick for the club.  Also there was the famous win
against Grays in the cup where Andy Gray scored a screeaaaaameerrrr.
 

That is my contribution to the high's and the lows for WTFC

Adam Murphy