Photo shows:
Left to Right
Reg Master, Scotty Vos, Peter Heyden, John Jenkins, Jim Rillistone, Alan Richardson
? Anthony Vos, Tim Masters, Time Warwick, Clive Rillstone, David Richardson, John Richardson
David Jenkins, Adam Smethurst, Paul Wells, Robin Worthington, Paul Downing, Andrew Lloyd
Jack Smethurst
Memories of Chorleywood Youth Football
“When it started the boys were excited to play together rather than compete. Nets were bolted into the ground and we sat in big sports bags to keep warm. Later on Adam Anthony, John Richardson and I won the county cup for The Gate“ Adam Smethurst
“We changed and left kit in a big drain pipe at the Swillett in winter! . A lot of us are still friends. My fellow winger, Mark Duce, was my best man“ Paul Downing
“The District Council let the Club use Chorleywood House Grounds persuaded by Peter Heyden’s correspondence and Pepe (Jose Vazquez) putting a word in with Lady Lewis at her 100 birthday party.”
“Peter Heyden was a force to be reckoned with and wrote very good letters!” Pepe
” At the end of January when the daffs started to appear they had to stop playing on the small Chorleywood House pitch and move to Newlands Park.!” Sue Reid
“The new field was challenging. It had been used to train horses for eventing and dressage. We had a large oak tree in the middle, a deep pit from an old water jump, a cinder menage area the size of a tennis court, and large uneven areas full of docks and stones not to mention invasions from moles and a carrion crow that flipped the turf. New pitches were marked out using Pythagorus for right angles and at the end of the summer we dug narrow 18 inch deep holes to secure goal posts – a nightmare with a rock hard clay/chalk soil full of flints.” Ean Reid
“Anthony Poppleton played in goal. The whole family and dog would come to support and dad John would yell at him. I looked forward to matches so much, so simple. Great days.” Jack Smethurst
“We had no equipment.. Malcolm Bennett and I would pick up everything needed for the six a side up on a Friday and went to Maple Cross for goals. We sometimes slept in the hut as security for the gear and borrowed an alsation from Alison at the kennels as our guard dog !‘
We borrowed tables from the Scouts, chairs from the church and the Council would supply ropes. “ John Woodbridge
“When we first had pitches if it poured with rain we wouldn’t play the next day. Now they drain very well – most people say we have best pitches in league ‘“John Woodbridge
“ “I remember helping with a series of “Fun runs” on the Common on New Year’s Day, to raise funds for the club and the changing rooms. Although it was a fun run we attracted quite a few good local runners and there was always a good turn out and some quite reasonable prizes donated from local businesses. The better runners found that it was a good way for working off the surfeit of food consumed over the Christmas period. Parents were very involved, Mothers washed kits and provided sustenance on match days. “ Denys Downing
“St Clement Danes had a Ladies’ team coming over from America .. they didn’t have a pitch so they came and used ours.”
“We were always raising money – we had car boot sales, quiz nights, race nights in the Memorial Hall and bingo in the Swillett Hall. Mums used to run Sunday morning canteens for home teams which made a fair bit of money.” Gwen Woodbridge
“ A 10 ft Septic tank delivered to the original Clubhouse was stolen on the first night.”
“ When the first area of the meadow was turfed an April heatwave dried it up and a mishap with a water pipe in the field disconnected water in neighbouring cottages”
“We had a caravan from St Andrew’s which had been used for New Wine and became a changing room. Roy Latchford and I towed by tractor from Quickley Lane, up Lower Road and got stuck under the railway bridge – half a dozen people helped shunt it backwards and forwards to get it free!” John Woodbridge
“I love the photo of the opening of the new pavilion with my Dad Ray Sewell in his sheepskin with Luther Blissett and John Mclelland in the background, both international footballers in their day! Alex Sewell
“ Pepe would gee up the team from the sidelines shouting
‘You playa like senoritas” or “Issa not siesta time!’ Once the goal keeper got his boots tied up in the net and fell over” Terry Lloyd
“Ean Reid dressed up as a city gent in one fun run and I served sherry – it was cold!” Pepe
“We built a BBQ for the first 7 a side and cooked 700 burgers. The boys often came to The Peppermill and once Luther Blissett stayed from 12 – 6pm talking to everybody.” Suzanne Vazquez
“ 2007/8/ were great years, we were awarded the FA Charter Standard, the U18 Green team won the Herts County Cup, (the confident opposition turned up in special suits) and we opened a Sat morning soccer school” Clifton Melvin
“ CCYFC is still a fantastic facility but needs constant financial support. Although subscriptions meet the costs like leasing, training, match balls and kit, groundsmen, goalposts and replacing nets ( nibbled by badgers and foxes), the first 40 year old clubhouse needs a refurb – I always think we need SOS builders to come in and all those builders that work in Chorleywood would come and help ” Erica Bendall
“ Our May tournament is really a youth football festival with 144 teams some coming from as far as Welwyn and Luton. Youth football is about young people playing sport in the right spirit and not on their XBox!” Guy Allen
TIMELINE
1900s
*Adult Chorleywood FC played on the Common but after lads throw an ‘unsatisfactory’ referee in the nearest pond had to re-form as Chorleywood Common FC
1970s
* Chorleywood Cub Scout packs play football and show enthusiasm and skill
* Peter Heyden starts an u12 football team (1974) with John Jenkins so boys in the three Chorleywood Cub packs can carry on playing. They were initially called the Eagles then later Chorleywood Minors
* First ground is at Swillett Playing Field where boys change/ store kit in an abandoned sewage pipe
* Combined senior and junior club form (‘76) with aim of acquiring a Chorleywood site. Heyden chairs Committee
* Boys change in working men’s club opposite The Stag (late 70s)
* Martin Wrigley becomes president and stays for 25 years
1980s – Early 90s
* Club move from Swillett when a small pitch by public tennis courts in CW House grounds is provided by Three Rivers District Council .Play has to stop when daffodil shoots appear (c’81/’82)
* First small fun run in CW House Grounds raises £800
* 5 ½ acre field leased. (’84)
* First rough pitch cut by hover mowers (Feb 85) so play can start.
* Ray Sewell becomes Chairman of Youth Football Club
* Club sets up group under Denys Downing to organise New Year’s Day Fun Runs on the Common. First raises £5000 and this, plus a £20,000 grant from the Parish Council means a Clubhouse can be built and work started on the field
* Substantial work carried out to convert horse field into football pitches
* 10 ft Septic tank delivered to Clubhouse is stolen on first night
* First area of the meadow is turfed but April heat wave dries it up Mishap with Water pipe in field disconnects water in neighbouring cottages.
* Senior Club folds ( c’87) due to lack of team to run it
* First six a side summer tournament (still runs)
* Charity status gained
* Club starts u10 and u11 teams and provides training for younger boys and girls – Club now runs 7 teams
1990s
* Club grows.. Fundraising continues
2000 – Today
2001
* Clubhouse size doubled, made possible by a generous donation of £20,000 by Martin Wrigley and officially opened by former Watford and England manager, Graham Taylor (he died in Jan 17).
2007
* Awarded the FA Charter Standard
2008
* Saturday morning soccer school starts
* U18 Green team became first club winners of the Herts County Cup
2016
* Club awarded Charter Standard Community Club status by FA.
* Girls’ skills sessions set up
* Two girls teams set up u11 Pumas and u12 Tigers . More players needed
* Fundraising for further modernisation of Clubhouse
* 5 year plan set which includes an u21 squad but issue is pitch space