Back on the road once again! Saturday afternoon will see Sheldon Baptiste’s team visit Wargrave, hoping to bounce back after our last outing in the TVPL, which saw AFC Winkfield claim all three points after a dramatic comeback from 2-0 down.
Our opposition will be looking to continue their run of form, following an impressive 3-0 victory over Woodcote away at the Woodcote Recreation Ground.
ABOUT THE OPPOSITION
In the 1989/90 campaign, Wargrave FC earned the title of champions in Division Three of the Reading League Kennet, enabling them to participate in Division Two in the following season. They gained promotion once again in the 1991/92 season, but were unfortunately relegated in 1995.
The 2001/02 campaign saw The Grave narrowly miss the title due to goal difference, however they were able to be promoted to Division One.
The next five seasons saw Wargrave frequently transfer divisions, moving between Divisions Four, Three and Two, until gaining promotion back into Division One in 2010/11.
In 2014, the Reading League was re-established as the Thames Valley Premier League, in which Wargrave participated in Division Two. Three seasons later, the Grave were relegated despite earning fifth place in the table, and dropped to Division Three.
That same season, in the 2017/18 campaign Wargrave earned automatic promotion back into Division Two, and were subsequently promoted again the next season as winners of Division Two, earning their spot back in Division One.
Following the return of football after the pandemic, Wargrave were promoted into the Premier Division in 2020/21. Last season saw Wargrave continue their impressive form, placing runners up behind title-winners Westwood Wanderers, with only a point separating the sides.
Currently, The Grave sit in eighth position, winning four games in seven, having earned twelve points.
HEAD-TO-HEAD
This won’t be the first meeting between our two sides, with the most recent tie ending in a 3-0 loss away from home, back in February of this year. Two back-to-back fixtures finished with an identical scoreline of 4-1 to The Grave, despite occurring in two different campaigns.
Our Under 23s are yet to take away any points from fixtures against The Grave, but there’s always a chance…
LAST FIVE MEETINGS
3-0 Away Loss – 17/02/24
4-1 Home Loss – 06/01/24
4-1 Home Loss – 08/04/23
1-0 Away Loss – 24/09/22
3-2 Away Loss – 05/02/22
Key Information: There will be no admission fees for this fixture.
ADDRESS: EAST PARK FARM #2, CHARVIL, READING RG10 9TY – 2pm Kick-Off
Directions:
By Car: Follow A329 and A4 to Park Ln in Charvil
Head south on A329
Slight left to stay on A329
Turn right onto Watlington St/A329
Slight left onto London Rd/A4
At Sutton Seeds Roundabout, take the 2nd exit and stay on London Rd/A4
At the roundabout, take the 3rd exit and stay on London Rd/A4
At the roundabout, take the 5th exit onto Bath Rd/London Rd/A4
At the roundabout, take the 2nd exit onto Bath Rd/A4
At the roundabout, take the 3rd exit onto Old Bath Rd/A3032
Follow Park Ln to E Park Farm Dr
At the roundabout, take the 2nd exit onto Park Ln
Continue down Park Ln and the ground should be on your left.
By Rail and Bus: Take the Great Western Railway Train, which runs from Reading towards London Paddington, and disembark at Twyford. The ground will be a half an hour walk from the station near East Park Farm Drive.
Alternatively, taking the Elizabeth Line towards Abbey Wood will decrease the time, however it features more changes. Once on the train, disembark at Twyford and walk six minutes until reaching the 850 Bus Stop for Reading Town Centre, Friar Street. Disembark at Chiltern Drive, and the ground is a ten minute walk away from the stop.
