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Although this is the 100th year that we have been competing the in the Surrey Senior Cup, Colliers Wood United have been in existence for a lot longer and re one of the oldest clubs in the country having been in existence for 148 years. This was recognised by the FA in 2011 when they presented The Wood with an award celebrating 125 years of playing football. Indeed, there is a wall memorial at the Surrey FA headquarters in Dorking acknowledging The Wood as the second oldest senior football club in Surrey, after Reigate Priory, having been formed in 1874.
The early years of their existence were spent in the Wimbledon and Sutton leagues before moving on to the Surrey Intermediate League (Southern Division). During the late sixties and early seventies, the club were members of the Surrey Senior League for a short time, playing in the newly formed division one where they won the league title in 1969/70. Over the years, “The Wood” have reached a number of Surrey FA Cup Finals. In 1988/89 they lost 1-2 to Bradbank Sports in the Intermediate Cup Final. In 1991/92 they beat Woking & Horsell 4-0 in the final of the same competition. The reserves reached the final of the 1988/89 and 1989/90 Lower Junior Cup but were beaten on both occasions.
2001/2 saw the club enter the Surrey County Senior League where they finished 5th and were runners up for the following season. When the Surrey County Senior League merged with the Combined Counties League in 2002/3 The Wood became founders members of the new Division 1 and finished runners in it’s inaugural season, securing promotion to the Premier Division for 2003/4.
In 2005/6 they finished fourth and had a fine FA Vase run, beating Chichester City United, Raynes Park Vale and Greenwich Borough, before losing to VCD Athletic in the 2nd round proper. In 2006/7 they entered the FA Cup for the first time, defeating Chipstead after a replay before succumbing to Worthing 0-3 .
The Wood moved to their current home, The Wibbandune Sports Ground, in 1991. In more recent times The Wood briefly ground shared at Croydon FC while ground improvements took place which included the addition of flood-lights, a new covered terrace and a 120 seat stand. In March 2012, the club added a new away team changing room and re-laid the entire playing surface including drainage thanks to a £71,000 grant from the Football Association.
In 2011/12 The Wood reached the final of the Combined Counties League Cup v Guernsey FC in front of 667 spectators. However, they lost 0-2 after extra time, becoming the first club to keep a 90 minute clean sheet against The Islanders that season. Following a second renovation of the pitch in April 2012, the club returned to the Wibbandune in July 2013.
In 2014/15, The Wood reached the FA Vase 4th round (last 32 nationally) and the Surrey Senior Cup quarter finals for the first time in their history. They reached the final of the League Cup once again that same season but, once again, they lost in extra time, this time 1-2 to Camberley Town. On March 8th 2016, the club were awarded the FA Charter Standard accreditation by the Football Association and in 2017/18 they reached the Surrey FA Senior Cup quarter finals for only the second time in their history but were lost 0-6 to Dorking Wanderers first team.
We have never met Colliers Wood United in a competitive fixture before so this will be a first for both clubs. However, there has been one player who has worn the colours of both clubs in recent times, midfielder Harold Odamatey. Harold put in some superb performances in the Robins midfield in 2014/15 before joining Tommy Williams at Kingstonian in the summer of 2015 where he won the Isthmian League Cup in April 2016.
Tickets available at: https://www.carshaltonathletic.co.uk/tickets
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