NEWS reaches the Oxonian this week that Witney Town are hoping to rise again. It’s about time, and the Oxford football scene needs a strong club in Witney, especially one with such a long history.
Witney are one of the oldest of the county’s senior clubs. Oxford City (1882) and Thame United (1883) pipped them, before they were formed in 1885. Headington United (1893), Didcot Town (1907), North Leigh (1908) and eventually the stragglers over at Banbury United (1931) joined the Oxon football community.
Witney were ‘The Blanketmen’. The River Windrush’s fine waters gave the blankets made in the town an extra lustre. There were five major factories producing blankets at one time with Early’s, not living up to their name, the last to close their doors in 2002.
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The football club had plenty of yarns of its own (get used to it, this will be a weekly punfest).
They initially played in the Oxfordshire County Senior League and produced one of the finest amateur full backs of that era, Herbert Smith, who won a gold medal in the 1908 Olympics as part of the Great Britain team.
They became founder members of the Hellenic League in 1953 and won it eight times before they joined the Southern League in 1973, and then the Alliance Premier League.
Maybe their most famous former player is local boy David Moss, who went on to enjoy a good career with Luton Town and was part of the coaching staff when Oxford United won the Milk Cup in 1986.
But, Man United hero Bill Foulkes and OUFC legends Ron Atkinson, John Shuker and Peter Foley all had spells coaching the Blanketmen. I saw Pete the other day. He could definitely use a new rug.
However, by the start of 1992 they had left Marriotts Close and moved to the edge of the town to a purpose-built new ground. It was a nice place and the team did just fine, but the club started to struggle off the pitch and in 2001, they ceased to exist.
Fans formed Witney United and they did remarkably well, considering there was no ground, team or manager initially. They focused on local players and a community spirit, and in 2011 reverted to their historic name of Witney Town.
Sadly, the off-field problems resurfaced, and in 2013 the club folded, seemingly forever. For a town the size of Witney to have no senior football club for over ten years is shocking.
But now there is light at the end of the tunnel. The town itself is growing and thriving, and new boss Ben Reardon has been charged doing the same thing for its football club. Local players and a community spirit will be the name of the game once again.
I think everyone wishes the club well, but if you live in the Witney area, love your football and want to be in with something that can only grow then why not get involved? Be in at the start. Lay your blanket on the ground.
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