Westwood Wanderers will this week bid to win the first of what could be three trophies this season.
The Thames Valley Premier League leaders take on Great Missenden in the Berks & Bucks FA’s Charles Twelftree Trophy final at Slough’s Arbour Park on Thursday (13th, ko 7.45pm).
As well as that competition, they are in a good position to retain the Premier Division title and they are also through to the quarter-finals of the Berkshire Trophy Centre Senior Cup.
The happy Wanderers are in tremendous form, remaining unbeaten in 16 league and cup games.
Maidenhead Town are looking their main rivals in the Premier Division race – they still have to play each other again – and it is Town who are also their next opponents in the BTC Cup, with the home tie scheduled for April 5th.
Westwood’s title hopes received a boost last Saturday when they won 3-1 at Burghfield, while Maidenhead, who were the early season leaders, could only draw 1-1 at Henley. This leaves a seven-point gap between the title contenders, with Town having two games in hand.
Antony Stokes, the club’s chairman and long-time volunteer, gives a great deal of credit for Westwood’s success to player/manager Devonn Reid.
“He came in two seasons ago and won the league in his first season,” Stokes said. “He has been fantastic in getting the team together and getting the best out of them. The players he brought to strengthen the
team have done well.
“We’ve got a good team; all the boys are working hard. They’ve got us to the top of the table, but there are still a lot of games to be played, and there are tough challenges ahead of us.
“We are not getting carried away; we only take one game at a time.”
County Cup Final: Westwood Wanderers vs Great Missenden
This week, it is the cup final, and they don’t come much bigger than that for the club who will be bidding to lift the trophy for the second time, the last occasion being in 2010 when they were Westwood
United.
The form book shows why they will go to Arbour Park as favourites.
Having replaced Maidenhead Town, they have sat proudly at the summit of the Thames Valley Premier League table for quite some time. They have been beaten only twice, and both came last September against Maidenhead Town and Woodcote, 3-4 and 1-4 respectively.
In the semi-finals of the Twelftree Trophy, they inflicted a sensational 8-0 defeat on Stoke Mandeville, the Aylesbury & District League’s unbeaten leaders, with their leading marksman, Harrison Luffrum, netting a hat-trick.
Great Missenden, who beat Finchampstead 1-0 in the other semi-final, are four places and 14 points behind Stoke Mandeville, although they still have eight games remaining.
But Wanderers are taking nothing for granted, with Stokes stating: “One-off cup ties don’t always go to form. It all depends on the day and who turns up and gets things right, both physically and mentally.
“Hopefully, the boys can go out and make it count. We will need to play at our best.
“As always, we will try to play to the best of our ability and strengths. If we do, then I am confident we will do well in the game.”
Stokes revealed the club have ambitions to move up to Step 6, and follow the path of Windsor & Eton, who finished third behind Westwood in the TVPL last season and are now well on their way to winning Division One of the Cherry Red Records Combined Counties League at their first attempt.
Windsor & Eton, however, are fortunate enough to have Stag Meadow, one of the best-equipped grounds at their level in their league.
Westwood are privileged to have the use of Denefield School’s pitch in Tilehurst which offers excellent facilities but does not meet Step 6 requirements.
“It will mean us finding a ground which we can use as there are a lot of restrictions at this level,” said chairman Stokes.
“It would also mean us having to bring more money into the club as it becomes a different ball game. We will need more backing than we have at present.
“We want the chance to test ourselves at the highest level we can.”
The club, founded in 1972, is an FA Charter Club and boasts a huge junior section offering coaching and matches for around 400 youngsters.
Stokes, who has managed teams from under-7 up to under-16 and is one of many volunteers, added: “It’s hard work but it is all worthwhile.
It is great to see how the club has grown over the years.
“The boys are doing a great job on the field, and the committee and volunteers are doing a great job off the field. Long may that continue.”
