It’s a momentous day as the CCFC women’s team take on Oakwood Ladies FC in the First Qualifying Round of the Women’s FA Cup.
Both clubs play at the same level – the seventh tier – and are part of the 190 clubs left in the competition and just 10 wins away from Wembley.
Formed in 2011 as Crawley Town Girls FC, they became Oakwood Ladies Football Club for the 16/17 season.
That year the Oakwood Ladies finished the season double winners of the Sussex County Women and Girls League and League Cup Champions.
2017/18 season saw the Oaks move up into South East Counties Women’s League, where they joined Division 1 West, finishing 4th in both their first and second seasons in the division.
2018/19 season saw Oakwood take part in the Women’s FA Cup for the first time in the club’s history.
They were knocked out at the preliminary stages to Islington Borough – a tough side in CCFC’s current division.
However, fast forward 8 months and they had their first cup final, finishing runners up to Lewes Development in the Chairman’s Cup.
This season they’ve got a 100% record, with a whopping average of six goals per game after two league games and that FA Cup win.
Oakwood manager Andy Parsons outlined his plan for the season:
I’m excited about developing the squad, building on last season’s successes. We always enjoy the FA Cup as it’s a great festival of football.
This season we are looking to continue developing our players and pushing to the next level, with the goal to gain promotion to the South East Counties Premier Division
Meanwhile Clapton CFC women’s team head coach Patrick McLaughlin said:
We reached this stage with an exciting 6-3 win vs Margate in the preliminaries, played in front of a huge crowd! We performed well and took control of the game after being pegged back to 1-1. Oakwood also had a big crowd in the last round and have started their season very well, with 6-1, 8-1 and 2-1 wins. We will need to be at our best if we are to progress to the next round.
Given they had over 200 supporters watch them win their first round cup game 6-1, the same day as 310 turned up to the Stray Dog, it might also mean that very rare sight at a CCFC game – some opposition fans.
If the game is level at 90 minutes, extra time would be played. Penalties would then follow if needed.
Match information
Entry as always is free, but we welcome donations, with a suggested £3 for waged adults.
We have a range of merch on sale as well as our matchday programme, priced £2.
The Stray Dog is about 20 minutes walk from Walthamstow Central station. Turn onto Hoe Street and follow the road all the way along (past the junction with The Bell Pub) until Chingford Lane. Continue past Sir George Monoux 6th Form College and take the first right onto Brookscroft Road then left onto Kitchener Road.
You can catch a bus along that route too. The 357, 34, 97, 215 will all take you to the top of Brookscroft Road from Walthamstow Central. It will take about 12 minutes.
There is also plenty of car parking space available at the ground.
We’re on the pitch just left as you enter the Wadham Lodge car park. Look out for the Stray Dog sign.
Clapton CFC vs Oakwood Ladies FC is on Sunday, September 22nd 2019 at 2pm, at ‘The Stray Dog’, Wadham Lodge Sports Ground, Kitchener Road, Walthamstow, E17 4JP.