Uxbridge F.C.
The Uxbridge Football Club are a football club representing Uxbridge, based in Yiewsley, in the London Borough of Hillingdon, England. They were established in 1871 and are one of the oldest clubs in the South of England. They were founding members of the Southern League Division Two in 1894 and have reached the 2nd round of the FA Cup once; in the 1873–74 season. The club is affiliated to the Middlesex County Football Association and is a FA chartered standard club. They are currently members of the . History. Uxbridge Football Club was founded on 3 February 1871 in  an inaugural meeting attended by the Rev. T. S. Shepherd and local men, H. Heron, F. Heron, P. Aldworth, F. J. Smith, R. T. Smith, W. M. Gardiner, W. Fassnidge, E. White and P. White. The team started by playing friendly games until they made their debut in the FA Cup with a first round win over Gitanos at Uxbridge Common on 28 October 1873. Whilst playing for the club its captain Hubert Heron gained two full international caps as a forward for England in the 2nd and 3rd annual games against Scotland in March 1873 and March 1874. However , on 18 November 1874 the club was dissolved, '...brought about, not from any want of funds, but owing to disagreements amongst members, occasioned chiefly by the club being unable to engage in the contest for the Association Challenge Cup, ("1st round game on 7 November 1874 against Windsor Home Park F.C. which was scratched by Uxbridge") in consequence of a few of the members preferring to play for neighbouring clubs, rather than cast their lot with Uxbridge.' The club was reformed five years later in 1879. In 1886 Uxbridge FC amalgamated with Uxbridge Crescents, and played under this name in  the 1886–87 season, but changing back to Uxbridge the following season. The amalgamation also saw the club wear red shirts for the first time, which are still the colours worn today, and the nickname "The Reds" first used. The club became founder members of the Southern League in the 1894–95 season finishing in mid-table in Division Two. In the 1897–98 season they reached the final of the FA Amateur Cup, losing to Middlesbrough 2–0 at Crystal Palace. The club stayed in the Southern league until the end of the 1898–99 season, dropping out for financial reasons to join the  Middlesex Amateur League at the start of the 1899–00 season. However, they only survived a single season in the Middlesex league before folding with a debt of £75 19s 10d. After two years, and with the debt repaid, the club was restarted for the 1902–3 season. They joined the West Middlesex league, two seasons later they joined the Great Western Combination League and remained there until The Great War. After the First world War they joined the Athenian League in the 1919–20 season as Uxbridge Town. They finished second from bottom and were relegated to the Great Western Combination  League. The club returned to the Athenian League four seasons later and stayed in the league until the 1936–37 season when they failed to be re-elected after finishing bottom of the league twice. The club then moved to the Spartan League as Uxbridge F.C. and finished top of the league. However, they were denied the championship, as it was discovered the club had played an ineligible player, so they finished third when six points were deducted. The club then joined the London League the season afterwards and then rejoined the Great Western Combination League during World War II. By  1939 Uxbridge had played at seven home grounds since its establishment in 1871 and had been playing at the RAF Uxbridge stadium since 1923. With the coming of the war the team had to play away from home from the 1939–40 season while RAF Uxbridge conducted its historic role in the defence of the United Kingdom. After the war the club rejoined the London League in the 1945–46 season. Uxbridge returned to the R.A.F. Uxbridge stadium after six years on 11 May 1946 with a 3–0 win in a friendly game against Twickenham. In the 1946–47 season the club joined  the Corinthian League, opening with a 2–1 defeat at home against Eastbourne on 31 August 1946. However issues with the lease of their home ground had arisen. At the club's annual meeting on 23 July 1947, President of the club Mr W.S.Try reported that owing to preparations for the 1948 Olympic Games, the R.A.F. stadium would not be always available in the future and next season they would have to pay an increased price for each match there. A new home for Uxbridge was needed and on 17 September 1947 a large house called "Honeycroft" with 4.5 acres of  land in Cleveland Road, Cowley (today part of Brunel University) was bought at auction on behalf of the club for £5,800 by Mr Try. The new ground was named after the house, which became the club's main facility. The first home game at Honeycroft was against Yiewsley in the F.A Cup on 4 September 1948 which resulted in a 1–1 draw after extra time. The 1959–60 season was a particularly successful season with the club being champions of the Corinthian League. The club remained in the Corinthian league, until the end of the 1962–63 season, when as a  result of a restructuring of Non-league football the league was disbanded, and were placed in Division one of the Athenian League. At the end of the 1966–67 season the club was relegated to Division Two, which led to the club facing financial difficulties again and the ground was mortgaged, but they still continued and gained national prominence in 1976 when they met a full-strength England side at Wembley Stadium as part of World Cup preparations. The score: England 8 Uxbridge 0. In 1978 the club bought its current ground in Yiewsley and also called the ground "Honeycroft". The  club spent over £170,000 on ground improvements and a 1–1 draw with Arsenal in 1981 saw the official opening of the new floodlights. The 1981–82 season saw the club finish third in the Athenian League and achieve election into the Isthmian League. The club finished second in Division Two South in 1984–85 and gained promotion to Division One, where they remained for twenty years. The first season in Division One was good with the team finishing in 7th place and also reaching the 1st Round proper of the FA Trophy and the Final of the AC Delco Cup in  its inaugural year, losing 1–3 to Sutton United. Throughout this period of the late 1960s to late 1980s the club was managed by Ron Clack. He was followed by Peter Marshall for one season and Michael Harvey for three seasons. June 1992 saw George Talbot take to the helm as manager. He had joined Uxbridge as coach in August 1991 after being manager at Harefield . His first success in his 14-year tenure was winning the London Challenge Cup in 1994, when, after despatching Southall, Leyton Orient (at Brisbane Road) and Football Conference sides Dagenham & Redbridge and Welling United, the  club collected their first major trophy for 12 years. Three years later the London Challenge Cup was lifted again following victories over Collier Row & Romford, St. Albans City, Barking and Leyton Pennant by 1–0 in a final replay after a 3–3 draw at Fulham's Craven Cottage ground. A year later in 1998 the club reached the London Challenge Cup Final again and also the final of the Middlesex Senior Cup, losing to Boreham Wood and Enfield respectively. 1999 saw another appearance in the final of the London Challenge Cup, this time the club losing to Dulwich Hamlet after extra  time at Charlton Athletic's ground, and a year later the club made their fourth consecutive appearance in the London Challenge Cup Final, and this time the "Reds" gained their revenge over Dulwich Hamlet, with a 5–4 win on penalties following a 2–2 draw at Dagenham & Redbridge. 2001 saw the club lose their stranglehold on the London Challenge Cup but they were victorious in the Middlesex Senior Cup for the first time in 50 years as they defeated Isthmian Premier neighbours Harrow Borough. The 2003–04 season saw another cup final reached, resulting in a defeat to holders Hendon in the  Middlesex Senior Cup. The 2004–05 season, saw the club moved from the Isthmian league to the Southern league, in the Eastern Division. Their debut in the new league saw them finish in fourth place and a play-off competition for the final promotion place, which Uxbridge lost in the final on penalties at Maldon Town. Before the 2005–06 season the club installed a new floodlighting system (up to Football Conference standard). However a lower than expected 14th position in the league that season resulted in the departure of George Talbot. Former Uxbridge player and Northwood manager Tony Choules was appointed  as George Talbot's successor for the 2006–07 season. Under his stewardship the club reached the Southern League Division One South & West Play-off final in the 2007–08 season where they lost to Oxford City 1–0. The club switched to Division One Central in the Southern League at the start of the 2010–11 season and in the 2011–12 season they finished Fourth qualifying for the Play-offs, but lost 2–1 to Bedworth United in the semi-final. There was success in cup competition with the club winning back to back Middlesex Charity Cup's in 2013 and 2014 and winning  it again in 2019. In the 2018–2019 season the club joined the Isthmian League Division One South Central. After thirteen years in charge of the club, Choules stepped aside in May 2019. His replacement was former Chalfont St Peter boss Danny Edwards. Ground. Uxbridge play their games at Honeycroft, Horton Road, Yiewsley. The ground used to be a former works Sports & Social Club, and was named "Honeycroft" after their former ground in Cowley. It has been designated as a 'C' Grade stadium. Ground history. 1871–72 to 1883-84 - Uxbridge F.C. and from 1874, Uxbridge Crescent F.C. play home games on  Uxbridge Common. 1884–85 to 1885-86 - Uxbridge Common and 'Mr Light's Meadow/Field', Uxbridge. Mr Light's Field is thought to be where the Rockingham Recreation Ground is today as reference is made to the 'Waterworks end'. 1886-87 - The amalgamated team is called Uxbridge Crescent for one season. In October home games are played at 'Mr Light's Field'. Later games refer to the 'Uxbridge Football ground' which is likely to be the same location. 1887–88 to 1989-90 - 'Uxbridge Football ground' 1890–91 to 1899-00 - Colne Farm ground, Uxbridge Moor 1900–01 to 1901-02 - Club dissolved due  to debt 1902–03 to 1903-04 - Colne Farm ground, Uxbridge Moor 1904–05 to 1914-15 - Hillingdon House Park ground 1915–16 to 1917-18 - First World War 1918–19 to 1921-22 - Cottage ground, Cowley Road, Cowley 1922-23 - Denham Road ground, Lodge Farm 1923–24 to 1938-39 - RAF Uxbridge Central Sports Ground 1939–40 to 1945-46 - Second World War - some games played at Yiewsley F.C.'s Evelyns Stadium. Most games played away from home 1946–47 to 1947-48 - RAF Uxbridge Central Sports Ground 1948–49 to 1977-78 - Honeycroft, Cleveland Road, Cowley 1978–79 to Present - Honeycroft, Horton Road, Yiewsley Players. First team  squad. Source: Uxbridge F.C.