THIS WEEKEND’S MATCH PREVIEW –WITHAM TOWN (HOME)

It’s a maiden Isthmian League welcome to Champion Hill for this afternoon’s visitors from Essex, Witham Town.

Christmas Day may but a few sleeps away but unless the fat man with the beard is taking time off from workshop and his underpaid elves, Dulwich Hamlet will have to fight for their Yuletide gifts against a team battling hard to stay out of the jaws of the relegation frog fight.

Following promotion as playoff winners Witham seemed to have settled into a comfortable mid-table slot, never truly outclassed even against the big boys of the league like Maidstone and Margate, whilst battling all the way to the last qualifying round of the FA Cup before being squeezed out of the competition by Conference South side Weston-Super-Mare courtesy of Brad Stopher’s unfortunate own goal.

A thumping 4-1 win over seemingly doomed Bury Town helped solidify the Town’s position in the middle of the pack. However recent back-to-back defeats in the space of three days away to Essex rivals, first Grays Athletic (0-4) then AFC Hornchurch (1-2), have seem the maw of trapdoor creek open a little wider. The tension was eased with a battling 3-2 victory at home to Hampton & Richmond with striker Jamie Guy bagging a brace. However the goal scoring hero was one of half-a-dozen absentees for the midweek jaunt to the South Coast, a SIX hour round trip. Though the “stand-ins” gave a valiant display they were ultimately unrewarded for their efforts as their hosts built up a four goal advantage before the half hour, going on to win 5-2. The result left Witham just two points shy of the relegation places in 19th spot.

Historically Witham can lay claim to being an early hotbed of football with teams organised some years become the Laws of the Game were laid down in 1863 by the Football Association. Indeed in the season of Dulwich’s formation (1893-1894), the original Town team, known as the “Red Herrings” reached the final of the first Essex Junior Cup. Unfortunately the advent of the Great War in 1914 was to curtail the club’s activities. Two days after war broke out the entire team enlisted in the 5th Battalion of the Essex Regiment. One wonders how many survived the hell of the Western Front to see the club reformed when hostilities ceased four years.

Witham reformed in July 1919, winning the Braintree and District League championship in 1920/21 and 1924/25 as well as the Essex Shield Division Two in 1925/26. The formation of works team by Crittalls Windows, the town’s largest employer threatened the existence of Town so much that they disbanded for four years. However reforming again in July 1933, they joined the Chelmsford and Mid Essex League (later the Mid-Essex League) and were Division Three champions in 1935/36 but once more a World War intervened with the team disbanded again.

The club was reformed again after the war and re-joined the Mid-Essex League. Though they ground as little more than a cow pasture and the changing rooms a barn they won back-to-back promotions lifting the Division Three title in 1947/48 and Division Two the following season. They won the Premier Division cup in 1949/50, but following a dispute with the league over a match played in snowy conditions, the club tendered their resignation and switched to the South Essex League in 1952. They won that league in 1955/56, before stepping up to intermediate football, joining the Essex & Suffolk Border League in 1958. They won the ESBL in 1964/65 and 1970/71, as well as the League Cup in 1965/66.

In 1971 they were founder members of the Essex Senior League, and were its inaugural champions, pipping Billericay to the title by a single point. They won that league again in 1985/86 and after finishing as runners-up the following season, were promoted to Division Two North of the Isthmian League in 1987. They remained in Division Two until being relegated to Division Three in 2000, which was renamed Division Two in 2002. After finishing as runners-up in 2005/06 they were promoted to Division One North, where they remained until finishing second from bottom in 2008/09, and being relegated back to the Essex Senior League. The only bright spot came of 2009 came when former player Olly Murs won the X Factor, a popular televisual talent show.

Regrouping in the ESL, a first unsuccessful tilt at the title was followed by a golden season on the way to the Championship, last won in 1986, and a return to the Ryman. As well as the league, Witham won the League Cup, Gordon Brasted Memorial Trophy and the Tolleshunt D’Arcy Cup and remained unbeaten away in the league. Striker Billy Hunt also secured the Don Douglas Trophy by becoming the league’s top scorer, with Rob Whitnell and John Watson coming second and third highest league scorers as well.

Play off defeat at the hands of Thamesmead Town in their first season back in the Isthmian only served to steel the Town for the campaign to come. The Division One North title seemed there for the taking but on the Long March to the silverware they were overtaken in the final throes by VCD and had to settle for the play-offs once more. This time there was to be no heartache with Needham Market beaten in the semis and Harlow Town tonked in the final 3-0 as Witham reached the apogee of their long footballing history, a place in the Ryman Premier Division for the first time.

Tomorrow’s game kicks off at 3.00 pm at Champion Hill Stadium, Edgar Kail Way, East Dulwich, London SE22 8BD.

The turnstiles will be open from approximately 12.30 pm with refreshment facilities available in the ground for early arrivals. As a very healthy crowd is expected, why not avoid the late rush and relax. Before the game enjoy a drink or snack in our cosy clubhouse with live sport on the big screens, conveniently situated just a short walk from the turnstiles?

ADMISSION PRICES

• £10 for Adults
• £4 for Concessions (Seniors - 60+, Under 18s, Unemployed (UB40, Full Time Students and Members of the Armed Forces and Blue Light Services. PLEASE present valid ID)
• Under 12s FREE accompanied by a paying adult.

Correct change would be appreciated in order to speed admission. Many thanks and Merry Christmas!

Programmes: £2.00