Saffron Walden Town F.C. is an
English football club based in
Saffron Walden,
Essex. The club are currently without a league after withdrawing from the
Eastern Counties League in August 2011. They play at Catons Lane.
History
The club was established as
Saffron Walden in 1872 and are the oldest senior football club in
Essex. They entered thev
FA Cup in
1876–77, but withdrew after being drawn against holders
Wanderers as they could not afford to travel. Two years later they made their first appearance, losing 5–0 to
Upton Park in the first round.
In 1882 the club were founder members of the
Essex County Football Association. In 1890 club secretary Arthur Smith, the headmaster of the local Boy's National School, negotiated an annual fee of £3 with Lord Braybrooke for the use of a piece of land in Loft's Lane; previously the club had played on the town common, but had been unable to charge spectators an entrance fee. The club reached the final of the Essex Junior Cup in 1894–94, but lost 3–0 to Barking Excelsior. In 1896–97 they reached the final again, beating
Leytonstone 6–1 in a replay.
In 1899 they entered the Haverhill and District League, which they won in 1907–08, 1922–23, 1923–24, 1928–29, 1929–30 and 1933–34. The club also entered the Stansted and District League, the
Cambridgeshire League and Hertfordshire and Essex Border League during the same era, winning the Stanstead & District League on...
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