Saturday 29th March 2025 ko 14:00

Oxfordshire Senior League Division Two

WITNEY TOWN 5 (Oliver 22 Morton 63 76 86 Holloway-Carney 90+3)

BLETCHINGTON 1 (Simpson 37)

Att 88 at Witney ATP, Gordon Way

Entry & Programme- By Donation

You could argue this is Witney Town’s third incarnation. The first played Witney Town played at Marriotts Close, got as far as the Southern League, moved to Oakey Park later renamed Marriotts Stadium in 1992, but were controversially folded by chairman Brian Constable in 2001. A phoenix club, Witney United were formed and based at Marriotts Stadium and entered the Hellenic League in 2002. They renamed themselves Witney Town in 2011, but debts saw the club liquidated in 2013.

Back in the days of the Witney & District Hop I felt Witney Town, almost as the unspoken, unseen elephant in the room. At various times we passed by Marriotts Close now a shopping centre, and Marriotts Stadium now a housing development and even though we’d visited the latter on a Hellenic Hop it seemed odd that we were watching local league football, but several of those clubs at the time could claim to be the biggest club in Witney.

That situation seems to be changing. A new Witney Town was founded in March 2024 and quickly entered into the Oxon Senior League. At that time I did question why not the more geographically straightforward Witney & District, and the answer gives you the reason why off-pyramid leagues are finding life tough. The Senior League gives, as Town see it, a direct route to firstly Senior football, then the Hellenic League.

The biggest stumbling block to that will be their current home. Town have done a superb job in making Witney ATP home, but it’s not ideal for spectators , and the pitch is too small for the Premier division of the OSL. In the long term the club are reasonably confident that the Town Council will build them a suitable home, but in the short term the club may have to groundshare to progress.

The two nearest suitable grounds would be Clanfield 85 and North Leigh. I should declare an indirect interest in the latter, my sister Liz and her husband Russ are on committee there. In both instances there seems to be little interest in welcoming Witney, even though North Leigh are financially distressed. You can understand why, the risk from their perspective is the village club being swallowed up by the club from the Town. And from a Witney perspective the whole idea is a club by Witney IN Witney.

But while there’s a potential sunset clause on Witney ATP, the club are being built up the right way. There’s a strong community focus, and everywhere you look there’s someone well known in local football circles. I have to mention my old friend Darrell Fisher. I don’t want to think about the miles we clocked up traipsing around England and Wales ( and once in Scotland!) following Oxford United. He’s part of the reason Liz and Russ are together and until recently was one of Oxford United’s photographers. His photos are on the programme cover and on the website; it’s very much Oxford United’s loss is Witney Town’s gain.

Speaking of Oxford United, I didn’t expect to see Chris Allen playing! He’s old enough to have played for the U’s at the Manor Ground before a transfer to Nottingham Forest. He’s coached back at Oxford, and managed North Leigh too. The list seems to be endless, did I mention Andy Caton, latterly of sw!ndon town, but also ex North Leigh, and son of former Arsenal defender Tommy? I could go on…

The game saw Town pitched against another revived team- Bletchington, or Bletchingdon depending on which way you drive into the village! Both sides were lacking key players, but Witney were clearly the fitter team, and that does include the 52 year old left back and after a close first half, ran away with the tie after the break.

Town went on to win the division, and are clearly a club going places. There are questions on where the club will eventually put down roots, and much will depend on local councillors seeing the bigger picture. Come to think of it, I can think of another club in the county in a similar position!