Wilberfoss
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Wilberfoss
FOOTBALL CLUB
W
ilberfoss AFC was
originally
formed
in 1917, playing
only friendlies in the early years, but
disbanded through the war years, before
being reformed in 1946. Originally
known as Wilberfoss Athletic, the team
joined the local York Football league in
the early fifties spending most of the
time alternating between Division’s 2
and 3.
Brian Walker, the current first team
manager, has been involved with the
club since he moved into the village
with his family in 1983. During that
time he has been involved as a player,
player manager, manager /secretary,
and groundsman. When he retired from
playing, he took over as manager and his
target was to take the club into the York
Premier Division, something which he
achieved in the 2007/2008 season, then
deciding to retire at the top.
22 Issue 65
However the last few years saw
a decline in fortunes for the club and
Brian was asked to take up the reigns
again and this year Wilberfoss took the
3rd Division by storm and ended up as
Champions, without a league defeat all
season, winning 17 and drawing 1 of
their 18 league games.
Wilberfoss AFC has grown from
having just one team, into a Charter
Standard Development
Community
Club fielding two Senior Saturday teams,
a girls U15s team and junior sides from
mini’s under 7s , U9s, U10s and U11s,
and have just reformed the U19s boys
team.
Indeed without the vision of former
Ipswich, Newcastle and Celtic player
Alex Mathie, who along with Bill Carter
helped form the junior section Wilberfoss
Mavericks, then many of the current
senior players would have been lost
to the club, and be playing elsewhere.
Wilberfoss now has a conveyor belt of
players coming through the junior ranks,
making a swift transition into the senior
teams.
The club has spent around £120k on
refurbishing their Storking Lane Ground
over the last few seasons (with grants
from the Sports Foundation and advice
from the FA), and can now boast one of
the best village sporting facilities in the
York and District Football league.
A lot of Wilberfoss AFC’s success
would not be achievable without the
help of the players, supporters and their
sponsors, all of whom are made up from
local people and business’. The football
club appreciates their commitment and
the club plays a big part in the local
community providing sport for all.
Current Secretary Brian Walker took
the time to tell us more about the club
saying, “I have been involved with the
club from 1983, when I moved my