Saturday is annual Non League Day. The purpose of Non League Day is to raise awareness of the game being played outside the Football League. The date is chosen to coincide with an International break so Premier League and Championship clubs are not playing. It is hoped that supporters of these clubs will take in a local Non League game, perhaps for the first time.

It's an excellent idea and potentially a great opportunity for clubs to connect with new football fans in their local area. Many clubs hosting games on Non League Day make a special effort to promote their games in a bid to increase attendances.

It is more difficult for teams playing away on Non League Day to get the direct benefits, and this season, that includes The Blues. It is a quirk of fate that this is our 4th consecutive away fixture on Non League Day. Of the last 10 Non League Days, Grays have only had 3 home games and these were against, with all due respect, opposition that failed to capture the imagination. Hopefully next year the fixture list will be considerably kinder and give us a tasty home game on Non League Day, one that we can actively promote locally with confidence.

In the meantime, let's hope "The Stow" get the dividend of a bumper crowd on Saturday and there is a great atmosphere for our clash.

Of course we also have our special Community Day on 29th March to look forward to, when we host Witham Town.

Past Meetings Between the Teams

We met at the EMR stadium the Saturday before Christmas, when it seems Grays were handing out early presents. A 4-0 loss was a low point in our season. Goals from Tayo Oyebola, Bilal Sayoud and ex Blues, Jordan Peart and Callum Ibe eased Stow to a comfortable win. This was a repeat of the score from the corresponding fixture last season.

However, our games at Walthamstow's Wadham Lodge ground have been much closer. In the league last season the game ended 1-1. Damaray Anyadike scored for Stow with an absolute screamer, before David Knight's late free kick squirmed through the goalkeeper's grasp to earn The Blues a much needed point.
Earlier this season, Grays won a Velocity Trophy tie at Wadham Lodge. Luke Hirst with an 8th minute header gave Grays a lead that was held until an 98th minute equaliser from Ali Njie. The game went to penalties and Grays prevailed 4-2.

Our head to head with the current Walthamstow FC stands at P4 W1 D1 L2

Our history with the current Walthamstow FC is as straightforward as the past with their predecessors is complicated.
The club are not, as you may think, descended from the famous Walthamstow Avenue. Indeed, Stow's predecessors go all the way back to 1868, with the formation of Leyton FC. After the First World War, Leyton moved to the Hare and Hounds ground off the Lea Bridge Road. A merger with Wingate FC in the 1970's heralded a period of success with the Athenian League title won twice.
During this period, Leyton Wingate FC were regular opponents of The Blues in both the Athenian and Isthmian Leagues and many supporters will have memories of games between the clubs at the Hare and Hounds (anyone else remember the stretcher fiasco?)

Wingate merged with Finchley in the 1990's, leaving the club as Leyton FC once more. A merger with Walthamstow Pennant to create Leyton Pennant FC, led to a move to Wadham Lodge in 1995. Another name change to Waltham Forest FC took place in 2003 and there was another ground move, this time sharing with Ilford FC from 2008-2013. A return to Wadham Lodge was followed by a name change to Walthamstow FC in 2018. Phew!

Our head to head record versus Waltham Forest is P16 W9 D2 L5.

Walthamstow won the Essex Senior League in 2021/22 and returned to Step 4 in the Southern League Midland Division, where they made the play offs in their first season. A switch to the Isthmian North took place for the 2023/24 season which saw Walthamstow finish just outside the play offs, in 6th place.

Walthamstow's manager is former player, Vinny Murphy, who took the reins in December 2023. Vinny is assisted by his brother, Tony.

Walthamstow's Season So Far

This season has seen Walthamstow overcome a surprisingly slow start to climb the table. They lie in 7th place with 56 points from 34 games and therefore 10 points behind 5th placed Brightlingsea Regent.

In Cup competitions, Stow had some tough draws to overcome and did not make the progress they would have hoped for. A good win against big spending Essex Senior League outfit, Saffron Walden Town in the F.A.Cup was followed by a loss away to Gorleston. We knocked them out of the Velocity Trophy at the first hurdle and they lost in the 1st Qualifying Round of the FA Trophy to a team on the rise in the Southern Leagues in the form of Real Bedford. Finally they lost their first match in the Essex Senior Cup to Step 2 Aveley.

Recent Form

Stow's recent form has been a bit inconsistent, with 8 points from their last 6 games. They have lost their last 2 home games to Brightlingsea Regent and Wroxham but earned a point away at Sporting Bengal in their last game thanks to a goalless draw.
Grays recent form is much improved. The last four games have earned 10 points, with two away wins under the lights at Concord Rangers and Ipswich Wanderers either side of a fine win at home against Cambridge City. As a result The Blues are now 12th and in a lot more comfortable position than 2 weeks ago.

It seems confidence and self belief are returning, but there are a number of injuries to contend with other absences and the squad is being fully stretched. But Tuesday's performance at Ipswich Wanderers showed just what is possible.

Players Who Have Played For Both Clubs

There should be a host of number of familiar names in Walthamstow 's squad on Saturday. Former Blues, Jordan Peart, Malaki Toussaint, Callum Ibe, and Jared Small could all feature. Lamar Johnson and Sully Zuhdu have also recently turned out for The Stow and may be in their squad too. Ade Cole and Brian Moses have also represented The Stow earlier this season.

There have been many more players who have represented both Grays Athletic and Walthamstow, or one of their predecessors. There are too many to list here, but I will highlight one, who became a Grays legend despite playing only one season for us.

Dwight Marshall signed for us for the 1990/91 season, after playing for Leyton Wingate. The Jamaican born forward had pace to burn, terrific close control and an eye for goal. Dwight played 56 times for The Blues, scoring 24 goals. At the end of that season, he moved to Plymouth Argyle where he was an immediate success scoring in 3 of his first 4 league games including a goal at St James's Park, Newcastle. Plymouth suffered relegation but Dwight was their top scorer with 14 league goals.
Dwight was comparatively late to professional football, but enjoyed a fine League career both with the Pilgrims and Luton Town, before returning to the Non league game, including a spell at Leyton Pennant.

Another notable connection is in the form of the last Grays manager to take us to a championship and promotion. Hakan Hayrettin managed Waltham Forest for 3 years between 2003 and 2006 before two years in charge of The Blues, masterminding the Isthmian North title win in 2012/13, before departing to join the management team at Luton Town. Hak has since managed Braintree Town, Maidstone United and Dulwich Hamlet.

Getting There

Wadham Lodge's post code is E17 4JP

By car, take the A406 North Circular to the junction with the A112, signposted Walthamstow and Chingford. Take the slip road to the roundabout and the first exit on the A112 heading South. Shortly after Dog and Duck pub, turn left into Brookscroft Road. Take a further left at the end of Brookscroft Road into Kitchener Road and the ground and car park are on the right.

Please note the ground is within the ULEZ Zone. If you are not sure whether you have to pay ULEZ, please check first by using the Transport for London website.

By public transport, the easiest way is to head for Walthamstow Central underground station on the Victoria Line. From here the ground is just over a mile away. If you wish to take the bus, numerous services run from outside Walthamstow's Central Station, up the A112, including 34, 97, 215 and 357. The nearest stop is just before the Brookscroft Road junction.

The Weaver Line (i.e. Chingford Line) out of Liverpool Street also stops at Walthamstow Central, with the next stop at Wood Street being slightly closer to the Ground. There have been weekend engineering works on this line recently, so please check before travelling.