Walthamstow Avenue Football Club was an English football club based in Walthamstow in London. Based at Green Pond Road, they played in dark and light blue hooped shirts, and light blue shorts. The club was established in 1900, and was one of the most successful amateur clubs in the country during the 1950s. The club ceased to exist in 1988 when it merged with Leytonstone/Ilford, who later became Redbridge Forest and merged with Dagenham to form Dagenham and Redbridge. They have since been revived as an amateur football club, currently playing in the Sunday Essex Corinthian League.
Founded in 1900, the club joined Division Two of the London League in 1901, but left at the end of the season. In 1929 they joined the Athenian League and won the league in their first season. In 1930âÂÂ31 they reached the first round of the FA Cup for the first time, losing 5âÂÂ1 at home to Watford. The club won back-to-back titles in 1932âÂÂ33 and 1933âÂÂ34, and in 1936-37 defeated Football League opposition in the FA Cup for the first time, beating Northampton Town 6âÂÂ1 in the first round, before losing 3âÂÂ2 to Exeter City in the second round. The following season they won the Athenian League title for a fourth time, before retaining it the following season.
After World War II the club switched to the Isthmian League, and were its first post-war champions in the 1945âÂÂ46 season. In 1951âÂÂ52 they won the FA Amateur Cup, defeating Leyton 2âÂÂ1 in the final. They won the league again in 1952âÂÂ53, a season in which they also reached the fourth round of the FA Cup. Entering at the first round stage as a reward for winning the Amateur Cup the previous season, they defeated Wimbledon in the first round, Watford in a second round replay, and Stockport County in the third round, becoming the first amateur club to reach the fourth round for 24 years. Drawn away to Old Trafford, they held Manchester United to a 1âÂÂ1 draw, before losing the replay, which was moved to Highbury, 5âÂÂ2.
The following season saw the club defeat Gillingham in the first round of the FA Cup before losing to Ipswich Town in a second round replay. In 1954âÂÂ55 they won their third and final Isthmian League title, and also reached the second round of the FA Cup again after defeating QPR in a second replay in the first round, the last time they defeated a Football League club. In 1960âÂÂ61 the club won the Amateur Cup, defeating West Auckland Town 2âÂÂ1 in the final.
In 1986âÂÂ87 the club finished bottom of the Premier Division of the Isthmian League, and were relegated to Division One. The 1987âÂÂ88 was the club's last one, with the club merging into Leytonstone/Ilford, who were later renamed Redbridge Forest.
A modern-day Walthamstow Avenue, registered as Walthamstow Avenue 2000, was formed on what would have been the original Walthamstow Avenue's centenary anniversary in 2000. Playing at Town Mead in Waltham Abbey, they competed in the London County League for three seasons, before switching to the Middlesex County Football League for the 2003âÂÂ04 season. In 2005 they merged with Walthamstow Pennant (founded in 2002, and themselves a revival of a team that merged with Leyton in 1995) to form Walthamstow Avenue & Pennant. The new club merged with Mauritius Sports in 2007 to form Mauritius Sports & Pennant. Since the previous revival, Walthamstow Avenue has been revived as an Amateur Sunday League side based in Leyton.
The club's colours were light and dark blue hoops.
Athenian League
1. Players that have played/managed in the Football League or any foreign equivalent to this level (i.e. fully professional league).<br /> 2. Players with full international caps.<br /> 3. Players that hold a club record.