Wivenhoe Town F.C. is an English football club based in Wivenhoe, Essex. The club are currently members of the and play at Broad Lane.
The club was established as Wivenhoe Rangers by Frank Slaughter and students from Colchester Grammar School in 1925. They joined the Brightlingsea & District League in 1929. After finishing third in 1929âÂÂ30 and second in 1931âÂÂ32, they won the league without losing a match in 1932âÂÂ33. They won the league again in 1936âÂÂ37, together with the League Challenge Cup, the League Knock-out Cup and the Amos Charity Cup, winning the final against Tollesbury 8âÂÂ1 in front of a record attendance of 1,500. The league title was won once more in 1947âÂÂ48, with the Knock-out Cup also won again.
They switched to the Colchester and East Essex League, winning the Premier Division in 1952âÂÂ53 as well as the League Challenge Cup. In 1955âÂÂ56 they won the league again, together with the Knock-Out Cup, and also reached the final of the Essex Junior Cup, losing 3âÂÂ2 to Heybridge Swifts.
After being relegated, the club returned to the Premier Division as Division One champions in 1959âÂÂ60, but were immediately relegated again, and later dropped into Division Two. In 1968âÂÂ69 they finished runners-up and returned to Division One. The following season they won the division and were promoted back to the Premier Division.
After finishing runners-up to Mersea Island in 1970âÂÂ71, the club were promoted to Division Two of the Essex & Suffolk Border League. They won the division in their first season, and also claimed the Division One title the following season. In 1974 the club were renamed Wivenhoe Town.
In 1977âÂÂ78 the club bought a carrot field on Broad Lane the outskirts of Wivenhoe for ã2,500 to move back to the town, having most recently been playing at the University of Essex in nearby Colchester. The following season they won the Premier Division, and were promoted to the Essex Senior League. After finishing runners-up three times in seven seasons, the club were promoted to Division Two North of the Isthmian League at the end of the 1985âÂÂ86 season. In 1987âÂÂ88 they won the title, and were promoted to Division One, also winning the Essex Senior Trophy.
In 1989âÂÂ90 the club won Division One, accumulating 100 points, and were promoted to the Premier Division. A new record attendance of 1,992 was set for the visit of Runcorn in the FA Trophy. In 1993âÂÂ94 the club experience financial difficulties, needing to raise ã150,000 to buy back the ground and finished bottom of the Premier Division and were relegated. A second successive relegation followed. In 2004 the club switched to the Division One East of the Southern League. In 2005âÂÂ06 they reached the play-off final, but lost 2âÂÂ1 to Stamford. The following season they were transferred back to Division One of the Isthmian League. In 2007âÂÂ08 they finished bottom of the league, and were relegated to the Premier Division of the Eastern Counties League.
During the 2008âÂÂ09 season former West Ham player Julian Dicks was appointed manager, but he resigned in June 2009. In 2009âÂÂ10 the club finished bottom of the Premier Division with only eight points, but avoided relegation after two clubs (Harwich & Parkeston and King's Lynn reserves) withdrew from the league and one club (Needham Market) were promoted. However, they were relegated to Division One at the end of the 2014âÂÂ15 season. The following season they won Division One and were promoted back to the Premier Division. However, in 2017âÂÂ18 Wivenhoe finished bottom of the Premier Division and were relegated to Division One South.
The club moved to their current home of Broad Lane in 1978, following time at a number of grounds, including Claude Watchman's Meadow, Vine Farm, Broomfield, Spion Kop and the King George V Playing Fields.