Horncastle Town - The Wong

Horncastle Town FC

The Wong

Horncastle

Lincolnshire

LN9 6EB

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Ground Number: 1333
Friday 16th August 2024
Horncastle Town 1-2 Ruston Sports
Lincolnshire League Premier

HORNCASTLE TOWN FC - A BRIEF HISTORY

Horncastle Town FC was established in 1879, replacing Horncastle FC who represented the town between 1866 and 1873.  They mainly played in the Boston & District League although won the Lincoln League in 1980. Not all of the Boston & District League details have been preserved. Highlights included finishing as runners-up to Fishtoft in 1995 and Coningsby in 1996. After the latter, they were accepted into the Lincolnshire League where they remain to this day. They struggled at first and indeed in recent years but have achieved a 3rd place finish in 2006, 2007 & 2015. The club's original colours were cerise and French grey, changed in 1886 to Lincoln green with a gridiron badge. In the 1990s the club changed to the town's corporate colours of red and white.

The club first entered the FA Cup in 1885. They were drawn to place Middlesbrough in the first round, with Boro having chosen to take home advantage. Horncastle suggested playing in Sheffield, because of the cost in transport, which Boro refused; Horncastle therefore withdrew. In 1886-87 however the club went on its best-ever Cup run. In the first round, the club beat Darlington in front of 2,000 fans. The Lincolnshire Chronicle stated the match was "the very best‐bar none‐we have ever witnessed on the Wong" but the Northern Echo, bemoaning two disallowed Darlington goals and complaining the first Town goal had cleared the bar, stated The game was of a very rough character and did not excite much interest.”. On the 5th February 1887, they were beaten 5-0 by eventual winners of the competition, Aston Villa in the last sixteen of the competition. Horncastle played in the FA Vase for the only time in 2019, losing 2-0 to Newark & Sherwood United.

Charity matches have always played a big part in the club's history. In 1967 a Horncastle Town side played an All Stars XI for the Aberfan Disaster Appeal. The All-Stars team contained David Herd, who was playing for Lincoln City at the time; he scored in the 1963 FA Cup Final for Manchester United. In 1985 the club organised a charity match of past and present Town players for the Bradford City Fire Appeal, raising a substantial sum. A vintage year for local cup wins was 1925 when the club won the Horncastle Cup, the Horncastle Hospital Cup, the Fermay Cup, the East Coast Cup, the Soames Cup, the Cusworth Cup, the Louth Hospital Cup and the Isthmian Cup. Other wins include the Lincolnshire County Senior B Cup in 2005, two Hotchkin Cups and the Willoughby Cup in 1950.

The ground's unusual name of The Wong is a Scandinavian term for pasture or common land and used to be owned by the Manor of Horncastle until it was given to the people by Edward Stanhope MP. There are still sheep and cattle pens that were used in the beast fairs. It is located on the south side of town near Cagthorpe. Horncastle is a market town in the East Lindsey district in Lincolnshire. It is 17 miles east of Lincoln and has a population of just over 7,000. The Lunn Poly travel agency founder, Sir Henry Lunn, was from Horncastle. Horncastle was once a centre for cockfighting and bull-baiting. The Fighting Cocks remains the name of a local pub. Bull-baiting was practised in the area known as the Bull Ring. One historian finds that the practice continued until about 1810. Both these sports were banned in England and Wales under the Cruelty to Animals Act of 1835. Horncastle Canal, based on the River Bain, took ten years to establish and opened in 1802. In 2004 it was suggested that the canal be renovated with the help of private capital and promoted as a route for pleasure craft, as has been done successfully in other areas. A local kick-start programme raised money for the project. The town's cricket club at Coronation Walk has two men's and five youth teams.

MY VISIT

For over three years now, Colin has been asking me to come up and stay at his parents and do a Friday night game. The only problem was, it was a very remote part of Lincolnshire. The favourite would be the likes of Skegness Town or Cleethorpes Town who had two teams with Reserve sides in the Lincolnshire League. However, the fixture schedulers refused to play ball and never moved any games to a Friday night. The ideal candidate turned out to be Horncastle Town, however, there had been two misses. First, in 2022 they had a Friendly against Boston United, however, this was one of the very rare occasions Colin volunteered to work. Then, last year, I suggested their opening game of the season against Lincoln Moorlands Railway. I asked Colin over a week in advance but he didn't give me an answer until the day before - by which time I had booked a coach to Leeds to watch Yorkshire Amateur. Funnily enough, I met fellow hopper Terry there, who had originally put the idea of Horncastle in my head, saying it was a nice club and town to visit. Finally, the opportunity came along this season and for once, it was Colin with his large amount of leisure time who spotted it. Arrangments were out in place to do the game, with the FA Cup game between Cleethorpes Town & Quorn. Sadly there was no morning game, but it would be a nice day out by the seaside before a drive back home.

Wednesday was fine at work and I breezed through, doing research for the weekend in the evening. Thursday was a slog though, a long shift and I was sick and tired of the place and having to work so often. Friday was another busy day, but at least I got out on time and had something to look forward to. Colin let me know he wouldn't be ready until 2.30 but I didn't mind the extra time at home. It gave me time to have a relaxed lunch and sort out my washing. In the end, it was 3 before we left. The journey started hideously with the M1 being clogged. We then had mixed roads up to Lincolnshire. Stopping in Spalding for some well priced petrol, we were stuck behind a slow driver in a Land Rover all the way to Horncastle. It was a relief to get to the ground at 7. After getting a drink and a club branded cup in the bar, we headed to Mermaid Fisheries for dinner. Fishcake and chips were £4.30 with the fishcake being superb. Horncastle was a lovely little town from the the small part that we saw. It was back to the ground well on time for kickoff.

Last season, Horncastle Town finished 15th and Ruston Sports 3rd. It showed with the visitors dominating possession. They struck the post with a free kick and forced the home keeper into a good save as the half came to a close. On 55 minutes, they finally went ahead, a cross from the right was headed home at the back post. The visitors continued to dominate but on the break, Horncastle equalised with a close range finish. The hosts then had a dominant spell. However, it was Ruston who got the late winner with a sweeping move and a finish from inside the area. Horncastle went in search of an equaliser and forced a good save out of the Ruston keeper. They also had one cleared off the line before the referee blew for an injury.  The full-time whistle blew and that was that. We stopped at the Co-Op on the way to Colin's parents, arriving just after 10.30.

THE GROUND

THE WONG is a superb step 7 venue. The parking is plentiful and the bar offers a pleasant place for a drink, though personally I'd get rid of Inch's cider in favour of something dryer. Nevertheless, prices are decent and fair. Basic snacks are also available. The town is a short walk away and the Mermaid chippy is decent, there are pubs and other takeaways also. The ground itself is a decent railed pitch, and there is cover via the clubhouse overhang.