Didcot Town FC
Loop Meadow Stadium
Bowmont Water
Didcot
Didcot
Oxfordshire
OX11 7GA
01235 813138
OX11 7GA
01235 813138
Ground Number: 134
Wednesday 30th January 2008
Didcot Town 0-1 Wycombe Wanderers
Wednesday 30th January 2008
Didcot Town 0-1 Wycombe Wanderers
Bucks and Berks Cup 2nd Round
DIDCOT TOWN FC - A BRIEF HISTORY
Perhaps the club's finest hour was winning the FA Vase in 2005. Carterton Town, Abingdon United, East Preston, Gosport Borough, Ledbury Town, Colne, Bury Town and Jarrow Roofing were beaten to get to the final. With future Wycombe striker Stuart Beavon in attack, they beat AFC Sudbury 3-2 in the final at Tottenham Hotspur. The FA Cup 4th Qualifying Round was reached in 2012/13 but it was a bit of an anti-climax as they lost 1-0 at home to Arlesey Town, losing out on a plum tie against Coventry City in the process. Didcot put that right in 2015 beating Wantage Town, VCD Athletic, Northwood, Eastbourne Town and Brentwood Town in the Qualifying Rounds before facing Exeter City in the 1st Round. Although they lost 3-0, they attracted their record crowd of 2,707. They've also twice reached the FA Trophy 1st Qualifying Round twice, taking Forest Green Rovers to a replay in 2015. Local cups won include eleven Hellenic League Cups of various flavours, the Hungerford Cup in 1998, the Reading Mercury Cup in 1979, the Didcot Festival Cup in 1958 and the Dale Roberts Memorial Cup in 2017. Links with Wycombe Wanderers include Stuart Beavon, Uche Ikpeazu and Josh Mulvany. Other famous players to play for the side include Alan Judge and Joey Beauchamp.
Up until 1999, Didcot played at their old ground, Station Road. This was around a mile walk from their current home and the other side of the railway tracks to where they play now. The town of Didcot is located in Oxfordshire though was originally in Berkshire until the boundaries were changed in 1974. The club still plays in the Berks & Bucks Cup. Today the town is known for the railway museum and power stations. The Great Western Railway, engineered by Isambard Kingdom Brunel, reached Didcot in 1839. In 1844 the Brunel-designed Didcot station was opened. The station helped the town grow exponentially and was renamed by British Rail in 1985 to Didcot Parkway. Didcot is the birthplace of former Reading and Oxford United manager Maurice Evans and one of Reading's most-capped football players Jerry Williams.
DIDCOT TOWN FC - A BRIEF HISTORY
The club was established in 1907. They spent much of their early years in local leagues, such as the North Berks, Metropolitan and Reading Leagues with them winning the latter in 1936. Didcot Town joined the Hellenic League as founder members in 1953 and apart from a short break, they were members for over 50 years. They were champions in the inaugural season but following an unsuccessful six-year hiatus in the Metropolitan League from 1957 - 1963, they returned to an expanded competition. Finishes were generally decent but in 1976, Didcot were relegated from the Premier Division but won Division 1 at the first time of asking. Another spell in the lower tier came between 1985 & 1987 with the team winning promotion back after finishing 3rd behind Bishops Cleeve and Cheltenham Town Reserves. Relegated again in 1993, Didcot had the worst finish in their history in 1994, finishing 15th in Division 1.
Despite only finishing 10th the following year, they were restored to the Premier Division due to having floodlights installed, Despite a difficult first season back in 1996 when they finished second-bottom, things soon improved. In 2005 Didcot Town finished as runners-up to Highworth Town, they were only denied the title due to the deduction of one point for fielding an ineligible player in a 1–1 draw at Tuffley Rovers at the start of the season. The following season they claimed the league title for the second time, becoming the first team in Hellenic League history to accrue 100 points in a season, and were thus promoted to the Southern League D1 South & West. In 2009 the club finished 5th and won promotion through the playoffs beating Windsor & Eton and AFC Totton. 2010 saw a best-ever finish of 15th in the Premier Division but they'd survive for just one more season. 2018 saw a 6th place finish but defeat in the playoff semis to Wimborne Town. A 3rd place finish in 2023 saw a third shot at the playoffs and Walthamstow & Ware were beaten to seal promotion. Didcot Town spent last season in the Premier Division but were relegated back to Division 1 South.
Perhaps the club's finest hour was winning the FA Vase in 2005. Carterton Town, Abingdon United, East Preston, Gosport Borough, Ledbury Town, Colne, Bury Town and Jarrow Roofing were beaten to get to the final. With future Wycombe striker Stuart Beavon in attack, they beat AFC Sudbury 3-2 in the final at Tottenham Hotspur. The FA Cup 4th Qualifying Round was reached in 2012/13 but it was a bit of an anti-climax as they lost 1-0 at home to Arlesey Town, losing out on a plum tie against Coventry City in the process. Didcot put that right in 2015 beating Wantage Town, VCD Athletic, Northwood, Eastbourne Town and Brentwood Town in the Qualifying Rounds before facing Exeter City in the 1st Round. Although they lost 3-0, they attracted their record crowd of 2,707. They've also twice reached the FA Trophy 1st Qualifying Round twice, taking Forest Green Rovers to a replay in 2015. Local cups won include eleven Hellenic League Cups of various flavours, the Hungerford Cup in 1998, the Reading Mercury Cup in 1979, the Didcot Festival Cup in 1958 and the Dale Roberts Memorial Cup in 2017. Links with Wycombe Wanderers include Stuart Beavon, Uche Ikpeazu and Josh Mulvany. Other famous players to play for the side include Alan Judge and Joey Beauchamp.
MY FIRST VISIT
This report first appeared on my 'Chairboys Forever' blog which chronicled my 2007/08 season when I watched every single Wycombe game, a feat that lasted seven years. Regretfully I deleted it when starting this blog.
Wycombe’s last chance of cup glory this season came on this night, albeit the Reserve team. A young Wycombe side travelled to the N-Power Loop Meadow ground, home of Didcot Town. The hosts, going well in the BGB Division 1 South & West featured former Wycombe youth team player Josh Mulvaney and were sure to provide a decent test for Wycombe. Wycombe, the winners of the Bucks & Berks Cup a record 26 times welcomed back Mike Williamson after a lengthy injury lay-off, Jamie Young also getting back his match fitness playing in goal. Others on the fringes of the first team that played were Sam Stockley, Chris Palmer, Andre Boucaud & George Daly.
On a cold night, an uneventful game was won by the head of Tom Cadmore. The young defender was in the right place at the right time, to connect with an excellent Chris Palmer cross. Palmer, the man of the match by a long chalk looked dangerous all night and Wycombe should have had more. A trip to Milton Keynes is Wycombe’s reward, who are now just one game away from their 4th consecutive final. The winners of the Windsor & Eton V Chesham Semi Final will play whoever comes out on top in our semi-final.
VISIT 2: ARDLEY U 2-0 ASCOT U (BLUEFIN CUP FINAL 2015)
With not much else on the Bank Holiday Monday, and with fellow hopper Anwar yet to visit Didcot, I suggested to him that we go to the Bluefin Cup Final at Loop Meadow. I was happy to do this as I had yet to pick up a programme from this venue, having not been bothered about them before I started groundhopping. Ardley United were a team I had seen in pre-season as they drew 1-1 with Oxford City in a highly entertaining game. They were unlucky not to win and the season that followed produced a decent 8th-placed finish in the Hellenic Premier. To reach this final they had won 2-1 at basement club Cheltenham Saracens, won 6-1 at Chinnor, and beaten Holyport 3-1 before triumphing 6-3 in a goal-fest at Thatcham Town. They had beaten the reserves of North Leigh 1-0 in the quarters before winning 2-1 at Division 1 East side Rayners Lane to set up this game.
I'd seen Ascot United twice at near the end of 2014. Firstly on their home ground when they beat Milton United 3-2 on a Tuesday evening and then on a Saturday just before Christmas as they triumphed 2-0 at Newbury. They had enjoyed an excellent season, reaching the latter stages of the FA Vase and finishing 3rd in the Hellenic Premier. They had reached this final with a 5-2 win away at Penn & Tylers Green, a 1-0 win then they hosted Wokingham & Emmbrook, a 3-1 win over Holyport, a 1-0 win at Longlevens before beating title winners Flackwell Heath 1-0 in the semi-final.
With not much else on the Bank Holiday Monday, and with fellow hopper Anwar yet to visit Didcot, I suggested to him that we go to the Bluefin Cup Final at Loop Meadow. I was happy to do this as I had yet to pick up a programme from this venue, having not been bothered about them before I started groundhopping. Ardley United were a team I had seen in pre-season as they drew 1-1 with Oxford City in a highly entertaining game. They were unlucky not to win and the season that followed produced a decent 8th-placed finish in the Hellenic Premier. To reach this final they had won 2-1 at basement club Cheltenham Saracens, won 6-1 at Chinnor, and beaten Holyport 3-1 before triumphing 6-3 in a goal-fest at Thatcham Town. They had beaten the reserves of North Leigh 1-0 in the quarters before winning 2-1 at Division 1 East side Rayners Lane to set up this game.
I'd seen Ascot United twice at near the end of 2014. Firstly on their home ground when they beat Milton United 3-2 on a Tuesday evening and then on a Saturday just before Christmas as they triumphed 2-0 at Newbury. They had enjoyed an excellent season, reaching the latter stages of the FA Vase and finishing 3rd in the Hellenic Premier. They had reached this final with a 5-2 win away at Penn & Tylers Green, a 1-0 win then they hosted Wokingham & Emmbrook, a 3-1 win over Holyport, a 1-0 win at Longlevens before beating title winners Flackwell Heath 1-0 in the semi-final.
I'd had to work the Bank Holiday as part of my contract at work - it was one of the 2 that I had volunteered to do. Usually, Monday is a complete pig of a day at work, but on this occasion, it was not so bad. I had taken my break and done all my work by 12.30. I then spent the next 20 minutes getting changed and having lunch before leaving at 12.50. I was in Aylesbury by 1.25 to meet Anwar and his 2 kids - Hicham & Aisha. It was not too far to Didcot, but thanks to a few dawdling drivers, we took a few minutes longer than I would have liked, arriving an hour later. As there was still plenty of time to kick off, I grabbed a programme from the turnstile before going into the bar for a pint of Thatchers' Gold while checking my phone for Facebook updates. We went in 15 minutes before kick-off, and I noticed that there were 3 new stands behind the right-hand goal since my last visit, with the middle one being a work in progress.
The game was not much to write home about. Though Ascot had much the better of the opening and closing stages, the bit in the middle was pretty sterile. It was won by 2 excellent goals though. Firstly Kieran Scott finished into the bottom right-hand corner after a smart bit of team play after a quarter of an hour. Then on 65 minutes, Luke Ingram scored a great individual goal, chipping the ball up before half-volleying into the top-hand corner. That was enough to win the cup for Ardley United, which was a repeat of last year's final, albeit with different winners. We watched the cup being presented before going on the hill behind the ground to get some pictures of the ground before letting the kids play in the local park for a bit. We left at 5.25, and the journey home was a lot better, with us back in Aylesbury at 6.10 and me getting home 20 minutes later.
MY THIRD VISIT
Just a short update to my blog for this one, although I did do a lot of extra work on the club's history. Didcot Town had been a lovely helpful and friendly club and helped me reach my target of completing the Southern Division 1 South. It was a deal that worked for both of us, they got £20 towards their coach costs and I got a bargain trip. The journey over there was not the best, on small roads mainly which wasn't much fun at night. But they'd helped me visit Tavistock & Willand Rovers and for that I was grateful. I felt I owed them a revisit and the perfect opportunity - some Friday night cup action, albeit between two development sides. Sadly, they didn't travel to Mousehole and Helston Athletic as they'd opted for an overnight stop. However, Thatcham Town has stepped in and I was equally grateful and keen to revisit I'd be on my own as Cokin was in Blackburn ticking another ground off, but it was local enough that it wasn't an issue. The only thing that could dampen it was the weather. They'd had several games fall victim to waterlogged pitches but thankfully, it looked mainly dry.
It had been a boozier-than-expected Tuesday as I celebrated a great win over Barnsley for Wycombe. A sober Friday night was just what I needed but before that, I had a few days at work. It was a less than happy ship with our store manager perhaps receiving pressure from above but taking it out on the staff. We used to have the small perk of being able to wear earbuds until 7 am but that gentleman's agreement has been withdrawn. I've also heard reports of the previously affable man being cranky to others. It was a long slog of a week and I was glad when Friday afternoon finally arrived. I spent the afternoon at home, starting my research for next weekend's trip to Preston. I left at 6.15 and due to the rush hour, the route was even worse than usual. Traffic calming, unlit back streets, roadworks and 20mph zones meant it took 1 hour 10 to complete the 33-mile journey. I paid my fiver to get in and was given a friendly welcome by a couple of people who remembered me from the coach. I spent the 20 minutes before kick-off getting updated photos.
Didcot Town Development were at the top of the Hellenic D2 East but could be caught by 2nd placed side Prestwood. To get to this semi-final they won 5-1 at Kidlington Development, beat Thame United A on penalties and defeated Headington Amateurs 2-0. Swindon Supermarine Development were 2nd in D2 Central. They'd beaten Clanfield 85 Reserves 5-1, won 3-2 at Wantage Town Reserves and defeated Bourton Rovers Development 5-0. The game was a decent end-to-end encounter with Supermarine edging it. They took the lead on 17 minutes, a decent attack down the right and finish by Tom Phillips from just inside the area. On 32 minutes, Swindon put the ball in the box and it was deflected home by the unfortunate Didcot defender Jay Hedges. The visitors were pretty dominant for the rest of the half and could have added to their tally. The second half was more quiet although Didcot did have a reasonable effort from a free kick. It was 3-0 to Swindon on 70 minutes into what was turning out to be a disappointing contest, Jed Phillips getting on the end of a free kick. However, Didcot pulled a goal back on 73 minutes, the shot initially hitting the post before the rebound was swept in by Harry Fisher. Six minutes added time was announced but before that, Didcot pulled another back on 88 minutes. The most unlikely comebacks in 70 minutes now looked distinctly possible. The home keeper made a great save following a Supermarine attack on the break. However, it was not to be and Supermarine held on for a deserved win.
LOOP MEADOW is a smart modern non-league ground, the main feature being the impressive main stand, I initially visited Didcot on the way to an Abingdon Town game and they were most helpful in letting me into the ground to take pictures. The original stand holds around 200 and since my first visits there had been a couple of metal 'Arena' stands added to up the seating capacity by around 150. There was also some covered terracing in the progress of being built. The rest of the ground is open with a capacity of around 3000.
The clubhouse was smart and modern too, well worth a visit. It's full of great memorabilia including signed shirts. There is a good range of drinks at reasonable prices as well. There was no club shop that I saw, but there is a tea bar in the ground. There are some shops near the ground, including a chippy when I went in 2008, though I am not sure if it's still there now. There is also a second pitch at the back of the ground, this is floodlit and hosts some of their reserve & youth team games, as well as being the former home of North Berks League outfit Didcot Casuals. It was used for the North Berkshire League Hop in 2015 as Hagbourne United use it to host the evening game on Saturday.
2004 PICTURES
2015 PICTURES
2024 PICTURES
2025 PICTURES
