Long Crendon - Long Crendon Recreation Ground

Long Crendon FC

Long Crendon Recreation Ground

9 Chearsley Road

Long Crendon

Aylesbury 

Bucks

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Ground Number: 1421
Tuesday 22nd April 2025

Long Crendon 4-2 Sporting Headington Academicals
Oxfordshire Senior League D1

LONG CRENDON FC - A BRIEF HISTORY

The club was established in 1886. For much of its history, it played in local football, where records are sporadic. It has a long history in the Oxfordshire Senior League and won Division 2 in 1985. However, it only lasted a single season in Division 1 before finishing as Division 2 champions again in 1987. This time, they had a sustained spell in Division 1 and were champions here in 1998. Long Crendon then went on to win the Premier Division in 2002 & 2003. Bad results saw them relegated to Division 1 in 2006 and then Division 2 in 2008. The club continued to struggle near the foot of Division 2 but reorganisation saw them placed back in Division 1 in 2010. Perhaps unsurprisingly, they continued to struggle and left the league in 2013. A few seasons were spent back in local leagues before Long Crendon joined the Hellenic League in 2017. After finishing 3rd in their first season, they won the Division 2 East in 2019. Ground grading required them to share at Oxford City once they had been promoted to Division 1 East, but their two seasons there were declared null and void due to the pandemic. The 2021/22 season saw their best-ever finish in the pyramid as they finished 8th in the Spartan South Midlands Division 1. A transfer to the Hellenic Division 1 followed, and two seasons were spent there. The costs of sharing at Oxford City led to them taking a voluntary demotion at the start of this season. This turned out to be a two-step drop as they now play in the Oxfordshire Senior League Division 1 and have returned to their home ground.

Plans are in place to fundraise and campaign for a ground in Long Crendon that is fit to host them at a higher level. For now, they play on the local recreation ground. The club played a single season in the FA Cup in 2020, beating Clanfield 1-0 before losing 3-0 at local rivals Aylesbury United. They've also played five seasons in the FA Vase, reaching the 2nd Qualifying Round twice. Local honours include eleven Oving Villages Cups. On 15th February 2022, Thame United's ASM Stadium hosted Long Crendon's Berks & Bucks Cup game against Wycombe Wanderers. Although they lost the game 4-0, good publicity by the club attracted an attendance of 1,904. Outside of the final, it was the biggest attendance in the county cup for 50 years. As a gesture of goodwill, Wycombe Wanderers donated their share of the gate receipts to the club.

Long Crendon is a village in west Buckinghamshire, about 3 miles west of Haddenham and 2 miles north-west of Thame in neighbouring Oxfordshire. The village has been called Long Crendon only since the English Civil War. The "Long" prefix refers to the length of the village at that time, and was added to differentiate it from nearby Grendon Underwood, which used to be known as "Crendon". This name is Old English and means 'Creoda's Hill' (in 1086 it was listed in the Domesday Book as Crededone). The village population is around 2,500. Midsomer Murders, the ITV crime series, is often filmed in Long Crendon with locals as extras. Scenes from the series "Jeeves and Wooster", with Stephen Fry and Hugh Laurie, were also filmed in Long Crendon.

MY VISIT

This game was decided upon back in the middle of last week. Games had been hard to come by on Tuesdays recently, and I didn't want to travel that far after doing a lot of driving recently. In that respect, Long Crendon was perfect as it was not too far. It would mean dropping down to the Oxfordshire Senior League Division 1 at step 8 but it was a club I'd fancied seeing on their own patch since Wycombe play them in the Berks and Bucks Cup. It was somewhat ironic that that game was played in Oxfordshire yet this Oxfordshire Senior League game was being played in Buckinghamshire. Such are the blurred lines regarding counties in non-league football.

 

From my revisit to Woodford United, I went home, dropping Colin off on the way. I spent time catching up with my blogs before getting an early night. I was up before 4 for work and as usual for a Bank Holiday, it was rammed. I was glad when 12 came and it was home time. My usual pre-match plans were scuppered as it involved leaving at 10.30 and walking via the town. It was a 12 finish and then a rush home to get a lift to the ground. I did consider leaving my car at work, but opted for the easier option. Instead of the homely surroundings of the Rose and Crown, it was the Hour Glass near the ground for me this week. The last time I'd gone here was after we were beaten 3-0 by Exeter at the start of last season. It was packed, although they were efficient at serving, and a pint of Strongbow at £3.90 was a fair price. It was then an excellent extra hot strips meal from Bey Grills for £5.74 before making my way to the ground.

The drizzle proved a portent to a disappointing start to the game. Wycombe barely got out of their half in the opening ten minutes before Charlton went ahead. Overall, it was a dreadful first half with barely a sniff at goal and Wycombe 2-0 down at the break. The second half was equally horrendous, another two goals shipped and our first shot on target came on 85 minutes. Overall, a horrendous day and a prime example of why I go groundhopping. It's nice to be able to enjoy a day out without the result or performance ruining it. I came home and had kebab for dinner plus a couple of pints to take the edge off a disappointing day. The day of the game came, and as usual it was my day off and a walk to town and back. I kept an eye on the game all day in case of a forfeit - Charlton United had already been awarded a win due to Summertown Stars being unable to raise a side. After a chilli con carne dinner, I left at 5.20, having to go two miles in the wrong direction as Colin had fallen asleep on the bus. It was a 40-minute journey cross country, most of it Colin spent in the land of nod. Despite arriving twenty minutes before kickoff, it was still easy to park. I got pictures before the game, before settling down to watch it.

 

Long Crendon were having a terrible season and had lost 20 out of 21 games. Their only point had come in a 1-1 draw against Summertown Stars and they'd forfeited four games already this season. On Saturday, they'd lost 4-1 to KEA. Sporting Headington Academicals were 9th and had won seven, drawn four and lost nine of their games so far. They'd lost three in a row, going down 6-0 to Chinnor in their last game. The visitors dominated and took the lead on 8 minutes when #14 crossed for another player to have a low shot from the edge of the area. It was all square on 10 minutes when a cross from the right was bundled home from close range by #7. The goals were flying in. On 13 minutes, Sporting Headington retook the lead, a shot flying into the top left corner. Long Crendon equalised on 24 minutes, a penalty converted after the spot kick was awarded for a trip in the area. Just before half time, Long Crendon had a shot cleared off the line, a keeper save and the rebound put in, but it was disallowed for offside. The visitors had the better of the first 20, but the rest of the half, Long Crendon were on top. It continued into the second half, but the hosts were wasteful up front. The referee had had enough of the Headington Academicals manager complaining, so he was sent off to the other side of the field, despite no bad language being used. A minute after, Long Crendon went 3-2 up, forcing the ball over the line following a clearance. It was then 4-2 on 73 minutes when an attack from the left was diverted home. The hosts held on for their first win in 22 games with ease.

 

THE GROUND

LONG CRENDON RECREATION GROUND is a basic but pleasant setup. There is just an unrailed pitch with no dugouts, although three sides are hemmed in, giving a feeling of enclosure. There is not much at the ground, just dressing rooms and a car park. Backing onto the pitch is a pub selling Thai Food and a Cafe. Very close is an Indian Restaurant and a short walk away, a small shop. It is a pleasant & peaceful area with attractive thatched cottages in the immediate vicinity.