Our Story
LWAC is a small village football club founded in 1902
located in LOng wittenahm, Oxfordshire
We are affiliated with the northberks football leauge
By 1907 there were enough local teams to form the North Berkshire League and on the 30th May of that year the first North Berks Junior Challenge Cup final was played between Long Wittenham and Faringdon Town.
Long Wittenham ultimately triumphed and followed this up with back-to-back wins in 1910 and 1911 starting a long tradition of North Berks Cup wins.
In 1935 Sir Archibald Bodkin presented the Jubilee Cricket Field to Long Wittenham as a gift to mark the Silver Jubilee of King George V and the field is leased to the Athletic Club to maintain and ensure it is used for the purpose of sport.
In 1937 the Athletic Club moved from their base at the west edge of the village to what is now known as Bodkins Sportsfield. Long Wittenham Athletic Club enjoyed its most successful period on the field during the 50s and 60s with victory following victory and, almost as importantly, the completion of a new pavilion.
Until 1958 there was no proper pavilion on the field, only a wooden shed. Footballers and cricketers would arrive for matches already in their kit to find there was no running water to wash either. This changed with the opening of the new pavilion, built entirely by the clubs members, with money raised by the membership and with a donation from regular benefactor Brigadier Harrison. The on-field success started in the 1954-55 season with 3-1 win over Botley United in the Charity Shield Final.
1956 saw the first team win a local six-a-side tournament while the reserve team were runners-up in the Nairne-Paul cup which at this time was a six-a-side competition for reserve teams.
In 1957 Long Wittenham played in the final of the Reading Town Junior Cup at Elm Park, defeating Finchampstead 3-1 with goals from Ray Woodage, Andy Stone and Danny Wench. 1957 also saw the club crowned North Berks League Champions, followed a year later by the first in a hat-trick of North Berks Charity Shield wins. In the 1959-60 season Long Wittenham, captained by Ray Woodage, were crowned North Berks League Winners, North Berks Cup and Charity Shield Winners and Runners-up in the Didcot Festival Cup and Abingdon Centenary Cup.
As well as this the clubs B team beat the A team in a local 6-a-side tournament. The 1960 Annual Dinner was attended by former Reading footballer Maurice Edelston who congratulated the football team on their 19 wins and 2 draws in 21 league games and the cricket team on their 16 wins, 10 defeats and 6 draws in 34 matches. The 1960s saw further success for Long Wittenham with North Berks Cup wins in 1964 and 1969. Unfortunately 1961 also saw the last, to date, of Long Wittenhams 10 North Berks League wins.
This period also saw the club make the decision to move the cricket club to Clifton Hampden. The ever lengthening seasons making it increasingly difficult to accommodate both sports on Bodkins Sportsfield. The two teams maintain close links with many footballers continuing to play cricket at Clifton Hampden during the summer.
By the 70s the victories were no longer on the scale of the previous years. The 1974-75 season saw the Reserves chalk up their only AG Kingham Cup success to-date with a 2-0 win over Faringdon Town. While the First team followed that 2 years later with the most recent of their 14 North Berks Cup wins. The trophy secured with a 1-0 win over local rivals Harwell Village.
On 19th January 1986 Long Wittenham Athletic Club faced their biggest challenge when fire destroyed the Pavilion. The Clubs Management Committee immediately estimated the cost of rebuilding to be between £20000 and £30000 with more required to replace the equipment lost in the fire.
A prefab building was sourced to use as a changing room to allow the club to continue playing in the North Berks League while fundraising began. Events such as a fun run, disco, and Mini Olympics were held and the club were able to move into their new clubhouse in September 1986.
The Club celebrated its 90th year with a Charity match against an Arsenal ex-pro and celebrity and even managed a rare cup success with a Charity Shield win in the 95-96 season and runners-up medals after a 2-1 defeat by Saxton Rovers in the North Berks Cup Final. The Clubs centenary was celebrated with a football weekend including a match against an Oxford Utd XI and the Allsports Centurians Challenge Cup Competition.
Long Wittenham ultimately triumphed and followed this up with back-to-back wins in 1910 and 1911 starting a long tradition of North Berks Cup wins.
In 1935 Sir Archibald Bodkin presented the Jubilee Cricket Field to Long Wittenham as a gift to mark the Silver Jubilee of King George V and the field is leased to the Athletic Club to maintain and ensure it is used for the purpose of sport.
In 1937 the Athletic Club moved from their base at the west edge of the village to what is now known as Bodkins Sportsfield. Long Wittenham Athletic Club enjoyed its most successful period on the field during the 50s and 60s with victory following victory and, almost as importantly, the completion of a new pavilion.
Until 1958 there was no proper pavilion on the field, only a wooden shed. Footballers and cricketers would arrive for matches already in their kit to find there was no running water to wash either. This changed with the opening of the new pavilion, built entirely by the clubs members, with money raised by the membership and with a donation from regular benefactor Brigadier Harrison. The on-field success started in the 1954-55 season with 3-1 win over Botley United in the Charity Shield Final.
1956 saw the first team win a local six-a-side tournament while the reserve team were runners-up in the Nairne-Paul cup which at this time was a six-a-side competition for reserve teams.
In 1957 Long Wittenham played in the final of the Reading Town Junior Cup at Elm Park, defeating Finchampstead 3-1 with goals from Ray Woodage, Andy Stone and Danny Wench. 1957 also saw the club crowned North Berks League Champions, followed a year later by the first in a hat-trick of North Berks Charity Shield wins. In the 1959-60 season Long Wittenham, captained by Ray Woodage, were crowned North Berks League Winners, North Berks Cup and Charity Shield Winners and Runners-up in the Didcot Festival Cup and Abingdon Centenary Cup.
As well as this the clubs B team beat the A team in a local 6-a-side tournament. The 1960 Annual Dinner was attended by former Reading footballer Maurice Edelston who congratulated the football team on their 19 wins and 2 draws in 21 league games and the cricket team on their 16 wins, 10 defeats and 6 draws in 34 matches. The 1960s saw further success for Long Wittenham with North Berks Cup wins in 1964 and 1969. Unfortunately 1961 also saw the last, to date, of Long Wittenhams 10 North Berks League wins.
This period also saw the club make the decision to move the cricket club to Clifton Hampden. The ever lengthening seasons making it increasingly difficult to accommodate both sports on Bodkins Sportsfield. The two teams maintain close links with many footballers continuing to play cricket at Clifton Hampden during the summer.
By the 70s the victories were no longer on the scale of the previous years. The 1974-75 season saw the Reserves chalk up their only AG Kingham Cup success to-date with a 2-0 win over Faringdon Town. While the First team followed that 2 years later with the most recent of their 14 North Berks Cup wins. The trophy secured with a 1-0 win over local rivals Harwell Village.
On 19th January 1986 Long Wittenham Athletic Club faced their biggest challenge when fire destroyed the Pavilion. The Clubs Management Committee immediately estimated the cost of rebuilding to be between £20000 and £30000 with more required to replace the equipment lost in the fire.
A prefab building was sourced to use as a changing room to allow the club to continue playing in the North Berks League while fundraising began. Events such as a fun run, disco, and Mini Olympics were held and the club were able to move into their new clubhouse in September 1986.
The Club celebrated its 90th year with a Charity match against an Arsenal ex-pro and celebrity and even managed a rare cup success with a Charity Shield win in the 95-96 season and runners-up medals after a 2-1 defeat by Saxton Rovers in the North Berks Cup Final. The Clubs centenary was celebrated with a football weekend including a match against an Oxford Utd XI and the Allsports Centurians Challenge Cup Competition.