FIRST LAWFORD FC
Lawford Football Club as we know it today is actually the second club to bear that name. The original Lawford Football Club was founded in 1935, competing in the Harwich Junior League. Its home ground was at Lawford Home Park behind the Kings Arms public house. The club was disbanded in 1939, on the eve of the Second World War.
LAWFORD LADS
Founded in August 1949, Lawford Lads played their first match 7 October that year. Lads was included in the Club’s name as most of the original players were under 18 and the team were playing in a minor league, the Colchester NE Minor League (Stour Division).
Originally, the Lads were based behind the Ogilvie Hall where pitch access involved negotiating a high fence. Teddy Prike would bring a stepladder so the team could gain access without injury. As cows grazed the field on which matches were played it often had furrows and cows would sometimes interrupt play. Teddy also cleared up what the cows left behind and used it on his allotment. Players often cycled to away fixtures.
Almost ten years after its formation the Club relocated to the Tendring Hundred Showground on the Bromley Road, changing in an old Nissen hut. The Club moved to our current site in 1967, with the new clubhouse opened in 2011. The club remains an integral part of Lawford life with many ex-players continuing to lend their support today. The Club achieved FA Adult Charter Status in 1979.
LAWFORD JUNIOR
Established in 1975, Lawford Junior grew from small beginnings into a thriving club. A few years earlier, Lawford’s Charlie Carey had taken his cub football team to two Colchester Cub Cup finals in the 1972-73 season – winning one of them. From this success, Lawford Junior developed, with the new Club first competing in the Suffolk and Essex Sunday Youth Football Combination. The club achieved FA Charter Status in 2006.
ONE CLUB
Lawford Lads and Lawford Junior together with Lawford Ladies combined in 2015 to form one club, Lawford Football Club. Based at School Lane in Lawford, the Club offers outstanding facilities including award winning pitches and a modern club house.
JOHN LYALL PAVILION
For many years the football clubs had played out of an old wooden pavilion. While this served us well, it needed to be brought up to modern standards. It was decided that this wasn’t practical and a fund raising and grant funding operation was put into place for a new pavilion. Following many years of hard work by countless volunteers and individuals, the funding target of £590,000 was achieved in late 2010. Construction began in January 2011, leading to completion and an official opening day in September 2011. Our the guest of honour was Sir Trevor Brooking CBE. The John Lyall Pavilion provides a fantastic, modern and safe facility that will serve future generations of Lawford footballers for many years to come.
TIMELINE
1935 First Lawford Football Club founded (disbanded 1939)
1949 Lawford Lads first match on 7 October
1950-51 Joined the Harwich Junior League division 1
1952-53 Joined the Colchester League division 4
1955 Reserves team formed
1967 Club moves to School Lane
1971-72 First team promoted to the Premier division
1975 Lawford Junior founded
1979-80 First team join the Essex and Suffolk Border League
1987-88 First team win Harwich Junior Charity Cup
1995-96 First team division 2 champions
1998-99 First team win Harwich Intermediate Charity Club
1999 Lawford Past vs Present to mark Club's 50th year
1999-2000 First team win Border League Cup
2002-03 U18s win the League, League Cup and Colchester Cup
2004 Fund raising events in memory of Darren Hawkins
2005-06 First team join Border League Premier
2006 Lawford Junior awarded FA Charter Status
2009 Lawford Lads awarded FA Adult Charter Status
2011 The John Lyall Pavilion opened at School Lane
2015 One Club - Lawford Football Club - formed
2015-16 U18s win Colchester & District Youth Football League
2016-17 U18s win Colchester & District Youth Football League
2017-18 Ladies promoted to Eastern Region Woman's League
First team promoted to Border League Premier Div'n
2020 Lawford Football Club becomes a registered charity
