Glendale Football Club

ssex County Minor FA, the old equivalent of the Essex County FA. The first two seasons were particularly difficult and they had some indifferent results but where other sides would have hung up their boots and given up, this only made the boys more determined to succeed and knew that by having faith in their own ability, plus understanding the need for teamwork, they could in time match the performances of the other rival Clubs in the Loughton area. From the start of the 1965/6 season, the club ran two sides, namely the Senior and Junior sides. Both sides enjoyed periods of domination in their respective competitions. The Junior side played in the South West Essex Youth League, before moving into the adult section a few years later. In 1978 the club decided to move its one remaining side into the Ilford & District Football League, where we still compete today. The high point being our five seasons in the Premier Division in the late eighties and early nineties. Today, we are one of most established clubs in the league having participated in the league for 30 years with many more to come. For the 2010/11 season, we have also formed a Sunday side which will be competing in the Essex Sunday Corinthian League. After a period lacking silverware, the Division Three league title arrived in 2006/7 which we achieved having lost just a single game in all league games. The season also saw us go up against the odds against sides from a much higher level, and reach two semi finals. The run including a historical victory on penalties over Galatasaray (UK) who won the Premier Division and good wins against other higher league sides. This backed up an excellent season the year previous which provided us with an appearance in the Spartak Cup Final where we sadly lost on penalties to Baronsmere. More recent seasons have shown great promise in the higher echelons of the league with an excellent squad, the bulk of which has been together for a number of seasons, and in the 2009/10 season we finally achieved our aspirations of gaining Premier Division status, having been crowned Division One champions and appearing in the Spartak Cup final once again. A further cup final appearance followed in 2010/11 in a game which was scrubbed from the league records due to our opposition fielding an ineligible player. The last 2 seasons have been more difficult as we struggled to field a settled side but have maintained our Premier Division status as we head towards our 50th season in 2013/14. From the day the club was formed, Loughton Playing Fields in Avondale Drive, Loughton had been home for the club. The Club's name became well know throughout the area through its success and good reputation but in 2002, the Club was forced to find new facilities away from it's spiritual home due to rising costs and became residents in the surroundings of Clayhall Park in Ilford where we continue to play today. The ground, at the time, ranked as one of the top pitches in the league with a large, excellent playing surface and superb facilities. However with the maintenance of the pitch and facilities in a massive decline, the Club moved in 2014 to the privately run Fairlop Oak Playing Fields with its full time groundsman and vastly superior facilities. To keep a club with a big history at the top where it belongs...