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Wingate & Finchley F.C. - making Harry Abrahams proud


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Wingate & Finchley - Blue Square Bet Premier - 2019/20

Last season we struggled in the league slipping down to 12th, but a dream cup match again Man City brought us some cash to give us a chance next season. We turned professional and upgraded the training facilities in the hope of finally pushing for promotion.

League Table

League Positions Graph

The title was in sight, but we lost form with around ten games to go. A decent run of form at the end of the season kept us in the playoffs but there was no catching the leaders. We faced Preston, the team who led until the final day when we beat them 3-2.

Playoff semi final leg 1 - despite Preston having a lot more chances, we were far more incisive. This was a massive result.

Playoff semi final leg 2 - we hung on. It was a shame not to get a result but we did the job. We now face MK Dons in the final

Playoff final - it just didn't go our way as we conceded an early goal and never recovered.

FA Trophy - I rotated the squad and took the usual early exit.

FA Cup - we had a superb draw against Premier League Wolves, which helped the finances a bit.

Transfers - with two star players leaving it was important we replaced them.

Squad - there's room for improvement, but this is a decent squad for this level.

Finances - turning pro meant we could only offer full time contracts, which has cost us badly in wages. Next season could be a struggle financially.

Key Player Profiles:

Frankie Nisbet - at last I have managed to replace O'Brien, and what a season he had.

Alex Iwobi - he struggled last season but had a better year this time.

Kurtis March - his injury coincided with our drop in form.

Jack Dovey - I turned down a £475k bid for him before I realised we were in bad debt.

Ryan Brobbel - had his best season ever.

Career Overview

Season    League                   Position    Achievements
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2013/14   Blue Square Bet South    2nd         Promoted via playoffs
2014/15   Blue Square Bet Premier  19th
2015/16   Blue Square Bet Premier  18th
2016/17   Blue Square Bet Premier  6th
2017/18   Blue Square Bet Premier  3rd         FA Trophy winners and Playoff finalists
2018/19   Blue Square Bet Premier  12th         
2019/20   Blue Square Bet Premier  4th         Playoff finalists

Next Season

Losing in the playoff final again was devastating, but if I can keep the administrators away I think we have got a good chance of at least making the playoffs again next season.

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Wingate & Finchley - Blue Square Bet Premier - 2020/21

Last season we lost in the playoff final for a second time, and with deteriorating finances we were running out of time to make our push for promotion.

League Table

League Positions Graph

We were running away with it at one point, 14 points clear of Bradford. Our form dipped in the second half but we were always enough points ahead to keep the title in the bag. It has been a long time coming, but finally we have made the Football League.

FA Trophy - the usual early exit.

FA Cup - it was a superb run, but we didn't get the boost to our finances that a draw against Arsenal would have brought us.

Transfers - to cut costs I trimmed the squad size down and even managed to get a fee for one of my overpaid players.

Squad - it's a small squad, so I'm hoping I'll be able to add at least a couple of players for next season.

Finances - we are in bad trouble. I'm just wondering how long it will be until the administrators are called in.

Key Player Profiles:

Frankie Nisbet - wasn't up to the standard of last season, but still pretty good.

Alex Iwobi - had another solid season.

Kurtis March - a decent number of goals for the midfielder.

Steven Arthurworrey - solid as ever.

Troy Spong - terrible name, decent defender.

Career Overview

Season    League                   Position    Achievements
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2013/14   Blue Square Bet South    2nd         Promoted via playoffs
2014/15   Blue Square Bet Premier  19th
2015/16   Blue Square Bet Premier  18th
2016/17   Blue Square Bet Premier  6th
2017/18   Blue Square Bet Premier  3rd         FA Trophy winners and Playoff finalists
2018/19   Blue Square Bet Premier  12th         
2019/20   Blue Square Bet Premier  4th         Playoff finalists
2020/2`   Blue Square Bet Premier  1st         Promoted as champions

Next Season

It is a huge relief finally getting out of this league, but next season is going to be tough. The finances are terrible and I'm not convinced that my small squad will cope with League Two. My only hope is that we have played well against the stronger teams in the cup, so hopefully we can continue that.

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Congrats on moving to league play. Are you a full time professional club already or will that move come now?

We turned pro a few years ago with the money we gained from the Man City away match. I think that was the reason for the financial trouble as we couldn't really afford it.

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Errrm dont know whether to congratulate you or not? your spell in the football league should be a short one with that budget, you'll struggle to bring in players and your stars will all leave. trust me (portsmouth fan :()

The budget was extended enough for me to sign a couple of squad players, but the old squad seems to be doing well enough so far to avoid relegation. The big worry is how long it will be until we are in administration, and if the -10 relegates us.

Sounding familiar?

I'm also a Pompey fan :cool:

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Congrats on the promotion! Though your goals record wasn't very dominant for a champion...

It was a big change from the previous season, where we scored loads but also conceded a lot.

We had a lot of 1-0 wins for a change, quite a lot of them being late winners in games we looked like drawing.

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The budget was extended enough for me to sign a couple of squad players, but the old squad seems to be doing well enough so far to avoid relegation. The big worry is how long it will be until we are in administration, and if the -10 relegates us.

Sounding familiar?

I'm also a Pompey fan :cool:

Really? dont hear too much about portsmouth fans.. they all seem to have abandenned us :/ heard about a steve cotterill return?

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Wingate & Finchley - npower League Two - 2021/22

Last season we finally made our way out of the Blue Square Premier league as champions, so we were looking to stay up in the Football League.

League Table

League Positions Graph

This was completely unexpected as we settled quickly and improved our league position throughout the season.

Johnstone's Paint Trophy - I had no interest in this competition, so rotated the squad and lost.

Capital One Cup - another competition where I rotated the squad, but we did better than expected.

FA Cup - League One Blackpool knocked us out in a poor run in the cup.

Transfers - there were a few changes, but it was mostly the squad from last season.

Squad - improvements will need to be made as I doubt the squad will be good enough for League One.

Finances - the loan cleared our debt, until I lost more money. With a few decent transfers I might be able to sort this out.

Key Player Profiles:

Ellis Didcock - he performed well when others were injured and kept his place in the team.

Nikolas Oikonomou - it took me months to sign him, but he played well when others were injured.

Frankie Nisbet - he's not been able to recreate the form of two years ago, but he's still played well at times.

Troy Spong - suffered a bad injury but seems to have recovered well.

Hamsa Spriggs - technically our best player.

Career Overview

Season    League                   Position    Achievements
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2013/14   Blue Square Bet South    2nd         Promoted via playoffs
2014/15   Blue Square Bet Premier  19th
2015/16   Blue Square Bet Premier  18th
2016/17   Blue Square Bet Premier  6th
2017/18   Blue Square Bet Premier  3rd         FA Trophy winners and Playoff finalists
2018/19   Blue Square Bet Premier  12th         
2019/20   Blue Square Bet Premier  4th         Playoff finalists
2020/21   Blue Square Bet Premier  1st         Promoted as champions
2021/22   npower League Two        1st         Promoted as champions

Next Season

It was a huge surprise to get promoted, so no doubt we will find it tough next season. I'm hoping I'll be able to sell a few players for fees to help the finances out and hopefully I'll be able to strengthen the squad.

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Wingate & Finchley - npower League One - 2022/23

Last season we upset the odds by winning League Two, so we were hopeful of keeping our momentum going.

League Table

League Positions Graph

Plymouth led the way early on but we kept within a few points of them. In the second half of the season they started dropping points as we carried on our good form. We won the league with games to spare, losing four of our final five games.

Johnstone's Paint Trophy - once again I fielded a weakened team and got knocked out early.

Capital One Cup - it wasn't a bad run until we met Premier League opposition.

FA Cup - it was a great run that included a win over Championship Newcastle, but it was Premier League Norwich that defeated us.

Transfers - the big money sale of Arthurworrey financed our season, allowing me to bring in better staff and players. Foreign scouts brought me scout reports from France and Spain which made a huge difference to the quality of players I was able to bring in.

Squad - a few contracts are due to expire at the end of the season, so I have already started replacing them which explains the size of the squad. Previously big names such as Koster, Nisbet, Dovey and Lawrence will all leave for nothing as we look for Championship quality players.

Finances - things look great, but player sales and cup runs make the finances look flattering. Increased attendances next year will be the key.

Key Player Profiles:

Grégori Levy - the first of the big money foreigners to arrive, he made a huge impact. I just hope he recovers from his injury.

Frank Louis - his strike partner, also arriving from France.

Troy Spong - he's no longer the outstanding talent, but he's holding his place in the team.

Joseph David - a superb midfielder, but seems injury prone.

Danny Cook - one of the reasons for our great season, he was solid at the back.

Career Overview

Season    League                   Position    Achievements
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2013/14   Blue Square Bet South    2nd         Promoted via playoffs
2014/15   Blue Square Bet Premier  19th
2015/16   Blue Square Bet Premier  18th
2016/17   Blue Square Bet Premier  6th
2017/18   Blue Square Bet Premier  3rd         FA Trophy winners and Playoff finalists
2018/19   Blue Square Bet Premier  12th         
2019/20   Blue Square Bet Premier  4th         Playoff finalists
2020/21   Blue Square Bet Premier  1st         Promoted as champions
2021/22   npower League Two        1st         Promoted as champions
2022/23   npower League One        1st         Promoted as champions

Next Season

The league win was another surprise, but the club is once again in great shape going into a new league. I think the current squad is capable of competing in the Championship, so hopefully with a few improvements we can keep up our superb form.

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