LATEST NEWS
Please feel free to browse the latest news from our Club. We aim to keep this section as up-to-date as possible so that we can keep everyone abreast of what we do.
STROLLERS SUNDAY SOCIAL SEASON STARTS
The Strollers played their first round of friendlies on Easter Sunday. We played four games: drew the first against Regent Brightlingsea 0-0, lost the second to Little Oakley 1-0, lost the third to Foxash 1-2 with James Gooch getting off the mark for the season and drew the final game against Clacton Rhinos 0-0. Our mixed squad performed reasonably well, but there’s obviously room for improvement.
Peter Driver stepped up and refereed his first two ‘official’ games; the first being a baptism of fire, a lively encounter between Holland Rhinos and Clacton Knights – two fierce rivals who turned up with virtually their first team squads.
Commenting after the matches, team manager Roger Cable said,
“Thanks everyone for making my first attempt at management a breeze. Exceptional goalkeeping from Lee (Clifton) and congratulations to James (Gooch), our first goalscorer. Also praise to Peter, our homegrown referee. I’m so proud to be a member of Stanway Rovers Walking Football Club”
BRIGHT START FOR OUR NEW WOMEN’S TEAM
Back row (l-r): Andrea Fletcher, Ann Ord, Nicola Lay, Anja Warburton,
Denise Grimshaw. Front row: Francis Rees, Rachel Hynes, Jo Pullen,
Denise Boothman, Sharon Perry
Our recently formed Women’s team are competing in the Essex Women’s Walking Football League (EWWFL). The team was formed in July last year and their inaugural season began on 21 March at Baddow High School in Chelmsford.
Their first competitive fixture was against Billericay Town Red and resulted in a 1-0 defeat. The next game was against Romford Randoms Yellow. It was their first competitive win and by a narrow margin of 1-0. Rachel Hynes scored the all-important goal. Beacon Hill Rovers White were the next opposition. Our Ladies won this with Anja Warburton scoring the only goal of the game.
The contest with Valley Green Emeralds ended in a 0-0 draw. This was followed by a couple of defeats. They lost to Billericay Town White 0-1 and then to Harlow Town Pirates Blue 0-2. The final match was against Romford Randoms Blue ended on a positive note with another 1-0 victory. Rachel Hynes again scored the solitary goal.
Team Manager Ian McDermott commented,
“We wanted to add a Women’s team to the club. We advertised extensively last summer and autumn for players. A local club was folding and one of their players saw our Facebook advert. Three of them came along, then the advert attracted a few more and we managed to put a squad together.
We played a series of pre-season friendlies. These included tournaments and matches against EFL-affiliated teams Leyton Orient and Ipswich Town. We also played local matches, including Beacon Hill Ladies and Foxash Ladies. These efforts have certainly paid off.
“In this first round of league fixtures, the team played 7 matches. They won 3, lost 3, and drew 1. This resulted in 10 points and a top 4 league position. A superb first-time effort from our ladies and a credit to our club.”
The club has also secured sponsorship for the Women’s team. SVC Solutions Ltd is the Gold Sponsor. EXL Driving School and Core Fusion Skip Hire are Silver sponsors.
Amanda Coulson is the Founder and CEO of SVC Solutions. She commented saying, “I am delighted to support the Stanway Rovers Women’s Walking Football Team. I’m exceptionally pleased that they got off to such a good start in their first round of fixtures.
WALKING FOOTBALL REFEREES COURSE
Five members of the club attended an FA-sponsored walking football referee’s course at Chelmer Valley High School in Chelmsford. This day-long course provided fascinating insights into managing a walking football match. It combined classroom and practical learning. Video content was used to highlight offences and there was often lively discussion during question time at the end.
However, the venue left a lot to be desired. All who attended agreed that the acoustics in the classroom were not good and the video screen was too small. Also, there were too many attendees for the two trainers to control. The acoustics in the Sports Hall were even worse during the practical training. Overall, the training team did their best in the trying circumstances. The knowledge they managed to impart will certainly help our volunteer refs in the future.
The attendees were Richard Arnold, Ian McDermott, Trevor Britton, Francis (Pixie) Rees and Peter Driver.
ESSEX WALKING FOOTBALL LEAGUE BEGINS
The 2026 season began on 7 March with the Over 60s Saturday team in action. The first game against Clacton Knights ended with a 2-0 defeat. This was followed by a game against Heybridge Swifts, which finished in 1-1 draw. The final game saw us face Billericay Town Whites and this was a free-scoring affair, ending in a 2-2 draw. After this first round of matches, the team are 6th in the table.
The following weekend saw the Over 50s begin their Division 1 season. The first game was a close fought contest against Billericay Town Red. It resulted in a 1-0 win. Chelmsford City Clarets were up next and in another close game, which we won with only goal of the game.
The final game against Little Oakley Whites ended in a marginal 2-1 defeat. Their winning goal came from a fourth running offence. It resulted in a penalty! Little Oakley White occupy the top position, but with 6 points we lie in 3rd place.
SAFE, INCLUSIVE, FUN WALKING FOOTBALL
Stanway Rovers Walking Football Club 