CLUB INFO & HISTORY

#WeAreAscot

Ascot United History

The first record of Ascot United was chronicled in 1928 and it seems that over the years teams by that name formed and re-formed until 1965 a men’s team, who played their games at Sunninghill, were established with “after-match meetings” in The Wells public house in Cheapside village.

Soon after the club gained permission from Ascot Racecourse to convert the land West of Coach Park 10 into a football pitch where the club is still located today. A wooden clubhouse was built and around this time this team went on to win many prestigious trophies in the years that followed.

A small number of various youth teams represented Ascot United over the years up to 1988, but from 1989 there was an increase in demand for youth football. In 1992 there came a turning point when small-sided football was introduced for 7 and 8 year olds by Keith Wickes the club’s chairman who established The East Berks Youth League to enable local clubs to play competitive matches against each other.

From that point the ‘new’ Ascot United started to take shape;

1990A new club house was erected at the Racecourse Ground
1991A new 11 a side pitch and a training area were constructed on what are now the 3G and Top mini pitch.
2003A Partnership with Charters School was established and for the first time all our players could train in the evenings under floodlights on an ‘astro’ pitch. The first club website went live.
2004Ascot United was awarded FA Charter Community club status, one of the first clubs in the UK to receive the award. By now the club had grown to 43 teams, including 3 girls teams, veterans and 4 adult mens teams.
2006The first team became champions of the Reading Senior League gaining promotion to the Hellenic League 1st Division East and also won the Reading Evening Post Cup Final at the Madejeski Stadium in Reading
2010By now the club had outgrown their facilities at the Racecourse and after a complex project a new clubhouse and other facilities were built with the help of funding from the Football Foundation and RBWM. The senior team were runners up in Hellenic 1st Division East and were promoted to the Hellenic Premier league.
2011 In August Ascot United made their first appearance in the FA Cup at home to Wembley FC. It was a night of many firsts as the trophy came to Ascot and the match was the first game to be screened live by Facebook. Unfortunately the result was a 1-2 defeat but the ground record of 1,150 still stands.
2018

By now Ascot United teams were regularly winning leagues and cups. The girls led the way winning county cups in Surrey and Berks & Bucks. The boys soon followed with several county cup successes. The Men’s First Team got in on the act winning the Hellenic League Cup in 2016 and 2018.

Meanwhile the pitches and facilities were struggling to keep up with the amount of football played and a second major project was started to install a 3G pitch at The Racecourse.

2019        In October, the new 3G pitch was opened by Greg Clark, Chairman of the FA. Then after 6 fantastic months of the whole club using the 3G Covid-19 struck, affecting football throughout the country.

The Men’s First Team were run away leaders in their first season in the Combined Counties League but the FA nulled all the non-league results and the promotion dream was not to be.

2020      Covid-19 affected football, just as it did everyone’s day to day lives, but in the months we were able to use the 3G it became clear that it would affect the way the club operates.

The Sunday Soccer School for the under 5s and 6s was replaced by the Foundation Academy running mid-week on the 3G. The 3G was first used for a very successful daytime summer camp which previously was not possible on grass. The Vets joined the West London Vets Football League for the first time.

Off the pitch activity became more of a focus for the club with a new website being launched and social media playing a more important role in communication by the club. The catering and bar became a 7-day cashless operation.

2022    The Men’s First Team make history as they knock League One club Wycombe Wanderers out the Berks & Bucks Senior Cup at The Racecourse on penalties in front of a record crowd of 1,267. Club Captain, Louis Bouwers scores the winning penalty. They would go on to lose the final 4-0 against Reading U23’s at Arbour Park.

A Girl’s Development Centre is set up to accommodate the growing demand for girl’s football in the community with sessions available from age 5 to 16.  

Ascot United are approached with the idea of setting up a disability team and register the squad with the Great Britain Special Olympics. The Warriors squad is formed and the provision is able to offer regular training with a qualified FA coach to those with a variety of disabilities in Ascot and it’s surrounding area. The community ties are further strengthened as Ascot Racecourse assume sponsorship of the Warriors team. 

2023    The girl’s section is the fastest growing at the club and as a result, Donna Graham is appointed as Director of Women & Girl’s Football. There are now three senior teams including the First Team competing in the Premier Division of the Southern Region Women’s Football League, the Phoenix squad in Division One of the Thames Valley Counties Women’s Football League and the Girl’s U18 Youth debuting in the Warriors Division of the Junior Premier League. More than 50 girls attend the Girl’s Development Centre every week.

The club hosts it’s first ever inter-sport event as we welcome neighbours Royal Ascot Golf Club to The Racecourse in a golfers v coaches & managers match in February, Ascot United win 4-2. The reverse tie, a round of golf, is played at the golf club in June, Royal Ascot score 17.5 whereas Ascot United score 10.5. 

The Men’s First Team win the Combined Counties League Premier Division North on 102 points securing Step 4 football for the first time in their history, they become champions again when they win the Isuzu FA Vase trophy v Newport Pagnell Town at Wembley Stadium on Sunday 21st May 2023.

The Women’s First Team secure the SRWFL Cup in a 2-0 win over Eastleigh at Scours Lane, Reading. The Women’s Phoenix secure back to back promotions as they win Division One of the TVCWFL. The Girl’s U18 Youth win the Warriors Junior Premier League U17/18 Division in their debut season facing teams including Millwall, Fulham, Nottingham Forest and Notts County. There are now nine girl’s teams from U11’s to U18’s proving a genuine pathway developing. The U12’s Crystals and the U16’s Crystals both win their respective County Cup finals to bring yet more silverware to the club cabinet.

Mick Lewin is appointed as the ‘Head of Football Development’ with the objective of supporting our junior, both boys and girls, section as it remains our largest section at the club with over 70 junior teams playing regular competitive football.

Ascot United in 2020

Covid-19 affected football as it affected everyone but in the months we were able to use the 3G it became clear that it would affect the way the club operates.

The Sunday Soccer School for the under 5s and 6s has been replaced by an Academy running mid week on the 3G. The 3G was used for a very successful daytime summer camp which previously was not possible on grass. The Vets joined a league for the first time. A new website was launched, social media played a more important role in communication, the catering and bar became a 7 day cashless operation but planning for Football with Covid has been a major headache.

We are all hoping for a successful season on and off the pitch.

The Club Today

The Club has grown to become one of the largest football clubs in the UK. Currently there are over 1000 registered players, embracing all ages from age 5 and all levels of ability.

Ascot United fields 83 teams every weekend, predominantly at youth level from U7’s and upwards, with a proven pathway into our senior teams with provisions also available for Vets & disability football. It is supported by over 50 businesses who provide various forms of sponsorship, it is run by over 100 volunteers 80 of whom have formal FA coaching qualifications.

The club’s status was underlined in August 2004 when it became an FA Charter Community club, at the time only the second club in Berkshire to receive this award.

The Future

Despite all the changes Ascot United will always remain as a sustainable football club at the heart of the community proving everyone from age 4 to veterans, boys and girls and men and women with the opportunity to play and enjoy football in a fantastic location with modern facilities.

Club Aims

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