Welcome to Wellington Football Club

Following the success of England in the World Cup 1966, the club was reformed as a youth side playing youth team and friendly matches from Wellingtons youth club. The records show a team in Wellington as far back as 1921. Several breaks in the continuation of the club saw teams come and go at different times. In 1968 with players getting too old for youth football, the reformed current team and club, playing on a pitch loaned by a local farmer and changing in the village hall, entered Division 3 of the Herefordshire Football League.

In 1974 the club won its first trophy; the Herefordshire League Junior Cup and it began its rise to the position it has achieved today. In 1978 the club moved to the new village playing field. Following the building of new wooden changing rooms in 1981(now demolished), We were invited into the Herefordshire Premier Division which Wellington won at the first attempt. During the eighties the club continued its development and won the Premier Division again in the seasons 1987-88 and 1988-89 and subsequently a total of fourteen times to date. Five times by the club’s second team. The first team have, on several occasions reached the final of the County Cup which was ‘’always the one that got away’’ but in 2009 we were successful and for the first time the County Cup came to Wellington. In 1994 the club became actively involved in an initiative proposed by the Wellington Community Association to develop the sports facilities on the playing fields. In 1996 those new facilities were officially opened, and on completion, the club achieved a Herefordshire Premier League Cup double. In 1996-97 the club successfully applied to join the West Midlands League and in its second season finished Champions of Division 1 South and League Cup winners. Unfortunately, promotion to the Premier Division did not result due to the lack of floodlights. The following season 1999-2000, the team achieved runners up position and retained the League cup. Following extensive fund raising, further ground improvements were made, and the club was promoted to the West Midlands Premier Division.

The club officials are active in continuously improving the facilities at the ground and in 2005 purchased the adjacent field with help from the then owner and farmer David Williams to secure permanently a playing surface for Wellington Football Club for future generations. The club prides itself in having a senior first team which is the flagship of the club. In 2019 after 22 years in the West Midlands Regional Football League (18 of them in their Premier Division) we moved leagues in the pyramid within step 6 into the Hellenic League Division 1 West. A different direction to travel in, with new grounds, new people, and new challenges, which we welcomed. The Covid-19 pandemic then obstructed us in having a clear run at this league title with the season being cut short on two occasions forcing us to think our plans as we lost momentum and volunteers thus dropping down to the County League. But, we are now back, having another “go” in step 6 after winning promotion back up from the Herefordshire Premier League. We have progressed with ground improvements and still have plans for more, work is very much in progress. We have one other senior adult men’s team and they will play in the Herefordshire County Football League.

A newly formed Under 18 team which will compete in the Cheltenham Under 18 Floodlit League has been formed. The club has re-focused, and we can report that we also now have one adult women’s team and eleven junior teams a mini kickers programme and a successful Wildcats girls programme. They all represent us within this and surrounding counties in our tangerine colours. This is a positive step forward for us with some good work being done within our junior section. The committee members at the club are long standing and give considerable time and effort in providing a well organised club, adequate funds, and a superb playing surface for the players at Wellington to come and play their chosen sport. We are conscious that we, the long-standing members must hand over this responsibility and future running of the club to other younger members. Getting people to take that long term responsibility is difficult to recruit for, with local houses in short supply and current ones expensive to buy. We at the club are also fully aware of the concerns in the wider arena of the national game too. The diminishing numbers in the player pool, playing adult men’s association football and the short supply of volunteers helping within the clubs is also difficult.

The success of this club has always in been in part to the support we receive from within our inclusive village, which we are thankful for.  We are grateful to have such a lovely place to play the beautiful game. Welcome to Wellington.