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A famous name from the past could soon be reappearing in non-league football.
Wokingham Town Football Club, which was formed in 1875, disappeared in 2004 following a merger with Emmbrook Sports to form Wokingham & Emmbrook Football Club.
Wokingham Town led a nomadic existence after being forced to sell its Finchampstead Road home to property developers in 1999 to settle spiralling debts.
The club reached the FA Cup first round in November 1982, the quarter-finals of the FA Amateur Cup in 1958, and the semi-finals of the FA Trophy in 1988.
An indicative vote by members at last week’s annual general meeting of Wokingham & Emmbrook FC showed unanimous support for the move.
The club, which labels itself at ‘the Town’s team’, boasts more than 75 teams from under-5s through to the senior men and ladies teams. More than 700 players represent the club every week.
Steve Williams, chairman of Wokingham & Emmbrook FC, told Wokingham Today: “Next season will mark the 150th anniversary of the formation of Wokingham Town Football Club, so we feel now is as good a time as any.
“Because we have so many teams, it will take a while before they’re all playing with the Wokingham Town-branded kit, but we are looking forward to building on the history that the former club has created.”
He confirmed that Emmbrook will remain a significant part of the club, that the club will retain its ‘Sumas’ nickname as well as the orange and black colours that have been part of football in Wokingham since its inception.
“We will continue to play our matches at Lowther Road at our current level, and the new club logo will also be based on the current one which includes a reference to Emmbrook,” he added.
A spokesperson from the Football Association told Wokingham Today that only name changes for teams down to step four require its approval. Wokingham & Emmbrook play at step five of the non-league pyramid.
The Berks & Bucks FA, the governing body for local football, would need to ratify an application for a name change.
