Viking Greenford F.C.

Viking Greenford Football Club were a football club based in Greenford, Middlesex, England. They played at Avenue Park.

Viking Greenford
Full nameViking Greenford Football Club
Founded1945
Dissolved2003
GroundAvenue Park, Greenford
2002–03Combined Counties League, 24th

History

The club was founded by Roy Bartlett in 1945 as Viking, growing out of a works team at the Associated Equipment Company factory in Southall.[1] Their first match was played at Ravenor Park in Greenford against 342 Squadron Air Training Corps and resulted in a 13–0 defeat.[1] They subsequently joined the Ealing Youth League before progressing through five divisions of the Dauntless League.[1] They then joined the Amateur Football Alliance and were admitted to the Nemean League, by which time they had become Viking Sports after gaining affiliated teams from different sports.[1] After finishing as runners-up in Division Two in 1963–64, they were promoted to Division One.[2] Their first season in Division One saw them finish as runners-up, and in 1965–66 they were league champions.[2] In 1966 they moved to Avenue Park.[1]

In 1969 the club joined the Premier Division of the Middlesex League.[3] They finished as runners-up in 1978–79, and after a sixth-place finish the following season,[3] the club joined Division One of the Hellenic League.[4] In 1985–86 they won Division One, earning promotion to the Premier Division. However, they were relegated back to Division One after finishing bottom of the Premier Division in 1988–89.[4]

In 1991 the club transferred to the Combined Counties League, and in 1999 were renamed Viking Greenford.[4] After finishing bottom of the league in 2002–03, the club folded.[5] Their last manager was former Wimbledon FC and Leyton Orient midfielder Steve Parsons.

During their history the club played friendly matches against European clubs on a regular basis, with a total of 92 matches at home and abroad.[1] Their first was against Belgian club S.K. Furness in 1948.[1] A tour of the Soviet Union in 1965 included a match against FC Desna Chernihiv at their Yuri Gagarin Stadium, which they lost 10–1.[1] One match against Stade Portelois drew a crowd of 3,000 to Griffin Park.[1]

Honours
  • Hellenic League
    • Division One champions 1985–86
  • Nemean League
    • Division One champions 1965–66

Records
  • Best FA Cup performance: Second qualifying round, 1993–94
  • Best FA Vase performance: Second round, 1991–92

References
  1. The Vikings In Bed with Maradona
  2. Nemean Amateur League 1963–1970 Non-League Matters
  3. Middlesex League 1966–1984 Non-League Matters
  4. Viking Sports at the Football Club History Database
  5. Viking Greenford at the Football Club History Database
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