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PICTURE: Old Windsor are making their third successive appearance in the East Berkshire League Cup competition Final and would love to go one better this season having been beaten in both 2022 and 2023.
Old Windsor manager Darren Wareham has revealed just how much it would mean to the football club to win a first-ever League Cup Final on Bank Holiday Monday.
The Os have come within touching distance of the famous silverware - named after the great Sid Hurley - but suffered heartache when beaten in both of the last two finals.
This season however, Old Windsor has been the dominant force in the East Berkshire League, now closing in on a first Premier Division win since 2020 and, having already won the Slough Town Premier Cup.
The League Cup returns to the heart of Slough for the first time in 22 years when the Final takes place at the Arbour Park Stadium in 2024, and Wareham hopes that being the holders of the Slough Town Cup will gain the backing of supporters of Slough Town Football Club.
“You go into every competition with the aim to do well in it,” The Os manager explained. “We’ve not won the League Cup despite reaching the final in each of the last two seasons, so obviously we would love to gone better this year.
“It’s great for us to reach the Final. Any Cup Final is really important for our club as it’s extremely difficult to reach them. We’ve played really well this year and deserve to have the chance to win the League Cup competition. Winning the Final would mean a lot to the club as it’s the one trophy that’s missing for us.
PICTURE: Old Windsor take on Southcote in the 2024 League Cup competition Final at the Arbour Park stadium in Slough on Bank Holiday Monday (11am kick off). You can pre-order your tickets here - https://tktp.as/EOLXTG.
“For all of us in the management team, it would mean a lot to win this trophy. Being successful in any competition is difficult, and for our club any competition we win makes us extremely proud. The League Cup would mean a lot to us all as we’ve never won it however, it will be equally as important to our opposition and they’ll also want to do all they can to get their hands on the trophy.”
Old Windsor will be a part of a small piece of East Berkshire League history when taking on Southcote in the 2024 League Cup Final in the Arbour Park Stadium on Bank Holiday Monday (11am kick off).
“We can’t wait to be a part of it,” beamed, Wareham. “We’ve played at Arbour Park Stadium once before against Chalvey (WMC) Sports and it’s a fantastic venue. We’ve not played a Cup Final three before.
“The fact we’re the more local of the two sides and hold the Slough Town Senior Cup will, hopefully, lead to some of the Slough Town followers throwing their support us. And, as always, we appreciate the backing of our own supporters. The players and management will do all we can to make it a successful and enjoyable day.”
Old Windsor had, on paper at least, a difficult route to the 2024 Final; a Quarter Finals match against their 2022 conquerors, Singh Sabha, but a five-star performance saw their old rivals swept aside back in January.
The Os were then pitted against South Reading on Semi Finals Day at Eton Wick F.C. & Social Club in March. The spectators expected a close game between two of the most impressive sides this season but, in one of the best performances in some years, Old Windsor thrashed their opponents, 5-0.
PICTURE: Old Windsor have already won the Slough Town Premier Cup this season and could still add the Premier Division title as well as the League Cup and the Ascot & Fielden District Charity Cup.
Old Windsor will arrive into the League Cup Final as firm favourites having won in all 16 of their last matches in all competitions. The last team to defeat them was Burghfield - 2-1 in the Quarter Finals of the Berks & Bucks County Cup competition back in November.
Wareham commented: “To be honest, it’s been a tough month or so for us. We’ve continued to pick up results which is a testament to the players but, with so many games in such a short period of time, it’s been hard to continuously reach the levels we did earlier in the season. The fact we’ve been able to defend so well, we know that the boys are a threat going forwards. We also have a few league games between now and the League Cup Final which we need to get results in.”
The Os hold the upper hand over Southcote having never been beaten by the Reading-based side in all four of their previous meetings; two wins and two draws. Old Windsor thrashed Southcote 7-1 the last time the two sides went head-to-head, in a Showcase Match (Premier Division game) at The Racecourse Ground in Ascot back in October.
Wareham said: “I didn’t know that we hadn’t lost to Southcote before. We’ve had some very close games over the years including two draws last season. We did well in the league game against them this season, with the second half being up there with the best we’ve played.
“Others might see us as favourites due to our league position however, in a Cup Final all of that goes out of the window and it’s simply who is the better side on the day. We have a huge amount of belief in the players and just hope they continue playing how they have been in other big games throughout the season.
PICTURE: (l-r) Old Windsor captain Lee Short and stars Bradley Birchmore, Luke White, Matthew Stockill and Chris Tierney celebrate after winning the Slough Town Premier Cup on Good Friday.
“Southcote are a good team too. They’re a young side and try to play good football. They finished above us last season and I believe they have a reasonably similar side. I would expect them to be putting all of their attention on winning this competition.”
Old Windsor will carry a goals threat across the pitch in the League Cup Final but perhaps none more so than Joseph Allen, the striker has scored an impressive 33 goals in 24 appearances this season. His fine record includes a goal in both the Quarter Finals and Semi Finals wins as well as a strike against Southcote when the teams last met in the league in October.
Shane Qoloni is equally as red-hot in front of goal with 20 goals in 15 appearances so far this campaign. He has also netted in both the last two rounds of the League Cup competition. The Os can also find goals from midfield positions with Lewis Corney (13) , Bradley Birchmore (10) and Dylan Harbridge (10) all in double figures for the campaign.
Preview meetings between Southcote and Old Windsor
27/10/2023 - League - Old Windsor 7-1 Southcote
18/02/2023 - League - Southcote 3-3 Old Windsor
08/10/2022 - League - Old Windsor 1-1 Southcote
26/02/2022 - League Cup - Old Windsor 3-1 Southcote
To enter the East Berkshire Football League ahead of the 2024/25 season, or for further information about the league, or an entry form for the upcoming season, please email the team at contactebfl@gmail.com
