Winslow United

Formation and early years (1891–1898)

Winslow United was established in 1891, initially as Winslow Town F.C., closely linked to the town's Reading Room, which promoted recreational sport during the Victorian period. The founding meeting was held at the Parish Rooms, Market Square, on 13 October 1891, chaired by Mr. Herbert Bullock.

Honorary Secretary and Treasurer: Mr W. N. Midgley

The club's first recorded match took place on 31 October 1891, when Winslow defeated Granborough 3–1 on the Flower Show Field, lent by local landowner T. P. Willis. The original team colours were dark blue and white.

The current name, Winslow United F.C., was adopted at the start of the 1895–96 season, following the merger of Winslow Town and the junior club Winslow Rovers.

Winslow became a founding member of the Buckingham & District League and later competed in regional competitions including the Aylesbury & District League and the North Bucks & District League before joining the South Midlands League in 1968.

South Midlands League era

The 1970s saw Winslow establish itself as one of the stronger clubs in regional football.

Under manager John Webster, the club won the South Midlands League Division One title in 1974–75, recording 24 wins from 34 league matches. The following season Winslow finished runners-up in the South Midlands League Premier Division.

The club remained in the Premier Division for much of the remainder of the 1970s and 1980s.

In the 1983–84 season, Winslow reached the Second Round Proper of the FA Vase. The club defeated Ware and Royston Town before losing to Tiptree United. This remained one of the club's best performances in a national cup competition.

Decline and rebuilding

Winslow experienced a difficult period during the late 1980s and early 1990s. The club finished bottom of the South Midlands League Premier Division in 1990–91 and was relegated at the end of the following season.

Following changes to the structure of non-League football, Winslow competed in the Spartan South Midlands Football League and its predecessor competitions.

The club subsequently experienced a number of difficult seasons, including a 1998–99 campaign in which it finished 21st of 22 clubs in the Spartan South Midlands League Senior Division.

Winslow returned to more competitive form during the early 2000s, including a second-place finish in the Spartan South Midlands League Division Two in 2003–04.

Withdrawal from senior football

At the end of the 2008–09 season, senior football was temporarily withdrawn as the club concentrated on developing its youth structure through Winslow United Juniors.

The club's senior side returned for the 2010–11 season, entering the Spartan South Midlands League Division Two.

Winslow subsequently rebuilt its senior structure while maintaining links with its youth teams.

Return to the upper levels of the Spartan South Midlands League

Winslow recorded a series of strong finishes during the late 2010s.

The club finished third in the Spartan South Midlands League Division One in both 2017–18 and 2018–19. The 2017–18 campaign saw Winslow score 127 league goals.

The 2019–20 and 2020–21 seasons were both abandoned due to COVID before completion, with Winslow occupying competitive positions in the league at the time of abandonment.

Winslow again finished third in Division One in 2021–22, recording 25 wins and 104 goals.

Modern Rise and Historic promotion

In 2023–24, Winslow United finished third in the Spartan South Midlands League Division One and won the promotion play-off final against Northampton Sileby Rangers, earning promotion to Step 5 of the English football pyramid and returning to the Spartan South Midlands League Premier Division for the first time in 32 years.

The club continued to progress during the 2024–25 season, finishing tenth in the Spartan South Midlands League Premier Division and matching its historic FA Vase achievement by reaching the Second Round Proper for the first time since 1983–84.

The 2025–26 season became the defining moment of Winslow United's modern history. Under the leadership of manager Alex Woodfine, assisted by Rory Williams, Winslow United produced one of the greatest league seasons in the club's history, finishing second with a record of:

This secured Winslow a place in the promotion play-offs.

Goals from Charlie Attwell and Aaron King secured a landmark 2-0 victory over Cockfosters F.C., in front of a record-breaking crowd of 1,008 supporters at Elmfields Gate.

The promotion represented Winslow United's first entry into Step 4 of the English football league system. The Southern Football League subsequently confirmed Winslow as one of the new clubs entering Division One Central for the 2026–27 season."Meet the new clubs in the Southern League Division One Central". Southern Football League. 10 July 2026. Retrieved 10 August 2026.