Match Preview

Takeley Football Club historically believed they were formed in 1903 as little was known about those early times. However, a local sports reporter from Bishops Stortford recently discovered an historical news article from November 1900 which uncovered the fact that Takeley were playing at that time – 3 years earlier than they thought!! The club became affiliated within the Bishop's Stortford, Stansted and District Football League (BSS & DFL) at the end of the First World War. The original pitches were in Hatfield Forest, moving to Station Road opposite to their present home ground. Additional Pitches for the club at the Recreation Ground just past Takeley Park have been arranged by the food office of Takeley Parish Council. The club is well looked after by local businessmen: Andrew Silvester, our President, Pat Curran, Chairman and Nick Rabey, Secretary together with local volunteers and active committee members.

The club joined the Essex Olympian League in 1978. They won the league in 1987–88 and 2001–02, and in 2006–07, won the Essex Premier Cup. After finishing as runners-up in 2007–08, the club was accepted into the Essex Senior League, finishing third in their first season. They also achieved third-place finishes in 2011-12 and 2012-13.

Honours
Essex Intermediate/Olympian League
Division One champions 1987–88, 2001–02[2]
Division Two champions 1993–94
Essex Premier Cup
Winners 2006–07

Records
Best FA Cup performance: Preliminary round, 2012–13
Best FA Vase performance: Second round, 2012–13

A number of theories have arisen over the origin of the village's name. One believes the village's name was a corruption from the "Teg-Ley" of sheep clearing. Another theory is that Takeley is derived from the Saxon lord Taecca, who owned land in Essex and Oxfordshire, the latter of which has a village named Tackley. In more recent times, Takeley is thought to have derived from "settlement next to open forest" in reference to the Forest of Essex.
When Takeley was first recorded by the Normans in 1086–87 its boundaries were approximately 8 miles (13 km) in length, with a total area of 3,000 acres (12 km2). However, since the development of Stansted Airport, it has lost nearly a third of its land.

The previous Cooper's End was demolished and the cargo area of Stansted Airport stands on the ground once occupied by the settlement. The access to and from the airport at Cooper's End was closed briefly in January 1991 but was re-opened in November of that year. Cooper's End roundabout was constructed as part of the new airport and is just west of the terminal.
Takeley parish church, dating from the 12th century, is dedicated to the Holy Trinity, and was Grade I listed by English Heritage in 1967.

History
The village is situated approximately halfway between Bishop's Stortford and Great Dunmow, and on Stane Street, the Roman road from Braughing to Colchester. The A120 road and Stansted Airport is at the north.
Takeley consists of a number of 'Ends' and 'Greens', namely Brewer's End (John le Brewer, 1327), The Street, Smith's Green, Bamber's Green (Bambrose Green, from the Banbury family at Sheering Hall), Molehill Green (Morrell's Green), and Mill End.

09/04/24 Essex Senior League
TAKELEY 3
(Bobby Badham, Louis Hiobi, Jordan Wescott)
ILFORD 4

06/04/24 Essex Senior League
TAKELEY 2
(Kieron Southgate, Louis Hiobi)
BARKING 2

30/03/24 Essex Senior League
TAKELEY 2
(Bobby Badham, Keiron Southgate)
HALSTEAD TOWN 2

23/03/24 Essex Senior League
WHITE ENSIGN 0
TAKELEY 2
(Keiron Southgate, Kyle O’Byrne)

16/03/24 Essex Senior League
TAKELEY 0
FRENFORD 0

09/03/24 Essex Senior League
BUCKHURST HILL 2
TAKELEY 0

Takeley are currently in 16th place in the Essex Senior League Premier. They have 35 points from 33 games with 8 wins, 11 draws, and 14 defeats. They have a -15 goal difference, scoring 53 and conceding 68. Their record on the road is, won 5, drawn 4, and lost 8, scoring 29 and conceding 35.
The wins were:

23 March 2024
White Ensign 0 Takeley 2

25 November 2023
West Essex 0 Takeley 3

04 November 2023
Frenford 2 Takeley 3

21 October 2023
Romford 3 Takeley 4

01 August 2023
Coggeshall Town 1 Takeley 4

In current form, they sit in 14th out of 20, with 1 win, 3 draws, and 2 defeats, scoring 9 and conceding 10. The Bridge are 18th out of 20 with 1 win and 5 defeats, scoring 6 and conceding 11

Note – This is the official player list as per the Full Time Website. Some of the players listed may have left the club.
Endrit Abazi
Rasheed Alaka
Aldis Aliu
Charlie Allum
Hodje Almeida-Joaquim
Emmanuel Alo
Max Andrews
Max Arnold
David Arshakian
Kelly Ayiteyfio
Cameron Ayre
Bobby Badham
Haaroon Belaid
Bobby Bolden
Kieron Bryan
Jack Bull
Theo Campbell
Christian Cartlidge-Rainford
Charlie Dobinson
Enos Duah
Luke Edgar
Giovanni Ellis
Robin Emanuels
Triston foster
George Frodsham
Kojo Gyimah
Harry Harle
Macauley Harrington
Lewis Head
Louis Hiobi
Andre Humphrey
Zakeriya Hussien
Jamal Jimoh
Gabriel Kadimba
Mahena Kadimba
Luke Kalule
Jack Keegan
Kyle-Anthony Lake-Bryan
Alekos Lambrou
Joshua Lancaster
Michael Laronde
Jack Lawrence
Joshua Mabatah
Wynford Marfo
Jaden Marzell
Caoilan McGettigan
Elvis Mensah
Eric Negraru
Kyle O Byrne
Glenn O'Hanlon
Jamal Obeng
Oluwadamilare Oguntuga
Joshua Okpa
Marlon Ortiz
Finn Osborn
Diego Panessar
Daniel Papapetrou
Ross Pike
Lewis Powell
Flinn Radcliffe
Taran Rattrey
Jonathan Senkoma
Francis Sheehy
Reuben Skingley
Yashua Smith
Olakunmi Sosanya
Kieran Southgate
Sonny Sturgess
Freddie Taylor Coghill
Jose Tchuda Costa
Dylan To
Henry Tutton
Costi-Marian Varsoi
Louie Vosper
Joseph Walker
Riley Ward
Jordan Wescott
Kevin Yeboah

Takeley have a hell of a lot of players listed on the FA Full Time website so it's hard to tell how many of them are still at the club. Of those listed, the goals have mainly come from Caoilan McGettigan, who has 8, Jordan Westcott with 7, and Glen O’Hanlon and Keiron Southgate who both have 5. Recent scores have included Southgate, Bobby Badham, and Louis Hiobi so there's a few to watch for and for that read any of the above.

Twice this season, in October at Takeley The Bridge won 4-1 at the Sirona Medical Arena, and prior to that in the FA Cup Extra Preliminary Round, The Bridge won 4-1, again, at Lower Road.

91 watched the game in October where Jason Banton scored after 8 minutes and Solomon Ofori notched two in the 43rd and 68th. Caoilan McGettigan got one back on 82 minutes before David Luzolo restored the margin in the 84th minute as The Bridge ran out 4-1 winners.

In the FA Cup game in August, Charlie Heatley opened the scoring before Kevin Toualou made it 2-0. Aldis Aliu got Takeley back in the game before Harry Brown settled it amidst the rain with a 74th and an 85th minute double.