Ciderspace Away Travel Guide » Maidenhead United

Maidenhead United: Club history

Maidenhead trace their formation back to October 1870, with the first recorded game being on 17th December 1870 versus Marlow. On 16th February 1871 the club played its first fixture at York Road, which has remained its home ever since.

The club was one of the fifteen teams entering the first ever FA Cup of 1871-72 beating Marlow 2-0 at home in Round One before going out 3-0 away to Crystal Palace (not the current club). In 1894  Maidenhead became founder members of the Southern League, playing in Division Two, but found the level of competition too strong, finishing bottom or next to bottom most seasons, and so resigned at the end of the 1901-02 season and returned to County football.

After the First World War Maidenhead FC and Maidenhead Norfolkians (founded 1884) amalgamated as Maidenhead United. As part of the process a new kit was produced (Maidenhead had previously played in red and black) and the black and white stripes almost inevitably attracted their nickname since then, The Magpies.

Between the Wars Maidenhead played in the Spartan League, winning the title three time. In 1945-46 the club became founder members of the Corinthian League and gained three more titles. When the Corinthian was disbanded at the end of the 1962-63 season the Magpies moved into the Athenian League.

!973-74 saw an expansion of the Isthmian League and Maidenhead was elected into a newly formed Division Two. There they stayed doing not very much until 1986-87 when the club was hit by a double whammy: it was both relegated (the division numbers having changed in the meantime) to Division Two South; and the main stand was burnt down in an arson attack.

Maidenhead took four seasons to get out of Division Two South, then another nine to get up from Division One, finally reaching the Premier for the 2000-01 campaign. Thus Yeovil Town missed them in league fixtures in its two Isthmian spells though we did meet them in two cup competitions.

The Isthmian loved having lots of cups, particularly in the 80s and 90s… the League Cup (Hitachi/AC Delco/Diadora/Guardian/Ryman/Bryco/Westview/Championship Manager/Alan Boon/Robert Dyas/Alan Turvey Trophy), Full Members Cup (Loctite/Carlsberg/Carlton/Puma), Associate Members Trophy (Loctite/Carlsberg/Carlton/Vandanel), the General Motors Acceptance Corporation Cup/Inter League Challenge Cup/Clubcall Cup. With so many competitions coming and going, compounded by them often being referred to by the constantly changing sponsorship names, it’s probably fair to say quite a few fans turning up weren’t entirely sure which one they were attending. Anyway, for the record, Maidenhead knocked us out of the Isthmian League Cup – also referred to as the AC Delco at that time – (after a replay) in 1985-86. Then, in our second spell, out of the Full Members Cup (appears to have unsponsored that season, in between Carlton and then Puma, so less name confusion) at the quarter-final stage in 1996-97. Maidenhead went on to win that competition, defeating Sutton United at the semi-final stage and Aylesbury United in the Final. We, rather more importantly, went on to win the league title and escape the Isthmian altogether.

A 12th placed IPL finish in 2003-04, secured on the final day, saw Maidenhead squeak into the very last place available in the newly formed Conference South for the following season. The first campaign saw them escape relegation only because Hornchurch FC went into liquidation at the conclusion of the season. No such fortune the following term, 2005-06: finishing last by 11 points the Magpies headed off to the Southern League Premier Division.

Maidenhead bounced back at the first time of asking. Finishing fourth, they defeated King’s Lynn and then Team Bath, both of which had finished well above them in the points table, through the play-offs.

The Magpies were back in Conference South/National League South for ten seasons, mostly lower mid-table or hovering just above the relegation line, until 2016-17 when, completely out the blue, they just about doubled their average points total during the previous decade to win the title with 98 points in a two horse race with Ebbsfleet United who finished on 96.

The first season at National League Premier level saw a steady mid-table finish in 12th; and the second a more comfortable survival than 19th might suggest as they were ten points above the relegation line. In the curtailed 2019-20 campaign things were much tighter – both Maidenhead and Ebbsfleet finished the season on an identical 1.08 points per game, but it was the latter who went down, on goal difference. 2020-21 was a relatively comfortable one for the Magpies, 13th; and last season a slightly lower 17th but still well clear of the danger zone.

Manager Alan Devonshire in his second spell with the Magpies, 1996-2003 and 2015 to present, passed the 650 games mark in charge at York Road last season.

Maidenhead United: We’ve Met Before

Previous Results for Yeovil Town First Team vs Maidenhead United

Results Summary For Yeovil Town First Team vs Maidenhead United

Maidenhead United: Club Statistics

RECENT RESULTS

CURRENT LEAGUE SEQUENCE STATISTICS

LEAGUE ATTENDANCE STATISTICS

Highest League Attendance: 2,434 v Solihull Moors, 25/10/2022
Lowest League Attendance: 1,042 v Dorking Wanderers, 03/12/2022
Average League Attendance: 1,470

Maidenhead United: Club Information

York Road Stadium
York Road
Maidenhead
Berkshire
SL6 1SF
Click for map.

Telephone Number: 01628 636314

Chairman: Peter Griffin
Media Officer: Grace Scott
Club Secretary: Neil Maskell
Safety Officer: James Young
Team Manager: Alan Devonshire

Capacity: 4,500
Seated: 550
Covered Terrace: 2,000
Record Attendance: 7,989 v Southall, FA Amateur Cup Quarter-final, 07/03/1936

Home kit:  shirt white with black stipes, black shorts, red socks
Nickname: Magpies
Programme: £3.00 (not sure that there will be any printed version for this game as the club merely states “our match programme and team sheet for this fixture will be available free of charge online”.

Ticketing

York Road claims to be the oldest football stadium in the country (and possibly the world) continuously used by one club – and they have a plaque to back it up.

[* Documentary ID may be requested.]

Official Away Travel

The Green & White Supporters’ Club is running away travel to Maidenhead United on Tuesday, February 21st with a 7.45 p.m. kick-off.

Details are as follows:

Members: Adult £22; Concession £20
Non-Members: Adult £25; Concession £23
Coach departs Huish Park:  2.30 p.m.

To book, call Paul Hadlow on 07736 044570 (only after 6.00 p.m. please) or email him on paulhadlow@outlook.com.

If you are getting in touch by email, please make it clear which match you are booking for and that you give your full name, the names of people that are travelling and a contact telephone number.

You may be asked to pay a £5 deposit to reserve your seat.

Maidenhead United: Directions To The Ground

General

Maidenhead was an old traditional market town but the centre has been mostly gutted during that unsympathetic period of urban development, the 1960s & 70s, and is pretty unattractive. There are currently plans to rip down those 60s & 70s carbuncles and try to restore some heritage to the centre. The population is around 70,000, just under half of the 150,000 which, along with its much more famous sister town, make up The Royal Borough of Windsor & Maidenhead.

The area is not natural football country. Egg-chasing and folks sculling up and down the Thames in summer Regattas is more its scene.

By Road

The shortest Huish Park to York Road route is 113 miles. A303 then M3, dropping off at Junction 6 (Basingstoke) on to the A339 and then A33 to cut across to join the M4 at Junction 11.

Exit M4 at Junction 8/9 (Holyport Interchange), taking the second exit off the roundabout onto the A308. At the next roundabout (Braywick) take the first exit onto Windsor Road which then becomes Braywick Road (still A308). Carry on into Maidenhead to the next roundabout, taking the third exit on to Stafferton Way.

At the first roundabout go straight on (first exit), Stafferton Way becoming Stafferton Link; at the mini-roundabout take the second exit (still Stafferton Link). On approaching the next major roundabout there’s a mini-roundabout just before it, where one’s looking to make an acute dog-leg left turn into Forlease Road.

Follow Forlease Road across the railway line to the roundabout. The first exit is York Road, with the stadium about 250 yards along on the left.

Parking

York Road Stadium is on a tight town centre site and there is no parking at the ground for fans. It will come as no surprise that given this location most roads in the area are either no parking at all or resident permit only so on-street parking is unlikely to be easy to find. The centre of town is just a few minutes walk to the north of the ground.

The nearest carpark, Grove Road* (opposite the main entrance to the stadium across the other side of York Road), is £1.50 for one hour and £3.00 for two (maximum stay two hours) but free after 9.00 p.m. and with no time limit, so for a night game one could park there all match for £3.00.  However it is small, only 80 spaces, and presumably fills up quickly on a match day. There’s a major (734 spaces) multi-storey that’s part of Nicholsons Shopping Centre, off Broadway about 4 minutes walk from the ground. Charges apply up to 9.00 p.m. These two are council run and use the RingGo app but do still accept cash and card.

Maidenhead railway station carpark (not the forecourt one which is very small and more expensive but the main multi-level one off Shoppenhangers Road) costs a flat rate £5.00 between 4.00 p.m. and midnight and is around 8 or 9 minutes walk (0.4 of a mile) from the ground. Run by Apcoa Parking it appears to be card payment only.

[* A couple of comments from fans around the net suggest that the statement on RBWM council website of no time limit between 9.00 p.m. and 9.00 a.m. is contradicted by the signage at the site. Can’t find any evidence of anyone returning to find a penalty ticket in those circumstances so possibly they misinterpreted the wording on the sign, or there’s no wardens coming round after 9.00 p.m. anyway. However, should you get a ticket, this warning is here and we’re taking no responsibility.]

By Rail

One might expect a trip between Yeovil and Maidenhead to be relatively straightforward, but it isn’t. From Yeovil Junction it’s (a minimum of) two changes, at Basingstoke and Reading. Last season one couldn’t get back on the night because they had just reduced services with timetable changes in January. This time the result of further timetable changes has restored some of those services and one can, leaving Maidenhead 22.01 and with the same two changes, at Reading and Basingstoke, getting into Yeovil Junction at 01.06… or rather, one could have but of course the landslip at Hook on 14th January has disrupted all services around the Basingstoke area and reduced emergency timetables are in operation. And, believe it or not, the estimated date for completion of line repairs is… Wednesday 22nd February!

From Pen Mill it is change at either Castle Cary or Westbury (depending on the service chosen) and again at Reading. On this route there has never been any chance of seeing an evening game and getting back to Yeovil the same day.

Things are much better for Yeovil fans based in London and the South-East. The London terminus is Paddington. There’s eight trains an hour during peak times and usually four the rest of the day. Journey time varies between around 20 minutes (a few direct non-stopping services at rush hours) and half an hour or even over 40 minutes depending how many intermediate stations are stopped at. [Note: services between Paddington and Maidenhead are provided by both Crossrail (as the Elizabeth Line) and Great Western Railway. GWR services tend to be faster while Crossrail tends to stop everywhere.]

The walk from the station to the York Road main entrance is only 6 or 7 minutes. If the Bell Street entrance/exit is in use it’s under 5 minutes.

By Bus

The ground being centrally located in town, and also only a third of a mile (6 or 7 minutes walk) from the railway station, you are very unlikely to need a bus. Should you feel the need for some reason, The Royal Borough of Windsor & Maidenhead council website has a page here with links to all the different bus companies and their services around the area.

By Taxi

A selection of taxi firms based in the area can be found here.

Web Sites

Maidenhead United – the Official Site, which is a tour de force in not providing useful information for away supporters (and any other fans) who don’t already know the ground.

Local Press

Maidenhead Advertiser – carries coverage of local football teams including Maidenhead United.

Maidenhead : Food & Drink

General

Being a town centre ground there’s a lot of choice of pubs and eating establishments – though this doesn’t mean the majority of choices are much good. The nearest establishment to the ground – right by the main entrance in fact – is Maidenhead Conservative Club. It proudly boasts that Theresa May (see Other Points of Interest, below) drops in on occasion. For a small fee it allows in non-members who present a current CAMRA card, but as it is not open on Tuesdays that option isn’t relevant for our visit this time. The next nearest venue, something one suspects of a contrast to the Con Club and less likely to see Theresa rocking up, is The Honeypot Gentlemen’s Club, a lap dancing joint. It doesn’t publish its drinks – or any other – prices – wonder why?! Opening on a Tuesday is 5.00 p.m. – 2.00 a.m. should anyone be tempted – no tracksuits or football shirts allowed, over 21s with suitable identification including photograph only.

The nearest pub is now A Hoppy Place (below) just over 100 yards from the ground, which opened June 2022. If you used the pub that was nearest to the ground the last time the Glovers were in Maidenhead, Gordon’s on Queen Street, this is currently reported to be “temporarily closed“.  There’s an O’Neill’s on the way from the station to the stadium and the Spoons (below) is in the town centre four minutes (0.2 of a mile) from the stadium. In total there’s ten or eleven (one appears to be closed at present) pubs all within a few minutes walk of one another in this central area of town, and mostly much of a muchness.

Club Bar

There’s a clubhouse called Stripes. The sum total of information about it on their Official Site is a photo showing some tables and chairs. Providing the match is unsegregated it is open to both sets of fans. On our last visit seem to recall a lager and possibly some Guinness. I tried the IPA by local brewery Rebellion Beer Co. (sometimes also called Marlow Brewery). Have had this beer before: it’s OK, unspectacular but solid enough. So it was quite an achievement for Stripes to serve up this keg beer (keg beer is actually very hard to mess up, unlike cask) in such awful condition I preferred to tip it away rather than force it down.

Local Pubs

Bear: The Spoons in Maidenhead, 4 minutes walk (0.2 of a mile) from the stadium. Somewhat unusually, this had been a pub in the past – not a cinema, bank, furniture store etc. etc. – though was then a private house for a long time, before becoming a Wetherspoon in 2010. Patio / smoking area to the front. Opens from 8.00 a.m. every day, children allowed until 9.00 p.m., closes midnight Sunday to Thursday and 1.00 a.m. Friday and Saturday.
The Bear, 8-10 High Street, Maidenhead, Berkshire, SL6 1QJ. Tel: 01628 763030. Map: Bear.

Craufurd Arms: Wasn’t going to put this one in as it’s a mile (so around 20 minutes walk) from the ground, but Mr Whale is all excited cuz it’s been in the Good Beer Guide for 418 years (or summat like that!) and describes itself as a “Pint-Sized Community Pub” so he’s probably thinking it’s like one of his beloved micropubs – though it isn’t one of those. There’s been a pub on the site for a couple of hundred years, though the vast majority of the building clearly doesn’t date back anywhere near that long. Serves three to five changing cask beers – from the likes of Rebellion, Stardust and West Berkshire Brewery – and two ‘craft’ keg lines – most commonly from Siren Craft Brew. Food is sausage rolls and toasties (with pizza on a Friday night). Has both Sky and BT Sports TV. Family friendly, beer garden, smoking area and parking. Since our trip last year: Tuesday night 25% off selected beer prices appears to have disappeared; but Friday night pizza and a Thai pop-up on Saturday seem new. Also increased opening hours since then, so now: 1.00 p.m. – 11.00 p.m. Monday to Thursday; noon – 1.00 a.m. Friday; noon – midnight Saturday; noon – 8.00 p.m. Sunday.
Craufurd Arms, 15 Gringer Hill, Maidenhead, Berkshire, SL6 7LY. Tel: 01628 675410. Map: Craufurd Arms.

Gordon’s on Queen St: Now second nearest pub to the ground since opening of A Hoppy Place (below), 2 minutes (0.1 of a mile) away – reported as “TEMPORARILY CLOSED” at present.
Gordon’s on Queen St, 43 Queen Street, Maidenhead, Berkshire, SL6 1LT. Tel: 01628 316299. Map: Gordon’s on Queen St.

Hoppy Place: Opened (June) since we last visited Maidenhead in February 2022, this is the second outlet for these purveyors of craft beer, the first being in Windsor. A convenient 100 yards from the ground, expect 4 cask and 14 keg lines, some real cider and 150+ range of cans and bottles in the fridges. Disabled access, outside patio area. Hours: (closed Monday), opens noon every other day, until 9.00 p.m. Tuesday and Wednesday, 10.00 p.m. Thursday, 11.00 p.m. Friday and Saturday, 8.00 p.m. Sunday.
A Hoppy Place, Unit C Trinity Place, Park Street, Maidenhead, Berkshire, SL6 1TJ. Tel: 01753 973938. Map: A Hoppy Place.

Lord Grenfell: Was a basic back street boozer called the Grenfell Arms but in May 2021, after a major refurbishment and slight alteration of name, reopened as a beer destination style pub (owners have sister pubs in the same format in Kew, Twickenham and Windsor). Has eight cask ales (10% discount for CAMRA members); 2 real ciders and 15 keg lines, with the vast majority from small independent producers. Also stocks a range of cans and bottles, again mostly from the ‘craft’ end of the market. To my mind it was the right pub but in the wrong place when visited on our 2022 trip: left wondering, after three different beers there all of which were in pretty unimpressive condition, if an operation that far from the town centre could really manage enough throughput to sustain such a huge range of cask and keg. Fairly extensive menu in the upper-mid pub food price range served from 9.00 a.m. to 9.30 p.m. Family friendly, TV (terrestrial) sports, outside area, covered & heated smoking area, car park. Standard opening times a simple 8.00 a.m. – 10.00 p.m. every day (though later if has events on like live music). 0.7 of a mile (just under 15 minutes walk) to York Road Stadium.
The Lord Grenfell, 22 Oldfield Road, Maidenhead, Berkshire, SL6 1TW. Tel: 01628 620705. Map: Lord Grenfell.

Maiden’s Head: See the play on words there?! Describing itself as a Craft Beer & Ale House it wouldn’t cut much mustard in a city craft scene but is a step up from many a provincial pub in terms of beer. Four hand pumps, with the most common offerings being from Rebellion Beer Co. (which often trades under the name The Marlow Brewery). Other breweries that may feature also tend to be local: Stardust, New Wharf Brewing, Windsor & Eton, Hogs Back. Keg is a mix of multinational and a few independent offerings. Food is basically variations of fried chicken & chips and burgers (has children’s options), served 12.00 p.m. – 2.30 p.m. and 5.00 p.m. – 9.00 p.m. weekdays and throughout the day at the weekend. Has disabled access, a large paved garden, sports on TV (though terrestrial rather than Sky or BT), smoking area. Opens from noon every day, closing 11.00 p.m. Monday to Thursday, 1.00 a.m. Friday and Saturday, 9.00 p.m. Sunday. A 4 minutes (0.2 of a mile) walk to stadium.
The Maiden’s Head, 34 High Street, Maidenhead, Berkshire, SL6 1QE. Tel: 01628 784786. Map: Maiden’s Head.

Off The Tap: Claimed to be Maidenhead’s first Craft Beer & Burger Bar, which must be quite recent as in 2021 CAMRA was describing it as Maidenhead’s first Craft Beer Pizzeria. Anyway it’s definitely burgers these days, with 11 different meat and 3 plant based varieties. Opens from noon every day, closing midnight Sunday to Thursday and 1.00 a.m. Friday and Saturday. Does limited cask – one hand pump, mostly with Rebellion Beer Co. on by the looks of it – and seven keg taps. The regulars listed on the drinks menu are very basic in ‘craft’ terms these days: three from Meantime (Asahi subsidiary)- London Lager, Pale and Yakima Red; one from Beavertown/Heineken – Neck Oil; Hofmeister – Helles Lager; + Amstel and Guinness. However (again hunting around elsewhere) it appears to get some better stuff in than those, with one keg tap having a rotating guest, but mostly through its cans & bottles range. The cider on keg is Molson Coors brand Aspall Suffolk Cyder. Has outside areas front and back, Sports TV, pool table and darts. At the far western end of High Street it’s just over a third of a mile from the stadium so 7 or 8 minutes walk.
Off The Tap, 105 High Street, Maidenhead, Berkshire, SL6 1EA. Tel: 01628 622800. Map: Off The Tap.

Likelihood the Natives Will Understand You: Maidenheaders (which doubt they call themselves) like to think they are posh – they’re not, the proper posh folks live upstream in Henley-on-Thames and downstream in Windsor – and won’t be talking to the likes of us.

Top-Tip: In nine attempts we’ve never beaten Maidenhead. And the last four meetings have all been draws, with a grand total of two goals between them. Take a book to read.

Other Points Of Interest:  Before they became famous the Spice Girls shared a house in Maidenhead for a year – you really, really, really wanna know that, don’t you? Ex-PM Theresa May, MP for Maidenhead 1997-present, ran through fields of wheat which may have been local… or perhaps somewhere else entirely.

[No responsibility is taken for any inaccuracies. This page is entirely the product of bias and prejudice.]