| Based in North Leeds,
the club was originally founded as Wigton Moor Junior AFC in 1978
from a single team formed merely to give local boys something to do
on a weekend. |
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| From these humble
beginnings the club formed a Sports Association, sharing
facilities with a local cricket team and moving from it’s original
base at Wigton Moor Primary School (hence the team name) to pitches
at The Recreation Ground off Harrogate Road - where it is still
based today. |
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The cricket team
folded some years later and their legacy is that the club is
administered as the Wigton Sports Assocociation but plays
under the name of Wigton Moor Junior AFC. |
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| Today the club
has 14 boys teams playing in age groups from Under 8 to
Under 17. Historically Wigton has played in the Harrogate and
District League, but has some teams playing in The Garforth
League, The Leeds Minor League and Harrogate and Wharfedale
Friendly League. |
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| Girls didn’t get a
look in until May 2002 when Wigton began actively recruiting in
local schools and held a number of free coaching sessions. At
that point Wigton had no female coaches so it sought the help of the
WRCFA development office to get things going. Julie Chipchase
coached at the first two sessions with another two by Julie Grundy. |
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So it was with great pride that
in 2004 Wigton’s U11 team accepted the West Riding Girls Football
League Division B Trophy in the presence of Julie Chipchase
indicating what a strong influence the two Julie’s coaching had
been. Quite a number of the girls receiving their trophy that
evening had been coached by the two Julies and, up until attending
those first sessions had never been involved in football before.
This season Wigton will have 4 girls teams playing at ages Under 9
to Under 12 in the West Riding Girls Football League.
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| In March 2002 Wigton
Sports Association were granted the title of Charter Standard
Development Club. There is no doubt in the minds of club officials
that working towards, receiving and maintaining the award has made
the club a much more “professional” enterprise. The club was
always had a good attitude towards the coaching and playing of
football, but the wealth and extent of training and knowledge
available to Charter Clubs has certainly been of great benefit.
During 2005 Wigton will be working towards achieving the title of
Charter Standard Community Club. |
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| Also in March 2002 Wigton
Sports Association was successful in a grant application to the
Football Foundation. For improvement work on pitches and the
building of a new clubhouse Wigton received £412,000 – the
biggest award outside London at that time. Completed in September
2003, the grant has provided the club with the best facilities in
the area. |
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The club continues to grow and
membership numbers over 275. For the past two summers Wigton has run
weeklong football summer camps for Leeds City Council. and in the
future the club discussing football projects which will assist the
Council in socially deprived areas of Leeds. The club’s School
Liaison Officer currently works in ten local schools and refers,
those interested, to open coaching sessions at the club on Saturday
mornings. But this year this work will become extended when Wigton
becomes the first club in Leeds to form an FA Schools Link with a
group of High Schools and Primary Schools under Education Leeds
Schools Sports Co-ordinator Partnerships.
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