Willow Wanderers FC was formed in 2015 when the founders, Neil Barrs and Tom Turner, felt their approach to kids' football was at odds with the club they were then working with. The U9 and U6 groups they coached followed them almost unanimously to create a distinctive new club with a clear philosophy of putting the enjoyment of football above the desire to win games. The choice of kit colour, bold logo, and alliterative name were all deliberately chosen to form a recognisable look which was intended to become synonymous with the values we feel so passionately about. We want players, coaches and supporters from all backgrounds to look forward to their games against our teams, knowing they'll be played in the right spirit and that our members will make them feel welcomed when they travel to Carlton le Willows Academy.

As well as achieving the FA Charter Standard in our first year as a club, our U7 group were voted by their peers as winners of the League's Fair Play Award - the perfect accolade to reflect our approach to the game. The team spirit we foster has helped us collect lots of silverware since; because of our approach, every player in each of those teams can feel they've had a full role in achieving those awards.

Having moved to Carlton le Willows Academy in 2016, we are proud to have formed a long-term partnership with the school and helped build their business case for FA funding for a new 3G facility in 2019, which we now use for all of our training. As their biggest key partner, WWFC continues to use the Academy for all of our home matches covering 20 teams as at the start of the 24-25 season.

After a couple of failed attempts we finally managed to get a toehold in the girls' game in 2021, with our Amazons starting at the bottom and working their way up to Division 1 within three years at U14. They were joined by Orcas two years later and Phoenixes in 2024. Part of our club development plan is to grow our girls' provision and we have a dedicated intake group at the U9 age group - prior to this age many girls play with mixed groups, but around year 4 we've found a lot more girls get interested in the game.

The U10 Warriors team that Tom ran when the club was founded ended their natural life in 2023, having helped 31 kids enjoy childhood football along the way, with one player - Ashton Beacroft - being there for the entire journey. Neil stepped away from his club secretary role at the end of the 23-24 season to focus on enjoying his last year or two of coaching his Wildcats without the distractions of the wider club responsibilities - he still has three players who have been with the club since the first WWFC team at this age group, alongside Tom's Warriors in 2015. Wolverines' manager Michael Faflik took the reins as club secretary and continues to work with Tom to cement WWFC's long-term future

About Us

Willow Wanderers FC