West Herts Sports Club to celebrate 125th anniversary this weekend

The football team at West Herts Sports Club in Park Avenue will be taking on former Watford FC legends on Sunday, September 6 to mark the occasion.

The club is hoping to see Nigel Gibbs, Lloyd Doyley, Tommy Mooney, Gifton Noel Williams, Luther Blissettand and Steve Sherwood are play in the match.

The sports club was formed at the end of the 19th Century and on September 1890 West Herts Football Club played the first game on the grounds against Mr A.T.B. Dunn's XI.

West Herts team subsequently changed their name to Watford FC and the Park Avenue site was where the team played their first league matches before moving to Vicarage Road in 1922.

Not long after a group of trustees set up what is today West Herts Sports Club, ensuring that the grounds will continue to be used for sporting activities.

Dennis Lock, member of the club, said: "In an article reviewing the new pavilion, the Park Avenue ground was described as the 'best kept secret in Watford' as so many people drive down Cassio Road everyday without realising what is behind that fence."

Today around 800 adults and children living in Watford, regularly call West Herts their home for playing their favourite sport and makes the club one of the largest sports clubs in the county.

They have a wide range of facilities including pitches, grass courts, tiger turf courts for tennis, squash courts and more.

Since 2012 the club has been home to Watford Joggers, which has almost 150 members ranging from people in their early 20s to their 80s.

The club has five adult and nine junior cricket teams, a senior football team that plays in the Watford Sunday League and another junior team.

During the 125 years the club has produced many top quality players and at present have six international players representing the club at under 17, under 19 and over 35/45/55 age groups.

The match on Sunday kicks off at 1pm. There will also be a bar and refreshments and live music after the game.