Wingate & Finchley vs Cray Wanderers – Isthmian Premier – Saturday 8th August, 3 pm – Match Preview
Cray Wanderers embark on a thirteenth season of Isthmian Premier League football on Saturday as the Wands head to North London to face Wingate & Finchley at the Maurice Rebak Stadium. Kick off 3 pm.
With pre-season now very much pushed into the back burner it is time now for another great roller-coaster ride over the next nine months in what year in year out becomes a stronger and hard to call Isthmian Premier League.
Cray finished seventh last season, a position if replicated would mean a playoff place and the Wands will be looking to follow on from an excellent away record last season of nine wins, nine draws and just three defeats while perhaps picking up some more home wins then such a season could be on the cards.
Pre-season saw three wins and three defeats but also new signings, Ade Yusuff, Alfie Payne, Rob Strachan, Charlie Paye and Henry Molyneux settle in along with retained players Frankie Raymond, Alex Hernandez, Frankie Morgan, Crossley Lema, Quade Taylor, Daniel Ajakaiye, Ola Ogunwamide and Lateef Adaja and returnees George Brooke and Mitchell Chapman.
Cray begin their home campaign against Cheshunt on Tuesday night but first will need to navigate a tricky opener heading to Wingate & Finchley who have announced a handful of new players in the last few days as the Blues look to improve on a 16th placed finish last season. Ahmet Rifat’s side though did win silverware claiming the Velocity League Cup beating Ramsgate 1-0 with an extra time goal from Afi Adebayo.
Announced by the club as signed are former Wand Ashley Nzala as well as Anointed Chukwu (Chippenham Town), Tobi Tinibu (Aveley), Jack Thomas (Welling United), Kai Thomas-Fraser (Redbridge), Sami Moutawafiq (Ware), Harrison Lamb (Southend Unitee), Kwadwo Bugyei-Kyei (St. Neots) and John Shamalo (Harborough) so look like a revamped side. They begin their away fixtures at Carshalton Athletic on Monday 10th August and visit Flamingo Park to face AFC Whyteleafe next Saturday.
Wingate & Finchley are the survivors of the Isthmian Premier with this being their fifteenth straight seasons following promotion from the Isthmian North in 2010-11. Although there have been some narrow escapes from relegation the club have twice reached the playoffs including as recently as 2023-24 so are very much part of the furniture in this league.
The sides have met a number of times down the years including the former Wingate club in the 1950’s before Wingate (having at one time merged with Leyton) joined forces with Finchley in 1991 in the FA Cup, FA Trophy and London Senior Cup.
In the league as Wingate & Finchley the teams have met eighteen times with Cray winning eight, Wingate & Finchley five wins and five draws. Last season Cray won both matches, 3-2 at Flamingo Park almost a year ago when George Brooke scored the winner and 2-1 at Wingate & Finchley in December 2025. The games have generally always been very close and this should prove to be no different as both teams look to get off to a positive start to the season.
‐‐——————-
The Pre-Match Thoughts of Tim O’Shea
Cray Wanderers play their third Isthmian Premier League season at Flamingo Park and the thirteenth at this level and today play their first match of the 2026-27 campaign at Wingate & Finchley. Here Tim O’Shea looks ahead to the game, a quick glimpse into Tuesday night and Cheshunt and his expectations for the season.
Hello Tim.
Here we go again, another exciting season awaits and pre-season now firmly behind us. What were your thoughts of what was a very warm/hot pre-season and the beginning of this season.
I thought pre-season was a positive one for us. The new players that have arrived have settled down well in the changing room and there have been a few social events which is always good for team bonding on and off the pitch. The boys have dealt with everything that has been thrown at them such as running to help keep their fitness up. It was a hot summer and like the World Cup there were drinks breaks during pre-season and rightly so. It has been exceptionally hot and will be this weekend as well.
A tough start to the season for us with a trip to Wingate & Finchley who have been in the Isthmian Premier a long time now and have been recruiting well including Ashley Nzala who was with us last season.
It is indeed and you have the journey to factor in as well and tough to drive across North London on a Saturday morning/afternoon. Ahmet always has a good side at Wingate & Finchley playing an attacking brand of football and a tough place to go. They are often in the top half of the table and we know we are going to have to be at our best to come away with three points.
A quick look across to Tuesday with the rapid turnover of games and the visit of Cheshunt. Quite a way for them to come on a Tuesday night but we also have to there midweek in October. They are always hard games against the Ambers aren’t they! Is there a feeling this could be the toughest season yet to predict. I personally expect Eastbourne Borough to be the team to beat but there is also the likes of Welling United, Aveley, Brentwood Town, Chatham Town and many others who could compete for the extra two playoff places.
They are. Looking at them in pre-season they are quite a big side. Kenny Coker who we had here with us in the 2024-25 season and did ever so well will be a handful.
I truly believe and I know this sounds repetitive this league just gets tougher and tougher.
It will be hard to call. There will be the usual contenders and I agree with you Eastbourne with the calibre of players they have signed and the level of football these signings are from show they will throw everything at going straight back up under Steve King and are more than capable of replicating Folkestone or the run Billericay went on in the latter part of the season. Chatham Town under Hakey are always there or thereabouts and I’m sure would want to go one better than last season and are pretty much full time. Aveley will be doing very well again and Brentwood Town now with the backing of Barry Hearn putting money into the ground and team will be strong again. Also teams that have come up like Leatherhead, I know Ian Selley very well and they are a good side as are Three Bridges. They are used to winning games now and no-one seems to be speaking about them and what they achieved in the South-East Division.
Just looking back to the World Cup do you think there will be anything tactics wise or style of play wise that could be replicated during the season? Perhaps all the grappling in the penalty area but is that something we are used to at Non-League level.
I think there is enough going on in the box anyway but certainly the five second rule for goal kicks and for throw in’s and they are making sure the game is quickening up although it is fast enough as it is. I’m not sure about the drinks break but as it is still hot I’m sure this is something that will come into play. Also the possibility of the tactical goalkeeper going down and with that the players all running to the side is something that is being looked at.
Now that pre-season is over and some other leagues have already started, the FA Cup began in earnest on Saturday it is good to get going again isn’t and the serious stuff.
It is indeed. The players were fed up of pre-season, the management team and I guess the supporters too. There are meaningful three points available in games now and no longer about getting minutes in the player’s legs and down to the nitty gritty
We just need the Cray Massive to keep following us and hopefully some new supporters coming along. This team going on from last season deserve a decent crowd. I’d like to thank the ones who have been coming down but if we can get another 10/20 % more coming along to see what is happening down at Flamingo Park it would go down well with the players.
‐——————–
DIRECTIONS TO WINGATE & FINCHLEY
Maurice Rebak Stadium, Summers Lane, Finchley, London N12 0PD
ADMISSION PRICES
Adults – £14 (Online: £13)
Conc (OAP 65+, student, disabled) – £9 (Online: £8)
10-16 yrs: £5
Under 10: Free
NHS staff and carer of disabled: Free
Online sales: https://www.wingatefinchley.com/first-team-match-tickets
Supporting ID required for concessions or full price admission will be charged
Cash and card are accepted at all sales points at the stadium.
Programmes: Online
Pitch: Grass
Driving
The simplest way to get to stadium is to get on to the A406 North Circular Road.
If coming from the West (eg via M1), go past Henlys Corner (taking the left fork after the traffic lights) and then drive for about 1 mile. The exit to take is the one immediately after a BP garage. Take the slip road and then turn right at the lights onto the A1000.
If coming from the East (eg via A10, M11) take the A1000 turn off. At the end of the slip road turn left at the lights. Go straight over the next set of lights, then after 100m pass through another set of lights. Then at the next set of lights turn right into Summers Lane. The Stadium is a few hundred metres down on the right hand side.
Car Parking
Please be aware NOT to park in the Rugby Club next door, as they will close their gates and lock you in. There are plenty of nearby streets, although please note not to park on the kerbs and also some surrounding roads have yellow lines.
The Club car park on matchdays is available for Club Officials (Home & Away), Players, Staff and VIP guests only.
Blue Badge Parking: 4 free spaces are available on the front forecourt.
Tube
The nearest Underground station is West Finchley Station (Northern Line – High Barnet branch).
The station is a 10/15 minute walk away from the Ground. Alternatively go to East Finchley Station (also on the Northern Line, High Barnet branch) and get a 263 bus heading north towards Barnet. Get off at the bus stop just after the Summers Lane traffic lights
National Rail
The nearest station is New Southgate in Travelcard Zone 4, approximately 1.5 miles from the Abrahams Stadium. Trains are operated by First Capital Connect and can be picked up from Finsbury Park.
At the top of the station steps take the right hand gangway which brings you onto Station Road. Head left up Station Road towards bus stop. The regular 382 service to Millbrook Park goes via Summers Lane and takes about 5-10 minutes. You will need to alight at the Woodgrange Avenue stop, which is a short walk to the ground.
Nearest Pubs: The nearest pubs are the Elephant Inn in North Finchley which is also a Thai Restaurant around 0.6 miles away with the Tally Ho similarly located.
The Elephant Inn – 283 Ballards Road, N12 8NR – 0.6 miles (about a 15 minute walk)
Tally Ho – 749 High Road, N12 0BP
If coming in to East Finchley then the Five Bells, Old White Lion and the Bald Faced Stag are a bit of trek on foot but the 263 bus will take you will take you from there close enough to the ground.
The Five Bells (Greene King) – 165-167 E End Road, N2 0LZ – 1.6 miles
The Bald Faced Stag – 69 High Road N2 8AB – 1.6 miles
Old White Lion – 121 Great North Road N2 0NW – 1.8 miles
Finchley is an area of the LB of Barnet which has three town centres in East Finchley, North Finchley and Finchley Central (Church End) and developed from the late 1800’s with connections to the Great North Railway. The area is quite artistic and has been the site of a number of films and TV locations. Finchley was the home of the Goons’ Spike Milligan and there is a bronze statue in the Stephens House and Gardens in East End Road. It was also the constituency of Margaret Thatcher from 1959-1992 and former speaker of the house John Bercow. Also singer-songwriter George Michael was born in East Finchley and Spice Girl Emma Bunton was born in Finchley. The area has a large Jewish community and the original Wingate club who Cray Wanderers played in the 1950’s were formed in honour of an Israeli soldier Orde Wingate and to combat Anti-Semitism and the current set up was formed in 1991 as a merger of the Wingate and Finchley football clubs.
