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.
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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.
