Recent History

The 2015/16 season was undoubtedly a historic season for the Wood, competing at the top table of non-league football for the very first time in the newly named National League. It was, though, no fairy-tale opening season at that level against much stronger opposition. In fact, it proved a very difficult one just to survive and, apart from their opening day 3-1 win against Halifax, and the odd big win against the likes of Tranmere Rovers, they struggled to compete with the bigger clubs. By October, they had lost their very successful long-standing manager Ian Allinson to his increased work commitments. They had replaced him with Allinson’s experienced, but young, assistant manager Luke Garrard who was just 30 years of age and they continued to struggle and adjust to football at that level and faced a relegation battle that took them to the very last game of the season. The final three league games of the campaign will long live in the memory for Boreham Wood supporters, as it saw them beat Aldershot away 2-1, Guiseley at home 1-0 and then Welling United 3-0 away. That end-of-season turnaround finally secured their place in the National League Premier.

The following season, 2016/17, saw the club improve further, with an 11th place National League finish but the best was still to come one year later. During that 2017/18 season, the club finally realised two ambitions, the first of which was to beat a Football League club in the FA Cup. That happened on Saturday, 4th November 2017 with a 2-1 victory over famous FA Cup winners Blackpool. That would have been the highlight of a normal season, but 2017/18 was anything but that for Boreham Wood FC, as a great run of league form ended with an amazing 4th-place finish in the National League. That meant yet another appearance in the Play-Offs and this time in the new format where six clubs were involved. Wins against AFC Fylde and Sutton United meant that Boreham Wood had booked their ticket to Wembley with a dream of reaching the football league, but it was not to be realised, as Tranmere Rovers were 2-1 winners at Wembley Stadium.

They were back in the play-offs again two years later, but were beaten in the Semi-Finals by Harrogate Town. The 2021/22 season was a memorable one for the Wood as they made it further than ever in the FA Cup – to the Fifth Round. A run which included historic wins over AFC Wimbledon and AFC Bournemouth eventually saw them defeated by Everton. There was to be more play-off heartache for Boreham Wood in the 2022/23 season, making it to the Semi-Final stage once more before being knocked out by Notts County. The following season they finished fourth-from-bottom of the National League and were relegated to the National League South.

Form

Tonight’s match sees the top two teams in the form guide going head-to-head, as Boreham Wood have taken 13 points from their last six matches. Their defeat at home to Chippenham Town on Saturday was their first taste of defeat since early November when they lost away at Aveley.

It brought an end to a 14-game unbeaten run that has seen the Wood climb to the top of the league table. They are the league’s second-top scorers, only behind Dorking Wanderers on that front and are now one of five teams on 52 points at the top of the National League South.

Last Six
25/01 – Chippenham Town (H) – Lost 1-4
21/01 – Hampton & Richmond Borough (H) – Won 3-1
18/01 – Welling United (A) – Won 0-1
04/01 – Weymouth (A) – Won 1-2 (FA Trophy)
01/01 – Slough Town (H) – Won 5-1
26/12 – Enfield Town (A) – Won 0-2

The Gaffer

Luke returned to Meadow Park in September 2024 five months after departing the Club, having previously spent nine seasons in the hot seat and 18 total years with the Club in various capacities.

During Luke’s first stint in charge, between October 2015 and April 2024, the Club witnessed unrivalled success on the pitch, with the Club reaching the National League play-offs three times in 2018, 2020 and 2023, including going to Wembley for the first and only time, agonisingly losing out to eventual promotion winners on each occasion to Tranmere Rovers, Harrogate Town and Notts County respectively.

Competing at the top table of Non-League football was coupled with historic runs in the FA Cup, the world’s most recognised Club cup competition. Under the COVID cloud, Wood reached the third round for the first time ever in January 2021, taking on Championship side Millwall at Meadow Park.

However, that cup record was bettered just a season later when Wood mounted a monumental cup run which culminated at Goodison Park going head-to-head with five-time FA Cup winners Everton. It was a run that captured the imagination of the nation, defeating AFC Wimbledon in the third round to set up a fourth round tie against Championship leaders AFC Bournemouth.

With modest expectations heading to the South coast, Garrard and his team tore up the script, overseeing the greatest achievement in the Club’s history, as well as one of greatest FA Cup upsets in recent memory. Wood’s 1-0 victory over the Cherries saw Wood become just the tenth Non-League side to reach the FA Cup fifth round.

Just a season later, Wood reached the FA Cup third round for the third consecutive season, becoming just the third Non-League side to achieve that feat after defeating Joey Barton’s Bristol Rovers to set up a third round tie with Accrington Stanley.

The Skipper

Jack Payne was named as captain of Boreham Wood FC ahead of the 2023/24 season.

Jack began his career at Gillingham, where he earned accolades such as young player of the season, before signing for Peterborough United after an initial loan spell with the Posh was made permanent in 2013. After over 100 appearances in a Posh shirt at both Championship and League One level, Jack would depart London Road, initially on a loan spell with Leyton Orient before signing a permanent deal with Blackpool in August 2016. Jack spent a single season with the Seasiders, making 44 appearances in tangerine as Blackpool secured promotion to League One via the League Two play-offs.

At the conclusion of the 2016/17 season Jack returned south, experiencing his first taste of National League football, with Ebbsfleet United and Eastleigh between 2017 and 2021, before making his Football League return with Crawley Town in July 2021. Just a season later, following his departure from the Broadfield Stadium, Jack would arrive at Meadow Park in July 2022. Ahead of the 2023/24 season, Jack was appointed club captain, whilst he also captained England C in an international friendly against Nepal in May 2024.

Key Player

Kwesi Appiah is the league’s top goalscorer, with 18 goals to his name so far this season.

Kwesi began his career in the youth set up at Ebbsfleet United before earning a move to Peterborough United in 2008. After two seasons with the Posh, including loan spells with Weymouth, King’s Lynn Town and Kettering Town, Kwesi departed London Road in 2010 returning to Non-League to sign for Thurrock. Just a season later in July 2011, Appiah signed for Margate, where he would enjoy the most prolific spell of his career. Kwesi’s impressive start to life at Margate, scoring 22 goals in 24 appearances, quickly caught the attention of sides much further up the pyramid and in January 2012 Crystal Palace won the race to his signature.

Across a five-year spell with Crystal Palace, Kwesi would enjoy loans spells away from Selhurst Park with the likes of Aldershot Town, Yeovil Town, Cambridge United, Notts County, AFC Wimbledon, Reading and Viking FK of Norway, however in the summer of 2017 following the expiration of his contract, Appiah would join one of his former loan clubs, AFC Wimbledon, on a permanent basis.

Kwesi would spend three seasons with the Dons, scoring 15 goals in 71 total appearances, but a move abroad was next on the cards for Appiah, signing for Northeast United in the Indian Super League in October 2020. Less than a year later, Kwesi returned to England, signing for League Two Crawley Town in August 2021. Following the mutual termination of his contract at the Broadfield Stadium in the summer of 2023, Kwesi would put pen to paper on a two-year contract with Boreham Wood in July 2023.

Kwesi also boasts seven senior appearances and two goals for Ghana, including scoring in the 2015 African Cup of Nations quarter final 3-0 win over Guinea. Despite losing on 9-8 penalties to the Ivory Coast, Kwesi started for the Black Stars in the AFCON final.