Old Owens Association

FA Charter Standard Club

Old Owens FC was founded in 1891 and having survived the early years found itself strong enough to win its first league title, the Finchley and District League Division one in 1901/02, this feat that was repeated the following season in 1902/03. Old Owen’s first major cup success came nine years later when they won the Middlesex Charity Cup, beating Highgate FC in the final.

After the First World War Old Owen’s purchased their own ground, close to the school playing fields in Chandos Avenue, Whetstone, as a result the club went from strength to strength, running five teams in the Southern Olympian League. By the start of the thirties the club was flourishing and a decade of success ensued. Five appearences in the Old Boys Cup final, including three successive victories added to Owens first victory in the same competition in 1921. 1937 saw them win the Southern Olympian League Division One title for the first time and in 1939 they won the Middlesex/Essex AFA Cup.

Despite a second SOL championship in 1947/48, the progress of the club was heavily disrupted by the Second World War and the rebuilding process was slow throughout the fifties and sixties with limited success. The seventies saw the club return to winning ways with another Old Boys cup in 1974, but problems were again afoot when the school relocated from Islington to Potters Bar. As a result the player base was eroded and between 1984 and 1988 the situation became desperate. However plans were in the offing for a new ground in Potters Bar, which finally opened in 1988. A vibrant committee reorganised the club, ads were placed in the local press, ‘old timers’ rallied to the cause and in September 1988 3 XI’s plus the Vets and a Sunday side began the most remarkable transformation imaginable.

The Southern Olympian League stood by the Old Boys by allowing them to remain in Division Four, despite having been unable to fulfil their fixtures the previous season. By the end of the season Old Owen’s were champions of Division Four. The club fielded four sides in 1989/90 and finished the season as Champions again. 1990/91 saw a further expansion to six sides and another Championship in the bag. In just three seasons the Old Boys had gone from Division Four to Division One and lost only two of the 56 games in the process. No team had ever won all four Southern Olympian League Senior Divisions in succession but that is what the Old Owens achieved in 1992 by securing a draw away at Witan in the last game of the season. An extraordinary four years had put Old Owen’s back at the pinnacle of AFA football where they have stayed since. Reaching three Old Boys Cup Finals and never finishing outside of the top three sides in the Southern Olympian League, the Old Boys firmly established themselves and regained Champion status in 1996.

Subsequently they were elected to the Southern Amateur League in 1996/97 and achieved two promotions to reach Division One in 1999/ 2000. In 2000/01 Owens 3rd XI secured the first SAL championship for the club and the following year the Senior Division One title was won by the 1st XI. Since then the club have remained in the top division to date. The W.E. Greenland Trophy arrived in 2002/03 with further successes in the Old Boys Cup in 2003/04 and 2004/05. The 2005/06 Season became the most successful in the clubs history with the 1st XI winning the SAL Senior division 1 and the Old Boys Cup whilst narrowly loosing out to local rivals Winchmore Hill in the AFA Senior Cup.

The 2006/07 Season saw the arrival of Old Owens first ever AFA Cup. The Minor cup was secured in dramatic circumstances by the 4th XI in a 1-0 victory over Alexandra Park. The Old Boys Cup also saw more success for Owens as the 2nd, 4th and 6th XI's all secured the trophy. The 2007/08 continued Owens recent successes with the AFA Middlesex/Essex Cup returning to the club for the first time since 1939 and the first four teams all securing the Old Boys Cup.

The club still draws the majority of its players from Owens school and currently run six Saturday XI's and two vets XI's.