Non-League and Academy football writer

Wood Lane FC’s league season begins this Saturday afternoon, when they face Camden United at their new home ground – Harris Lowe Academy, in their first ever Middlesex League Premier Division fixture. Wood Lane only just completed their first full season within the FA pyramid, last season (2024/25), when they won the Middlesex League Division One North & West title (step 8), and in doing so they won promotion to the Premier Division for 2025/26. A club with a real emphasis on youth development within senior football. The talent in which this west London club has within their first team squad, is very impressive.

During their days before they had entered the Middlesex League, Wood Lane would enter a team in to the highly competitive Islington Midweek League. However, during the 2022/23 season, they would achieve tremendous things in the London FA Junior Cup. The youngsters of Wood Lane FC would go all the way to the final where they faced Goldfingers FC, and they won that final at Bromley FC, making history. A real footballing side, who are a real community team, with many of their players being from the Wood Lane area of west London, I was very impressed with their quality last season.

Wood Lane is a youthful team, with so much talent in their squad. They play their passing game really well as a team, and their high pressing game as well as their creativity with the ball saw them deservedly win the Division One North & West, last season. With players such as the experienced Yusuf Khalaf, who is one of the most experienced players in their squad, Mohamed-Amin Astan, former QPR academy player Ramy Bouhiaoui, and former Hampton & Richmond Borough player Jay Hines, they have so many very good players in their squad.

Wood Lane are also a very friendly club, and I really do think that they will continue to improve, as they make the step up to the Middlesex League Premier Division this season. Their ability to play such good and effective football as a team, along with their quality as a team, will in my opinion, see them do well in the Premier Division during this season. And maybe there will be another cup run along the way. All the very best to all at the club, for the season ahead. 

You can read my interview with Hamza (Wood Lane FC youth coach) from last season, here – https://nonleagueandacademyfootballwriter.co.uk/2024/12/01/my-interview-with-wood-lane-fc-youth-coach-hamza-about-some-of-his-memories-of-middlesex-county-football-league-side-wood-lane-fc/