The 2025/26 season provide a rough ride for Walthamstow FC amid constant manager changes but things are looking up for the club now, writes David O’Driscoll
A new season of football is back upon us.
For Walthamstow, this means another challenging crack at getting out of the Isthmian League Division One North. In the build-up to the new campaign, there were some strange managerial decisions.
After parting ways with last season’s management, the club flirted with ex-Watford striker Gifton Noel-Williams, only to move on from him in the blink of an eye.
To be fair, though, Walthamstow FC have ultimately opted for a ‘safe pair of hands’ in Max Mitchell.
Mitchell was in charge of the club before and during the Covid-affected seasons, where he oversaw a 64% win percentage – the highest in the club’s modern history.
Since then, Mitchell has been at several non-league clubs, doing the business at most of them. The Echo will interview him in our next issue.
So far, so good. An away draw on the opening day was followed by a 2-1 home victory over a decent Grays Athletic team.
This was achieved with what is more or less a brand-new team, though last year’s player of the season, Jordan Peart, is thankfully still here.
It has to be said that Walthamstow’s defence is looking strong this season.
The club has brought back Ali Njie, a top centre-back for this level, to partner with Jack Empson. Empson was surprisingly let go by FC Marlow and I regard him as one of the most sought-after and talented players in non-league football.
In the win over Grays, the best player on the pitch was Walthamstow’s new left-back and captain, Luke Warner-Eley. All of this bodes well for the season ahead.
While the Walthamstow FC managerial merry-go-round was less than impressive, matters off the pitch have been excellent.
In an era of eye-popping football ticket prices elsewhere, the club is running generous season ticket offers, particularly for NHS key workers. There is also a new venture in the podcasting space, with the official Walthamstow FC podcast featuring post-match interviews with the management.
The club is also keen to make inroads into the women’s game and establish more youth teams.
Finally, we must mention Callum Ibe. Walthamstow’s longest-serving player suffered a severe knee injury in pre-season and sadly requires serious surgery.
Because the procedure falls beyond the immediate scope of the NHS, a crowdfunding campaign was organised by Max Mitchell and the Walthamstow supporters’ community to fund it.
It is a sobering reminder that these players are semi-professional and do not have the safety nets of major sporting organisations.
We hope to see you back on the pitch soon, Callum.
Local news needs your support
We are proud that we were at the forefront of reporting on the recent local elections. We can’t do this without the support of our readers.
Independent news outlets like ours – reporting for the community without rich backers – are under threat of closure, turning British towns into news deserts.
If our coverage has helped you understand our community a little bit better, please consider supporting us with a monthly, yearly or one-off donation.
ACT NOW!
Monthly direct debit
Annual direct debit
£5 per month supporters get a digital copy of each month’s paper before anyone else, £10 per month supporters get a digital copy of each month’s paper before anyone else and a print copy posted to them each month. £50 annual supporters get a digital copy of each month's paper before anyone else.
More information on supporting us monthly or annually
More Information about donations
