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Wakefield A.F.C. is an association football club formed in 2019 and currently playing in the Northern Counties East League Division One at Step 6 (Level 10) of the English football pyramid.
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| Full name | Wakefield Association Football Club | |
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| Nickname(s) | Wakey | |
| Founded | 2019 | |
| Stadium | Belle Vue (Wakefield) | |
| Capacity | 9,300 | |
| Owner | Fan shareholders with V02 Capital the majority shareholders | |
| Chairman | Guilherme Decca | |
| Manager | Stephen Bodle | |
| League | Northern Counties East League Division One | |
| 2023–24 | Northern Counties East League Division One, 4th of 23 | |
| Website | http://www.wakefieldafc.co.uk/ | |
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History
editA group of businessmen founded the club in 2019 but the team never completed its inaugural season after the 2019–20 campaign was abandoned during the pandemic. The club accumulated significant debt from 2019 and 2021 and during the 2021–22 campaign was behind many financial obligations with the community.
In November 2021, VO2 Capital, a Connecticut-based family office took a majority interest at the football club and effectively saved the club from going under.
VO2 Capital took over the club in 7th place with half a season to go. Right after taking over VO2 Capital also announced a merger with Wakefield Trinity Ladies Football Club, thus creating a new women's section for Wakefield AFC.
In January 2022, Chairman Guilherme Decca appointed Gabriel Mozzini as first team manager as part of several measures taken by VO2 Capital to re-organize the club. Under Mozzini guidance the team went on a remarkable run of 17 unbeaten games including 6 consecutive clean sheets to finish the season. On 14 May Wakefield AFC finally won their first league title after beating Dodworth Miners at home in the last game of the season.
On 12 May 2022, Wakefield AFC was promoted to Northern Counties East League Division One for 2022–23 season.
In its first season in Step 6 the club was competitive from the start and although the campaign was marked by inconsistent performances the club reached the play-off semi-finals.
The club was competitive on the field and off of it significant changes were made, and the club reduced its debt burden significantly with owners VO2 Capital paying off all the previous debt to the community (Barnsley and Wakefield Council as well as previous employees and providers). The new ownership also invested in the community and Wakefield AFC Juniors was formed for the 2023–24 season. Wakefield AFC Juniors started successfully with around 350 kids playing for the club from U7 to U15 age groups.
The season 2023–24 started with two major changes within the club organization. First, it was a complete redesign of the club's badge and visual identity. The club enlisted Christopher Payne (football designer) for the rebranding. During the Summer 2023 the club also moved back to Wakefield to play at Belle Vue (Wakefield). The move represented a big step towards building a financially sustainable future for the club as the central location and easier commuting helped increase attendance significantly, with a jump of more than 80% increase year on year.
Performance for the 2023–24 season was still inconsistent and in March 2024, the club appointed Junior Roberti as the new First Team Manager.[1]
Stadium
editThe club play their games at the Millennium Stadium, Post Office Road, home of rugby league team Featherstone Rovers. The club previously played in Barnsley but wanted to move to a stadium within the WF postcode area. For the 2023–24 season, the club finally played in Wakefield through a groundshare at Belle Vue, Wakefield with rugby league team Wakefield Trinity.[2] After only 1 season playing in the City, Wakefield returned to play in Featherstone in 2024 [3]
First-team squad
edit- As of 1 April 2024
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
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Technical Staff
edit| Coaching Staff | ||
|---|---|---|
| Name | Position | |
| Stephen Bodle | Manager | |
| Lee Needham | Assistant Manager | |
Records
edit- Best FA Vase performance: First round, 2024–25
References
edit- ^ Harber, Tony (26 March 2024). "Junior Roberti off to impressive start as Wakefield AFC boss after departure of Gabe Mozzini". wakefieldexpress.co.uk. Retrieved 20 October 2024.
- ^ Ltd, Go Media. "WAKEFIELD AFC TO PLAY AT THE MILLENNIUM STADIUM". Featherstone Rovers. Retrieved 6 December 2020.
- ^ "Wakefield AFC return to Millennium Stadium". www.ncefl.org.uk. Retrieved 20 October 2024.