Cray Wanderers embark on a thirteenth season of Isthmian Premier League football on Saturday as the Wands head to North London to face Wingate & Finchley at the Maurice Rebak Stadium.
Kick off 3pm.
With pre-season now very much pushed into the back burner it is time now for another great roller-coaster ride over the next nine months in what year in year out becomes a stronger and hard to call Isthmian Premier League.
Cray finished seventh last season, a position if replicated would mean a playoff place and the Wands will be looking to follow on from an excellent away record last season of nine wins, nine draws and just three defeats while perhaps picking up some more home wins then such a season could be on the cards.
Pre-season saw three wins and three defeats but also new signings, Ade Yusuff, Alfie Payne, Rob Strachan, Charlie Paye and Henry Molyneux settle in along with retained players Frankie Raymond, Alex Hernandez, Frankie Morgan, Crossley Lema, Quade Taylor, Daniel Ajakaiye, Ola Ogunwamide and Lateef Adaja and returnees George Brooke and Mitchell Chapman.
Cray begin their home campaign against Cheshunt on Tuesday night but first will need to navigate a tricky opener heading to Wingate & Finchley who have announced a handful of new players in the last few days as the Blues look to improve on a 16th placed finish last season. Ahmet Rifat’s side though did win silverware claiming the Velocity League Cup beating Ramsgate 1-0 with an extra time goal from Afi Adebayo.
Announced by the club as signed are former Wand Ashley Nzala as well as Anointed Chukwu (Chippenham Town), Tobi Tinibu (Aveley), Jack Thomas (Welling United), Kai Thomas-Fraser (Redbridge), Sami Moutawafiq (Ware), Harrison Lamb (Southend Unitee), Kwadwo Bugyei-Kyei (St. Neots) and John Shamalo (Harborough) so look like a revamped side. They begin their away fixtures at Carshalton Athletic on Monday 10th August and visit Flamingo Park to face AFC Whyteleafe next Saturday.
Wingate & Finchley are the survivors of the Isthmian Premier with this being their fifteenth straight seasons following promotion from the Isthmian North in 2010-11. Although there have been some narrow escapes from relegation the club have twice reached the playoffs including as recently as 2023-24 so are very much part of the furniture in this league.
The sides have met a number of times down the years including the former Wingate club in the 1950’s before Wingate (having at one time merged with Leyton) joined forces with Finchley in 1991 in the FA Cup, FA Trophy and London Senior Cup.
In the league as Wingate & Finchley the teams have met eighteen times with Cray winning eight, Wingate & Finchley five wins and five draws. Last season Cray won both matches, 3-2 at Flamingo Park almost a year ago when George Brooke scored the winner and 2-1 at Wingate & Finchley in December 2025. The games have generally always been very close and this should prove to be no different as both teams look to get off to a positive start to the season.
Admission on the gate – Adults – £14, Conc (OAP 65+, student, disabled) – £9
10-16 yrs: £5 Under 10: Free – NHS staff and carer of disabled: Free