Hanwell Town: The incredible story of Bob Fisher
Within the picturesque confines of the London Borough of Ealing, nestled in between the scenic Pitshanger Park and the bustling A40 lies the 3,000-capacity Powerday Stadium.
Occupying this stadium is local club Hanwell Town F.C., a 140-year-old semi-professional team competing at level 7 (step 3) of the footballing pyramid.
Hanwell Town means a whole lot to those who are connected to it, and to the local community that surrounds it, despite their relatively small standing in the wider ecosystem of English football.
History
Hanwell Town’s history goes all the way back to 1884 when the first iteration of the club, Hanwell FC, was formed and lasted for 28 years until 1912.
The second phase, where they adopted their current name of Hanwell Town, started in 1920 after World War I and lasted for seven years before folding.
The third and current club was started in 1947 after World War II and has existed continuously ever since.
In 1955, only eight years into the Club’s third iteration, a young player named Bob Fisher was signed. This began a 22-year playing career, and subsequent 70-year association with Hanwell Town.
Captain for 10 of those years, he became manager after retiring. He then moved into executive roles, becoming Treasurer, President, and finally Chairman, the role he still occupies.
Under him they managed to win back-to-back London Senior Cup Winners in 1992-3 and 1993-4. They were also Premier Division Champions 2013-14, and most recently Middlesex Senior Cup Winners in 2020-21.
Bob Fisher: Family Man
Before an unfortunate home loss to Basingstoke, the Geordies legend spoke about his remarkable association with the club that is so close to his heart.
He started by mentioning his “quite strong family connection” to the club. The story of how he first came to the attention of Hanwell Town is certainly a unique one.
His older sister was actually romantically interested in one of Hanwell Town’s players at the time and he made contact with the chairman through this heartwarming connection.
That connection has carried on with other members of Bob’s family. The record appearance holder for the club, Phil Player, whom Bob said “played more games for the first team than I did by about a dozen” actually married Bob’s daughter. His son also runs the under 18’s team.
“It’s very much like a family; we’re all involved in different ways at Hanwell” he said of the connection his family has to the Club throughout multiple generations.
Bob’s association with sport in Ealing goes beyond Hanwell Town as he is also President of Ealing Cricket Club. A member for 70 years, he played for over 50 of them and as Captain on three occasions over a nine-year period.
Modernisation
Back to Hanwell Town, Bob talked about how the club managed to modernise and grow with the times while retaining that community feel.
In 1981/82 the Club moved over the A40 from their former base to their current home. Bob remembered the state of things before that move mentioning that “some games we had to travel to by public transport and the pitch was rubbish.”
The move over was pivotal for their continued existence. When they arrived, it was a school playing ground. He recalled “the only thing that was here was the clubhouse… there was a corridor with dressing rooms and toilets etc.”
They have, in the 40 or so years since, built it up to its current capacity of 3,000, installing floodlights in 1989 (inaugurated in a thumping loss to Tottenham Hotspur) and also building a stand named in Bob’s honour.
Gratitude
“Everything here, all this, was done by volunteers. Everybody did it. The clubs mammoth to me obviously, but I’m so grateful to all the guys that have chipped in and done whatever they do.”
Those are the words of someone who, despite all the work he’s done, recognises the impact that others have had. Bob really understands just how many people have helped the club over his long tenure here.
He ended by saying “Hanwell obviously means an enormous amount to me and I’m so lucky to have had all these years here.”
Despite his personal admission, it is Hanwell Town also who are lucky to have had someone as committed as Bob overseeing and associated with most aspects of their recent history.
Club of the People
The atmosphere at the game, despite the loss to Basingstoke, was quintessential of lower league English football. It’s a reminder of an area of the game that is quickly being forgotten in today’s ever-increasing Premier League monopoly.
These stories and clubs prop English football up from the bottom. Without the efforts of people like Bob and the people who show up every matchday to help out, English football would be much more at risk of collapsing.
Hanwell Town have hundreds of people turning up to support them every matchday. It is a far cry from the “dozen people” that they used to get. It truly is a club of the community.
