FA Cup football always has the tendency to throw up its fair share of feel-good stories every season, with the 2021-22 campaign being no different.
Boreham Wood has been one of the surprise packages of the competition so far, defeating the likes of rivals St Albans, AFC Wimbledon and Bournemouth on their way to the Fifth Round of the competition for the first time ever.
As a reward for their tremendous efforts, they travel to Merseyside to take on Premier League side Everton under the lights at Goodison Park.
Of course, Everton are led by new manager and former Chelsea legend Frank Lampard, while also boasting a whole host of top-level players who have UEFA Champions League and international experiences such as Donny Van De Beek, Dele Alli, and Richarlison.
It sets up for a fascinating matchup with a David-vs-Goliath dynamic. We take an in-depth look at Boreham Wood, the lowest ranked team still left in the 2022 tournament’s Round of 16.
Who is Boreham Wood?
Boreham Wood is a professional club that currently competes in the National League, which is in the fifth-tier of the English football pyramid. The club is managed by Luke Garrard, who came up as a player at Tottenham and later played for Boreham.
The club was formed back in 1948, originally maintaining a fairly nomadic existence throughout the lower leagues of English football. Despite this, they reached the high-point of their club’s history in 2018, defeating AFC Fylde and Sutton United to come to within one game of reaching the Football League for the first time ever.
Nevertheless, they tasted bitter defeat against Tranmere Rovers at Wembley and stayed in the English fifth tier. They currently sit fourth in the National League and are ambitious about moving further up the divisions as their revenue streams grow.
Where is Boreham Wood?
Borehamwood is a town located in Hertfordshire, England, which is just adjacent to the border of Greater London. Boreham Wood FC takes the name of the locality, playing their home fixtures at Meadow Park.
Meadow Park is also home to Arsenal Women F.C. and several of the Gunners’ youth teams, with the ground able to accommodate an attendance of 4,500.
Their record attendance at the ground came late last year, with 4,101 supporters coming to watch Boreham Wood batter fierce foes St. Albans by a score of 4-0.
Has Boreham Wood ever played in the Premier League?
Boreham Wood are still working their way up from the lower divisions. They have enjoyed a meteoric rise from the Isthmian League all the way to the National League, however have never graced the riches of the English Football League.
They did taste victory against Football League opposition for the very first in the first round of the 2017-18 FA Cup, defeating Blackpool 2-1 at home in a historic day for the lower-league outfit.
Defeating Bournemouth 1-0 away from home in the 2022 tournament was also a magnificent achievement for the Wood, as 37-year-old Mark Ricketts put his talented second-tier opponents to the sword in a famous night on the South Coast.
Undoubtedly, the FA Cup Fifth Round match against Everton will be the biggest day in Boreham Wood’s history.
Boreham Wood famous players and coaches
Out of the current crop of players available to Garrard, controversial former Newcastle United striker Nile Ranger stands out from the crowd as a recognizable name. He made 26 appearances in the Premier League for the Magpies, before being allowed to join Swindon due to legal issues.
In terms of record signings, striker Morgan Ferrier would warrant inclusion. He currently plays for Hapoel Ironi Kiryat Shmona in Israel, but he was signed by Boreham Wood for around $24,000 from Dagenham and Redbridge back in 2018.
Managerially, ex-Tottenham and Chelsea icon Graham Roberts enjoyed a spell in charge of Boreham Wood in 2001. Formerly an England international, the 62-year-old managed to win the Isthmian League Division One title before surprisingly resigning from his position a couple of months later.
His career as a manager has enjoyed a couple of surprise twists since, as the coach has had spells in charge of both Pakistan and Nepal’s international sides.
George is Digismak’s reported cum editor with 13 years of experience in Journalism