Fact File
Full Name: Wealdstone Football Club
Year Formed: 1899
Nickname: The Stones
Stadium: Grosvenor Vale
Capacity: 4,085
2021/22 Finish: 16th in the National League
Review of the 2021/22 season
Despite Wealdstone’s slow start, which saw two wins from their first 12 games, they always floated in and around the bottom half of the table. The club bowed out of the FA Cup at the fourth qualifying round – after losing 2-1 to ten-man Dagenham & Redbridge. Stuart Maynard’s side saw improved performances between the end of the October and the end of November with them going five games unbeaten; they beat Grimsby Town, Barnet and Dover Athletic whilst drawing against Weymouth and Wrexham. Wealdstone would suffer a third round FA Trophy defeat to Needham Market in December. The second half of the season would be marred by inconsistent performances with a couple of wins sprinkled throughout. The Stones ended the season with three games unbeaten – comfortably avoiding the drop to the National League South.
Manager – Stuart Maynard
Following Stuart Maynard’s non-league footballing career, he moved into coaching with former team-mate Dean Brennan as they joined Hemel Hempstead Town. The duo spent six years with the Tudors before they moved to National League South side Billericay Town in 2018. After a controversial spell with the Essex-based club and a brief stint with Kingstonian, they joined Wealdstone. The pair were very successful with the Stones as they won promotion to the National League in their first full season in charge. Maynard was appointed manager of the Stones in February 2021 after Brennan resigned. The 41-year-old guided the club to a 16th-placed finish in the 2021/22 season.
Star Player – Max Kretzchmar
Max Kretzschmar started in the youth ranks of Southampton and Wycombe Wanderers before signing his first professional contract with the latter. The midfielder made 85 appearances for the League Two outfit over three years at Adams Park, scoring nine goals. He joined Woking after his release from Wycombe and only spent a year with the Cards before moving on. He joined Hampton & Richmond Borough in the sixth tier where he had his best season to date, scoring 20 goals in 48 games. Krtezschmar returned to Woking as he followed manager Alan Dowson and became one of side’s best players. In 2019, the Cards won promotion from the National League South with the attacking midfielder providing 15 goals. After three years of providing problems to National League teams, the 28-year-old joined Wealdstone after scoring 41 times in 142 games.
Overall Head-to-head Record
P4 W2 D1 L1
Chesterfield have only played Wealdstone four times since the latter’s promotion from the National League South in 2020. The first fixture between the two last season, saw the Spireites get their first win over the Stones with Saidou Khan and George Carline scoring in a 2-0 victory. Joe Quigley and Jamie Grimes scored either side of a Josh Umerah equaliser in the reverse fixture with the Blues securing the league double.
Played for both – Ryheem Sheckleford
Ryheem Sheckleford started his career with Fulham and was part of the squad that made it to the 2013/14 FA Youth Cup final. A loan spell at Wealdstone arose in 2016 where he made 13 appearances for the National League South side in all competitions. Upon leaving Craven Cottage in 2018, the right-back joined National League side Maidenhead United. He had a loan spell at Walton Casuals towards the end of the 2018/19 campaign to get some first-team experiences. Sheckleford became an integral part of Alan Devonshire’s side in the seasons following, playing around 30 games a season. The 25-year-old left York Road at the end of the 2021/22 season and joined Chesterfield soon after.
