Wingate F.C. was formed in 1946, to enable Jewish footballers in London the opportunity of playing Saturday football, and was named in honour of Orde Wingate. Some of the founders of the club are said to have fought alongside Wingate. In 1948, after renting a ground for the previoius two years, they bought some land off Hall Lane, Hendon, immediately east of Hendon Aerodrome, and that was to be their home ground for the next 24 years; on maps the name of the ground appeared as the Maccabi Sports Ground, but was generally known simply as Hall Lane. The club was always amateur, playing in various different leagues in the London area. In the early 1960s, the England football squad would use the ground for training, while staying at a nearby Hendon hotel, but the 1960s also saw the ground come under increasing threat. Eventually, a compulsory purchase order was made, the land being wanted for an extension of the M1 motorway. The last game was played at Hall Lane in May 1972, the club then ground-sharing for the next three years. There was then a split, some club members joining Leyton F.C., to form Leyton-Wingate* , and the remainder opting to take Wingate F.C. into youth football. In 1984, Wingate returned to adult football, then, in 1990, the club merged with Finchley F.C., the new club being named Wingate & Finchley. The name of Orde Wingate lives on. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wingate_F.C. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wingate_&_Finchley_F.C.
