It’s Thursday, so that must mean it’s time for us to take our lockdown delve into the WIE archives. If nothing else, it keeps us sane.

This week we jump forward again, nearly five years to November 2016 and WIE 49. And we’ll start with the cover. Hmm; what’s all that about? Well, it was to, err, ‘celebrate’ the recent debut on trial for the club of TOWIE ‘star’ Dan Osborne in a Kent Senior Cup tie away at Chatham Town. And we used up all of the Essex vernacular in our locker in the cover too…

Moving swiftly on; this was a 24-page issue and my editorial focussed on Mark Goldberg’s acquisition of the club. And I wasn’t asking for much: “I want to be able to turn up for home games and watch a team that is clearly proud to wear the shirt and put in a shift that warrants my support. I want to watch those games in a stadium that is safe and offers relative comfort (just a roof over the terrace would be a bloody good start). That would do really. But we’re a million miles from that at the moment.” The same is true today over four years later. Ho hum.

As for the rest of the issue, it was that time of year when we looked with much jealousy towards our non-league brethren as they make headlines in the FA Cup. Tim, at his charitable best, had a different take on things as he hoped for the odd minnow-killing to retain the status quo. Meanwhile Alex paid tribute to his favourite Wings player, a certain Terry Robbins, no less.

Back on that 2016/17 season and Polo shared with us the delights of a weekend away in Poole. Disappointingly there wasn’t a single mention of Harry Redknapp, who was probably dropping off his Mrs somewhere, or something. Oh, and we lost to an injury time goal.

One of the few joys to be had so far that season had been Adam Coombes scoring a double hat-trick in a game, so Tim celebrated the last player to do so for the Wings. A certain Mr Bartley apparently. And we’ll bring you that article in full tomorrow. Yes, I know we’ve featured many of Tim’s articles so far, but we’ll take any opportunity to recall Bartley’s time with the club.

GaryH then took us into a surreal world of Welling United-related movies. Nightmare on, err, PVR anyone? Anyone? No? It was worth a go. Or not. Things then got back on track with Danson Mark giving us his, by then, regular Ramble.

We then took the opportunity to reprint an excellent article that Non-League Oracle produced on Luke Saggers who, back then, we had high hopes of being our next homegrown(ish) prodigious striker. Unfortunately, it wasn’t to be. GaryH then let off some steam on the thorny issues of time-wasting and added on time. And it was White Socks who had the “honour” of wrapping up the issue with his own take on the immediate aftermath of Big Sam’s sudden departure from being the England job. And our former manager Jody Brown featured. Of course.

Take care, stay safe and see you next time.