Our Story

OA Sport is a registered charity established by the Old Albanian Club which owns and operates the sports and pavilion facilities at Woollam Playing Fields.


The Old Albanian Club was established in 1892 by a group of former pupils of St Albans School.  The School pre-dates the Norman Conquest and was reputedly established in 948.  It is told that at the first meeting of the Old Albanian Club it was decided to play a cricket match against the school and hold a dinner that evening.  The spirit of this hospitality remains with OA Sport today.

Charles Woollam, who in the late 19th and early 20th century was a local philanthropist and benefactor of both the school and the city of St Albans, became the first president of the Old Albanians Club.

The pavilion and sports complex was opened in September 2002 and was named after Charles Woollam.  It was established on farmland acquired by St Albans School as part of a joint development covewing 70 acres, one of the largest field complexes in the UK.  The OA Sport facilities were funded from the disposal proceeds arising from the sale of the former ground at  Beech Bottom.