Walton & Hersham F.C.

Discussions of the amalgamation of local rivals Walton FC and Hersham FC took place as early as 1912, but the idea was rejected by membership vote. A second vote took place 11 years later, but with a tied decision the club remained separate, and the idea was once again rejected in 1933. However, when Hersham FC no longer had a home ground in 1945, the two clubs met again and came to an agreement to join the newly founded Corinthian League as one club.

Despite a poor first season, Walton & Hersham won the league three consecutive times from 1946 to 1949. They also won the Surrey Senior Cup for the first time during the 1947–48 season with a 2–1 win against Kingstonian at Crystal Palace. In 1950, the club were elected to the Athenian League and finished runners up in their debut season while also winning their second Surrey Senior Cup.

Walton & Hersham reached the FA Amateur Cup semi-finals in both the 1951–52 and 1952–53 seasons, and during this period gained a substantial following. The club reached the FA Cup First Round for the first time in 1957–58, losing 6–1 to Southampton in front of 6,000 people. They won the Surrey Senior Cup for a third time in 1960–61, and retained the trophy the following year.

The Athenian League expanded in 1963 and Walton & Hersham were placed in the Premier Division. A period of mid-table football followed until the 1967 appointment of Allen Batsford as manager heralded a new era of success. In 1968–69 he won the Athenian League, followed by two successive visits to the FA Cup first round in 1969–70 and 1970–71. The Surrey Senior Cup was won again in 1970–71.

Walton & Hersham were elected to the Isthmian League in 1971, and the 1972–73 season proved statistically their greatest ever. They won the Surrey Senior Cup, finished as runners-up in the league, reached the FA Cup second round for the first time and, most prestigiously, won the FA Amateur Cup, defeating Slough Town at Wembley Stadium. They set a unique record by winning the competition without conceding a goal. Players including Dave Bassett, Willie Smith and Roger Connell became regulars in the England amateur international team. As FA Amateur Cup Winners they were invited to compete in the 1973 Final of The Coppa Ottorino Barassi (The Barassi Cup). They played Jesolo the Italian Amamtuer Cup Winners. The Swans won both legs 4–0 at home and 2-0 Away to lift the trophy. In 1973–74, the club reached the FA Cup second round again, having beaten Brian Clough's Brighton & Hove Albion at Goldstone Ground 4–0. Following the defeat, Clough almost got into a fight with comedian Eric Sykes, who was associated with Walton & Hersham at the time and was laughing about the result to a friend during a phone call.

In 1974, Batsford left to manage Wimbledon and took several players with him. Walton & Hersham were relegated in 1975 and, although they reached the FA Cup first round again in the 1975–76 season, they went close to extinction in the late 1970s. They inspired the name of punk band Sham 69 (who formed in 1976), as they derived it from a piece of graffiti which read 'Walton & Hersham 69'. Despite briefly having Sir Stanley Matthews as president, the club endured a lean period throughout the 1980s.

Walton & Hersham were promoted to the Isthmian top flight in 1994, and reached the FA Cup first round again that season, although relegation followed in 1996. They were promoted the following year, but relegation followed again in 2000.[3] After a spell in the Isthmian League First Division, they appointed long-serving player Alan Dowson as manager and he led them to a successful 2004–05 season, with promotion secured as runners-up.

After the resignation of Alan Dowson in October 2006, former Gillingham first-team coach Bobby Paterson took over after a long search for a new manager. Walton & Hersham were relegated that season and Paterson's contract was terminated. The assistant manager Les Cleevely - the former Carshalton Athletic player/assistant manager for whom he made over 500 appearances - took over.

Former Millwall chairman Theo Paphitis became a member of Walton & Hersham's board of directors, and after a mid-table finish to the 2007–08 season, Les Cleevely became the academy coach while Jimmy Bolton took over as manager. In March 2009, Jimmy Bolton was replaced for the rest of the season by Matt Elverson as caretaker manager. During the 2009 off-season, John Crumplin was appointed manager, although his reign only lasted until September 2010. Chuck Martini was appointed soon after.

At the end of the 2015–16 season Walton & Hersham were relegated to the Combined Counties Football League Premier Division. The club appointed Simon Haughney as first team manager on 22 June 2016, with former Guyana international Howard Newton as assistant manager.

In June 2019 - after a season ending in relegation to the Combined Counties League One - the club was taken over by a consortium of seven young people;[4] Thomas Bradbury, Reme Edetanlen, Jack Newton, Sartej Tucker, Ben Madelin, Calogero Scannella and Stephan Karidis. They got off to a winning start in the league with a 3–0 victory over Eversley & California FC.

Media coverage has been a prominent strategy for the new ownership, with national & international coverage documenting the club's direction as the unverified "youngest owners in world football". The new directors also featured in a 90min documentary that recorded their experiences, filmed during their first season in charge.[5]

On April 14, 2020, Manager George Busumbru stepped down, citing 'personal reasons'.[6] Scott Harris, former player & former assistant coach at Walton Casuals, replaced George.[7]

In 2021 the club were promoted to the Premier Division South based on their results in the abandoned 2019–20 and 2020–21 seasons. After six years away from the Isthmian League, a 1–0 victory over Raynes Park Vale on 9 April 2022 secured at least a second placed spot and back-to-back promotions.[8] The club returned to Step 4 for the first time since relegation in 15/16.

In 2023, after finishing 2nd in the Isthmian South Central Division, the club secured a third successive promotion following a 3-1 win in the division play-off finals against Hanworth Villa,[9] which returns the club to Step 3, a key goal for the owners. The season saw other records with striker Eddie Simon scoring an English record of four hat-tricks in successive games.[10]

As of July 2023, the club has amassed 1.1 million TikTok followers (@waltonhershamfc), granting it a sizeable global following.

As of 16 August 2022[11]

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player 1 GK  ENG Liam Allen — GK  ENG Harvey Sellers — DF  ENG Jude Molloy 3 DF  ENG Dominic Ogun — DF  USA Nick Burgess 17 DF  ENG Joe Pratley-Jones 6 DF  ENG Joe Hicks (captain) 5 DF  ENG Mitchal Gough 3 DF  ENG Darryl Siaw — MF  ENG Reece Brewster 4 MF  ALB Arsen Ujkaj

No. Pos. Nation Player — MF  ENG Maliq Morris 2 MF  ENG Harry Mills 10 MF  ENG John Gilbert — MF  ENG Will Kouadio 12 MF  ENG Taurean Roberts 8 MF  ENG Alex Kelly 7 MF  TUR Teo Kurtaran 9 FW  ENG Eddie Simon — FW  ENG Max Blackmore 11 FW  ENG Jordan Adeyemi 16 FW  ENG Ollie Twum 14 FW  ENG Palace Francis

As of 16th August 2022.[12]

Position	Name
Manager	Scott Harris
First Team Coach / Assistant Manager	Billy Rowley
First Team Coach	James Pearson
Physiotherapist	Tiffany Weedon

• First competitive match: Epsom Town 7–1 Walton & Hersham, Corinthian League, 1 September 1945
• First FA Cup match: Walton & Hersham 11–0 Epsom Town, First Qualifying Round, 22 September 1945
• First FA Amateur Cup match: Walton & Hersham 6–0 Stoke Recreation, Second Qualifying Round, 13 October 1945
• First Surrey Senior Cup match: Walton & Hersham 2–3 Tooting & Mitcham United, First Round, 1 December 1945
• First London Senior Cup match: Walton & Hersham 1–0 Leatherhead, First Qualifying Round, 22 September 1973
• First FA Trophy match: Tooting & Mitcham United 3–0 Walton & Hersham, Third Qualifying Round, 30 November 1974
• First Barassi Cup match: Walton & Hersham 4–0 AC Jesolo, First Leg, 18 October 1973
• First Isthmian League Cup match: Walton & Hersham 3–4 Chesham United, First Round, 9 March 1976
• First Full Members' Cup match: Staines Town 1–5 Walton & Hersham, First Round, 18 December 1990
• First FA Vase match: Frimley Green 0–3 Walton & Hersham, Second Qualifying Round, 24 September 2016
• First Combined Counties Premier Challenge Cup match: Walton & Hersham 5–1 Eversley & California, Second Round, 1 November 2016
• Record attendance: 10,000 (v Crook Town, FA Amateur Cup Fourth round, 1955)

• Record win:
  • 11–0 v Epsom Town, FA Cup First Qualifying Round, 22 September 1945
  • 11–0 v Redhill, FA Amateur Cup Fourth qualifying round, 10 November 1945
  • 11–0 v Guildford, FA Cup Preliminary Round, 21 September 1946
• Record defeat:
  • 0–7 v Farnborough Town, Isthmian League Division One, 18 September 1984
  • 0–7 v Kingstonian, Isthmian League Premier Division, 14 March 1998
  • 0–7 v Chelmsford City, Isthmian League Premier Division, 17 February 2007
  • 1–8 v Dagenham, Isthmian League Division One, 21 December 1974
  • 1–8 v Kingstonian, Surrey Senior Cup first round, 1 January 1990
  • 2–9 v Enfield, Athenian League, 13 February 1960
  • 2–9 v Bromley, FA Cup Fourth qualifying round, 6 November 1976
• Highest scoring game:
  • 9–3 v Camberley Town, FA Amateur Cup, 26 October 1946
  • 9–3 v Bedford Avenue, Corinthian League, 19 April 1947
  • 9–3 v Hornchurch & Upminster, Corinthian League, 28 January 1961
  • 11–1 v Twickenham, FA Cup Preliminary Round, 18 September 1948

• Corinthian League best performance: 1st, 1946–47, 1947–48, 1948–49
• Athenian League best performance: 1st – Premier Division, 1968–69
• Isthmian League best performance: 2nd, 1973–74
• Combined Counties League best performance: 2nd – Premier Division South, 2021-22
• FA Amateur Cup best performance: Winners, 1972–73
• FA Cup best performance: Second round, 1972–73, 1973–74
• FA Trophy best performance: Fourth round, 2004–05
• FA Vase best performance: Fourth round, 2020–21
• London Senior Cup best performance: Runners-up, 1973–74
• Surrey Senior Cup best performance: Winners, 1947–48, 1950–51, 1960–61, 1961–62, 1970–71,1972–73