 | |||
| Full name | Walton & Hersham Football Club | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Nicknames | The Swans The Sham The Waltz | ||
| Founded | 1945; 80 years ago (1945) | ||
| Ground | Elmbridge Sports Hub Walton-on-Thames,Surrey | ||
| Capacity | 2,097 (318 seated) | ||
| Chairman | Christopher Corey | ||
| Manager | Vacant | ||
| League | Southern League Premier Division South | ||
| 2024–25 | Southern League Premier Division South, 3rd of 22 | ||
| Website | Official website | ||
Walton & Hersham Football Club is a semi-professionalfootball club based inWalton-on-Thames,Surrey. Founded in 1945 following the amalgamation of Walton FC and Hersham FC, they currently play in the Southern League South Division. The club is affiliated to theSurrey County Football Association.
The club joined theCorinthian League upon formation, and after a difficult first season won three consecutive league titles. In 1950, the club moved to theAthenian League, and were later placed in the Premier Division upon expansion in 1963. Walton & Hersham were named league champions for a fourth time during the1968–69 season, and shortly after joined theIsthmian League. The club's most successful period soon followed, which saw them reach theFA Cup Second Round and win theFA Amateur Cup atWembley Stadium, although the departure of managerAllen Batsford and several players toWimbledon saw the club quickly relegated to the Isthmian League Division Two.
After coming close to extinction in the late 1970s, formerBallon d'Or winnerSir Stanley Matthews was briefly named as president and the club later managed to find consistency throughout the 1980s. The Swans regularly earned promotion and suffered relegation between the Isthmian League divisions throughout the next decades, and namedMillwall chairmanTheo Paphitis as a board member for several years. Following the2015–16 season, the club suffered relegation to theCombined Counties Premier Division and began to struggle once again.
In August 2017, Walton & Hersham leftStompond Lane and moved into the Elmbridge Sports Hub – a £20 million sports complex development shared with local rivalsWalton Casuals. After three seasons in the ninth tier of English football, the club suffered further relegation to the Combined Counties Division One and long-term owner Alan Smith stepped down from his position. In July 2019, the club was taken over by a group of students, who claim to be the youngest owners in world football.[1][2]
Walton & Hersham are the inspiration behind the name ofpunk bandSham 69, which was derived from a piece of graffiti reading 'Walton & Hersham 69'.
Discussions of the amalgamation of local rivalsWalton FC andHersham 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 foundedCorinthian League as one club.
Despite a poor first season, Walton & Hersham won the league three consecutive times from 1946 to 1949. They also won theSurrey Senior Cup for the first time during the 1947–48 season with a 2–1 win againstKingstonian atCrystal Palace. In 1950, the club were elected to theAthenian League and finished runners up in their debut season while also winning their second Surrey Senior Cup.
Walton & Hersham reached theFA Amateur Cup semi-finals in both the 1951–52 and 1952–53 seasons, and during this period gained a substantial following. The club reached theFA Cup First Round for the first time in 1957–58, losing 6–1 toSouthampton 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 ofAllen 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 theIsthmian League in 1971, and the1972–73 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, defeatingSlough Town atWembley Stadium. They set a unique record by winning the competition without conceding a goal. Players includingDave Bassett, Willie Smith and Roger Connell became regulars in theEngland 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 beatenBrian Clough'sBrighton & Hove Albion atGoldstone Ground 4–0. Following the defeat, Clough almost got into a fight with comedianEric 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 manageWimbledon 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 ofpunk bandSham 69 (who formed in 1976), as they derived it from a piece of graffiti which read 'Walton & Hersham 69'. Despite briefly havingSir 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 theIsthmian League First Division, they appointed long-serving playerAlan Dowson as manager and he led them to a successful 2004–05 season, with promotion secured as runners-up.
After the resignation ofAlan Dowson in October 2006, formerGillingham 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 formerCarshalton Athletic player/assistant manager for whom he made over 500 appearances - took over.
FormerMillwall chairmanTheo 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 theCombined Counties Football League Premier Division. The club appointed Simon Haughney as first team manager on 22 June 2016, with former Guyana internationalHoward 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 a90min documentary that recorded their experiences, filmed during their first season in charge.[5]
On 14 April 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 abandoned2019–20 and2020–21 seasons. After six years away from the Isthmian League, a 1–0 victory overRaynes 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]
In April 2024, following three promotions in three seasons, Harris was sacked with the club sitting five points off of the play-offs with three matches remaining, with a number of key players also departing the club in support of Harris.[11]
Walton & Hersham play their home games at the Elmbridge Sports Hub, Waterside Drive, Walton-on-Thames, Surrey, KT12 2JP.
The club moved into the stadium for the2017–18 season following a two-year, £20 million redevelopment on the site of the former Waterside Stadium. The stadium was shared withWalton Casuals until they folded, as well as the local athletics club with an eight-lane Olympic standard athletics track located behind the main stand and clubhouse of the football stadium.
The club have spent much of their history atStompond Lane, where they began playing upon formation in 1945. The Swans notably hostedSouthampton in a 6–1 defeat in the1957–58 FA Cup First Round and earned a 0–0 draw againstBrighton & Hove Albion in the1973–74 FA Cup edition. In 2017, the stadium was demolished to make way for new housing developments as the club moved across town.
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined underFIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
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| Position | Name |
|---|---|
| Manager |  Vacant |
| Assistant Manager | Darren Simpson |
| First Team Coach |  Jakub Pietrzak |
| Sports Therapist | Shannon O'Mahony |
Timi AlexanderDoug AllderEd Asafu-Adjaye
Moses AshikodiLaurience BattyDerek BryanJeff Bryant
Casey Castle
Tim ClancyJack CockRoger ConnellNeil Cordice
Ivailo DimitrovDave DonaldsonAlan DowsonAndy DriscollBilly EdwardsNathan Ellington
Sander smets
Marvin FarrellMark Fiore
Akwasi Fobi-Edusei
Daniel FrancisJoe GadstonAbdeen Temitope AbdulAlan GanePeter Gelson
Nick GindreByron GlasgowMichael GordonAlan HawleyGarry HaylockMick HeathGavin HolliganJoe Howe
Gus HurdleGary JohnsonFrancis JosephCalum KitschaGary MacDonaldStuart MasseyChris McClarenAndrew McCullochMark McLeodAlan MortonKieran MurphyMick MurphyJack Neale
Howard NewtonMark Nwokeji
Roy OdiakaDennis PaceyRichard PacquetteSteve ParsonsMark PetersNeil PricePaul PriddyBas SavageAndy SayerAndre Scarlett
Claude Stephane SeanlaChris SharplingJean-Michel SigerePaul SmithMatt SomnerTim SoutarAryan TajbakhshDave TarpeyRichard TealeSteve TerryDan ThompsonBobby TraynorGraham WestleyStephen Wilkins
Tom WilliamsBobby Wilson| Towns, villages and neighbourhoods |
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Places listed are articlesnotable as settlements, arranged bypost town TheM25 motorway follows approximately a boundary and is included for its regional importance. | ||||||||||||||||||
51°23′57.851″N0°24′44.122″W / 51.39940306°N 0.41225611°W /51.39940306; -0.41225611
