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Walton & Hersham F.C.
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Walton & Hersham F.C.
Walton & Hersham Football Club is a semi-professional football club based in Walton-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 the Surrey County Football Association.
The club joined the Corinthian League upon formation, and after a difficult first season won three consecutive league titles. In 1950, the club moved to the Athenian League, and were later placed in the Premier Division upon expansion in 1963. Walton & Hersham were named league champions for a fourth time during the 1968–69 season, and shortly after joined the Isthmian League. The club's most successful period soon followed, which saw them reach the FA Cup Second Round and win the FA Amateur Cup at Wembley Stadium, although the departure of manager Allen Batsford and several players to Wimbledon saw the club quickly relegated to the Isthmian League Division Two.
After coming close to extinction in the late 1970s, former Ballon d'Or winner Sir 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 named Millwall chairman Theo Paphitis as a board member for several years. Following the 2015–16 season, the club suffered relegation to the Combined Counties Premier Division and began to struggle once again.
In August 2017, Walton & Hersham left Stompond Lane and moved into the Elmbridge Sports Hub – a £20 million sports complex development shared with local rivals Walton 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.
Walton & Hersham are the inspiration behind the name of punk band Sham 69, which was derived from a piece of graffiti reading 'Walton & Hersham 69'.
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.
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Walton & Hersham F.C.
Walton & Hersham Football Club is a semi-professional football club based in Walton-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 the Surrey County Football Association.
The club joined the Corinthian League upon formation, and after a difficult first season won three consecutive league titles. In 1950, the club moved to the Athenian League, and were later placed in the Premier Division upon expansion in 1963. Walton & Hersham were named league champions for a fourth time during the 1968–69 season, and shortly after joined the Isthmian League. The club's most successful period soon followed, which saw them reach the FA Cup Second Round and win the FA Amateur Cup at Wembley Stadium, although the departure of manager Allen Batsford and several players to Wimbledon saw the club quickly relegated to the Isthmian League Division Two.
After coming close to extinction in the late 1970s, former Ballon d'Or winner Sir 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 named Millwall chairman Theo Paphitis as a board member for several years. Following the 2015–16 season, the club suffered relegation to the Combined Counties Premier Division and began to struggle once again.
In August 2017, Walton & Hersham left Stompond Lane and moved into the Elmbridge Sports Hub – a £20 million sports complex development shared with local rivals Walton 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.
Walton & Hersham are the inspiration behind the name of punk band Sham 69, which was derived from a piece of graffiti reading 'Walton & Hersham 69'.
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.