Walton & Hersham F.C.
| File:Waltonandhershamfc.jpg | |||
| Full name | Walton & Hersham Football Club | ||
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| Nickname(s) | The Swans, The Sham, The Waltz | ||
| Founded | 1895 as Walton F.C. | ||
| Ground | The Sports Ground, Stompond Lane, Walton-on-Thames, Surrey | ||
| Capacity | 5,500 (404 seated) | ||
| Chairman | Alan Smith | ||
| Manager | Jimmy Bolton | ||
| League | Isthmian League Division One South | ||
| 2007–08 | Isthmian League Division One South, 10th | ||
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Walton & Hersham F.C. are an English football club who are currently members of the Isthmian League Division One South. Nicknamed the Swans, they play at Stompond Lane, Walton-on-Thames, Surrey, England. The club play in a red and white home kit and have an average attendance of around 200. [1]
History
Early Days
Walton F.C. was formed in 1895. In 1945, after World War II, the club amalgamated with Hersham F.C. to form the current club. The club joined the Corinthian League, winning it first in the 1946-7 season and then again the following two seasons. They won the Surrey Senior Cup in the 1947-48 season. They were elected to the Athenian League in 1950 and finished runners-up in their first season and won the Surrey Senior Cup again.
Cup Success
Walton & Hersham reached the FA Amateur Cup semi-finals in 1951-52 and in 1952-53. The club achieved it's all-time record crowd when 10,000 spectators turned up to watch an FA Amateur Cup tie with Crook Town. The team included defender C. R. "Jack" Neale who represented Great Britain at the Olympics[2] and the club's record goal-scorer Reg Sentance.
The club reached the FA Cup First Round for the first time in 1957-58. They won the Surrey Senior Cup for a third time in 1960-61 and retained the trophy the following season. A period of mid-table football followed until the 1967 appointment of Allen Batsford as manager heralded a new era of success. He secured the Premier Midweek Floodlit League in his first season and the following year won the Athenian League. This was followed by two runners-up spots and two successive visits to the FA Cup First Round. The Surrey Senior Cup was won again in 1970-71.
Glory Days
The club were elected to the Isthmian League in 1971 and they secured a third place finish in their first season. The 1972-73 season is arguably the club's greatest ever. They won the Surrey Senior Cup, came runners-up in the league, reached the FA Cup Second Round for the first time and, most prestigiously, they won the FA Amateur Cup, defeating Slough Town at Wembley Stadium. The club set a unique record by winning the competition without conceding a goal. With players including Dave Bassett, Willie Smith and Roger Connell becoming regulars in the England Amateur International team, the Swans became recognized as one of the strongest non-league teams in the country. In 1973-74, a 4-0 FA Cup First Round replay win over Brian Clough's Brighton & Hove Albion at Goldstone Ground underlined the power of the side at the time. Following the defeat Clough almost got into a fight with comedian Eric Sykes, who was associated with the club at the time and who was laughing about the result to a friend during a phone call.[3]
The club also inspired the name of punk band Sham 69, as they derived it from a pice of graffiti which read 'Walton & Hersham 69'.[4] The glory days ended however in 1974 when Batsford left to manage Wimbledon and took most of the best players with him. Walton & Hersham were relegated in 1975 and the club went close to extinction in the late 70s. Despite briefly having Sir Stanley Matthews as President, the club endured a lean period throughout the 1980s.
90s to the Present Day
Walton & Hersham returned to the Isthmian top flight in 1994, although relegation followed in 1996. They were promoted again the following year but relegation followed again in 2000. After a spell in the Isthmian League First Division the club appointed long-serving player Alan Dowson as manager and he led them to a successful 2004-5 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. An assistant manager was appointed a few weeks later, Les Cleevely - the former Carshalton Athletic player/assistant manager for whom he made over 500 appearances. Paterson's stay didn't last long after a run of poor results he had his contract terminated. The assistant manager Les Cleevely took over with his assistant Jimmy Bolton. Former Millwall chairman Theo Paphitis became a member of the club's board of directors. After a poor 2007–2008 season which had promise early on, Les Cleevely became the academy coach while Jimmy Bolton took over to become the manager. Barry Barnes is now assistant manager.
Current squad
As of January 15 2009:[5][6] Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
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Current coaching staff
As of January 15 2009:[7]
| Name | Position |
|---|---|
 Jimmy Bolton
|
Manager |
| Barry Barnes
|
Assistant manager |
| Barry Moore
|
First team coach |
| Matt Elverson
|
Player/First team coach |
Honours
Main League
- Corinthian League:
- Winners (3): 1946-47, 1947-48, 1948-49
- Athenian League Premier Division:
- Winners (1): 1968-69
Main Cups
- FA Amateur Cup:
- Winners (1): 1972-73
- Surrey Senior Cup:
- Winners (6): 1947-48, 1950-51, 1960-61, 1961-62, 1970-71, 1972-73
Other Honours
- Southern Combination Cup:
- Winners (6): 1949-50, 1982-83, 1988-89, 1992-93, 1999-2000, 2000-01
- Premier Midweek Floodlit League:
- Winners (3): 1967-68, 1968-69, 1970-71
- Barassi Cup:
- Winners (1): 1973-74
- John Livey Memorial Trophy:
- Winners (3): 1991-92, 1993-94, 1996-97
- Saft-Nife Shield:
- Winners (1): 1996-97
Former players
A number of former Swans players enjoyed or are enjoying wider renown in football. These include:
Former staff
- David Preece (assistant manager)
- Sir Stanley Matthews (president)
References
- ^ www.footballwebpages.co.uk
- ^ British Olympic Association > Athletes > C R Neale
- ^ Brian Clough, Clough - The Autobiography
- ^ 'Sham 69'
- ^ Walton & Hersham FC first team
- ^ Walton & Hersham 2-1 Corinthian Casuals
- ^ Walton & Hersham FC first team