Walton & Hersham F.C.

1945–1963

In 1945, after World War II, Walton F.C. amalgamated with Hersham F.C. to form Walton & Hersham. The club joined the newly formed Corinthian League and after a poor first season, won the league three consecutive times from 1946 to 1949. They won the Surrey Senior Cup for the first team in the 1947–48 season, beating Kingstonian 2–1 at Crystal Palace. The club were elected to the Athenian League for the 1950–51 season, and won the Surrey Senior Cup for a second time after beating Dulwich Hamlet.

Walton & Hersham reached the FA Amateur Cup semi-finals in both the 1951–52 and 1952–53 seasons. During this period the club gained a substantial following, and set a record crowd of 10,000 at Stompond Lane when Crook Town visited. The team included England and Great Britain Olympic defender C.R. "Jack" Neale, and the club's record goalscorer Reg Sentance.

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.

1963–1994

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. 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 Brighton & Hove Albion 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.

1994–present

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.^[1] 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.

Current squad

As of 3 April 2018^[2]

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

No. Position Player GK Brendan Norris GK James Russell DF Jim Fenlon DF Charlie Holmes DF Julian Hornby DF Billy Jeffreys DF Jake Newton DF Adam Thompson DF Jamie Thoroughgood MF Jamel Johnson MF Jesse Kewley-Graham MF Howard Newton

No. Position Player MF Chris Onoufriou MF James Simmonds MF Elliott Simpson MF Leon Solomon MF Louis Taylor FW Abdeen Abdul FW Cameron Gyeabour FW Karl Parker FW Tinashe Nkoma FW Athan Smith-Joseph FW Sam Shaban

Coaching staff

As of 3 April 2018.^[3]

Position	Name
Manager	Gary Taylor
Assistant
First Team Coach
Club Physio

Former players

1. Players that have played/managed in the football league or any foreign equivalent to this level (i.e. fully professional league).
2. Players with full international caps.