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Kingstonian F.C.

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Kingstonian
Badge of Kingstonian F.C.
Full name Kingstonian Football Club
Nickname(s) The K's[1]
The Ks[2]
Founded November 9, 1885; 139 years ago (1885-11-09)
Ground Kingsmeadow, Kingston upon Thames
Ground Capacity 4,850 (2,025 seated)
Chairman Mark Anderson Malcolm Winwright
Manager Tommy Williams
League Isthmian League Premier Division
2014–15 Isthmian League Premier Division, 11th
Website Club home page

Kingstonian Football Club is an English semi-professional football club based in the Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames which currently plays in the Isthmian League Premier Division. The club play at Kingsmeadow in Kingston-upon-Thames, which has been their home since 1989, when they left their original Richmond Road ground. They share the ground with AFC Wimbledon, who purchased Kingsmeadow in 2003.

Kingstonian Football Club was founded in 1885 by the Young Man's Christian Association, named Kingston & Surbiton YMCA, and began competing properly in 1893 in the Surrey Junior Cup. There was a split in 1909 which damaged the club, the two clubs were named Old Kingstonians and Kingston-on-Thames A.F.C. After period of quiet during World War I, the two clubs re-united and joined the Athenian League in 1919, named Kingstonian. In 1929, their application to join the Isthmian League was accepted, and they have competed there to the present day. The club, nicknamed "The K's" or "The Ks", spent three seasons at the highest level of non-league football, 1998–99, 1999–2000 and 2000–01, and have won the FA Trophy twice, in consecutive seasons, in 1999 and 2000.

History

Kingston & Surbiton YMCA

Kingstonian was formed in autumn 1885, under the name Kingston & Surbiton YMCA.[3] In the period, rugby was the dominant sport in the town, but the Young Men's Christian Association (YMCA) was unable to support a rugby club.[3] This influenced their decision to create a club to play "Football under Association rules".[3] The new club played their first fixture on 28 November 1885 losing 3–1 to Surbiton Hill with home games played at Bushey Park before moving to the Spring grove the following season.[2] Over the next two years the club played several friendly matches against other football teams in the region.[3]

Saxons F.C.

Two years later, in 1887,[4] the YMCA felt that football was "increasingly violent and unsuitable for young Christian men",[3] and therefore changed the club's name to Saxons F.C. before the 1887–88 season began. After the season, the team moved to a stadium in Oil Mill Lane (modern day Villiers Road).[3]

Kingston Wanderers F.C.

A Kingstonian player in home kit in a 2012 match against Lewes F.C.

At the club's annual general meeting in 1890, the secretary at the time, William G. Carn, proposed that the name became "one more identified with the town".[3] His proposal was successful, and the club became Kingston Wanderers F.C.[3] in the 1890–91 season.[4] The club's first season as Kingston Wanderers also heralded a change of home ground to the Fairfield Recreation Ground.[3]

Kingston-on-Thames A.F.C.

In 1893, proposals to combine football clubs which were in the same town succeeded, and Kingston therefore assembled their own team.[3] On 13 September 1893, the club became Kingston-on-Thames A.F.C., entering the Surrey Junior Cup affiliated to the Surrey Football Association.[3] The first competitive match in Kingston's history in November 1893 resulted in a loss to Hampton Court & East Molesey F.C.[3] When Kingston-on-Thames ventured into the Surrey Senior Cup in 1894, the heaviest loss of the club to date was recorded, a 13–0 loss to Weighbridge F.C.[3] The club re-entered the Junior Cup, but in 1896 joined the Kingston and District League as founder members.[3] In their first season, they won the league but lost the Junior Cup 2–1 in the final, to Chertsey F.C. at a replay.[3] In 1898, the team moved into the East and West Surrey League.[3] The club had a one-season foray into the London League in 1903[3] alongside the East and West Surrey League which they had been with since 1898,[4] but the "experiment" backfired and Kingston-on-Thames withdrew from the London League.[3] In 1906, the club won the West Surrey League, a feat which was replicated in 1907, in addition to finishing runners up in the Surrey Senior Cup which was lost to Clapham F.C. 3–1.[3]

Old Kingstonians

The newfound success in Surrey amateur football was soon lost when the club was split in the 1908–09 season after a dispute centred on "ground availability".[3] This resulted in treasurer David Judd forming Old Kingstonians F.C.[3] Kingston-on-Thames continued to compete, the majority of the first team opting to stay, and Judd's team being termed the "reserves".[3] Old Kingstonians improved, and won the West Surrey League in 1910, followed by the Surrey Senior Cup in both 1911 and 1914.[3] Old Kingstonians won all encounters between the two teams in the period, but the rivalry meant that both teams attempted to do well in an attempt to better the other.[3]

Kingstonian F.C.

With World War I, amateur football ceased for five years, but in 1919 football was rejuvenated in Kingston.[3] The war had dimmed the rivalry between the teams, and they united as Kingstonian F.C. Their first match after unification was on 6 September 1919 competing in the Athenian League against Southall F.C.[3] However, the season was plagued with issues regarding their home ground and a finish in the bottom half of the league, which meant the team were forced to apply to re-enter the league.[3] Their application was successful, and heralded a change of fortunes for Kingstonian.[3] They had a more successful spell from 1923 up to the outbreak of World War II, winning the league in 1924, and in 1926 with a record amount of points.[3] The club progressed to several finals of the London and Surrey Senior Cups.[3]

In 1929, Kingstonian applied to enter the Isthmian League after the withdrawal of Civil Service F.C.[3] In 1933, Kingstonian won the FA Amateur Cup,[3] they won the League in 1934 and 1937, and the club won the Surrey Senior Cup in 1935 and 1939.[3] "Competitive Amateur Football" was called off in September 1939 for World War II, but the K's, depleted of the majority of their pre-war players, came last in the first league after the war, and had to resort to fundraising to gather money to renovate both the stadium and the changing rooms.[3] In 1949, the all-time top goalscorer Johnny Whing arrived at the club, and was top scorer in nine different seasons for the club.[3] In 1955, Kingstonian's heaviest ever home defeat, 12–3, was recorded at the hands of Bishop Auckland FC in front of the club's record attendance of 8,960.[3]

In the 1959–60 season, the K's had their first Wembley Stadium appearance in the FA Amateur Cup final, which was lost to Hendon F.C. 2–1.[3] In 1963, Kingstonian won the double; the Surrey and London Senior Cup.[3] The 1970s were a period of decline for the club, and despite becoming professional in 1975, they were relegated to Division One in 1979.[3] In 1985 Kingstonian were once again promoted to the Isthmian League, finishing second.[3] In 1987, 20 years without silverware was ended by the K's winning the London Senior Cup.[3]

Kingstonian won the Isthmian League in 1998 and the FA Trophy in 1999 and 2000 at Wembley Stadium under manager Geoff Chapple, and then managed to reach the fourth round of the FA Cup in 2001. Entering the competition at the Fourth Qualifying Round, they beat Devizes Town before beating two Football League clubs – Brentford[5] and Southend United,[6] either side of a win over fellow Conference team Southport – on their way to the FA Cup fourth round, where they were drawn with Bristol City[7] before succumbing to a late winner in the replay, losing 1–0.[8][9]

Relegation and financial problems saw a sharp downturn in the club's fortunes between 2001 and 2005, and in 2003 the then manager Kim Harris said that the owner Rajesh Khosla was "raping us", after Khosla sold the Kingstonian ground for £2 million in personal profit.[10] However, in February 2005 Khosla stepped down as chairman, selling the club to Jimmy Cochrane,[11] whilst making a profit.[10] While this did not save Kingstonian from relegation that year, the 2005–06 season saw Kingstonian Football Club revitalised. They only narrowly missed out on the promotion playoffs[12] and finished their season by beating AFC Wimbledon in the final of the Surrey Senior Cup at Woking's ground by one goal to nil.[13]

Changes continued during mid-2006 with Mark Anderson and Malcolm Winwright taking charge of the club, installing Stuart McIntyre as successor to Ian McDonald in the role of head coach. However, McIntyre's stay in the role was brief and "unsuccessful",[3] with he himself being replaced by Alan Dowson at the start of 2007. Under Dowson the club was promoted back to the Isthmian Premier in 2009. However, after the 2013–14 Isthmian League in which Kingstonian finished second but missed out on promotion, on 11 May 2014 Dowson resigned,[14] being replaced by Tommy Williams.[15]

Colours and badge

Kingstonian's away kit (in yellow) in a 2014 match against Lewes

The team's current crest contains the motto "Palmam Qui Meruit Ferat", the motto of Lord Nelson which translates as "Let he who has earned it carry the palm", and is enscribed on the Britannia Monument.[16] Kingstonian have two kits, a home and away: their home kit has red and white hoops on the shirts, with black shorts and red socks.[4] Their away kit is yellow shirts, shorts, and socks.

Stadiums

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Main article: Kingsmeadow
Kingsonian's ground, Kingsmeadow

The early precursors to Kingstonian F.C. played home matches at various locations around the town including Oil Mill Lane (now Villiers Road) and the Fairfield, near Kingston town centre. In 1891 they participated in a tournament at the rugby club ground in Richmond Road, later to become their home.[3]

In 1898 the club moved to their first private enclosed ground at Dinton Road, next to Kingston Barracks, moving again at the turn of the century to Lower Marsh Lane in 1902, specifically to part of the rugby ground in Richmond Road. The split in 1908–09 between Kingston-on-Thames A.F.C. and Old Kingstonians led to the breakaway group Old Kingstonians playing at Norbiton Sports Ground, Kingston-on-Thames A.F.C. remaining at Richmond Road. Reunited after World War I, the club continued to play at Richmond Road but, in 1920, the site's owners, the Dysarts, leased the site to Leyland Motors, then establishing a factory base at nearby Ham. The club managed to negotiate a ground-sharing arrangement and were eventually able to buy the land, but the issue impacted their performance.[3]

Kingstonian F.C. remained at Richmond Road for most of the 20th Century, it thus being referred to as the club's 'traditional home'. The club's record home attendance of 8,960 was attained there in 1955 in a match against Bishop Auckland F.C.[3] The maintenance of the site increasingly became more than the club's income could support and parts of the site were sold off for redevelopment; the 'Kingstonian petrol station' occupying much of the Richmond Road frontage since 1956, and the former running track and reserve pitch redeveloped for housing in the 1970s. The club eventually sold the site and moved out of Richmond Road in 1988. The stadium was demolished after 1989 and the remainder of the site redeveloped for housing.[17][18]

The view from inside Kingsmeadow

After a season and a half ground-sharing at Hampton F.C.'s Beveree ground, Kingstonian opened their brand new Kingsmeadow Stadium (on the site of the old Norbiton Sports Ground owned by Kingston Council) in August 1989.[3][19] The lease of the site was subsequently purchased by AFC Wimbledon in 2003 and the clubs have operated a ground-sharing arrangement since then.[20]

Current squad

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

No. Position Player
England GK Ben Dudzinski
England GK Rob Tolfrey
England DF Dylan Casey (on loan from Millwall)
England DF Adam Doyle
England DF Bruce Hogg
England DF Max Hustwick
England DF Jeffrey Imudia
England DF Aaron Goode
England DF Alan Inns (captain)
England DF Sam Page
Czech Republic DF Patrik Ruzicka
England DF George Wells
England MF Dan Bennett
England MF Peter Dean
England MF Filippo di Bonito
No. Position Player
England MF Malachi Hudson
England MF Bruno Morais
England MF Brendan Murphy-McVey
England MF Harold Odametey
England MF Lee O'Leary
England MF Tyron Smith
England MF Tommy Williams
Antigua and Barbuda FW Reece Beckles (on loan from Woking)
England FW Danny Buckle
Ghana FW Elvis Hammond
England FW Richard Jolly
England FW Jake Kempton
Spain FW Pelayo Pico Gomez
England FW George Oakley (on loan from AFC Wimbledon)
Jamaica FW Ricky Sappleton

Team management

As of 9 August 2014

Position Name
Manager Tommy Williams[15]
Assistant Manager Graham Harper
Physio James Street
Kit manager Paul Ferrie

Managers

As of 12 May 2014, the below is a list of Kingstonian managers available

Name Period
Geoff Chapple 1997[21] – 2001[22]
Bill Williams August 2001 – October 2001[15]
Steve Sedgley October 2001 – December 2002[23]
Kim Harris December 2002 – August 2004[24]
Scott Steele August 2004 – March 2005[25]
Ian McDonald March 2005 – May 2006[26]
Stuart McIntyre May 2006  – January 2007[27]
Alan Dowson January 2007[27] – May 2014[14]
Tommy Williams May 2014[15] – present

Honours

Kingstonian's first final came in 1896, when they came second in the Surrey Junior Cup. A notably prolific spell for the club came in the 1930s, when they won seven, and came runners up in two competitions. The dual FA Trophy victories in 1998–99, 1999–2000 were both at Wembley Stadium, but the 2000 final was the last ever FA Trophy final at the old Wembley.[28]

Honours won by Kingstonian F.C.
Honour No. Years[29]
Isthmian League 3 1933–34, 1936–37, 1997–98 (1947–48, 1962–63, 2013–14 runners up)
Isthmian League Division One 0 (1984–85 runners up)
Football Conference Charity Shield 1 1999 (runners up 2000
FA Trophy 2 1998–99, 1999–2000
FA Amateur Cup 1 1932–33 (1959–60 runners up)
Conference League Cup 0 (1999–2000, 2000–01 runners up)
Isthmian League Cup 1 1995–96 (1981–82 runners up)
Isthmian League Charity Shield 2 1994–95, 1995–96
Surrey Senior Cup 13 1910–11, 1913–14, 1925–26, 1930–31, 1931–32, 1934–35, 1938–39, 1951–52, 1962–63, 1963–64, 1966–67, 1997–87, 2005–06 (1906–07, 1936–37, 1947–48, 1949–50, 1972–73, 1990–91, 2002–03 runners up)
Surrey Junior Cup 0 (1896–97 runners up)
London Senior Cup 3 1962–63, 1964–65, 1986–87 (1923–24, 1925–26, 1930–31, 1946–47, 1983–84, 2011–12 runners up)

Records

  • Record victory: 15–1 v DHC Delft (1951)[19]
  • Record defeat: 0–11 v Ilford (1937)[4]
  • Record attendance: 8,760 v Dulwich Hamlet (Richmond Road 1933)[4]
  • Record goalscorer: 295 Johnny Whing (1948–62)[4]
  • Record appearances: 555 Micky Preston (1967–85)[4]
  • Record fee paid: £18,000 David Leworthy (Rushden and Diamonds 1997)[4]
  • Record fee received: £150,000 Gavin Holligan (West Ham United 1998)[4]

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.
3. Players that hold a club record or have captained the club.

References

  1. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  3. ↑ 3.00 3.01 3.02 3.03 3.04 3.05 3.06 3.07 3.08 3.09 3.10 3.11 3.12 3.13 3.14 3.15 3.16 3.17 3.18 3.19 3.20 3.21 3.22 3.23 3.24 3.25 3.26 3.27 3.28 3.29 3.30 3.31 3.32 3.33 3.34 3.35 3.36 3.37 3.38 3.39 3.40 3.41 3.42 3.43 3.44 3.45 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 4.6 4.7 4.8 4.9 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  5. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  6. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  7. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  8. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  9. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  11. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  12. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  13. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  14. ↑ 14.0 14.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  15. ↑ 15.0 15.1 15.2 15.3 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found. Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; name "Williams" defined multiple times with different content Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; name "Williams" defined multiple times with different content
  16. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  17. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  18. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  19. ↑ 19.0 19.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  20. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  21. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  22. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  23. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  24. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  25. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  26. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  27. ↑ 27.0 27.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  28. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  29. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.

External links

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