SEVEN STUDENTS SAVE STRUGGLING SIDE

Football is a sport that captivates the hearts of millions around the world. From children playing in the streets to professional athletes competing in international tournaments, it has the power to unite and inspire people of all ages and backgrounds. For Calogero Scannella and his six fellow alumni, their passion for the game has led them down a path that they never expected. Just four years ago, the young entrepreneurs had finished their time at Hampton, and decided to purchase struggling tenth tier side, Walton & Hersham FC. Despite some unexpected and frankly unprecedented obstacles they have had to overcome, the club’s recently-conquered third consecutive promotion puts them in an elite group of only nine teams in English football history to have completed the feat…and they look to be showing no signs of slowing down.

After leaving school, Scannella spent some time studying Economics and Finance at the University of Surrey. Whilst having learned a lot, he commented that unfortunately, the course bore little resemblance to his monetary responsibilities within a footballing framework. In fact, it was this lack of prior knowledge and consequent necessity for improvisation that he found most challenging about his role. “Whatever problem comes your way, you just have to learn it, learn what it’s about, learn a new skill and overcome it.”

Needless to say, Scannella’s responsibilities within the club extend beyond those of a financial nature. “Whether it be money, football, fan, media or law related,” another significant challenge of his role is certainly present within the breadth of matters he has to deal with. Whilst you could be forgiven for succumbing to the extraordinary pressure of such a full-on job, Scannella and his co-owners have not. To mention just a few, Walton & Hersham FC have since their new ownership: boosted an average match day attendance from 40 to 400 people, hosted over 2,000 fans in a play-off final against Hanworth Villa and gained a three promotions in their 2020-21, 2021-22, and 2022-23 campaigns.

The side’s recent success can, of course, not be attributed to a sole cause. In fact, Scannella remarked that the “joint drive of everyone involved” is a contributing factor. He elaborated by adding that “Everyone is willing to go above and beyond to keep it rolling.” Whether it be putting flyers around town at midnight or early rises to negotiate a sponsorship deal, they seem to have cultivated a genuinely energetic, proactive and forward-thinking atmosphere since the takeover. “You will never know if something works unless you try it.”

One of the club’s most distinguishing and wellrenowned features is undoubtedly their social media presence. The journey began in early 2020, when a parent at Hampton asked to attend a game and film a bite-sized 90-minute documentary, which ended up being well received. A few months later came the onset of Covid and the subsequent lack of anything to do for the owners. They decided to post small clips of the footage, the first few of which received over 950k views, and content of a different nature followed.

Having got a sense for the evident public interest in a Walton & Hersham TikTok account, the concept properly kicked off the season after. Sartej Tucker OH (2018) came up with the idea for a match day vlog and once again, upon receiving resounding success, it was followed up on by the owners.

Now, three years on, match day vlogs are uploaded after every game, the footage of which is obtained by a professional filming company. The TikTok account boasts over one million followers - the most of any non-professional team, seeing off competing high-profile club owners, including those of Wrexham AFC.

Though his job may seem glamorous, Scannella was keen to get across that being responsible for an established football club such as Walton & Hersham FC is far from straightforward. From the outset, the young owners had to make the difficult decision of changing their management staff. Scannella iterated the importance of “growing the football club and growing the community just as much as winning football matches” as an objective for their chosen appointment, which has certainly been fulfilled so far. It is often easy to get caught get up with the here and now in terms of results, but seeing the bigger picture and supporting the “long term sustainability” are equally as crucial according to the 22-year-old.

By way of advice, he would give to someone trying to follow a similar path, Calogero replied, “Don’t.” Often receiving comments regarding how jealous or surprised people are with the attractiveness of his role, he explained that there is more to the “really fun and cool appearance.” It’s unfortunately not as easy as “clocking into work at 9, and out of work at 6 everyday.” Ranging from getting a text at 11pm that a player wants to leave, or an early morning transfer swoop for your star striker, his job description is by no means stress-free.

As with any business, the significance of relationships and connections cannot be overstated. The Hampton alumni recognise this, and aside from gaining commercial success on the back of impressive sponsorship deals, a relationship that particularly appeals to the owners has not yet been explored. Scannella expressed a clear desire for future contact with Hampton, whether it be through the form of delivering an assembly or encouraging pupils to come and support on a match day.

Looking ahead to the future, Scannella and his coowners show no lack of enthusiasm and optimism regarding their continued involvement in the club. He spoke of the team’s aspiration to reach the National South Division within five years, at which point they “will reach (their) first ceiling of competing with full time clubs.”

When asked about his favourite part of the job, Scannella replied, “Everything. Non-league football is so much more engaging for people, so much better in terms of the overall experience. Not only can you speak to the players and the players to the fans, the idea of a community is there. It’s also the fact that we keep building it that’s even better.”

As spectators, it’s exciting to see what this dynamic group of individuals will accomplish next in the world of football. Their story serves as a reminder that anything is possible if you take the initiative and are willing to put in the effort. With their innovative approach and fresh perspective, the Hampton alumni have breathed new life into a football club, revitalising the local community and inspiring a new generation of fans.

Hampton Sports Chronicle meetings take place on a weekly basis at lunchtimes.

See Mr Sharkey in the English Department for more details.

After successfully winning the group, the Hampton U15A team faced a strong Highgate side that had finished second in their respective group. The match kicked off with Hampton quickly on top, the constant pressure paying early dividends by way of a corner. The ball was aimed at the back post by Ollie Swetman and Quinn Schutter was there to head the ball into the back of the net. 1-0 Hampton.

The U15As kept up the pressure and a second goal quickly followed. Once again, it was Swetman with the delivery into the box and this time Nicholas Avetoom was there to score, doubling Hampton’s lead. The home side stayed on top during most of the first half until about five minutes before the break when Highgate put pressure on the Hampton defence. However, they couldn’t get past the Hampton back four and the half time whistle blew with the two-goal cushion firmly intact.

On a chilly day in December, Hampton’s U20, U17, and U15 team travelled across the river to Richmond Park to compete in the Richmond Borough Championships, with the aim of qualifying for the Middlesex Championships in the new year. For those familiar with Richmond Park, the course was two loops of Sidmouth Wood, a 2.2km undulating route. Despite the rain the previous few days, the ground was firm – perfect for a fast race.

First out were the U15 team, which comprised First to Third Year athletes, some experienced with this race, some making their Hampton debut. Leading the charge right from the gun was Third Year Marcus Solomon, the defending champion from last year. In fact, not even for a second did he give up this lead as he literally ran away from his competition, extending the lead to such an extent that he crossed the finish line without any other athlete in sight – a remarkable achievement by the Hampton runner.

Hampton ran out of the team huddle ready for the second half. Both teams restarted with urgency and defended well. With five minutes to play, Highgate put a good ball into the box that one of their players got on the end of. 2-1. This set up a tense end to the match.

One last chance for Highgate. They had a drop ball on the right hand side and tried to cross into the box, but it went out for a goal kick. The referee blew the final whistle and the Hampton U15As earned their place in the Elgin League final.

Due to scheduling issues, the U17 and U20 races (Fourth Year to Upper Sixth) were set to run together. Hampton's senior athletes put in a stellar performance with at least four Middlesex qualifications and the top three runners (Henry Fagan, Daniel Clarke and Theo Webb) finishing 2nd, 3rd and 4th, respectively. Unfortunately, Ethan Flack – a strong contender for a medal – had to pull out after his first lap due to achilles issues. It is also worth noting that Daniele Smart, despite his three-year long hiatus due to rowing training and Covid, managed to finish in the top ten and will almost certainly secure a Middlesex qualification in his last year at Hampton.