Manager's Notes
Games are coming thick and fast at the start of this season, and with it comes new faces each and every game, but things are starting to settle a little now and after Tuesdays game at Infinity, we have a little window to do some work on the training ground.
I didn't feel Seaford were 4 goals better than us in midweek, but football is a cruel game at times, and we were punished for switching off twice in the first half and twice in the second half w hen tiredness set in to give Seaford a f lattering look to the final score.
Overall, I am happy with what we have achieved in a short space of time, and we will endeavour to gain those first points today against an undoubtedly strong Godalming side
#UTV
PAUL SARGEANT MENS MANAGER
Villa Squad Godalming Squad
P A U L U P F O L D
L O U I S P E A C H
B E N S T A M M E R S
B E N T H O M S E T T
H A R R I S O N C O M P T O N
J A M I E W I L S O N
D A V I D S H A R M A N
L E W I S C A S H
J A C K C O L L I N S
R A F F B E A C H A M
H A R R Y P R A T T
M A T T G O D F R E Y
C H R I S T I A N A M A N K W A H
J A M E S W A L K E R
Z A K M A S K E L L
H A R R Y S I M P S O N
M U H A M M A D H A M M A D
J O E K I N S M A N
M A T H E U S A N D R A E
H U D S O N S I L V A
L E E B O W L E S
D O M I N I O N O K O - J O S E P H
R U E B E N T R O W E L L
E D S T O N E
R Y A N O ’ S U L L I V A N
O L L I E B A L L A M
A L I H A D D A D J I
S H I L O H N D I U L O R
A S A G O O D S E L L
C H A R L I E W E L C H
J A M E S M A N S F I E L D
C O N O R S T I L L W E L L
J O S H H I L L
M A T T H E W C O X
J A S O N C O T T O N
J A M E S M A R I N E R
O L L I E M C A L E E S E
T O B I A S S I M S
E L R O Y W E A L T H Y L A N D
C A M E R O N E D W I N
J A C K S H E R W O O D
A T H A N S M I T H - J O S E P H
A L E X A N D E R A F F U L
J O N A T H A N M I L L E R - A N N O R
R O B P A R R O T T
I S M A I L A D O U M B I A
J A C K C O N R Y
Wecan Wecan Wecan
& wewill wewill wewill
ACTION
TheclubhasitsoriginsasGodalmingUnitedFC,formedin1950byex-pupilsofGodalmingGrammarSchool.Between1950-71theclubplayedattheRecreationGround.However,in1970SurreySeniorLeague sideFarncombecollapsed,leavingtheirgroundinMeadrowvacant.Godalmingtookoverthedebtsandtenancy,changingtheirnametoGodalmingandFarncombeFC,andthegroundtoWeyCourtintheprocess. TheoriginalpitchwaswherethenearbyWeyCourtShelteredHousingstoodandconsiderableamountofworkwasundertakenonthenewplayingarea,whichwasbuiltonthesiteofanoldwastetip.Theclubwas helpedbyWaverleyCouncilwhendrainageproblemsandsubsidencemeanttheyhadtofindatemporaryhomeatBroadwaterPark.
TheclubwasacceptedintotheCombinedCountiesLeagueforthestartofthe1978season,andayearlaterthenamewaschangedagain,toGodalmingTownFC.
In1985,anotherlocalclub,Addlestone&Weybridge,wasdisbandedand,beforetheirgroundatLibertyLanewasdemolished,Godalmingpurchasedthestandandperimeterfencefor£225and£50respectively. Thestandwasre-erectedatWeyCourt,withseatingandfasciaadded.
Thenextdevelopmentcamein1992whentheGuildfordFootballAppeal(formedinanattempttoreturnthetownsnametoseniorfootball,followingthecollapseofGuildfordCityin1977)donatedasumof moneytowardsfloodlights,andinreturnthenameoftheclubwaschangedagaintoGodalming&GuildfordFC.
Furtherrecyclingfollowedin1995,whenanewturnstilebuildingwaserectedincorporatingaturnstilefromMillwall’soldgroundandin1996theclubhousewasrefurbished.
During2005closeseason,theclubchangeditsnameforafifthtime,albeitbacktooneofitspreviousincarnations,thatofGodalmingTown.Afantastic2005/06seasonsawthesidetaketheCombinedCounties LeagueChampionshipandLeagueCupbystorm.GodalmingTownwerethenacceptedbyIsthmianLeagueofficialsfollowingextensivegroundimprovements.
Attheendofatoughseason,Godalmingfoundthemselvesatthebottomofaverycompetitivedivision.However,eventselsewheremeantthatGodalmingwerereprievedfromrelegationandweretransferred intotheSouthernLeague’sSouth&WestDivisionforthe2007/08season.ChuckMartinireplacedRogerSteerasManagerinOctober2007.TownweremovedbacktotheRymanLeagueforthe2008/09season andeventuallyfinishedinanotherrecordhighposition,9th.GodalmingalsoprogressedfurtherthaneverbeforeintheFACupbyreachingthe3rdQualifyingRoundbeforelosing2-1atConferenceSouthside Havant&Waterlooville.
The2009/10seasonwasarguablythebestseasoninthehistoryoftheclub.Townfinishedarecordhighposition4thintheRymanSouthbutwereeventuallybeaten2-1inthePlayoffFinalatFolkestoneInvicta. TheclubprogressedfurtherthaneverbeforeintheFATrophyandwontheSurreySeniorCupbybeatingSuttonUnited2-1. TheseasonalsosawlocalboyShaunElliottbecametheclub’srecordappearance holderafterreaching360gamesinaGodalmingshirt.ChuckMartiniwasreplacedbyjoint-managersJonUnderwood&NeilBakerinOctober2010andtheclubfinishedanunpredictableseasoninmid-table. The 2011/12seasonsawalotofnewfacesjoin,buttheteamquicklygelled,reachingthe4thQualifyingRoundoftheFACup,beatingWimborne,Moneyfields,WorcesterCity&Bodminbeforebowingoutto MaidenheadUnitedinfrontof700atWeyCourt.TheG’sfinished5thintheleague,andtravelledtoBognorRegisTownintheplayoffsemi-final,drawing4-4afterextratimebutGodalminglost5-3onpenalties. 2012/13sawJonUnderwoodandNeilBakerguideGodalmingtotheirhighesteverfinishinthepyramid,finishingin3rdplace.TheG’slostintheplayoffsemi-finalforthesecondyearrunning,thistimelosing2-1to BiggleswadeatWeyCourt.Theseasonfinishedonahighhowever,asGodalmingliftedtheSurreySeniorCupforthesecondtimeinfouryears,beatingSuttonUnited1-0atGanderGreenLane,thankstoalast minutegoalfromScottHarris.ThecloseseasonsawGodalmingmovedtoathirddifferentleagueinasmanyyears,thistimetotheSouth&WestDivision.Withdivisionalchangecameamanagerialchange;Jon UnderwoodandNeilBakerleftGodalmingtojoinSloughTown,takingthemajorityofthesquadwiththem.AndyHuntwasappointedmanagerinJune2013,assistedbyNeilSelby.
The2013/14seasonwasprobablyoneofthehardesttheclubhasdealtwith.AndyHuntwasgiventhetaskofputtingtogetherasquadthatwillcompeteintheleagueandsecurestepfourfootball.AtChristmas 2013theclubhouse,kitchenandchangingroomswereruinedbyfloodwater.Godalmingfinishedtheseasonin18thposition.GodalmingwerethenmovedintoanotherdivisionagainandwillplayinSouthern LeagueCentralDivisionforthe2014/15season.
Godalmingfinishedin10thpositioninthe2015/2016andreachedtheSurreySeniorCupFinalforthe3rdtimebutlost4-0toMerstham.
The2016/2017seasoncouldbeviewedasanannushoribilisforthemenaswinsbecamelessfrequentthanmanagementchanges.AndyHuntleftandwasreplacedbyDeanThomaswhosubsequentlydeparted beforetheclubwasrelegatedunderDanTurkington.InevitablyrelegationfollowedandDandeparted,asdidmuchoftheentirefirstteam.
OntheupsidetheLadiesteamundertheauspicesofSteveDaviesand,DarrenWheelerfinishedsecondinDivision2SouthandwerepromotedtodivisiononeintheGreaterLondonWomensFootballLeague. 2017/18beganinfamiliarfashionwithanewmanagementandanewsquadinanewdivision.AfterapromisingstartunderSimonFunnellandMattDrew(includingabriefrunintheFACupwhichfinallyendedat Hereford),winsbecamehardertocomebyandbyChristmas,JonPalmerandGavinSmithwereincharge.Afteraslowstart,apromisingruntooktheG’soutoftherelegationzonebeforefixturecongestionanda highturnoverofplayersledtoasecondrelegationintwoyears. Theyouthteamhadagreatseasonandfinished2ndintheSurreyPrimaryU18EliteLeague.
TheLadiesfirstteamcontinuedtogofromstrengthtostrengthwithanexcitingFACuprunandpromotiontotheGLWFLPremiership.TheLadiesdevelopmentteamfinishedanexcellent3rdindivision3which meanttheywerepromotedalsointhedivisiontwosouthforthe2018/19season.
TheLadiesfirstteamfinishedrunnersupoftheGLWFLpremierdivisionandwillcontinueinthesamedivisionforthe2019/20season.
OnasadnoteinFebruary2018sawthepassingofBillKyte,theGodalmingTownPresidentofanastonishing57years.Itistruetosaythatwithouthistirelesswork,theclubwouldnotevenexisttodaywhichiswhy itisfittingthatthenameofthegroundisnowTheBillKyteStadiuminmemoryofthegreatman.
2018/19sawachangeinmanagementagainandtheclubappointedformerSouthamptonprofessionalgoalkeeperLesCleevelyandJordanKnightashisassistant.Bothofthembringplentyofcoachingexperience inseniorandyouthfootball.JordanbecamefirstteamgoalkeeperwithJasonKerbeyjoiningthemanagementteamascoach.Finishing12thinCombinedCountiesLeagueDivisionOne. Leshasbroughtarefreshingblendoftenacityandcommitmenttotheclub,concentratingonbuildingayoungsidethatcangrowandwintogetherforyearstocome.Heistirelessbothonthefieldandbehindthe scenesandwithselflessassistance,blood,sweatandbeersofanincrediblebandofvolunteerhelpers,Lesishelpingrebuildtheclubtobeinapositiontochallengeforhonoursagain. The2019/20seasonwasamixedonefortheclubandaseasonthatmanyclubswon’tforget.Unfortunatelyresultsdidn’tgoourwayandfoundourselvesatthefootoftheCombinedCountiesLeagueDivisionOne whentheseasonended.DuetothecoronavirustheFAdecidedtodeclaretheseasonnullandvoid.Thismeantthattheseasonwasexpunged,resultsdeletedandmeantthatthefirstteamwouldremaininthe CombinedCountiesLeagueDivisionOneforthe2020/21season.The2020/21seasonsawjust12gamesplayedbeforeanotherlockdownduetothepandemicsotheseasonwascurtailed.FirstteammanagerPhil RugglesandhismanagementteamkeptthesquadtogetheruntilrestrictionsliftedandG’scompetedintheinauguralFripp-SmithTrophyandwontheEsotericRecordingsDivisionOneCupwithawinagainst MersthamU23sinfrontof500peoplewhichisacredittothemandtheplayers.WewillcompeteintheSothernCombinationLeagueDivisionOneforthe2021/22seasonafterbeingswitchedfromtheCombined CountiesLeagueintheannualFArestructuring.G’sfinishedarespectable7thpositionintheleaguejustmissingoutofaplayoffspot.TheywillcontinueagainintheSCFLdivisiononeforthe22/23season.Itwasa goodseasonwhereG’smadetheSCFLDivOnePlayoffSemi-Finals.TheyalsowonthedivisiononecupandalsomadetheSurreyFAPremierCupfinal.In2023/24season,G’sfinished9thintheleaguewhichsaw TonyRobertsresignasfirstteammanager.G’sthenappointedformercoach,MoSherasfirstteammanagerforthe2024/25season.
