ROYSTON TOWN vs KINGSTONIAN - MATCHDAY PROGRAMME - SATURDAY 13th NOVEMBER 2021 - FA TROPHY 1st ROUND

BUILDBASE FA TROPHY FIRST ROUND

ROYSTON TOWN FC vs KINGSTONIAN FC Saturday 13th November 2021 Kick Off: 3.00pm

Royston Town FC would like to welcome today's opponents Kingstonian for their visit to Garden Walk for this Buildbase FA Trophy First Round fixture.

We wish their Players, Officials and Supporters an enjoyable afternoon and hope that the match will be a keenly contested and entertaining game.

We also welcome today’s Match Officials and hope they too have an enjoyable game.

TODAY'S MATCH SPONSOR

Royston Town Football Club President Chairman Secretary

Founded 1875 Alan Barlow Steve Jackson Terry McKinnell 9 Valley Rise, Royston, Herts SG8 9EY

07772 086709

Treasurer Welfare Officer Fixture Secretary Executive Board

Webmaster Programme Editor Official Photographer

email: secretary@roystontownfc.co.uk Jeff Gill Angela Baulk Steve Endacott (07971 512402) Trevor Burrows, Andy Toovey, Eric Joyce, David Baulk, Angela Baulk, Chris Coote, Duncan Easley, Giles Parnwell, Neil MacLeod, Matt Clowery Steve Endacott Angela Baulk Kevin Richards

Football Management Team First Team Manager First Team Asst Manager Reserve Team Manager U18 Team Managers Women's Team Manager Vets Team Manager

Steve Castle Chris Watters Lewis Endacott Dan Evans/Matt Campany Lewis Endacott Lee Wilkinson

Ground

Garden Walk, Royston, Herts SG8 7HP Telephone (01763) 241204

Colours

First XI Reserves U18 Women's Vets

White/Black/White White/Black/White White/Black/Black White/Black/White White/Black/Black

Members of: The Hertfordshire Football Association Southern League Premier Division The Herts Senior County League Thurlow Nunn Youth League Eastern Region Women’s Football League The Hertfordshire and Bedfordshire Ladies League Royston Town Football Club is an unincorporated association controlled by its members under the Constitution of RTFC

CLUB HONOURS WINNERS Herts County League (Div I) 1969-70, 1972-73 Herts County League (Premier Div) 1976-1977 South Midlands League (Div I) 1977-1978 South Midlands Reserve League (Div II) 1978-1979 South Midlands Reserve League (Div I) 1979-1980 North Herts (Div IV) League Cup, 1978-79, 1979-1980 Herts Charity Shield, 1981-82, 1989-90, 1996-1997 Herts Intermediate Cup, 1988-1989 Chiltern Youth League (Div I) 1989-1990 South Combinations Reserve Floodlight Cup, 1992-1993 Chiltern Youth League Cup, 1992-1993 South Midlands Challenge Trophy, 1995-1996 Eastern Region Women’s League (Div II) 1998-1999 Eastern Counties Youth League Cup, 2001-2002 South Midlands Reserve Challenge Cup 2004-2005 KB Tyres Division III Champions 2006-2007 South Midlands League (Div I) 2008-2009 South Midlands League Cup (Div I) 2008-2009 South Midlands Floodlit Cup 1994-1995 2008-2009, 2009-2010, 2010-2011, 2011-2012 South Midlands Reserve League (Div II East) 2008-2009 South Midlands Reserve Challenge Cup 2008-2009 KB Tyres Division I League Cup 2009-2010 South Midlands Reserve Floodlit Cup 2009-2010 BIS Cambs League Division 2A 2010/2011 BIS Cambs League Divisional Champions 2010/2011 Veterans Cambridgeshire Invitation Cup 2010/2011 South Midlands Premier League 2011/2012 South Midlands Premier League Cup 2011/2012 Suburban League North Division 2012/2013, 2013/2014 Joint Winners of the Hinchingbrooke Cup 2013 Eastern Region Women’s League Plate 2013/2014, 2014/15 Suburban Premier League 2015-16 Eastern Region Women’s League Division 1 West 2015/16 Southern League Div 1 Central 2016/17

RUNNERS UP South Midlands Challenge Cup, 1978-1979 Herts Charity Shield, 1978-79, 1998-99, 2004-05, 2008-2009 South Midlands League (Premier Div) 1979-1980 North Herts (Div IV) 1979-1980 North Herts (Div III) 1981-1982 North Herts (Div II) 1982-1983 South Midlands Res Section Trophy, 1982-1983 Chiltern Youth League Cup, 1986-87, 1988-1989 Herts Intermediate Cup, 1989-1990 Herts County Youth Cup, 1992-1993 North Herts (Div I), 1993-1994 South Midlands Floodlit Cup, 1995-1996 Herts F.A. Women’s Cup, 1998-99, 2001-2002 2013/14 Eastern Region Women’s League (Div I) 1999-2000, 2013/2014 2014/15 Eastern Junior Plate, 2001-2002 KB Tyres Division I 2008-2009, 2009-2010 South Midlands Reserve Challenge Trophy 2009-2010 South Midlands Reserves Floodlit Cup 2010/2011 Hertfordshire Women’s County Cup 2013/2014 Eastern Region Women’s League, League Cup 2014/15 Southern League Division 1 Central 2014/15 2015/16

SUPPLIERS OF PRIZES FOR THE FAMOUS ROYSTON TOWN FC MEAT RAFFLE

WHO'S GOT WHO? A selection of today's other FA Trophy fixtures SATURDAY 13th November 2021 Biggleswade Town v Enfield Town Bromsgrove Sporting v Morpeth Town Carlton Town v Stourbridge Colne v Tamworth Farnborough v Banbury United Felixstowe & Walton United v Peterborough Sports Leiston v Harrow Borough Needham Market v Margate Radcliffe v Nuneaton Borough Rushall Olympic v Matlock Town

You may have recently seen a few teasing tweets from us and wondered what they meant…

First there was this:

Then this:

And then this:

And finally…

But what did it all mean?

Well, we are pleased to announce that Jenny Middlemass, a long-time member of the CROWS WEEKLY DRAW was the lucky recipient of a cheque for £2915 – not bad for a £1 a week flutter!

Jenny is a long-standing member of the CROWS WEEKLY DRAW that costs just £1 a week to play!

As the name suggests, a draw takes place every week. The holder of the winning number receives £25 with £10 being added to the ‘Rollover Fund’ each week. The ‘Rollover Fund’ is won when the Blue Ball is drawn, with the next number taking the accumulated prize. When the Blue Ball was finally drawn out recently the next number to be pulled out was Jenny’s – meaning that she was the lucky recipient of the ‘Rollover Fund’ which at the time of drawing stood at a whopping £2915!

Jenny Middlemass (centre) receives her Weekly Draw cheque from Steve Jackson (left) and Trevor Burrows (right)

Upon being presented with her cheque after our recent Women’s fixture against Kings Lynn Town, Jenny said “I’m absolutely over the moon to win the Rollover Fund. I’ve been a member for a long time and have had some smaller wins in the past but nothing as big as this! Although I no longer live locally, Royston Town FC is still very close to my heart and I’m happy to support the Club in any way that I can. The Club, and town, have long been a part of my life. My late husband, John played for the Crows as did his brothers Clive and Steve, and their father Archie.”

Club President Alan Barlow commented “After waiting patiently for the Blue Ball to be drawn out and seeing the Rollover Fund steadily increase I was pleased to see it finally happen and it was heartening to see Jenny being the lucky winner. Despite no longer living around Royston, she has never stopped supporting the Club. For those who maybe aren’t aware, the Middlemass name is synonymous with Royston Town FC and spans well over 70 years!

Jenny’s late husband John was a central figure in our 1970 championship-winning team. He played for the Club throughout the 70s and early 80s and was also part of our 1977 Herts County Premier Championship winning side. But he wasn’t the only Middlemass to have represented the Crows. John’s father, Archie, was known as ‘The Magician’ during his playing days for the Crows in the 1950s. Archie’s sons John, Clive and Steve all represented the Club with distinction. So it’s fair to say the Middlemass’ have played an important role in the Club and they will always be remembered for the contributions they have made to the Club. I’d also like to thank Jenny for her continued support. I’m pleased to announce that following her good fortune she has made a generous donation back to the Club” Steve Jackson, Chairman, added “It was great to see the Blue Ball finally make an appearance after all this time and it’s great that such a loyal supporter and long-standing member of the draw won. Don’t worry though as the drawing of the Blue Ball hasn’t totally wiped out the Rollover Fund prize money – we have now reset it at £500.”

He continued “The Weekly Draw is another great way for fans to support the development of their club both on and off the field. We’re always looking to increase the number of members in the draw. If anyone is interested in taking part in the draw, then please speak to either Lauren, Trevor or grab an entry form from the Bar. In the past, we’ve used some of the funds raised to improve the furniture in the Clubhouse, upgrade the tills and improve the dugouts. Alongside the matchday 50/50 draw and our famous Meat Raffle, the Crows Weekly Draw is a crucial part of the Clubs fundraising efforts. I’d like to thank all the current members of the draw for their continued support and encourage other supporters to join them – who knows you could be the next Blue Ball winner!”

SO WHEN DID IT ALL BEGIN? The history of Royston Town FC After some intensive research, the evidence is that the club came into existence in 1875 making Royston the third oldest Club in Hertfordshire after Hitchin and Bishop Stortford.

The Club’s very first honour came in 1911/12 when they won the Creake Charity Shield beating Wisbech 1-0 in extra time.

The Club’s first major honour in more recent times came in the guise of promotion to the Herts County Premier League in 1969/70 and they went on to be champions in 1972/73 and 1976/77.

In 1978 we rejoined the South Midlands League and won the Division One title at the first time of asking. Success continued with a final appearance in the Herts Charity Shield for the first time in 1979 and runners up spot in the South Midlands League Premier Division in 1980. The Herts Charity Shield was won in 1981/82 and two years later the Club joined the Isthmian League Division Two North where we remained for 10 seasons before returning to the South Midlands League in 1994.

After a period in the doldrums that culminated in relegation from the South Midlands League Premier Division at the end of 2006/07, Paul Attfield was appointed manager with ex-Spurs favourite Tony Galvin returning to Garden Walk 1st Team Coach in November 2007.

Paul immediately set about building a new 1st Team squad and a run of 17 games undefeated saw the Club move from the bottom of the table to finish in 5th place in the League.

The foundations had been laid for the 2008/09 season and the first team took the South Midlands Division One League title with one of the best sets of stats for any Step 6 Club in the country W33, D4, L3, GF138, GA30, GD+108, PTS 103.

The 2011/2012 season will be seen as a watershed in our history with winning the South Midlands Premier Division title and promotion to Step 4 in the shape of the Evo-Stik Southern League Division One Central.

In our first season back at Step 4 after an absence of 19 years, it was hard to know what to expect and how we would perform. Most of our supporters felt a mid-table position would be an acceptable target for the season, but we quickly found ourselves exceeding all expectations as our performances propelled us towards the top of the table. Four straight wins in the first four games set the tone and a run of nine wins with just one defeat between October and December saw us maintain a play-off position. In the very last game of the season a playoff was still a possibility and having gone 2-1 up away at AFC Hayes with just a few minutes of the game left it looked a near certainty. But it was not to be as Hayes scored an 87-minute equaliser and our play-off place was lost.

In our second season at this level, our steady progress to claim a place in the playoff zone was given a severe jolt when Paul Attfield announced his resignation as first team manager due to ill health at the beginning of November. The search for his replacement began almost immediately and we were inundated with applications from some very well know and successful managers. After an exhaustive selection process, the Board appointed Steve Castle at the end of November and on Boxing Day Steve officially took over securing a 0 – 0 draw against the League’s form team and eventual champions Dunstable Town.

Our 2014/15 season opener was at home against one of the promotion favourites Rugby Town but an impressive team display ensured their threat was stifled and we ran out winners 2 -1. That victory really did set things buzzing but we were quickly brought back down to earth when on the following Tuesday night Bedworth United were the visitors winning the game 3 – 1.

As we all know consistency in performances provides the key to long term success and although the early stages of the season produced good results against the likes of Daventry Town and Beaconsfield these were punctuated by dismal performances against the likes of Aylesbury and Egham Town. From mid-November to mid-December We really lost our way with six defeats in seven games but our rollercoaster ride saw an incredible run of form over the Christmas period and into the New Year with five straight wins which helped us maintain a position in the playoff places.

On a miserable Tuesday evening in February we travelled to lowly AFC Hayes and after an abject performance we lost the game 2 – 0. This prompted our Chairman to tell Steve Castle that he had given up on this team making the play – offs and said that we should start preparing instead for next season. That message was conveyed to players and we witnessed a most remarkable transformation in our results with a 14 game unbeaten run during which we scored 29 goals and conceded just seven resulting in us achieving the runners up spot to league champions Kettering Town and securing our place in the play- off semi final where we met local rivals Barton Rovers.

After an incident packed 90 minutes and extra time the game ended in a goalless draw but it was not to be our night and we lost the shoot out 4-5 and had to suffer the agony of all the emotions which go with being defeated in this way.

We started the 2015/16 season strongly and between the end of December and the end of March we produced a rich vein of form with only one defeat in 14 games and this ensured we were sitting on top of the league with just 7 games to go and with the expectation that we could win promotion outright ran high throughout the whole club.However three games in succession proved our down fall when we could only draw 0 – 0 with Bedford and lost to Egham away 3- 1 and Godalming at home 1- 0 and once again we ended up in the play offs against AFC Rushden but we failed to turn up and went out tamely to our opponents 2 - 1.

Having finished runners up for two years in succession Steve Castle was determined to make it third time lucky and began to recruit some experienced new blood in the shape of John Frendo and Adam Murray whilst at the same time giving youngsters Gus Scott Morris and Josh Castiglione extended runs in the first team.

However the season didn’t start well and after four games we’d only mustered five points whilst promotion rivals Farnborough just couldn’t stop winning. Although results did improve, defeat in the FA Cup to Heybridge Swifts 4 – 1 and a thrashing by Barton Rovers at home 6 – 3 at the end of September didn’t do a great of good for our confidence.

Things took a dramatic turn thereafter with 12 successive league wins which ended with defeat 2-1 at Kidlington in early January 2017, interspersed by a magnificent run in the FA Trophy including victory against Step 2 outfit Hampton and Richmond Borough before in the replay against Dulwich Hamlet we eventually went down 1 -0.

With cup football out of the way the team put together an incredible run of 16 league games undefeated including a 5 – 0 thrashing of closest rivals Farnborough which saw us maintain the top spot until the end of the season by a margin of 12 points and the highest number of goals scored, 120, across all three Evostik Leagues.

Promotion to the Southern Premier League means that the Club will be playing at its highest level in its 142 year history!

Season 2017/18 saw The Crows exceeded all expectations in our first season at Step 3.

Throughout the season we managed to maintain our hopes of a play-off place until they were finally put to bed with two successive defeats against the eventually play-off winners Slough Town and we had to be satisfied with a seventh place finish. The signing of Adam Marriott, a proven goal scorer who had played for Lincoln City, Stevenage and Cambridge United was without a doubt a real coup and he was to play a key role in the progress made by the Club by becoming our leading marksman with 31 goals.A good run in the FA Trophy with wins against Enfield Town and Leatherhead came to an end against Eastbourne Borough when having managed to draw at their place we lost the replay on penalties. We managed to get to the final of the Herts Senior Cup were we played Boreham Wood from Step 2 and in spite of a brave performance we never really had the power to compete and lost 2 – 1.

Given where we had started from we definitely exceeded our own and many other peoples’ expectations and this has provided us with the building blocks to face this season in the newly constituted Southern Premier Central League.

Season 2018/19 saw us finishing in a respectable 9th position in what proved to be a very strong Premier Division Central. During February/March we recorded six wins out of seven league games to give us a faint hope of a playoff spot, but three straight defeats in April put paid to our chances.

We suffered another early at AFC Sudbury in the FA Cup and in the FA Trophy we progressed through two rounds before being beaten in a replay at Needham Market.

Season 2019/20 will go down in the Club’s history as one of the most successful and exciting but ultimately one which ended in bitter disappointment.

Steve Castle was quick to ensure we had players who were proven goal scorers and the arrival of Matt Bateman, Brandon Adams and Claudio Ofosu did not disappoint. Perhaps the only sadness that our young and highly talented left wing-back Joe Newton had created so much interest from EFL Clubs that in the end, it was inevitable he would have to leave us and Joe was signed by Coventry City.

No Crows fans will ever forget the team's brilliant performances in both the FA Cup and FA Trophy and although our FA Cup run ended with defeat to the very talented Maldon and Tiptree in front of a record crowd for Garden Walk of 1152. The interest generated in the Crows both locally and beyond was immense and set the scene for what was to come in the FA Trophy. It all started with very comfortable wins against Brightlingsea Regent and Haywards Heath and then were drawn away at Step 2 table-topping Wealdstone which for many was one of the games of the season as Royston shot into a 2- 0 lead before Wealdstone hit back to pull the tie level 2-2. In spite of being under constant pressure, the Crows mounted a great counterattack down the left and the cross was despatched by Brandon Adams to give the Crow’s victory 3-2. What followed was truly historic with home wins against Step 2 teams Boreham Wood 2-0, Chester 3-0 and away at National League Ebbsfleet 2-0, to set up a quarter-final tie away at Concord Rangers. In the run-up to the game, the rain had been falling heavily but our opponents declared the pitch playable and the invasion of six coach loads of Royston supporters and a convoy of cars and mini-buses descended on Canvey Island. As we started arriving for the kick-off the match referee declared the pitch unplayable and with a sense of extreme disappointment and also a lot of anger we all returned home. The following Tuesday the game went ahead but it was not to be and we were defeated 2-1. There is no doubt the Clubs achievements in the FA Trophy marked a watershed in our history which will be remembered for a very long time.

Running alongside the cup success it was easy to forget that we had got ourselves in contention to win the League with a run of only two defeats in 20 league fixtures. With 3 games in hand and only 2 points behind Peterborough Sports and Tamworth and playing some of our best football, we looked nailed on to win the League. Then out of the blue, the Covid crisis hit all levels of football and with what many felt was indecent haste the League decided to null and void the whole season.

All our achievements were suddenly for nothing and the taste of bitter disappointment amongst all supporters of the Crows was very hard to swallow.

Season 2020/21: As the pandemic took hold it seemed like the chances of seeing a new season start were remote but by summer 2020 there had been a massive improvement and by July the lockdown ended albeit with a host of restrictions in place.

By the time we had assembled a squad, we were without key players such as Matt Bateman who moved to Hemel Hempstead and Claudio Ofosu who joined Hartlepool and with a lot of the momentum and energy generated by the now-defunct season now dissipated we were finding it hard to get going again. In the League, we seemed to slip into the habit of conceding goals when in a winning position and a string of draws meant we languished in the lower half of the division.

The FA cup again promised to provide excitement with wins against Newmarket, Wroxham and AFC Stamford before losing to our old rivals Bishops Stortford. We won our first two ties in the FA Trophy against Hythe Town and Tamworth before going out 3-2 away at Brackley by which time the League season was yet again declared null and void as the second wave of Covid took its stranglehold.

A comprehensive history of the Club can be found in The History of Royston Town FC 1875 - 2012 first published in 2013. The book was written by the Club’s President, Alan Barlow following more than five years of painstaking research and can be purchased via the Club.

WHO'S WHO OF THE CROWS Joe Welch (Goalkeeper) Joined us from Chelmsford City in 2016/17, Joe started his career at Southend United before joining Histon where he played over 50 games and earned a loan deal at Stevenage. Joe’s other clubs include Ebbsfleet, Bromley and St Albans City.

Ed Asafu-Adjaye (Defender) Versatile defender who re-joined the Crows in 2019 after spending a season at Hayes & Yeading. Started his playing career at Luton Town and broke into the 1st team during the 2008/9 season. In total he made 64 appearances for The Hatters before moving to Forest Green Rovers and then to Hemel Hempstead Town.

Adam Murray (Defender) Adam joined us at the beginning of 2017/18, having spent the previous two seasons at Cambridge City where he made 60 appearances. He quickly settled into the squad and has proved to be a formidable addition for the Crows.

Ronnie Henry (Defender) Signed for the Crows at the beginning of this season after spending a season at Billericay Town. Ronnie was a product of the Spurs youth system, before going on to play 502 games for Stevenage (the club’s all-time record appearances) in two spells either side of two seasons at Luton Town.

Daniel Brathwaite (Defender) Club skipper, Dan joined the Crows from Chesham United for the start of 2015/16.

He is an experienced defender whose former clubs include Boreham Wood and Dover Athletic.

Dan Newton (Defender) Joined the Crows early into season 2020/21, Centre-Back Dan's previous clubs were Biggleswade FC and Northwood. He is a calm and confident defender and cousin of former Crow Joe Newton.

James Brighton (Defender) Experienced full-back who joined us in November 2019 from Kettering Town, where he had spent a successful four seasons. James has previously played for Hemel Hempstead Town, Cambridge City & Cambridge United.

Scott Bridges (Midfield) Scott re-joined the Crows in season 2020/21 after spending the previous season at Hayes & Yeading, having been a Crow for four years previously, scoring 71 goals in 194 appearances. Originally with Aston Villa until 2007, Scott then played most of his football at Banbury United.

Spyros Mentis (Midfield) Versatile, hard-working and tough-tackling midfielder or defender, Spyros re-joined The Crows in 2018/19 after a season away at Hayes & Yeading, he previously played just under 100 games for us from 2013 during his first spell at Garden Walk.

Tom Newman (Midfield) Joined the Crows at the start of 2018/19, Tom has impressed when called upon and has chipped in with some useful goals from midfield.

Isa Rotimi (Midfield) Young midfielder who signed for the Crows at the beginning of season 2019/20, Isa previously spent two seasons at Colney Heath.

Dan Green (Midfield) Joined us in December 2018 from Chesham United, Dan is an experienced midfielder whose other previous clubs include St Albans City and Dunstable Town.

Brandon Adams (Forward) Signed for the Crows in 2019, Brandon previously spent four years at Queens Park Rangers which included loan deals at Malaysian club Perlis and Linfield in Northern Ireland. After leaving the R’s in 2018 Brandon dropped into non-league hoping to catch the eye of pro clubs and has certainty impressed. After a short stint at Enfield Town he moved to Ware in 2018/19 and bagged an impressive 23 league goals in 25 games.

Isaac Galliford (Forward) Previously with Hitchin Town, St Neots Town & Hemel Hempstead after starting out with Luton Town. Isaac signed for us for the beginning of last season. Whilst with The Canaries Isaac’s performances earned him an England ‘C’ call-up.

Matt Bateman (Forward) Re-joined us for the start this season from Hemel Hempstead, where he spent last season after moving from the Crows. Matt signed for the Crows at the start of season 2019/20 and scored an impressive 24 goals in 41 games during that season to earn his move to Hemel. Previous to that Matt played a big part in Berkhamsted’s push for promotion in 2018/19 where he netted 43 times in 54 appearances for The Comrades.

Harry Draper (Forward) Signed for the Crows on loan from Stevenage at the start of this season. Harry has been with Stevenage from the age of eight, he signed his first professional deal at Boro’ in summer 2019 and then spent that season on loan at Hitchin Town.

Finlay Titchmarsh (Defender) Young defender who signed for the Crows at the beginning of this season, Finlay was originally with Barnet before having spells with Staines Town and Ware.

COME ON

YOU

CROWS!

TODAY'S OPPONENTS Kingstonian FC Club History The Kingstonian club came into being in 1919 as a result of the merger between Kingston Town FC and Old Kingstonians FC. However, the club can trace its origins even further back and celebrated its centenary in 1985; the reason for this is that one of its forerunners, Kingston & Surbiton YMCA FC played its first match on a ground in Bushy Park in November 1885. In 1887 the YMCA changed its name to Saxons FC. Then in 1890 it changed to Kingston Wanderers FC and once again to Kingston-on-Thames Association Football Club (KAFC) in 1893.

Unfortunately, in 1908 the club split in two with Kingston Town playing at Norbiton Sports Ground and Old Kingstonians on what became known as the "back pitch" at Richmond Road.

The new Kingstonian set-up started life in the Athenian League, a competition that it won in both seasons 1923/24 and 1925/26, playing its home matches at a brand new ground in Richmond Road that remained its home until 1988. In 1929 the Kingstonians, widely known as the K's, accepted an invitation to join the Isthmian League as a replacement for the Civil Service FC, and remained in that league until 1998.

The K's have a credible history and their blue ribbon period of the early 1930’s produced players such as Frank Macey, Doug Whitehead, George Lee and the Whittaker brothers achieving in April 1933 its then greatest accolade by winning the FA Amateur Cup which well and truly put Kingstonian on the football map. Wins over Portland United (after a replay), Leyton, South Bank, Dulwich Hamlet, and Whitehall Printeries took the K's through to the final, staged at Dulwich, against Stockton, which resulted in a 1-1 draw. For the replay Kingstonian had to travel to Darlington, but despite going one goal behind after only four minutes, the K's came back to win 4-1 thanks to goals from Gibson, Urpeth (penalty) and Whitehead (2).

In season 1933/34, K's bowed out of the Amateur Cup in a 2nd round replay to Wimbledon at Plough Lane but went on to win the Isthmian League, a feat they repeated in season 1936/37 and, of course in 1997/98.

In season 1959/60 it seemed as though the Amateur Cup was going to return to Kingston as the legendary Johnny Whing headed K's into the lead against Hendon in the final at Wembley Stadium. Two goals in the last three minutes, though, had the FA officials busily changing the red and white ribbons for green and white ones as Hendon won the cup for the first time. To qualify for the final, Kingstonian disposed of Histon, Letchworth Town, Ferryhill Athletic, Carshalton Athletic, and Crook Town in a semi-final tie played at St James' Park, the home of Newcastle United.

The Kingstonian teams of the early 1960s were arguably as good as those of the 1930s and many trophies were won. After winning the Surrey Senior Cup for the 9th time (as Kingstonian) in 1967, the club's successes dried up and despite the endeavours of many managers and countless players, the team went into decline. In 1979 relegation to Division One was suffered, but in 1985 the club bounced back as runners up to Farnborough Town.

K's were a mite fortunate as Leatherhead, who finished above them on goal difference, had three points deducted for fielding an ineligible player. Kingstonian remained as a member of the Premier Division until the end of the 1997/98 season when promoted to the Nationwide Conference.

The famous Richmond Road ground, which was loved by so many, became increasingly dilapidated and subject to vandalism, so a decision was made to relocate and develop the site for housing - a move that also assisted the club's finances. The last game played there was in January 1988 against Bromley. After one and a half season's ground-sharing at Hampton's Beveree ground. K's opened their brand new Kingsmeadow Stadium (on the site of the old Norbiton Sports Ground) in August 1989, when Slough Town were the visitors. After achieving a draw with Peterborough United in 1992, the club recorded a fine FA Cup win at Kingsmeadow by beating Brighton in 1994; they also competed well the following year against Plymouth. In front of 3,495 supporters the K's held Leyton Orient to a 0-0 draw only to lose 2-1 in the FA Cup 2nd Round Replay in 1998. Drawn away to Luton Town in the First Round of the FA Cup in October 1999 saw the K's come in at halftime 1-1 only to go down 4-2 at the end At the beginning of the 1997-98 season, the club appointed Geoff Chapple as manager. He brought about an exciting change of fortune for the club. In his first season, he took the club to the Isthmian League Premier Division Championship. In the following season, their first in the Football Conference, the club finished a creditable 8th, but they capped it all off by winning the FA Trophy at Wembley in May 1999 with a 1-0 victory over Forest Green Rovers. The following season 1999/2000, in the last FA Trophy Final between the famous Twin Towers, the K's retained their title with an exciting 3-2 win over Kettering Town, giving Chapple his 5th FA Trophy Final win in seven seasons (the other three with Woking). The club also reached its highest position of 5th in the Conference.

However, season 2000/2001 proved to be extremely mixed. The K's made the headlines again with a tremendous run in the FA Cup. A home win against Devizes Town was the start of an incredible run that saw the K's defeat Brentford, Southport and Southend United all away from home. In the Fourth Round, K's were thwarted in the last kick of the game at Ashton Gate as Bristol City scored a very last gasp equaliser before winning the replay at Kingsmeadow in a live televised match. Unfortunately, the club's league form proved to be exactly the opposite, as the K's finished next to bottom and were relegated back to the Ryman Football League.

Season 2001/2002 and it was time for a change, as the club and Geoff Chapple parted by mutual consent.

Kingstonian appointed former Dover Athletic man Bill Williams as their new manager, alongside former Tottenham Hotspur player Steve Sedgley as his assistant. In late 2001 Williams departed the club and Sedgley moved up to manager and his assistant was Kim Harris who was promoted from the position of reserve team manager.

December 2002 saw the sudden resignation of the highly promising Sedgley as manager. The club immediately promoted Harris, a former K’s striker, to manager and appointed former Woking man Scott Steele as player/coach.

The club had ups and downs over this period but only failed to make the new Conference South following a single goal defeat to Lewes in a Ryman League playoff.

Following a poor start to season 2004/05 Harris decided to call it a day after just four games. Scott Steele was promoted to manager but, despite encouraging good football from his side, was unable to prevent what became an inevitable relegation to Division One. However, good news arrived off the field when local businessman Jimmy Cochrane bought the football club, giving the club a positive outlook for the first time in several years. Steele's resignation followed towards the end of the season when former assistant manager Ian McDonald was brought in along with Stuart McIntyre as his coach with a view to resurrecting the club's fortunes.

The 2005/06 season saw K's move up the table only to miss out on playoffs on the final day of the season, though silverware was achieved following a 1-0 win over AFC Wimbledon in the Surrey Senior Cup Final. McDonald was almost immediately succeeded by McIntyre as manager, whilst the club was jointly bought by Mark Anderson and Malcolm Winwright – the board would be completed by the presence of John Fenwick as chairman from May 2011 to June 2014 and then co-chairman with Anderson and Winwright until January 2018, when he became sole chairman again.

Stuart McIntyre’s time as manager was unfortunately short-lived and unsuccessful, and midway through the 2006/07 season, he was replaced as manager by former Walton and Hersham manager Alan Dowson. Dowson and his team immediately transformed the club and achieved a semblance of stability. There was plenty of expectation for the 2007/08 season, though inconsistency led to the K’s missing the playoffs once again on the final day of the season.

The 2008/09 season was successful from start to finish. A run to the Third Qualifying Round of the FA Cup was highlighted by a 4-0 home win over Conference South team Braintree Town, all four goals scored by midfielder Dean Lodge. This performance led to the K’s player winning the Performance of the Round award from the FA. But it was in the Ryman League Division One South that the biggest success came, as a very strong start and a storming finish led to Kingstonian winning the division by seven points ahead of Cray Wanderers.

After an absence of four years, the club almost passed straight up through the Ryman Premier Division, recovering from a difficult start to reach the end of the season playoffs. It was Boreham Wood, however, who won the controversial final match. Heartache followed in the following 2010/11 season when a final day collapse at Margate cost another attempt at the playoffs. The following two seasons saw mid-table finishes in the league accompanied by successive London Senior Cup final appearances, before a return to the playoffs in the 2013/14 season, after the club finished runners-up in the league. A semi-final defeat against AFC Hornchurch however denied the chance of promotion, in what turned out to be Alan Dowson’s last game in charge.

With former K’s midfielder Tommy Williams installed as manager, the club again reached the FA Cup Third Qualifying Round, losing 3-2 to a last-minute goal against Eastbourne Borough. The league campaign was a roller-coaster, a late challenge for the play-offs falling short in the last couple of weeks of the season. In his second season, the 2015-16 campaign saw the K’s lift their first cup in ten years, winning the Isthmian League Cup with a 5-0 victory over Faversham Town.

The 2016-17 season proved to be a difficult campaign, as the club flirted dangerously with relegation thanks to a dreadful run following Christmas; with six games left and hopes almost lost, Tommy Williams was replaced as manager by former Billericay Town man Craig Edwards. He turned the club around immediately and K’s moved up to 16th after a five-match unbeaten run to end the season. K’s left the Kingsmeadow Stadium at the end of the season and moved to Fetcham Grove with Leatherhead FC; Edwards resigned in October 2017 and was replaced by former Whyteleafe manager Leigh Dynan.

At the beginning of the 2018-19 season, Kingstonian moved back to the Royal Borough of Kingston-upon-Thames and started a ground share with Corinthian-Casuals at King George's Field. A difficult season saw K's have three managers, as Leigh Dynan was replaced by Dean Brennan and then very quickly by stand-in manager Kim Harris K's moved from second place in the table on New Year's Day to escaping relegation by a single place after a horror run of results.

The 2019-20 season may have been curtailed by the COVID-19 pandemic, but new manager Hayden Bird's arrival gave the club an enormous boost, and the K's supporters were rewarded amply with fine runs in both the FA Cup and the FA Trophy - the club reached the First Round of the FA Cup for the first time since 2000-01, and defeated Macclesfield Town 4-0 at Moss Rose in Round One before bowing out in Round Two at home to AFC Fylde on a day that saw the club host that afternoon's edition of BBC Football Focus. Their FA Trophy run also ended in Round Two but was most notable for a fine 3-1 victory over Alan Dowson's Woking team at King George's Field. The 2020-21 season was curtailed even more than the previous season, ending in November with K’s sitting in fourth position in the Premier Division.

WHO ARE YA? Kingstonian FC Player Pen Pics Daniel Ajakaiye (Forward) Daniel re-joined Kingstonian in the summer of 2021 from Havant and Waterlooville, returning to the K’s having originally signed from Whyteleafe in November 2017. In that first spell, he scored three goals in nineteen appearances but at the end of the 2017-18 season, he moved to Hastings United, where he became an immediate success, putting in consistent performances that eventually saw him spotted by Havant and Waterlooville during the 2020-21 campaign.

Bryant Akono Bilongo (Defender) A young full-back with a lot of potential, Bryant signed for Kingstonian from Hanworth Villa in the summer of 2021, having spent the majority of his career progressing through the ranks at AFC Wimbledon.

Jason Banton (Forward) Signed for Kingstonian from Cray Wanderers in the summer of 2021, Jason is a former England U17s international, having made four appearances in 2008. Jason began his career after joining Arsenal at the age of seven, and in 2008-09 was the top scorer for Blackburn Rovers’ academy. He had a successful trial in 2011 with Liverpool and then had spells with the likes of Leicester City, Burton Albion, Crystal Palace, Plymouth Argyle, Wycombe Wanderers before joining Woking in 2017. In 2019 he moved to Braintree Town before joining Romford and then Cray Wanderers at the start of last season.

Kenny Beaney (Midfield) Very experienced midfielder who joined the K’s from Merstham in the summer of 2019 and is also part of the coaching team as a player coach. Previous clubs include Dulwich Hamlet, where he was captain of their promotionwinning team in 2018, Wealdstone, Beckenham Town, Grays Athletic and Thurrock.

Elliott Buchanan (Forward) An experienced and prolific striker, Elliott rejoined the K’s in the summer of 2020, eighteen months after leaving the hoops for an ultimately successful spell with Dorking Wanderers, whom he helped to win the Isthmian League in 2019 and the National League South play-off final in 2020. He began his career with Stevenage Borough, and had spells with Hayes and Yeading United, Newport County, St Albans City, Chelmsford City, Bromley and Staines Town, for whom he won the Isthmian Premier Golden Boot in 2018.

Nyren Clunis (Midfield / Forward) Nyren joined Kingstonian in the summer of 2021 from Carshalton Athletic, but he is most known for his long association with Dulwich Hamlet, where he was dubbed “The Prince of Peckham” by the Champion Hill faithful. He made his Dulwich first-team debut aged 17 and went on to make 486 appearances for the club, scoring 117 goals.

He is currently third in Hamlet’s post-war appearances list and helped his team to two promotions. He was released

by Dulwich at the end of the 2019-20 season, moving to Carshalton Athletic.

Ollie Cook (Defender) Former Fulham and Southampton junior, Ollie joined Kingstonian from Merstham in 2019. Ollie was a regular in the Saints’ Under 23s team and played for them in the Football League Trophy on four occasions – after a loan spell in the National League with Barrow, he moved to the Moatside in 2018 after being released by Southampton.

Simon Cooper (Defender) Kingstonian’s club captain, Simon joined Kingstonian from Merstham in the summer of 2019. Formerly with Carshalton Athletic, Guildford City, Chipstead and AFC Croydon Athletic, he joined Merstham for the second time in November 2016, and has plenty of Isthmian Premier and Southern League experience.

Teo Kurtaran (Defender / Midfield) Teo was captain of Hanworth Villa’s under 18s team that reached the FA Youth Cup 2nd Round in 2019, where they were beaten by AFC Wimbledon. In Round One, he scored twice in their 3-2 win at Gillingham. The Dons subsequently signed him, and he was part of their team that reached the EFL Youth Alliance Cup Final, though the final was never played due to the coronavirus. After impressing in pre-season, Teo joined Kingstonian in 2020.

Aaron Lamont (Midfield) Aaron Lamont returned to Kingstonian in the summer of 2021 to start his fourth spell at the club. He originally made his debut in August 2016 after signing from Hampton and Richmond Borough. He started in the youth ranks at Queen’s Park Rangers and joined the Beavers in the summer of 2016 before his first move to the hoops. After a successful first stint, he had a fine 2017-18 season with Truro City before returning to the K’s in 2018-19. At the end of that season, he moved on again, this time to Braintree Town but was soon a Ramsgate player. He came back once again to the K’s in January 2020 and in 2020-21 he was with the Walton Casuals.

Rhys Murrell-Williamson (Midfield / Forward) Rhys signed for Kingstonian in the summer of 2021 from Cray Wanderers. This is his second spell with the K’s, having made six appearances for the club in the 2018-19 season on loan from Woking, scoring four goals. He began his career in the youth ranks with Fulham, Crystal Palace and then Celtic before moving into non-league football. He was in the National League South team of the year in 2017-18 whilst a St Albans City player and has also played for Billericay Town, Dulwich Hamlet and Braintree Town before joining the Wands in January 2020.

Harry Osborne (Defender) Started his career in the youth ranks with Charlton Athletic and had two loan spells with Sutton United in the 2013-14 and 2014-15 seasons. He then joined Welling United a year later and then moved to Hemel Hempstead Town and Bishop’s Stortford before joining Hayden at Merstham last season. At the beginning of this season, he swapped the Moatside for Cressing Road but teamed up again with Hayden Bird at Kingstonian in October 2019.

Jerry Puemo (Defender) Jerry moved to Kingstonian in the summer of 2019 from Farnborough. He began his career in the youth ranks of West Bromwich Albion and Scunthorpe United, he then completed a two-year scholarship with Aldershot Town before playing for Morecambe U23s for two seasons. At the beginning of last season, he moved from Morecambe to Farnborough and was a regular in their defence.

Fabio Saraiva (Midfield) Fabio joined the K’s from Merstham in the summer of 2019, completing a third spell with the Moatsiders. He began his career with Merstham and then joined Maidstone United in 2013. He was loaned back in January 2014, a return that was eventually made permanent. In 2016, Fabio moved to Woking and made 75 appearances with the Cards before being loaned back to Merstham early in the 2018-19 season, another loan that was made permanent.

Kershaney Samuels (Midfield) Kershaney signed for Kingstonian from Carshalton Athletic in the summer of 2021, having previously played for Dulwich Hamlet and Merstham. He was an integral part of Merstham’s squad that reached the Isthmian League Play-Off final in 2019, at the same time winning the club’s Footballer of the Year award.

Declan Skura (Defender) Another talented young player from Hanworth Villa, Declan is a central defender that has experience of academy football, both at Chelsea and at Reading. He is seen as a young player with enormous potential.

Gus Sow (Midfield) Liberian-born Gus joined Kingstonian from Merstham in the summer of 2019. He began his career in the ranks at Crystal Palace and had loan spells with Finnish team FC Honka Espoo and Hampshire team Farnborough before joining St Albans City in 2015 upon his release by the Eagles. In January 2016, he moved to Dulwich Hamlet and from there he was a Lewes player, helping them win promotion to the Isthmian Premier in 2018. In the summer of 2018, he swapped the Dripping Pan for the Moatside.

Juevan Spencer (Defender) A long-time Corinthian-Casual, having made well over 200 appearances, he crossed to the dark side of King George’s Field in the summer of 2020 after an abortive spell at Chipstead cut short by the coronavirus. Previously at AFC Wimbledon, Salisbury City and Whyteleafe, Juevan is an attacking full-back.

Rob Tolfrey (Goalkeeper) Undeniably a Kingstonian legend, Rob holds the record for the most appearances made in goal for the K’s. Rob started his career with Crawley Town before spending one season with Whyteleafe and then securing a move to Horsham. In 2009, Rob moved to Kingstonian and has been the K’s number one ever since. Supporters’ Player of the Year on several occasions, including last season, Rob was the recipient of a testimonial match against AFC Wimbledon in 2015. Reached 500 appearances for the K’s in the 2019-20 season and broke the great Micky Preston’s all-time appearances record of 557 in September 2021.

Mason Whitnell (Goalkeeper) Talented young goalkeeper who first signed for the K’s early in 2020, and is a graduate of the Crystal Palace Foundation Academy in Beckenham.

Hayden Bird (Manager) Hayden was appointed to the role of first-team manager in May 2019 after he decided to end a massively successful time as manager of Merstham. Hayden, who has also had success as manager of Croydon Athletic, Carshalton Athletic and Bromley, joined the Moatsiders in January 2012 and subsequently took the team to unprecedented success, including the FA Cup First Round in 2016 (when they played Oxford United in front of the live BT Sport cameras), four consecutive Surrey Senior Cup Finals between 2015 and 2018 (winning in 2016 and 2018), promotion from Division One South in 2015 via the play-offs and in 2018-19, he took his team to the Premier Division Play-Off Final. In his first season as K’s manager, he led the club to their best FA Cup run in two decades as the K’s reached the Second Round.

PLAYER SPONSORSHIP

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PLAYER SPONSORSHIP

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SQUADS Saturday 13th November 2021 Kick Off: 3PM

MATCH SPONSOR

TODAYS OFFICIALS REFEREE: Craig Barnett ASSISTANTS: Matthew Whitworth / Gavin Jolley

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21

Joe Welch Ed Asafu-Adjaye Daniel Brathwaite Scott Bridges Adam Murray Ronnie Henry Finley Titchmarsh Harry Draper Brandon Adams Matt Bateman Isaac Galliford Tom Newman Ollie Williams James Brighton Fred Brown Isa Rotimi

Rob Tolfrey (GK) Juevan Spencer Bryant Akono Bilongo Simon Cooper Kershaney Samuels Nyren Clunis Gus Sow Elliott Buchanan Daniel Ajakaiye Aaron Lamont Jason Banton Adam Neale Mason Whitnell (GK) Rhys Murrell-Williamson Kenny Beaney Ollie Cook Jonathan Gjoshe Tom Howard Teo Kurtaran Harry Osborne Sam Riley Fabio Saraiva Declan Skura

Dan Green Spyros Mentis Dan Newton

Steve Castle / Chris Watters Scott Taylor / Amber Murray

MANAGERS SPORTS THERAPISTS

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23

Hayden Bird / Jamie Howell Kevin D'Arcy / Jerome Jaksch