Chertsey Town F.C.

Chertsey Town Football Club is a football club based in Chertsey, Surrey, England. The club was established in 1890 and, from the Surrey Senior League, joined the Metropolitan League in the 1964–65 season. They are the current holders of the FA Vase, having won the 2018–19 competition. In the 2005–06 season, they played in Division Two of the Isthmian League, but as a result of the restructuring of non-league football, they were sent across to play in the Combined Counties League Premier Division. In the 2010–11 season, Chertsey Town finished 2nd in the league and were promoted to the Southern League Division One Central ahead of local rivals Guildford City, following a dispute over the suitability of Guildford's ground for higher-level play.
History.
Beginnings.
Organised football was evident in Chertsey well over a century ago but county affiliation did not take place immediately. The official founding of the club took place in 1890 when matches were played in the West Surrey League. The first success came in 1897 when the Surrey Junior Cup was secured. A one-year gap took place before football resumed in the same competition which eventually became the East and West Surrey League. A further halt in football took place during the Great War but soon after, in 1919, the club joined the Surrey Intermediate League where it stayed, uneventfully, until 1939 and a further break. An invitation to become founder members of the Surrey Senior League was not taken up in 1923 but membership was later assumed, on attaining senior status in 1946.
1950s–1980s.
Although Chertsey gained membership of the Surrey Senior League immediately after the Second World War, it was not until the 1959–60 season that success came with the league championship. This was repeated twice in the next three years, a halcyon period when the League Cup was also won on three occasions. Due to the static nature of amateur football in those days, the club could not progress to the preferred Corinthian League so, in 1963, it was controversially decided to turn professional and enter the Metropolitan League. Although an entertaining three years were then enjoyed, the cost was too much to bear and a return to the lower levels of the Greater London League for one season occurred before a further shift to the Spartan League was made in 1966
Indifferent results then dogged the club for almost two decades. This situation was briefly relieved in 1974–75 when the club were league and league cup runners up to an up-and-coming Farnborough Town. Meanwhile, the fabric of the club was being built up behind the scenes and despite lack of prominence on the park, movement was made via the London Spartan (1975–76) and Athenian leagues through to the Isthmian with a place in Division Two South in 1984. Instant relegation to the Combined Counties League was suffered but a rejuvenated side won promotion back to Isthmian ranks within the year whilst winning the League Cup on the way.
1980s on.
The club was initially rewarded with good league positions but not high enough for further promotion. The worst season after returning to the Isthmians came when the two Division Twos were split in 1991 and a place in the new Division Three had to suffice. This position was quickly rectified with a runner’s up slot in 1992. The club also reached the quarter finals of the FA Vase, emulating a similar performance in 1987–88. One year later, 102 points and a runner’s up promotion place to Division One was nailed. The League Cup was also secured together with the Carlsberg Trophy in the same campaign along with the League Charity Shield.
Only one campaign was required in Division One before further promotion, to the Premier Division was secured behind Boreham Wood and Worthing. The first season in the Premier Division was one of consolidation with nine points to spare but the second was far more difficult. Although a late rally was experienced, it proved insufficient to avoid the drop to Division One. Two subsequent Division One campaigns saw the side comfortably occupy positions just over the half way mark each time but the third proved too difficult after a very poor first half of the season. Improvement was made but not enough to stave off relegation to competition in Division Two.
Relatively respectable positions were attained for the next two seasons and then a return to Division One, taking a place in the revised south section in the Isthmian re-organisation. The side was not able to compete at this level and suffered relegation to Division Two in 2003. After a slow start, a serious challenge was made the following season but the club had to settle for a position just outside a promotion place. A similar situation was created over the next two seasons with the side finishing in sixth place on both occasions. However, with the dissolution of the division, the club was allocated to the Combined Counties League in 2006.
In the 2010–11 season, Chertsey Town finished second in the Combined Counties League Premier Division with 90 points, 3 points behind the league winners, Guildford City. However, owing to problems with Guildford City's ground, Chertsey Town were promoted into the Southern League Division One Central in their place. After a positive start to the Southern League campaign, manager Spencer Day and the team then struggled. Relegation was suffered the following season back to the Combined Counties League where the team now plays. Chertsey Town won the Combined Counties League Premier Division in the 2018–19 season with 6 games to go, after securing their first appearance in the FA Vase final played at Wembley Stadium. On 19 May 2019, Chertsey defeated Cray Valley Paper Mills 3–1 (after extra time) to lift the FA Vase for the first time in their history.
Ground.
Chertsey Town play their home games at Alwyns Lane, Chertsey, Surrey, KT16 9DW.
The club has played at various locations within the parish (Willow Walk, Free Prae Road, Staines Lane and Chilsey Green) before settling down at the present home in 1929. The suffix ‘Town’ was added to its title some 21 years later. The ground was donated by Sir Edward Stern as a football ground to the ‘premier club in the parish’. Next door, a similar trust provides facilities for Chertsey Cricket Club. The main stand was constructed in the mid-1950s. Covered enclosures exist on the other three sides of the playing area. The original clubhouse added in 1960 and was rebuilt in 1976 with later additions.
Nickname.
Chertsey Town’s nickname, the ‘Curfews’ is derived from a locally famous bell that hangs in the nearby St. Peters Church. The bell has rung out the evening curfew, now only ceremonially, for over five hundred years.
Chertsey Town U18.
The Curfews reformed the U18's in the 2014/15 season, playing in the Ryman Youth League. Josh Henry is the manager and was previously the manager of Egham Town F.C. U18 for 3 years who won the League and League Cup in the Southern Youth League.