Staines Town

Staines Town FC

Ground: Homeless

Capacity: N/A

Club Founded: 1892

League: Currently Not Playing

Staines Town FC have a long and proud history, but a dispute with their landlords of their well-appointed Wheatsheaf Park home means that their first team ceased playing at the end of the 2021-22 season.

Staines Town Club History

The Early Years

The club, located seventeen miles southwest of central London near Heathrow Airport, was formed in 1892, playing under various guises including Staines FC, Staines Albany FC, Staines Lagonda FC, and Staines Town before folding in 1935. The reformed club was called 
Staines Vale FC before World War II. 

After the war, they reverted to their current title. The 'Swans' became founder members of the Hellenic League in 1953, two years after moving into their Wheatsheaf Park home. Staines were crowned Spartan League champions before joining the Athenian League in 1971.

The Isthmian League Era

After a couple of seasons, the club joined the newly formed second tier of the Isthmian League. Staines were promoted to the Premier Division at the end of the 1974-75 season, where they remained for a decade. They were demoted as Wheatsheaf Park didn't satisfy the ground grading regulations. 

However, the team won promotion to the Premier Division. After four seasons, they were relegated. Town enjoyed another year in the top flight in the 1996-97 season. Local electrical business owner and supporter Alan Boon was elected chairman. 

The Main Stand at Wheatsheaf Park before redevelopment

The Wheatsheaf Park Saga Begins

After several years of lobbying Spelthorne Council, planning permission was granted for plans that would upgrade Wheatsheaf Park, offering local residents leisure facilities through the opening of the Thames Club. Work began in April 2000 as the Swans moved out to share with Walton & Hersham and then Egham Town before returning home in February 2003.

This was a turning point for the club as it built its youth and academy systems, as well as the first team. Town were placed in the Isthmian League Premier Division for the 2004-05 season with Steve Cordery in charge.

Staines had previously reached the first round of the FA Cup on three occasions, but in the 2007-08 season, they went one better after beating Stockport County in a home replay in front of the live Sky TV cameras. Peterborough United ended the run at Wheatsheaf Park in the next round, with Sir Alex Ferguson present as a guest of honour to see his son's team triumph.

In 2008-09 Staines won promotion to the Conference South after defeating Carshalton Athletic 1-0 in the playoff final. Another FA Cup second-round appearance followed, where Millwall were held at home before going down in the replay. This was after a 1-0 win against Shrewsbury Town at The New Meadow. 

The National League South Years

Cordery continued to work his magic as Staines established itself among more established rivals. However, tragedy struck the club in August 2011. Alan Boon, who had recovered after a previous heart attack, died, with his son Matthew taking over the reins. The strain was too much for Cordery, who resigned in April 2012 after feeling that he had taken the club as far as he could.

Former Wimbledon hero Marcus Gayle took over as team manager. Meanwhile, the club signed a deal to host Chelsea Ladies home games in the FA Women's Super League. Gayle was replaced by veteran Football League striker Nicky Forster in 2013-14, who could not save the side from relegation.

New Owners - Big Problems

In February 2016, former Maidenhead United and Yeading boss, Johnson 'Draxs' Hippolyte, was appointed manager, lasting until the end of the 2017-18 campaign as new owners were sought for the club. Problems mounted off the pitch as Wheatsheaf Park's owners, Downing LLP, made things difficult.

Joe Dixon and Paul Jaszynski, Staines Town's new owners, antagonised Downing LLP, while announcing plans to take the Swans to the Football League within ten years. In 2018-19, Staines were moved to the Premier Division South of the Southern League, from where they were relegated to Division One South Central of the Isthmian League twelve months later.

The End?

Anthony Gale was appointed manager but lasted just a few months before being replaced by Martin Kuhl. Managers came and went, while the club was evicted from Wheatsheaf Park. Wealdstone and Bedfont staged home games. The team finished in the relegation places in 2021-22.

The club would have been relegated to the Combined Counties League but was dissolved after the season ended. In October 2023, Brentford B took over the occupancy of Wheatsheaf Park. Meanwhile, Spelthorne Borough Council’s Planning Committee declined to accept that the club itself had ceased to exist.

My visits

Tuesday 6th September 2006

It was a late summer's day, and with the day off work, I decided that it was time to explore some clubs in south-west London and Surrey. I had already visited several venues and walked more than I planned. My legs were starting to ache as the bus from near Egham Town's Runnymede Stadium dropped me off in Staines town centre, but I was determined to visit Wheatsheaf Park.

The walk down Laleham Road was long, but I was determined not to be beaten as I turned into Wheatsheaf Lane and then into the car park of the Thames Club. I was slightly dismayed to find the ground locked. I could see parts of it through gaps, but not enough to get a true impression. 

I even found an alley leading to the allotments behind the near goal and precariously balanced myself to get a snap of the excellent Main Stand. It was surely a matter of time before someone reported me! Disappointed, I headed back to the bus station to catch the service to Bedfont for one last call before heading home for food and a long lie down.

Staines Town 1 Sutton United 0 - after extra time 

Isthmian League Youth Cup Final - Thursday 9th May 2013

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The computer is a vital tool for any groundhopper, and so it proved while I was looking for a suitable fixture to start my long weekend away from work. I didn't have to be up too early the next morning before the Surrey v Durham game at The Oval, so I didn't mind a slightly longer journey, but how little did I know just how long it would end up being!

The afternoon had started well. I met my good mate Ross and went for an early evening meal in Camden at our favourite Italian cafe, before strolling through a very windy Regent's Park. I said my goodbyes and headed to Waterloo to catch a train to Staines. All was going to plan.

It all started going wrong when my train halted just past Twickenham. We stood for quite some time. I was listening to music, so I didn't catch the announcement, but the groans and facial expressions made it obvious it wasn't good news. 

We eventually reached Staines around twenty-five minutes late, but I wasn't too concerned. I was off work and pursuing one of my favourite hobbies. I reached Wheatsheaf Park just after the 7.30pm kick-off, paid my admission fee, and bought a programme for £1. The rain was starting to fall.

The first thing that grabbed my attention was the quality of the playing surface. It really was immaculate. The whole setting wasn't bad either. The Main Stand dominated the near side with its raised seating deck and the Thames Club backing onto it, with room for seating extensions if ever needed. 

The venue was well looked after. The far side had a long covered terrace with crush barriers and a temporary TV gantry in the centre. Everything was set for what turned into a very decent cup final.

It was of a good standard. The youths had been coached well. Sadly, this meant it was a tight game with chances at a premium. The Staines bench were adamant their team was robbed when the Sutton keeper, Henry Warne, brought down their forward and was only shown a yellow card. 

I must admit I was surprised by the referee Mark Engelbretson's decision. I hadn't seen anything yet! He also showed a yellow card to the Sutton centre forward for dissent. Mr Engelbretson quickly got my back up with his authoritarianism.

The rain was belting down, and the cold wind blew down the pitch. A Sutton player was booked for sliding for a ball he had every right to go for, but he ended up colliding with the Staines captain and goalkeeper Charlie Hyam. It was unavoidable considering the conditions, which a decent referee would have recognised. 

Dan Wanyonyi fired a shot wide for the visitors as the half drew to a close. Oluwole Akinsanya picked up a card for dissent, as the players also realised the man in black was ruining the game. At the interval, I looked inside the sterile clubhouse. Instead, I joined the scramble downstairs around the tea bar and bout a warming Bovril for a quid. 

The wind was really getting up, and there was no sign of the rain abating. No real chances were being created. The continued whistling didn't help the game flow either. I was glad it was only forty minutes each way. It said it all when I thought Sutton centre-back Harry Mills stood out as both defences were on top. 

His side gradually looked more likely to break the deadlock, with Wanyoni leading the line well. Michael Rouse produced a moment of real quality, chesting the ball down and volleying, only for the effort to fly inches wide. Staines came back with Warne making a couple of good saves from Danny Bassett and then Joe Hughes. 

I was convinced I wouldn't see a goal and even considered finding out the full-time score the next morning rather than hanging around. My stubborn side took over, and I decided I'd be there until the bitter end. With seconds remaining, Hyam did brilliantly to keep out Rouse's drive to keep the home side in the contest. The referee must have had writer's cramp, with the number of bookings he handed out.

Before extra time, I grabbed another hot drink. After just three minutes, the deadlock was broken. Shervin Mohajeri was harshly adjudged to have fouled, apparently inside the area. Hughes stepped up and smashed the penalty home while Mr Engelbretson dealt out more cards than a croupier.

No wonder some of the lads showed dissent. There hadn't been a bad tackle all night, yet the ref's decisions were bewildering at times. I would have been sent off, and I wasn't booked in all my twenty-five-year-old playing career. 

Yes, I detest dissent in the game, but there's no need to imitate an off-duty traffic warden. Would Mr Engelbretson be so brave if he were refereeing a big game with fearsome adults, rather than youth team players? He gave a yellow card to the United skipper for thumping the turf. Unfortunately, Brandon Johnson had already been cautioned, so he had to go. 

Then a home player was shown yellow, probably for coughing out of turn. Yet the official wasn't quite done there. At half-time in extra time, the Sutton coach was sent to the stands for coaching his players! I was near some Sutton players' parents when an official came by. They deserve great credit for regaining their composure. 

Both sets of players gave it everything they'd got in trying conditions. It was a shame there wasn't more goalmouth action or goals. Neither side really deserved to lose. The full-time celebrations showed just how much it meant to the victors. I went upstairs into the seats for the presentation ceremony. 

It was quiet when the ref went forward, with plenty of peers and parents shaking their heads. I headed off and made my way to where I thought the station was. Because I was early, I thought I'd walk round to the far entrance, only to get lost and end up on a housing estate near the tracks, but nowhere near the station. 

After twenty minutes walking and retracing my steps using my iPhone's Google Maps app, I eventually found the station, with an alarming number of customers looking pretty fed up. A tree falling on the track near Ascot in the high winds had caused the earlier delays. 

It hadn't been cleared, so trains were up to three hours late. Fortunately, some services avoided that route, and I got aboard the 11.03 slow service back to London. On board, the conductor advised customers wanting to get to the capital to change for a faster train just behind. 

He had a Yorkshire accent and seemed a decent bloke after he made a lad, who I think might have been at the match, get off his train after jumping over the barriers. He spotted my Scarborough Athletic waterproof. He was Tom Claisse's uncle. Tom played for Boro earlier that season and was a mate of my good pal Guy in Leeds. 

I'd had beers with Tom, and he'd given both Guy and me a lift after the Nostell game. Talk about a small world! In summary, an unexciting game at a good venue, refereed by a control freak, and my trip had been full of adventure. I was definitely ready for beers the following day.

Staines Town 3 Hendon 2

Isthmian Premier League - Saturday 31st December 2016

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My work duties had me rostered on night shift, so after a snooze, I caught the tube, then Overground across to Richmond to connect with the South West Trains service to Staines on a mild lunchtime. I chatted with a couple of friendly older Hendon fans before heading off in front for a brisk walk down to Wheatsheaf Lane. 

My arrival coincided with Tom, the manager of the Silver Jubilee Park facility where Hendon played. I bought a programme for £2.50, while a good cheeseburger with bacon and onions was a fine late breakfast.  Plenty of Hendon fans had made the journey, with several in the excellent upstairs bar, where I had a bottle of London Pride while watching the live ‘Old Firm’ game on TV.

Tom told me that Hendon had signed another goalkeeper, but this one seemed to fit the bill. Indeed, after an initially shaky start, Tom Lovelock gave his defenders some desperately needed confidence. The visiting support soon cheered after Reis Stanislaus was unfairly punished for out-muscling the last Staines defender. 

Casey Maclaren hammered home his shot, capitalising on a long throw that dropped in the box after just six minutes. Hendon continued to press, with Luke Tingay's long throws causing some panic in the home defence, but Staines soon got back into the game. A lack of pressing from the forwards and wide midfielders led to increased pressure.

Each time the Dons cleared the ball, they lost possession, as the Swans kept it and repeated the process. Manager Gary McCann had beefed up the defence, meaning the midfield was weakened by missing vital personnel. Despite this, Staines couldn’t find a way through resolute defending. The visitors went in 1-0 up at the break.

An injury meant Hendon had to change their side. Staines' pressure inevitably and deservedly paid dividends as they equalised on the hour mark, with a header from Afolabi Coker, and within a couple of minutes Adrian Clifton gave the Swans the lead with a goal similar to the Dons opener.

A smart, hard low free-kick across the six-yard box from Sam Barratt was turned in by Clifton, completing a very profitable ten-minute spell as Hendon’s defence creaked without too much assistance from some of the midfielders.

Hendon had a slightly better spell, but they continued to suffer because of poor ball retention. However, a couple of substitutions at least ensured Staines's defence had to work for their three points. Sixteen-year-old midfielder Malachy McGovern looked impressive after coming off the bench.

Tom offered me a back to Kingsbury, which was most welcome, even if we did miss a stoppage-time consolation effort from Maclaren. I was back home in Kingsbury by 4.45 for chicken dinner, Sky Soccer Saturday, and a four-hour pre-work siesta. I enjoyed a few hours out for my final game of 2016.

Staines Town 4 Hendon 0

Isthmian League Premier Division - Tuesday 20th March 2018

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It was just a few days until my annual pilgrimage to Thailand for cricket and to enjoy everything that wonderful country had to offer. I was ready for it to escape the bitterly cold weather we were enduring in the UK. I was eager to attend the match at Wheatsheaf Lane. 

This was despite a night shift at Ickenham station after the game. It was a vital game for both sides, with the hosts just behind Hendon in sixth position. It was a proverbial six-pointer, and I wanted to witness it. The evening started well. Dean put his hand up to drive to the match in his black cab and to take Gerry, Neil, and Simon along with me. 

We rendezvoused at Paddington at 6pm before heading west. The traffic was heavy from Kensington all the way to Tolworth Roundabout before Dean could hit a semi-open road. We had a good chat, and it was great to get to know my fellow passengers a little better. 

Parking was at a premium, despite a relatively low crowd for the match. We finally found a place on Garrick Close, just a few minutes away. Our kind driver refused any petrol money, so we chipped in to pay for his admission fee. The steward manning the players' entrance to the pitch gave me a free teamsheet. 

He was a jolly old boy who caused inadvertent hilarity by not seeing a player behind him trying to get through the gate. You had to be there! The volunteers on duty were all pleasant. Simon reported that the ale was decent. I tucked into pie, chips, and a can of Coke for £5.30, which was fair enough value and standard. 

We headed behind the goal in nervous anticipation. The match was relatively level early on, with both sides eager to probe. Hendon’s main tactic seemed to be to get the ball forward as quickly as possible to leading scorer Niko Muir. He was doing OK against formidable opponent Ugo Udogi. 

Staines were scoring goals for fun on their recent run of form, but also conceding them a little too often. However, their defence looked pretty good on this showing. Perhaps Muir was a little too isolated from his two wide-attacking colleagues? The Swans started to get on top, with their defence allowing their midfield to gain control and feed their fast and powerful front line. 

It was no real surprise when Staines took the lead after twelve minutes. A slick passing move saw Elliot Buchanan smash the ball home off the underside of the bar, with keeper Tom Lovelock beaten with raw pace. Unfortunately, the Dons failed to wake up from this severe warning. The ball was given away cheaply, and the Town players were ready to capitalise. 

Things got double worse for the visitors just three minutes later. Ashley Nathaniel-George was guilty of ball-watching as Arthur Lee tried to supply him. Josh Webb stepped in to win the ball to initiate another rapid move. Within a few seconds, the ball found Tyrell Miller-Rodney, who made no mistake with a low finish. 

Staines continued pouring forward. Hendon pressed and tried to find a way into the game as things settled down. However, the hosts were in no mood to offer any generous hospitality. Danger was ruthlessly snuffed out. Referee Tristan Greaves erred on the side of generosity, showing only one yellow card to Staines players, who moaned a lot.

Hendon came agonisingly close to scoring right on the interval. Nathaniel-George had a characteristic run across the box before firing a rocket shot past keeper Conor Hudnott, but against the crossbar. Michael Corcoran couldn’t get his diving header on target from the rebound.

We had a wander at halftime, and I chatted with some of the 30 away fans. We congregated at the far end hoping for a comeback. The match followed a similar pattern. Dave Diedhiou's introduction strengthened the Dons' midfield, with Luke Tingey dropping into defence to replace Harley Wise, who was under par on the night.

Hendon were being continually thwarted. A clever but simple attack saw the away defence opened like a can of beans, as Max Worsfold was sent in to score low past Lovelock. Wadah Ahmidi completed the scoring in the sixty-eighth minute to round off a miserable evening for the travelling support. 

To their credit, the Dons gave everything until full time. They were defeated by a better, stronger, faster side. Some solace came from seeing William Murphy and Malachy McGovern playing together in midfield in the closing stages. The two teenagers gained some valuable experience going forward. 

We’d moved around towards the exit for the final few minutes and were soon heading off, with Dean using all his knowledge to full effect. I was dropped off at Hillingdon station by 10.25 so I could head off for my night shift. My pals went into North West London to grab a beer before bedtime. I was extremely jealous!