Walton Casuals FC
Ground: Elmbridge Sports Hub
Capacity: 2,500
Club Founded: 1948
Club Dissolved: 2002
Walton Casuals FC was a football club formed in 1948 by a group of ex-servicemen who would progress to the third level of non-league football before being dissolved debt-free when new owners couldn't be found.
Walton Casuals History
Early Years
Initially, Causals played in the Surrey
Intermediate League, progressing to the Surrey Premier League in 1969, moving into their home at Franklyn Road.
Two years later, Casuals joined the Suburban League, playing games at Walton
& Hersham’s Stompond Lane.
Eight campaigns were spent at Liberty Lane in Addlestone before a Surrey Premier League runners-up place in 1994-95 under manager Kim Harris saw Casuals win promotion to the Combined Counties League (CCL), as the club installed floodlights at their Waterside Stadium home.
The Tony Gale Era
Managers came and went before former West Ham United star Tony Gale arrived as Director
of Football in November 2002. Spencer Collins led the Stags to the CCL title in 2004-05, leading to promotion to
the Isthmian League. After a poor start, Harris was reappointed in November 2005 and remained in place for a couple of years.
Managers came and went, including former Chelsea striker Neil Shipperley and later Danny Carroll. The local council announced plans to develop a new Sports Hub, including Waterside Stadium and the adjacent Elmbridge Xcel Leisure Centre.
Goodbye Waterside
Carroll’s side finished bottom of Division One South in
2012-13, but Casuals were handed a reprieve owing to the extension of the
Isthmian League. Mark Hams arrived to take over as team manager, taking the team to a record ninth-place finish.
The club left its Waterside home in the summer of 2015 as the site was developed, with the club promised a new home as part of a sports hub. The Stags shared the Moatside ground with Merstham, as Anthony Gale, the son of Tony, took over as team manager. Casuals moved in as tenants at Whyteleafe's Church Road ground for a season.
A New Home and Promotion
The club moved into the new Elmbridge XCel Sports Complex for the 2017-18 campaign, which ended in playoff success. Denzel Gerrar was the goalkeeping hero as Corinthian Casuals were defeated on penalties in the final, with Walton promoted to the third level Southern League Premier Division South.
Gale departed and later returned as the team consolidated at their higher level with a series of mid-table finishes. A search for new owners commenced, as the board decided they had taken the club as far as they could.
The End
At the same time, Walton & Hersham had sorted themselves out on and off the pitch and were attracting far larger crowds to Elmbridge. In June 2022, the board of Walton Casuals FC carried out a managed closure of the club, which folded debt-free.
My visits
Waterside Stadium
Tuesday 6th September 2006
My first sight of Waterside Stadium came on a fine late
summer’s afternoon. I had decided to try out my new digital camera while
visiting lots of football clubs and unfamiliar places on a day off work. At the same
time, I took the opportunity to do some serious legwork, rather than just relying on public transport.
My previous call was to the home of Molesey FC. Rather than taking the most direct route, I decided to cut through several suburban avenues down to the footpath along the south bank of the River Thames, walking past reservoirs and several lovely views.
Eventually, I passed the weir at Sunbury and arrived at the gates of Waterside Stadium. The venue was locked, but it was easy to see inside the neatly set-out but basic arena. The clubhouse and changing rooms were by the entrance to the ground, running along a third of the side.
A small practice court also stood on the same side. Each end had small covers behind the goals. The far side had another small, seated cover. The rest of the ground consisted of flat, open, hard standing and grass.
I continued walking around the perimeter, past the leisure centre and on for another mile or so to Stompond Lane for a look at Casuals' neighbours: Walton & Hersham.
My previous call was to the home of Molesey FC. Rather than taking the most direct route, I decided to cut through several suburban avenues down to the footpath along the south bank of the River Thames, walking past reservoirs and several lovely views.
Eventually, I passed the weir at Sunbury and arrived at the gates of Waterside Stadium. The venue was locked, but it was easy to see inside the neatly set-out but basic arena. The clubhouse and changing rooms were by the entrance to the ground, running along a third of the side.
A small practice court also stood on the same side. Each end had small covers behind the goals. The far side had another small, seated cover. The rest of the ground consisted of flat, open, hard standing and grass.
I continued walking around the perimeter, past the leisure centre and on for another mile or so to Stompond Lane for a look at Casuals' neighbours: Walton & Hersham.
Walton
Casuals 2 Fulham Under-21s 3
Friendly - Saturday 12th July 2014
👨👨👧👧 c250 🎟️ £9
Having slept after a night shift, I awoke on a glorious Saturday lunchtime ready for my first game of the 2014-15 season. As in the previous campaign, I was keen to tick off grounds where I’d visited without seeing a game. A trip
to Waterside Stadium would complete that task after a groundhop walk several
years earlier.
The Tune
In Radio app on my iPhone entertained me on the train to Hersham as
Jimmy Anderson and Joe Root put on a world-record tenth-wicket stand for Test
matches.
The 564 bus, which left from outside the station, turned up late and then got snarled up in traffic as it meandered through smart residential streets and then Walton town centre before eventually arriving at a packed Xcel Leisure Centre car park. A young couple heading to the game were relieved that I knew where we were.
The £9 admission for a friendly against an age-group game had me pondering whether to choose an alternative game. The £6 return bus ticket and £8 rail fare were soon totting up the expense.
I was not particularly impressed by charging £2 for an eight-page glossy programme either. However, it was a nice day, and such fixtures were a huge help to clubs such as Walton Casuals. It also saw me tick off a previously unvisited venue for a game.
A good crowd, including many young kids in Casuals kit and families assembled. A few had gone along to cheer on Fulham. Waterside Stadium was in fine fettle and looked at its best in the warm sunshine. I refreshed with tea and then a bottle of water, both of which cost a reasonable £1.
An impeccable minute's silence was held before kick-off for a former Fulham club photographer. Once the game got underway, both sides treated the good crowd to some fine football. Attacks were launched at each end, although the visitors showed far more composure, as one would expect of full-time pros.
Kit Symons oversaw the Fulham side, which included several under-18 players as the pick of the under-21s, who reached the final of the FA Youth Cup a couple of months earlier, and were with the first team on the tour of Scotland.
They went ahead through French winger Ange-Freddy Plumain after around fifteen minutes. Further goals from Josh Smile and a second from Plumain set up a 3-0 lead. The warm weather was leading to a steady procession towards the bar.
One or two clowns supporting each side included a home fan who found it funny to squeal at regular intervals and a visitor who shouted out instructions as though it was a relegation decider. The very warm conditions and alcohol no doubt aided their display.
I was not particularly impressed by charging £2 for an eight-page glossy programme either. However, it was a nice day, and such fixtures were a huge help to clubs such as Walton Casuals. It also saw me tick off a previously unvisited venue for a game.
A good crowd, including many young kids in Casuals kit and families assembled. A few had gone along to cheer on Fulham. Waterside Stadium was in fine fettle and looked at its best in the warm sunshine. I refreshed with tea and then a bottle of water, both of which cost a reasonable £1.
An impeccable minute's silence was held before kick-off for a former Fulham club photographer. Once the game got underway, both sides treated the good crowd to some fine football. Attacks were launched at each end, although the visitors showed far more composure, as one would expect of full-time pros.
Kit Symons oversaw the Fulham side, which included several under-18 players as the pick of the under-21s, who reached the final of the FA Youth Cup a couple of months earlier, and were with the first team on the tour of Scotland.
They went ahead through French winger Ange-Freddy Plumain after around fifteen minutes. Further goals from Josh Smile and a second from Plumain set up a 3-0 lead. The warm weather was leading to a steady procession towards the bar.
One or two clowns supporting each side included a home fan who found it funny to squeal at regular intervals and a visitor who shouted out instructions as though it was a relegation decider. The very warm conditions and alcohol no doubt aided their display.
Casuals
pulled a goal back just before the interval through Scott Day. The excellent
referee had earlier stopped play for a drinks break. Despite the temperatures
and the ‘friendly’ status, tackles flew in, and both sides gave it everything.
In an
excellent moment soon into the second half, the marauding Fulham right back was
chopped down with an awful challenge on the edge of the box. While the ref
wasn't looking, he appeared to take retribution and deck the Casuals offender.
While he stayed down holding his jaw, his skipper grabbed him up by his collar and told him to get on with it. I hoped to see more old school like that as the season commenced. With around ten minutes left on the clock, Casuals further reduced the arrears through substitute Jamail Okai.
I decided to catch the hourly bus back, which was scheduled to leave at 4.47. I left the ground but saw much of the last few minutes over a fence. The bus arrived on time, and I was back at home in Kingsbury for a siesta before work at 6.30.
While he stayed down holding his jaw, his skipper grabbed him up by his collar and told him to get on with it. I hoped to see more old school like that as the season commenced. With around ten minutes left on the clock, Casuals further reduced the arrears through substitute Jamail Okai.
I decided to catch the hourly bus back, which was scheduled to leave at 4.47. I left the ground but saw much of the last few minutes over a fence. The bus arrived on time, and I was back at home in Kingsbury for a siesta before work at 6.30.
It had
been a very decent start to the new season, but it could have done with being
just a few degrees cooler.
Walton
Casuals 2 Guernsey 2
Isthmian League Division One South - Tuesday 6th February 2018
👨👨👧👧 112 🎟️ £10
It was the
end of my set of night shifts, and thankfully, the horrendously wintry weather and
snow had melted. I’d had a tough week and was ready to enjoy a
match and a few beers, knowing I could sleep in the following morning.
Therefore, I
was delighted when my pal, Tony, suggested the match at the Elmbridge Xcel
Leisure Complex. I’d been to Casual’s old home but wanted to tick off their new
place. It had been on my list of maybes a few days earlier, but the game had
fallen foul of the weather.
I was in
good form after a good sleep and an online chat with a pal in Australia, as I took
the tube to North Harrow. There was time to grab my first food of the day at
the local chippy, before my mate picked me up at just gone 6pm.
The journey
was smooth once we’d avoided some rush hour traffic around Ruislip. Tony was in
his wife’s car without the usual Sat Nav, so I was left to navigate via the
Google Maps App on my iPhone. Thankfully, I called it about right.
Admission
was £10, with a very average match programme, a couple of quid more. There was
time to head upstairs to the top of the stand where I could enjoy a beer and take in the impressive
new facilities.
The bar
looked out over the football ground at one side, and the athletics track on the
other. The leisure complex also included an upgraded sports centre and several
outdoor floodlit artificial pitches. It was indeed a facility that the town
could be proud of.
We went back
outside, where Tony grabbed a seat, and I went for a look around. The raised
seating deck had good leg room and a standing area at the back. The rest
of the ground had open standing, with the far side
having additional space for an extra stand if required.
The match
kicked off over five minutes late. This was something that infuriated me with
the Isthmian League and its midweek fixtures. Far too many were not sticking to
the appointed start time. Fortunately, I wasn’t relying on public transport on
this occasion.
Guernsey must have had a
good understanding with the airline that transported them to the mainland every
other week. The team flew to Gatwick and then by hired coach to the
ground. The visitors
were struggling at the wrong end of the table and arrived with a weakened side, including several teenagers.
Casuals were in a playoff position and
looking to push for automatic promotion. The hosts
got off to a flying start, with appeals for a penalty for handball being turned
down by referee Mr. Greaves, who adjudged that Alex Le Prevost had made a
legitimate block. The players surrounded the official, screaming their
displeasure.
I commented
to the senior linesman on how modern players overreacted. He agreed! Walton looked like a top-quality outfit as they played fast-passing
football. The Green Lions were under the cosh from early on, with Josh Kelly
and wide man Youseff Bamba causing havoc as he tormented his markers.
On the way back round to the stand, I bought a decent sausage in a bun for £3. The catering outlet was like I'd seen in Germany, with the van opening out on three sides and a large griddle in the centre.
The
defenders somehow held out before Paris Pereira tried an audacious lob for
Guernsey that floated just over after noting that home goalie Denzil Gerrar was
out of position. Callum Stanton pulled off a top stop from a Daryl Coleman drive
as Casuals poured forward.
It was
somewhat of a shock when Guernsey went ahead after twenty-four minutes. A fine
move from a short corner routine saw Glyn Dyer send the ball into the box,
where Jamie Dood teed up Le Prevost to fire home.
The twenty
or so away fans were jubilant and then relieved as Stanton tipped over a
Coleman header. There was disbelief among the crowd as Guernsey doubled their
lead after half an hour, as an unmarked Charlton Gauvain volleyed home a Ryan
Zico-Black free kick.
The action
then swung to the other end as Stanton made terrific stops from Jack Sammoutis
and Bamba before Dodd headed a rebound from Sonny Black off the line. Sammoutis
then rattled the bar with a fierce shot, and Coleman saw another header go narrowly
wide.
Kelly had a
goal chalked off for offside just before the interval. I remained in my seat
during the break, trying to comprehend the awful situation at Dulwich
Hamlet and to catch up on my fixed-odds coupon. We were thoroughly
enjoying the match, which had turned into an attack-against-a-defence type game.
Guernsey were doing all they could to protect their lead
while under massive pressure. Black dragged a shot wide of the post as the
action continued. Casuals
pulled a goal back in the fifty-third minute when Sammoutis finished smartly. The
same player then saw a drive go narrowly over and later had a powerful effort
come back off the crossbar after Samba had hit the foot of the post.
The pressure
eventually told as the referee decided that Seb Skillen had brought down Bamba
halfway through the second period. Harry Mills made no mistake from the twelve-yard mark.
The Stags'
constant attacking abated to a degree as the islanders tried to retake the
lead. Periera had a decent effort, just wide, and continued to work hard. The
game gradually calmed down, which was no surprise given the players' efforts.
The home
fans were becoming irate at some of the time-wasting tactics being employed by
one or two of the Guernsey players. Keeper Stanton was pushing his luck, in all
fairness. Mr Greaves blew for full-time after extended stoppage time. Several
visiting players collapsed with exhaustion at the end.
Many were inexperienced,
and this would surely have been a massive leap in their learning curve. We thoroughly enjoyed the game, undoubtedly helped by having a fantastic view of the proceedings.
Tony had me back at North Harrow with plenty of time, so I could head
to JJ Moon’s at Kingsbury to meet up with my mate for beers and to catch
some ODI cricket. It had been
a thoroughly rewarding and profitable evening!
Walton
Casuals 5 Hendon 1
Southern League Premier Division South - Saturday 15th December 2018
👨👨👧👧 163 🎟️ £12
It
was a bitterly chilly day as Storm Diedre hit the country north of
Birmingham. I headed out to attend the match that had been brought forward a
couple of weeks owing to both clubs’ inactivity in the FA Trophy.
Bob
was also on the 183 bus heading towards Harrow-on-the-Hill, where we were to meet up with Lee, who was driving us along with Gerry, my car park colleague at Silver
Jubilee Park. The weather got worse as we travelled through heavy traffic
towards our destination.
We
dashed from the car to the turnstile and purchased a
programme for £2. We took refuge in the bar area at the top of the stand to
keep warm. Unfortunately,
I had to head to work after the game, so there was no beer for me, sticking to
tea instead. The unwelcome news was that the burger van was closed and was not to be opening, at least until half-time.
This was a blow as I was relying on
grabbing some food at the game. Hendon
had signed a new defender, Taofiq Olomowewe. We were hopeful that this would
see the start of a meaner, less leaky rearguard. The Dons fans had travelled
once again in decent numbers.
We went out to stand at the top of the stand as
near to kick-off as possible. The
wind was blowing in Hendon’s face as the sides kicked off. Within a
minute, Stags skipper Joe Hicks set up Dan Bennett, whose low drive narrowly
missed the far post. However, the hosts would only have to wait a further four
minutes before they took the lead.
I’d
seen James Ewington score a hat-trick for Harpenden Town away to North
Greenford United the previous season and had been impressed by him. Some neat
passing in the box on the slick surface saw him finish by firing past Danny
Boness. Sixty
seconds later, Walton nearly doubled their lead when a cross hit the side
netting.
The conditions were obviously difficult for the visitors, and Casuals
were determined to take full advantage. An excellent Jack Battie cross saw
Ewington head against the bar after fifteen minutes. Hendon
countered when a Lee Chappell set piece was flicked towards goal, but it was pushed
around the post by Denzil Bennett.
Visiting forwards Ricardo German and Shaq
Hippolyte-Patrick were both clattered by then and were hobbling. Howard Hall was
forced off with a muscle injury. It
was to get worse for Hendon as Max Hustwick played a ball through the middle
to Ewington, who beat any attempts at an offside trap to continue and smash the
ball past Boness.
Dons showed signs going forward, but were giving the ball away far too easily. Just
past the half-hour mark, it was 3-0. Left-back Tanasheh Abrahams was exposed again, with Battie getting in behind him to fire a hard, low cross
past a slipping Boness, where Ewington completed his hat-trick.
German
limped off and received further feedback from a normally calm, knowledgeable Dons fan,
with Connor Calcutt replacing him. Despite struggling with a back injury, the
sub allowed a more pressing game led by the non-stop Matty Harriott. The
pressure paid dividends right on half-time as Hustwick was closed down and dispossessed
by Harriott, who calmly finished.
The goal offered a lifeline as Hendon finally
showed signs of getting into the game. The
weather worsened after the break, although the wind started to swirl rather
than blow down the pitch, which summed up Hendon’s afternoon. The visitors
had lots more possession without creating any clear-cut chances.
Credit
must go to a gaggle of Casuals' youngsters who stayed behind the goals without
cover to cheer on their team. Their team showed some excellent game management,
with right-back Harry Mills looking very solid. The Stags played some fine
football. Don's
substitute, Shaun Lucien, put in a couple of good free kicks that just needed a
touch to convert into goals, but it wasn’t to be.
Keeper Bennett was extremely fortunate to get away with dropping a cross, which Harriott couldn’t turn in.
Bayley Brown missed a good chance from a header. Another
good move saw Cole Brown lay the ball inside to Calcutt, who saw his shot find
Bennett, who saved comfortably. Hendon were pushing further forward to try and score what could have been a pivotal second goal.
However,
the game was done when the excellent Battie, who’d earlier turned Abrhams
inside out for the umpteenth time, crossed for Ewington to score from close range.
That was enough for our carload. We’d got back and were driving away when news
came of the fifth goal from the penalty spot scored by Reece Robins.
The
driving conditions were awful, but Lee did a brilliant job, as we made good time before dropping Gerry and me in Ickenham. My pal went for the tube, and I
found a chip shop I didn’t know about while searching for a supermarket. My
relief colleague was pleased to see me ahead of schedule, and I was delighted to get the
kettle on and to enjoy some hot food.
It said everything that it was the highlight of the day, but that’s football and the life of a supporter. A
team isn’t just for Christmas. When things go wrong, it’s time to dig in and
show some fortitude. Fortunately, Hendon had some great fans. We’d be back for
the next game. If only every one of the players reciprocated, and not just when
they were winning, or the weather was nice.
Walton Casuals
1 Hendon 3
Southern League Premier Division South - Tuesday 29th September 2020
👨👨👧👧 187 🎟️ £12
We were picked
up at the usual spot at Harrow-on-the-Hill. The traffic
continued to be light post lockdown, and we found ourselves in Walton at 7pm,
despite having to take an earlier diversion near Spelthorne owing to a road
closure. We eventually found a parking spot on Church Street in the town
centre.
The Regent, like all other pubs, had to serve customers at their tables. We were easily accommodated in the pub by a fun barmaid who put me in my place when I said I had the App to order. “We are not a Wetherspoons”, she correctly pointed out to me. In a humble mood, we ordered three steady pints of Tribute.
There was still time for a second pint in the excellent boozer, which had multiple TVs showing sport. It was nice to be somewhere that felt something like normal. Up the road at the ground, we arrived in perfect timing. Sadly, things were not normal, with no refreshments available for fans and strict social distancing being administered after we’d scanned for track and trace.
The Dons needed a performance after being systematically dismantled at home by Truro City the previous weekend. They bounced back to deliver in style. Toby Byron made his second debut after a return from Hertford Town and put in an exceptional performance at the back. Adam Coombes and Tayshan Hayden-Smith both had early opportunities for the bright starting hosts.
However, Joe White opened the scoring for Hendon after he nodded in at the back post after fine work by Sean Lucien and Simeon Olalerin. I was 100% behind anyone doing their best to aid the fightback against Coronavirus, but the COVID steward doing a passable Keith Lard of Phoenix Nights impression was a bit over the top at times. Better safe than sorry, I guess.
Both sides created half-chances primarily from set pieces. Eddie Oshodi made a brilliant, brave block to snub out Casuals forward Kyen Nicholas. The Dons doubled their lead in twenty-six minutes when Lucien’s low deflected shot beat home keeper Denzel Gerrard.
Matt Ball had a couple of efforts go perilously close while Kieran Forbes's cross nearly dropped in as the visitors looked to extend their lead before the break. If things were going well on the pitch, I got a contrasting tale chatting to club officials about the upcoming FA Cup tie.
Hendon were to host Maidstone United, but as the Stones were deemed an “elite club” from the National League, their fans would not be admitted. Only tickets were already on sale online. It was causing a bit of a panic. I knew it would make my role interesting at the game.
After the restart, the Dons continued to press and looked the most likely to score, though Walton threatened. Zidan Akers produced a save from Jonathan North following up after Coombes had been tackled. It was Hendon who scored next with a beautiful goal. Oshodi headed a corner clear to Liam Brooks.
He fed Lucien, who in turn picked out the marauding full-back Olalerin, who produced a sumptuous lob which left Gerrard stranded. It was
particularly rewarding for the youngster who’d had a torrid afternoon against
Truro.
We thought more Hendon goals would follow at this point.
Perhaps they became complacent and thought credit must go to Casuals, who continued to
give their all. Impressive substitute Gabriel Odunalke reduced the arrears after beating the offside trap and then scored with a low shot.
It led to Oshodi and Byron needing to be extra vigilant. They were in top form when another goal back would have made things interesting. Because pubs were calling last orders at 9pm, it was straight home after the game with no opportunities for libation. The three points would have to be discussed over beer later.
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