Kings Langley

Kings Langley FC is a non-league football club from the village of the same name, which is located just south of Hemel Hempstead in Hertfordshire. The club was formed in 1886, becoming founding members of the West Herts League in 1891-92.

Early home games were played at Groomes Meadow, Blackwell Meadow, and Kings Langley Common before settling in at Home Park in 1913. Kings suffered a couple of relegations before fighting their way back. They struggled in the Herts County League before dropping back down to the West Herts League.

The club folded in February 1930, but were reformed within a few months. A new pavilion was opened at Home Park by Stanley Rous in 1934 as the club decided to move to the Southern Olympian League; winning a couple of league titles along the way.

Kings re-joined the Herts County League after World War Two, winning the Division Two title at the first attempt and then going on to lift the Division One title on a couple of occasions. Three seasons in the Parthenon League proved too expensive for travel so the club returned to the Herts County League in 1955.

The Premier League title was lifted in 1965–66 and 1966–67. Over the next decade or so the club yo-yo’d between Division One and the Premier League. Kings were struck a devastating blow when they lost Home Park to redevelopment in 1980.

Kings Langley led a nomadic existence playing at Oxhey, Rolls Royce & Buncefield Lane, and finally the Leavesden Hospital ground. In March 1997 the club secured some land on Hempstead Road, to the north of the village to develop a new ground, which was named Gaywood Park in memory of Colin Gaywood; a generous benefactor to the club.

Kings struggled initially to maintain their Premier League status, but gradually consolidated. In 2000-01 the team finished in third place, going on to join the Spartan South Midlands League Division One. After a couple of seasons the club were relegated because Gaywood Park didn’t reach the grading standards.

Kings bounced back under manager Steve Heath, going up as runners-up from Division Two in 2007-8 and finished second once again the following season. In 2009-10 Paul Hobbs took over as manager as the facilities at Gaywood Park continued to be improved. His side secured a third place finish in the 2010-11 season.

Hobbs retired in 2012 to be replaced by the managerial duo of Ritchie Hanlon and Paul Hughes. A runners-up finish in 2013-14 saw Kings secure a Premier Division place. The team went on to lift the Spartan South Midlands League title in 2014-15 to be promoted to the Southern League.

Kings amazing run continued as they won the Division One Central title at the first attempt and win promotion to the Southern League Premier Division. Budget cuts were rumoured to be on the horizon early in the 2016-17 season. Managers Hanlon and Hughes resigned and departed for Hayes & Yeading United. Paul Hobbs returned to steady the ship.

Hobbs departed in December 2017 to be replaced by Steve Conroy as the side narrowly avoided relegation for the second successive season. The competition was expanded for the 2018-19 season with Kings Langley putting in a tremendous performance in Premier Division South to finish just outside the play-offs in sixth. 

Conroy resigned over a budget disagreement as the club was moved to Premier Division Central, to be replaced by Dean Barker who lasted just a few months prior to the appointment of former Watford academy assistant Chris Cummins.

Kings sat in tenth when the 2019-20 season ended early owing to the Coronavirus pandemic before the side sat just outside the play-offs when the 2020-21 campaign was suspended.

Kings Langley will play in the Southern League Premier Division in the 2020-21 season.

My visits

Kings Langley 2 Basingstoke Town 0 (Tuesday 13th September 2016) Southern League Premier Division (att: 112)

Kings Langley had been on my radar for a while, especially since their meteoric rise in recent seasons. I had seen the ground on numerous occasions; albeit at high speed on the West Coast trains hurtling past at high speed.

I had got as far as Harrow & Wealdstone station for a pre season friendly against QPR, but my timings were all over the place so I had to abort. A fine late summers evening seemed an excellent opportunity to final tick the ground off.

Once again I travelled via bus and tube to Harrow & Wealdstone before taking the train to Kings Langley. There was a bus service to the ground but I wanted some exercise and to take in the lovely scenery. 

Unfortunately I went slightly off track as I was enjoying the stroll along the towpath of the Grand Union Canal for some time and ended up adding half a mile on to the route.

Admission was £10, with the programme good value for just £1. Feeling hungry I went for a cheeseburger and tea, which again was a very reasonable price at £3.50 for both. The tea bar was built into the side of the small clubhouse and had a tiny toilet cubicle. Youngsters kicked about on the second pitch. It had a real community feel about the place.

Gaywood Park had been receiving plenty of stick on various forums, but I thought it charming. The road side had a small low seated stand with newly laid terracing either side. There was another small seated stand behind the far goal. The canal side had two small modern covered standing enclosures. The final end by the second pitch had a small area of hard standing.

The visitors from Basingstoke had bought a plentiful eclectic mixture of away fans with them. I’m not sure that many were members of a slimming club or gym. Tattoos on open areas of women’s skin were the order of the day.

Kings had a real family crowd. Some young lads tried to make an atmosphere behind the goal before getting bored and going for their own match in the fading light. I was really enjoying the ambiance, save for the annoying midges which seemed to relish some Yorkshire flesh in the hot weather.

Basingstoke were managed by the experienced Terry Brown and had a very young and enthusiastic team. However, they went down early in the game when Josh Chamberlain went down the wing and crossed to the far post where Stevie Ward smashed in an unstoppable volley.

‘Stoke’s youngsters couldn’t find their way through the Kings defence despite their pace. Manny Daku was excellent up front for the home side, holding the ball up and causing problems until he was forced off with a knee injury.

Shortly after the half time interval Kings doubled their lead. Daku’s replacement; Sean Coughlan beat a man near the by line, then cut inside to shoot past the Dragons keeper from an acute angle. It was another tremendous goal.

How Basingstoke could have done with a finisher. They continued to have the majority of the play until full time but they hardly had a shot or find a clear way through for all their energy and elaborate play on the grassy but bobbly playing surface.

At the final whistle I decided to walk away from the village along the main road towards Hemel Hempstead and catch the train from Apsley. I had time to kill before the direct train so I enjoyed a fine couple of pints Oliver's Island in the excellent Paper Mill Fuller’s pub by the canal side.

It was a great way to round off a really enjoyable evening out. There’s nothing like enjoying the football and then a beer in warm temperatures. I even made it back for last orders in Kingsbury!

Kings Langley 3 Hendon 2 (Saturday 29th August 2020) Friendly (att: c190)

I had spent the back half of the week in Germany for some most welcome football, groundhopping, food, beer, camaraderie, and sightseeing. The good news was that crowds were being allowed back to football of Step 3 and below back home.

My pal Lee Cousins was in touch and he purchased me an online ticket for Hendon’s visit up to Kings Langley. The question was how I’d get to the match. Steve Barnes was setting off too early for me, taking in a bit of cricket and a couple of pubs. Lee would be at Edgware to pick up Bob at 1.30.

My flight landed bang on schedule at Stansted from Köln Bonn Airport. I put on a spurt to get through the automatic passport gates and then downstairs to catch the express train back into London with seconds to spare.

I was in touch with my mate and he said that 1.40 would be fine for a pick-up. Using my knowledge of the tube I swapped trains at Euston and then Camden Town to get on the correct branch, meeting Bob outside before Lee arrived. I thought it some effort, especially considering the hangover I was nursing a few hours earlier.

The ticket cost a fiver, which turned out to be outstanding value for money. At the gate we had to sign in via a track and trace App and have our temperatures taken. We then headed round to the excellently controlled clubhouse to purchase drinks to be taken outside.

The Oakham OPA beer was absolutely bang on. I was aware that a fella from up north was running the facility for the club and did a fine selection of real ale. He was doing a magnificent job and was a smashing fella for a chat.

The weather was damp and chilly outside in the much improved The Orbital Fasteners Stadium, as the venue had been titled in a sponsorship deal. It had been tidied up massively on the entrance side since my previous visit.

Out on the pitch we got a defensive horror show from the Dons in the first half despite looking decent when going forward. Bradley Wadkins gave the hosts the lead after just thirty-five seconds when he latched onto a through ball to lob over Jonathan North.

At the other end a stray back pass beat keeper Alex Tocarczyk and came back off the post. The energetic Dwade James set up Luca Allinson, whose shot was cleared off the line. The action continued with another Kings attack with the wind at their backs.

Another regulation through ball caught out the defence again. Edu Toiny Pendred lobbed North but was thwarted by a spectacular Sammy Gebrai last gasp clearance. Edu wasn’t to be denied when he doubled the lead despite North’s best efforts.

Hendon started the game with a tall French trialist in the middle of the back four. He was substituted on seventeen minutes and never seen again for the club. His partner at the back, Tommy Brewer, was not a happy man.

His mood darkened on thirty-seven minutes as Edu set up Harry Rush to make it 3-0. Manager Lee Allinson and Brewer had a proper row as the defender came off. It was probably better to sort out any disagreements in a friendly, as we noted at the time, though it’s as well the stewards didn’t take eithers temperature at the time.

The play continued from end to end despite the score. James was denied by Tocarczyk while North pulled off a top stop to keep out Wadkins after Edu continued to create havoc. We walked round to the area near the gates at the break.

This area now had several steps of deep terracing, neatly backed by a fence for fans to lean on as well as a covered disabled section while watching on the flat area at the rear. The whole surroundings looked fresh and had plenty of advertising boards, the sign of a vibrant club. I'm sure Watford Ladies using the venue has helped in many ways.

It said everything about the August weather that I bought my first Bovril of the season at the break with a decent cheeseburger from the cabin on the terrace, which was another new feature. The Dons came out with a point to prove and put on a fantastic display for their usual decent following.

They’d pulled a goal back within three minutes of the restart. A Matt Ball corner dropped to Jaden Clarke to smash home in fine style. Kings looked dangerous on the break, but they found defender Eddie Oshodi a formidable, composed opponent.

Just before the hour mark Clarke stole the ball from defender Jorell Johnson to get a clear run at goal before slotting past Tocarczyk. Dean Hitchcock forced North into a good low save as the entertaining play showed no sign of relenting.

The last half hour of the game could be titled as James v Tocarczyk. Firstly, the big striker beat the keeper with a shot that came back off the post with James being unable to reach the rebound.

Tocarczyk made a comfortable save before James went on a run that beat three defenders on a jinking run but saw his shot go over the bar. It would have been an early contender for goal of the season if it had gone in.

North made another stop before James forced Tocarczyk into an amazing stop in the final minute of normal time from close range. Hendon continued to pile on the pressure, but it wasn’t to be. They were victims of their own dreadful defending earlier in the match.

James could well have had a hattrick. His attitude was absolutely spot on, but he could have perhaps been more ruthless around goal. He came across as a lovely bloke and perhaps a little too polite at the higher level after tearing Step 5 defences apart for a few years while at Walthamstow.

Lee dropped myself and Bill, another veteran Hendon fan at Canons Park as I headed home to prepare for work the next morning after a fortnight break. The holiday was over!