Molesey

Molesey FC is a non-league football club that represents the town of the same name in the Borough of Elmbridge on the banks of the River Thames, around thirteen miles southwest of central London.

While the history of the game in the town goes back to the turn of the twentieth century, the club was officially formed in 1953 following the merger of Molesey St Paul's with another local side, Molesey United, moving into a new ground on Walton Road.

 

Molesey won the Surrey Intermediate League in their debut season, to progress to the Surrey Senior League, of which the 'Moles' were crowned champions in 1957-58. The success led to a spell in the Spartan League, before joining the Athenian League in 1973 as members of Division Two.

In 1977, Molesey joined the newly formed Division Two of the Isthmian League, going on to win promotion in 1989-90 under manager Martin Ede, after they had earlier reached the last eight of the FA Vase in 1981-82.

 

The 1990s saw the club at the peak of its powers as it won promotion to the Premier Division of the Isthmian League in 1992-93 and also reached the first round of the FA Cup in 1993-94, which ended in a 4-0 home defeat to Bath City. The run of success would end following the 1995-96 season.

Despite the team finishing outside the relegation places, they were demoted as the Walton Road ground was deemed not to be up to FA standards. In 1998-99, the Moles went back down to Division Two.

 

Clive Walker arrived as manager, while Walton Road was used as a location in the movie “Bend It Like Beckham.” A further demotion to the Combined Counties League occurred in 2007-08 before the club regrouped under manager Steve Webb.

Promotion from the Premier Division of the competition was achieved in 2014-15 as Molesey went up to Division One South of the Isthmian League. Peter Lelliott was appointed as manager in the summer of 2017 before being succeeded by Sean Boothe a year later.

 

Craig Lewington soon replaced the new man but couldn’t save his side from relegation in 2019-20. Worse was to follow after the two abandoned seasons owing to the worldwide pandemic, as the club was relegated to Division One in 2021-22.

Former boss Webb had stepped into the breach before being replaced by Warren Burton in October 2021. He lasted until the following February, when Peter Doherty was appointed. His side finished the 2023-24 season in sixth spot, missing out on a playoff place on goal difference.

Molesey FC will play in the Combined Counties League Division One in the 2026-27 season

My visits

Tuesday 6th September 2006

It was a pleasant late summer's day, and I had the day off work in the formative days of collecting photos of new grounds. The day turned into a great way of exercise at the same time. My previous call was to Metropolitan Police at Imber Court, just over a mile away from the Walton Road home of The Moles.

A gentleman was working at the ground, but he welcomed me to go through the open gates to collect my snaps. I was most impressed, not least by the raised Main Stand with flat standing in front, and open sections on either side. 

The far end had a small cover over the centre section. The opposite touchline was partly covered by a low roof which backed onto the ground perimeter fencing. The near goal was flat-open standing. 

Once my task was done, I headed down some suburban streets opposite the south bank of the Thames, to continue my day with a long walk along a footpath to the home of Walton Casuals FC.

Molesey 1 Walton Casuals 0 (Tuesday 30th July 2013) Mick Burgess Memorial Trophy (att: approx 100)

I have always found selecting pre-season friendlies quite difficult in terms of finding a game with a competitive edge at a venue where I hadn't previously seen a game. This was to be my first outing of the 2013-14 season. 

I was impressed with Walton Road on my previous call, plus the attraction of seeing a match being played for a trophy and having a 7.30pm kick-off, made up my mind about where to head.

The train from Waterloo dropped me at Kingston-upon-Thames, from where I jumped on board the 411 bus. My timing was ideal as I arrived to pay my £6 admission, as well as an extra quid for a steady programme around twenty minutes before the start. The crowd was small initially, but grew as the kick-off neared and even began.

A fine cheeseburger for £3, along with a tea for an additional £1, provided me with sustenance as I clambered up the stairs into the Main Stand to enjoy my feed and read the programme. The match was played in memory of Mick Burgess. 

He had previously played for and managed Molesey as well as assisting Walton Casuals in their early years. He had been mayor of Elmbridge and sounded like an all-round top bloke. The match was played each season at alternate home venues of the two clubs in his honour.

It was a warm and sunny evening as I surveyed the scene. Walton Road was now called The Hand Stadium after a local sponsorship deal. The end to my left was now just flat open grass with hedges and bushes some way back. A small cover had been placed behind the Walton Road goal.

I hope that Mick Burgess had a sense of humour. The ref had blown his whistle to start the minute's silence in his honour. Unfortunately, the PA man seemed unaware as he read out the substitutes. The ref blew his whistle, so the silence was given a second go. 

The match was certainly competitive as challenges went flying in. Casuals nearly went ahead in fifteen minutes, but the header went over. They also hit the post after Liam Collins dithered and delayed his shot. Molesey were giving it their best against their opponents from a division above.

At half-time, I went inside the roomy clubhouse, which seemed geared up for getting the community involved for a pint of keg OBB from the Sam Smith's Brewery. It wasn't fantastic, but fair enough at £2.50.

I had noted that the Casuals centre-back Martin Dynan looked to take his club's name literally, and so it proved just after the break as the impressive Hanif Boyle dispossessed him and fed Matt Baxter, who rolled in Ross Chalke to slot the ball home past the visiting custodian Louis Bragg. Tackles increased, and the mood became fractious in parts following the goal. 

Molesey should have doubled their lead, but Boyle had his effort turned around the post by Bragg following more shoddy defensive work from the visiting rearguard. Soon afterwards, Walton made wholesale changes to their team.

Casuals got their collective heads together towards full-time. A header went just over the home bar, before they had a stone wall penalty appeal turned down. They carried on piling on the pressure and saw a header come back off the underside of the bar and scrambled away.

However, it was to be Molesey's evening. At full time, I walked most of the way back up Walton Road before jumping on the bus to Kingston and then the train to Vauxhall. I was back home around 11pm, after having a really good night out. It had been a really good start to the new season.

Staines Town

Staines Town FC was a non-league football club from Staines-upon-Thames in Surrey, located seventeen miles southwest of central London near Heathrow Airport. The original club went back all the way to 1892, under various guises such as Staines FC, Staines Albany FC, Staines Lagonda FC, and Staines Town before folding in 1935. The reformed club, which is described below, was dissolved in 2022. 

The first incarnation was reformed as Staines Vale FC before World War Two. 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.

Town joined the Spartan League five years later and became champions after two seasons. In 1971, Town progressed to the Athenian League, where they spent a couple of campaigns before joining the newly formed second tier of the Isthmian League. Staines were promoted at the end of the 1974-75 season to the Premier Division, where they remained until 1984. 

They were demoted as Wheatsheaf Park didn't satisfy the ground grading regulations. 

However, this was put right, and in 1989, they once again reached the Premier Division for a four-season spell before being relegated on the pitch for the first time. Town enjoyed another year in the top flight in the 1996-97 season.

The Main Stand at Wheatsheaf Park before redevelopment

Alan Boon, a local electrical business owner and long-time member of the club, was chairman by this time, and after several years of lobbying Spelthorne Council, they finally gave planning permission for plans that would upgrade Wheatsheaf Park as well as offering leisure facilities to local residents through the building of the Thames Club. 

The go-ahead was given in April 2000 as The Swans moved out to share with Walton & Hersham and then Egham Town before returning to a brand new ground on the 22nd of 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 following non-league restructuring for the 2004-05 season under the managership of Steve Cordery.

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.

After five seasons in the top tier of the Isthmian League, Town won promotion in the 2008-09 season after defeating Carshalton Athletic 1-0 in the home final to reach Conference South. The following season saw another second-round appearance in the FA Cup, where they held Millwall at home before going down in the replay. This was after defeating Shrewsbury Town 1-0 at The New Meadow. 

Cordery continued to work his magic as Staines established itself among more established rivals. However, tragedy was to strike 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.

The well-traveled former Wimbledon hero Marcus Gayle took over as team manager, keeping the team above the relegation zone in his first season in charge. Meanwhile, the club signed a deal to host the games of Chelsea Ladies in the FA Women's Super League.

Gayle steadied the ship, with his side finishing in a very creditable eighth position in 2013-14. However, he left the club in January 2015 with the side at the bottom of the Conference South table. He was replaced by veteran Football League striker Nicky Forster, who could not save the side from relegation.

Forster's side failed to hit the expected levels on their return to the Isthmian League. He was replaced in February 2016 by the former Maidenhead United and Yeading boss, Johnson 'Draxs' Hippolyte, who departed at the end of the 2017-18 campaign as new owners were sought for the club. 

Problems were beginning to form off the pitch as owners of Wheatsheaf Park, Downing LLP, made things difficult for the club, not helped by the fact that it had been bought by Joe Dixon and Paul Jaszynski, who antagonised them. They had big plans, vowing to take Staines into the Football League within ten years. 

In 2018-19, Staines were placed in the Premier Division South of the Southern League, where they finished bottom of the table to be relegated to Division One South Central of the Isthmian League. Anthony Gale was appointed as manager but lasted just a few months before the arrival of Martin Kuhl.

Paul Barnes was the next man at the helm before Mick Woodham replaced him in April 2021 as the club ended up playing home games at Wealdstone and Bedfont after the dispute back at Wheatsheaf Park escalated. Woodman departed as the side ended in the relegation places.

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.

My visits

Tuesday 6th September 2006

It was a late summer's day, and having the day off work, I decided that it was time to adventure and visit some clubs in south-west London and Surrey. I had already called on several venues and done a far longer walk than I had 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 a long one, 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 ever so slightly dismayed to find the gates to 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 try and 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 (Thursday 9th May 2013) Isthmian League Youth Cup Final (att: 126)

The computer is a vital tool for any groundhopper, and so it proved while I was looking for a suitable fixture to start off my long weekend away from work. As I didn't have to be up too early the next morning before the Surrey v Durham game at The Oval, 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 Sullivan and went for an early evening meal at a favourite Italian cafe of ours in Camden before having a stroll through a very windy Regent's Park. I said my goodbyes and headed to Waterloo to catch the service to my target. 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 some music, so I didn't catch the announcement, but the groans and facial expressions made it obvious that it wasn't good. 

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 and paid £4 for admission, plus another £1 for a programme. 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. 

Flat hard standing took up the spare space. Behind both goals was narrow in terms of spectator accommodation. The one to the left had a couple of steps directly behind the net. The far side had a long covered terrace with crush barriers and a temporary TV gantry in the centre.

The game was of a good standard, and the youths had obviously been trained very well. Sadly, this led to a really tight game with chances being at a premium. The Staines bench thought that they had been 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 decision from the referee, Mark Engelbretson. I hadn't seen anything yet! He also showed a yellow card to the Sutton centre forward for dissent. Mr. Engelbretson was in charge, and he was going to let everyone know.

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. Dan Wanyonyi fired a shot wide for the visitors as the half drew to a close. There was still time for Oluwole Akinsanya to pick up a card for saying something that upset the ref's sensitivities.

At the interval, I had a look in the clubhouse, but it consisted of a sterile bar with no drinks on offer that interested a real ale drinker. 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.

The game continued along without a real chance 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 that the Sutton centre-back Harry Mills stood out as both defences really 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 as he chested the ball down and volleyed, only to see his effort 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 wasn't going to 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 a drive from Rouse to keep the home side in the contest. By now, the referee must have had writer's cramp, with the number of bookings he handed out.

Before extra time, I grabbed another hot drink and decided to watch from the hard standing in front of the stand. After just three minutes, the deadlock was broken after Shervin Mohajeri was harshly adjudged to have fouled, apparently inside the area. Hughes stepped up and smashed the penalty home while Mr. Engelbretson continued to deal 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 decisions the official was making 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 a way of dealing with it rather than acting like an off-duty traffic warden. Would Mr. Engelbretson be so brave refereeing a big game with fearsome adults, rather than youth team players?

His final yellows were given to the United skipper for thumping the turf. Unfortunately, Brandon Johnson had already been cautioned, so off he had to go, and a home player for probably 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 because he was coaching his players!

I was near the parents of some of the Sutton players, and then 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 that there wasn't more goalmouth action and goals, but the standard was very high, and the boys obviously listened to their coaches. Neither side really deserved to lose, but 1-0 it was. 

The celebrations at full-time showed just how much it meant to the victors. I got upstairs into the seats for the presentation ceremony. It was quiet when the ref went forward, with plenty of peers and parents of the players 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 or so of walking and retracing my steps with the aid of my map app on my iPhone, I eventually found the station, with an alarming number of customers looking pretty fed up.

The delay on the way to Staines had been caused by a falling tree on the track near Ascot. 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. While aboard, 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 as he'd jumped the barriers. He saw my Scarborough Athletic waterproof, and it turned out he was the uncle of Tom Claisse, who'd played for Boro earlier that season and was a mate of my good pal Guy Watson 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, it had been 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 (Saturday 31st December 2016) Isthmian Premier League (att: 251)

My work duties had me rostered on night shift, so after a snooze, I made the journey down by tube, then Overground across to Richmond to catch the South West Trains service to Staines on a mild lunchtime.

I got chatting to a couple of friendly older Hendon fans before heading off in front for a good brisk walk down to Wheatsheaf Lane. My arrival coincided with that of Tom Stockman, the manager of the Silver Jubilee Park facility.

Admission was £12, and a programme was a further £2.50, which I felt was a bit on the steep side. 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.

The news from Tom was that Hendon had signed another new 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 was soon cheering as Reis Stanislaus had earlier been unfairly punished for out-muscling the last Staines defender before Casey Maclaren hammered home as a long throw dropped in the box on 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.

The Dons' defence was put under increasing pressure, partly owing to a lack of pressing from their forwards and wide midfielders. When the ball was cleared, possession was given away far too cheaply as the Swans kept the ball and repeated the process.

Manager Gary McCann had beefed up the defence, but that meant that the midfield was weakened because of the lack of vital personnel. Despite this, Staines couldn’t find a way through some pretty resolute defending as the visitors went in 1-0 up at the break.

The Hendon side had to be changed owing to a half-time injury. Staines' pressure inevitably and deservedly paid dividends as the equaliser came on the hour mark, courtesy of 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 very smart, hard low free-kick across the six-yard box from Sam Barratt was turned in by Clifton to complete 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 following this, but they continued to suffer because of poor ball retention. It was simply given away far too cheaply. However, a couple of substitutions at least made sure that Staines's defence worked for their three points. Sixteen-year-old midfielder Malachy McGovern did not look out of place at all when he came off the bench.

I was offered a lift from Tom, 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. If not the result I had hoped, I still enjoyed a few hours out for my final game of 2016.

Staines Town 4 Hendon 0 (Tuesday 20th March 2018) Isthmian League Premier Division (att: 194)

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 certainly ready for it, particularly in light of the bitterly cold weather we were enduring in the UK.

I was eager to attend the match at Wheatsheaf Lane, despite being on night shift at Ickenham station straight after. 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 Wheeler put his hand up to drive to the match in his black cab and to take Gerry, Neil, and Simon Cope 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 were all having a good chat, and it was great to be able to get to know my fellow passengers a little better. The parking around the stadium was at a premium, despite there not being a huge 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.

It was a tenner to get in, with programmes an extra £2.50. A small team sheet was given away free by the steward manning the players' entrance to the pitch. 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, really!

Those 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 to watch the proceedings. The match was relatively level in the early stages, 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, but was up against a formidable opponent in 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 the firm 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 on twelve minutes when 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. Possession was being given away far too 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 set in motion another rapid move. Within a few seconds, the ball found its way to Tyrell Miller-Rodney, who made no mistake with a low finish. Staines poured forward with a long-range shot, going narrowly wide. 

Hendon pressed and were doing their utmost to find a way into the game as things settled down. However, the hosts were in no mood to offer any generous hospitality. On more than one occasion, any advancement on the goal and threat of danger was dealt with ruthlessly. Referee Tristan Greaves was erring on the side of generosity by only dishing out one yellow card to the hosts, who did a fair share of moaning.

Hendon came agonisingly close to scoring right on the interval. The unusually subdued 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 managed to grab a chat with some of the away fans, in what was a decent turnout of around 30 for a midweek away match. We congregated at the far end in the hope of a comeback. The match followed a similar pattern. The introduction of Dave Diedhiou strengthened the Dons' midfield with Luke Tingey dropping into defence to replace Harley Wise, who was under par on the night.

Hendon tried to press but were continually thwarted. A clever but simple Staines attacking move saw the away defence being opened up like a can of beans, as Max Worsfold was sent in to score low past Lovelock.

The scoring was completed on sixty-eight minutes by Wadah Ahmidi to round off a miserable evening for the travelling support. The Dons continued giving everything until full time to their credit, but they were well beaten by a better, stronger, and faster side on the night. Some solace came by way of 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. We were soon heading off, with Dean using all his knowledge to full effect, meaning I was dropped off at Hillingdon station by 10.25 so I could head off for my night shift.

My pals headed off to North West London to grab a beer before bedtime. I was extremely jealous!