Chalfont St Peter

Chalfont St Peter AFC is a football club from the delightful south east Buckinghamshire village of the same name, who were formed in 1926, initially playing in local league football and playing at Gold Hill Common.

In 1948, the club became members of Division Two of the Great Western Combination, from where they won promotion at the first attempt. The Saints moved into a new ground called Mill Meadow on Gravel Hill in 1949, before joining the Parthenon League for the 1958-59 season, where they remained for two campaigns before moving to the London League.

Chalfont St Peter joined the Spartan League for the 1962-63 campaign, with seventh-place finishes in 1964-65 and 1966-67 being their best return. Chalfont became a founder member of the London Spartan League in 1975-76, where they won the Division Two title.

The club moved to Division Two of the Athenian League for 1976-77 before the league was reduced to one division for the following season. The Saints finished as league runners-up in 1983-84.

Another change of competition came in 1984-85 as Chalfont St Peter became members of the Isthmian League Division Two North. Owing to the geographical makeup of the league, the club was moved to Division Two South for the 1986-87 season.

In 1987-88, the Saints won the divisional title and were promoted to Division One. They remained there before being relegated in 1993-94. A further demotion came in 1999-00 to Division Three, where they remained until that particular division became Division Two following re-organising in 2002.

The league was abolished in 2006 following a reorganisation of non-league football. Chalfont St Peter were transferred to the Spartan South Midlands League Premier Division, as Danny Edwards’ young side finished as runners-up in 2007-08.

The 2008-09 campaign saw the Saints go on a fantastic FA Vase run, which saw victories against Totting & Eling, Clanfield, Selsey, Dunston Federation, Christchurch, and Needham Market to take the club to the semi-final stage, where they were defeated on penalties by Glossop North End.

In 2009-10, Chalfont finished as league runners-up once again, but they weren’t to be denied the following season as the team won the Spartan South Midlands League title, as well as lifting the Challenge Cup, to be promoted to the Southern League Division One Central.

After several seasons finishing in the bottom third of the table, the Saints ended up just outside the playoff zone in sixth place in the 2015-16 season, before eighteenth position in 2016-17 as Danny Edwards continued his fine work in the manager’s seat. The club was placed in Division One South Central of the Isthmian League for the 2018-19 season.

At its conclusion, Edwards departed after fifteen years in charge of the team to be replaced by Finlay Johnson, who remained in the post until November 2021, when his assistant Aaron Steadman took over. The side was relegated a few months later after losing a relegation playoff game to Boldmere St Michaels.

As a Premier Division North side in the Combined Counties League, the Saints narrowly avoided a second successive relegation under new manager Michael East. The team was relegated to Division One of the competition in 2023-24, as Wayne Hiron was appointed as manager.

Brendan Rossiter was appointed as Chalfont St Peter's manager in November 2025.

Chalfont St Peter AFC will play in the Combined Counties League Division One in the 2025-26 season.

My visit

Chalfont St Peter 0 Ashford Town 0 (Saturday 19th November 2016) Southern League Division One Midland (Att: 68)

My early shift took me to Uxbridge, where my luck was in. My relief, Andy, was also a sports fan who understood my passion for getting to different events. He came and took me off a few minutes early so that I could catch the 740 bus at 2.30pm.

I was delighted to eventually visit Chalfont St. Peter. I was close to going to an FA Cup tie in 2012 against Bishop Stortford with Dave Cammish, but I overslept after a night shift.

My transport on this occasion deposited me in the pretty village at the bottom of High Street, from where I walked along the banks of the River Misbourne and past the playground to the entrance of Mill Meadow, where I paid my £9 admission fee, which included a programme.

Mill Meadow was a neat enough venue. The village end had a decent-sized covered seated stand, with a smaller version at the other end. The old Main Stand was out of commission, with many of the views from the seats redundant. That side had a small cover as well as a flat open standing area. The side by the river had a narrow, open standing area.

Once I’d done a lap of the ground, while keeping an eye on the pitch, I purchased a small but tasty cheeseburger and a tea for £4. This turned out to be the most compelling action for the following hour or so.

I'll be kind about the match and call it utter garbage on a soft, bobbly pitch. I think there was only one save of any note in the entire ninety minutes, when the home keeper kept out an effort with his legs from a rare foray.

If some of the players had the same football ability as they did for snarling at each other and the referee, it would have been far more enjoyable.

Just before full time, I spoke to an old fella who turned out to be a scout for Hitchin Town. They could have faced Chalfont in the next round of the FA Trophy if the home side won their replay the following Tuesday.

His reaction was much the same as mine. It was the worst game we’d seen all season, and by some distance. I headed home by bus to Amersham and then a train and tube in time for the second half of Tottenham Hotspur v West Ham United. In short, it had been a good tick, but a crap match.

Tottenham Hotspur Academy

The Tottenham Hotspur Academy is made up mainly of players under the age of twenty one since the restructuring of most professional football since the late 1990’s.

The historical reserve team played in various divisions before the change. The youngsters of the club had delivered Youth Cup triumphs in 1969-70, 1973-74 and 1989-90. Once in the modern era, the under-21s won the FA Premier Reserve League South in 2005-06 before becoming runners-up in the U21 Premiership League in 2012-13.

In September 2012, Tottenham opened a brand new, architecturally designed Training Centre on 77 acres of land, located on Hotspur Way in Enfield. It became the home of the Club's First Team and Academy and is recognised as one of the best in Europe.

Further developments came with the building of a lodge at the centre to accommodate the players of the club in 2017. In April 2017, the club and football suffered a devastating blow when former England international and Tottenham Academy coach Ugo Ehiogu died after suffering a heart attack at the Training Centre.

My visit

Tottenham Hotspur U21 0 CSKA Moscow U21 0 (Wednesday 7th December 2016) UEFA Youth League (Att: 147)

I was not going to miss an opportunity to visit the highly acclaimed training centre, especially on a day off from work. My ticket was obtained by a phone call a week or so ago through my fan number from my previous purchasing history.

I set off in a less-than-pristine condition after a good old booze up around the Hendon game, the night before. I thought departing at midday from Kingsbury would be ample time to make a 2pm kick-off?

However, I took the first three "short cuts" which would set the tone for the following two hours twenty minutes. I got it wrong. The Overground train dropped me at Highbury & Islington, from where I took a tube to Seven Sisters. 

Instead of a train to Turkey Street, I thought I knew best and took three buses, passing the rapidly growing "New" White Hart Lane and eventually ending up at Turkey Street for a walk through very pleasant surroundings to the centre's entrance. Note to self: learn the difference between the A1010 and the A10 for future reference!

There was heavy security at the gate, with one visiting fan desperately hoping that I had a spare ticket, before I walked through a staggering development to pitch number 2. A pleasant steward directed me to the main reception for a free teamsheet before I took up my uncovered seat.

Only one side of the pitch was open to spectators, which had two open stands of a couple of rows each and a tented covered stand in the middle section for media and club staff, etc. A few young Spurs players sat amongst the crowd. 

The attendance was made up of interested onlookers and parents, by the look of things. It was a strangely muted atmosphere, not dislike watching an outdoor game of snooker.

As mentioned, I was running late and missed the first twenty minutes, with CSKA missing a chance to take the lead from a spot kick. Not a lot else happened in the rest of the half. 

At the break, most fans adjourned to the warmth of the reception over the road to use the drinks machine. A semi-permanent food stall stood outside selling warm food and drink.

I got a tea for a decent £1.20 while I surveyed the amazing facility, which had eleven full-sized pitches without a blade of grass out of place, as well as indoor facilities and even a pristine putting green, where I can imagine a fair few chunks of players' wages may have been punted.

The second half was an improvement, with both keepers pulling off a couple of decent stops. CSKA looked the more likely side to snatch the win, but it wasn't to be.

For all provided to players and coaches I was impressed to see that Tottenham still managed to produce players who seem reluctant to kick with both feet. No wonder the England team were in such a mess!

At full time, I made my way back to the A10 for a bus down to where I saw Scarborough play a couple of times back in the day at a super old stadium, but it was now a retail complex and housing. I really felt for Enfield fans.

Another bus took me to Barnet, where I alighted for a fantastic tea at the Red Lion Toby Carvery, before taking another bus in head-to-tail traffic because of a road accident by New Barnet Station to Brickfield Lane for the evening's entertainment in the Herts Senior Cup between Hadley and Hitchin Town.

Eastbourne United

Eastbourne United Association FC is a non-league football club from the seaside resort of Eastbourne in East Sussex, who were originally formed in 1894 as the 1st Sussex Royal Engineers FC, playing at The Saffrons.

The South Lynn ground in Tutts Barn Road was also used for home games before moving to Gildredge Park, before the club retitled itself as 1st Home Counties Royal Engineers (Eastbourne) FC in 1913.

The old stand before demolition

In 1920, the club changed its name to Eastbourne Royal Engineers Old Comrades, going on to join the Sussex County League in 1921, while moving to the Lynchmere Ground. A year later came another name change, as the club became known as Eastbourne Old Comrades FC.

The club joined the Spartan League for the 1928-29 season while shortening its name to Eastbourne Comrades FC. Comrades left the Spartan League after the 1931-32 campaign before rejoining the Sussex County League in 1935.

The stand side in 2007

Comrades struggled just after World War II. The Lynchmere Ground was lost to development, meaning a move to The Oval. In 1951, the club changed its name to Eastbourne United FC.

George Smith took over as team manager and led the side to a runners-up place in the Sussex County League in 1953-54, before leading them to the league title in 1954-55 and 1955-56. The success led to the club joining the Metropolitan & District League.

United joined the Athenian League in the summer of 1964, where they went on to become Division Two champions in 1966-67 with promotion to the league’s second tier. A further promotion to the Premier League followed in 1968-69.

United were relegated to Division One in 1969-70. The Athenian League was reorganised in the summer of 1974 as the Premier Division was scrapped. United were relegated to the second level Division Two at the completion of the 1974-75 season.

The terrace which previously stood in front of the old stand

The Athenian League was disbanded in the summer of 1977. United joined Division Two of the Isthmian League and then Division Two South after the reorganisation of the league in 1984. Further changes to the structure in 1991 meant the club was placed in Division Three.

The club opted to rejoin the Sussex County League for the 1992-93 season, where they were placed in Division Two. The club struggled and nearly dropped out of the county league before recovering and winning promotion to Division One in 1997-98.

United were relegated back to Division Two at the end of the 2001-02 season. The club amalgamated with fellow Division Two club Shinewater Association FC at the end of the 2002–03 season. Shinewater were having problems with the playing surface and application for floodlights at their Shinewater Lane ground, while the venue was also a frequent target of vandalism. 

The Oval also required investment after the stand was a victim of storm damage. Former Shinewater manager Dave Shearing took charge of United as promotion to Division One was achieved in 2003-04. The 2008-09 season saw Eastbourne United Association crowned as Sussex County League champions.

In the summer of 2010, it was decided by the committee to cut back on the playing budget and concentrate on upgrading The Oval. Many players, along with manager Brian Dennis, departed the club. Reserve team manager Paul Daubeney took over as the new team boss.

United were relegated in 2010-11, but the ground began to take shape. Simon Rowland was appointed as the new manager for the 2013-14 campaign, with The Oval now in good order. It was to be a memorable season as United won the Division Two title and sealed promotion.

However, it was the FA Vase run that came so close to taking United to Wembley. Victories against Arundel, Phoenix Sports, Chessington & Hook United, South Park, Hanworth Villa, Morpeth Town, and Ampthill Town set up a semi-final tie with Sholing.

The Hampshire side would eventually win through 6-4 on aggregate, but the season had restored pride for everyone at The Oval. The game attracted an attendance of 1,426. The Sussex County League was renamed the Southern Combination from the 2015-16 season. United finished tenth after Rowland was replaced by Tobi Hutchinson, and then seventh in 2016-17.

Ryan Cooper was appointed as manager in August 2018, lasting just a few months before the arrival of Aaron Hopkinson, who helped the side avoid relegation. He was replaced in September 2019 by Matthew Crabb, who oversaw team affairs during the frustrating Covid-19 period.

Ray Collier had a spell as manager before being replaced by Anthony Storey in September 2021, leading the side to fourth position in 2022-23. Big changes were made at the ground as the clubhouse was completely refurbished and spectator facilities were improved. 

The team reached the playoffs in 2024-25, defeating Haywards Heath Town before losing their final to Crowborough Athletic.

Eastbourne United FC will play in the Southern Combination Premier League in the 2026-27 season.

My visits

Tuesday 12th December 2007

On a day off from work, I decided to take advantage of a day explorer ticket with Southern Railways to explore new surroundings and visit some non-league football clubs along the south coast.

The old oval track and distant terrace are now outside the ground

After alighting at Eastbourne and having a look at the football and cricket venues at The Saffrons, I walked down to the promenade and walked along to The Oval, which was just a few hundred yards from the cliff.

The venue was in a period of transition, as the stand was damaged. A fence had been put inside where the old running track used to be, so spectators had a clearer view of the action.  Unfortunately, I lost all my photos from the day when my computer crashed a few years later.

Once I’d had a look and taken my snaps, I headed off towards the home of Eastbourne Borough FC.

Monday 24th July 2017

After many walks and visits to four football clubs, it was time to head to my final destination. The number 99 bus from Bexhill-on-Sea offered me a pleasant half-hour ride down the coast before depositing me at Fort Fun on Eastbourne seafront.

I walked through the pleasant Princes Park and around the large Crumbles Pond before coming out next to The Oval, the home of Eastbourne United Association.

The venue had changed massively since my previous visit. Gone was the old oval shape of the arena. A new fence had been installed to square off the venue. The old open terrace and the old track were now outside the ground. The changing rooms, clubhouse, and tea hut were also outside the perimeter, but fences were in place to enclose everything on a match day. 

I wandered around the outside to take some photos. The two new structures were on the main side; one with seating and the other for standing spectators. A disused stand stood with its back to the play over in the far corner. The rest of the arena was flat, open grass and hard standing.

A couple of youngsters asked me what I was doing. I expect I looked strange peering over a fence to take photos. They seemed satisfied with my answers; interested even? I wandered off in search of a drink before heading to the Eastbourne Borough v Dagenham & Redbridge Pre-Season Friendly.

Eastbourne United Association 1 Saltdean United 3 (Friday 17th August 2018) Southern Combination Premier Division (att: 125)

The scheduling of a Friday night fixture often helps groundhoppers. They are not generally the norm, but when they coincide with a couple of days off work, they’re a Godsend, especially when they offer an opportunity for a ride to the coast.

I’d overindulged at the Middlesex v Essex T20 the previous evening, which meant I lingered rather longer than I should have. I’d bought a Day Saver ticket in advance for £19, which offered me unlimited travel on Southern Rail.

The tube ride to Victoria offered me a moment that gladdened the heart. Changing trains, I got on a Bakerloo line train at Baker Street as the doors closed. A suited man was looking out, holding a phone.

A young black couple couldn’t get on. They’d left the phone. The man mouthed “next stop” & got off to wait for them at Regents Park. This act of kindness was very poignant at a time when senior politicians were trying to divide by race.

After a week at work dealing with abusive customers and junkies smashing up the customer toilets, this made my day. Well done, sir. It was getting on for 3pm when I got onboard a train heading to Brighton, still with an open mind as to how to fill in an hour or so, when I had a moment of inspiration.

I’d never had a beer in the UK with my Thailand cricket touring pal Chris Felton. The wonders of Facebook Messenger soon had us in touch and me changing for a train towards Shoreham-on-Sea.

Chris didn’t have to do much persuading when he suggested the Duke of Wellington, and the classic pub didn’t let us down. It was fantastic to spend an hour chatting and having a good laugh in such great surroundings before I headed back to Brighton.

A quick change put me onto the Eastbourne service as I tried to keep up with proceedings online of the vital Yorkshire v Nottinghamshire T20 eliminator. On arrival, I had a reasonable pint in the London & County Wetherspoon establishment.

On the way to the bus towards the match, I somehow managed to damage my earphones so that only one lug was receiving any volume, and I cracked my Poundland reading glasses in half. I must have looked a sight with a handle hanging off each ear, but needs must.

I alighted at The Archery stop before a few minutes’ walk saw me at the entrance to The Oval, where I paid £6 admission and a further quid for a programme. The teams were written up on a board near the gap through to the bar.

There was a good number enjoying drinks and playing darts inside. I went for a pint of one of the increasing number of continental IPAs that had been appearing more and more. It wasn’t an inspired choice.

The catering was indoors, further along, and shared its space with the club laundry. I went for a cheeseburger, which was well done, and some chips that weren’t, along with a tea to try and get rid of the taste of the beer. It was decent enough for £4.50.

United had been hit with the resignation of manager Tobi Hutchinson a few days before the commencement of the new season. Ryan Cooper took over the role, as well as continuing to play. They hadn’t got off to a great start.

Seaford, the visitors from along the coast, sat in third place before kick-off. A decent crowd had assembled on a bright evening, which became very chilly as the wind picked up. I initially sat in the incomplete stand behind the goal before moving to the more conventional structure.

The hosts looked pretty good in the opening stages. They’d obviously been fired up, and it became obvious at an early stage that referee Nigel Baker was going to have his hands full. His fastidious way of going about things and his over-talking weren’t making him very popular.

Eastbourne’s long throw ploy caused confusion before leading to the opening goal on twenty minutes when the throw was flicked on to Tyler O`Callaghan, whose looping header dropped in just under the bar beyond the reach of keeper Nathan Stroomberg.

Plenty of challenges were going in, some allowing players to yell at the officials and generally overreact. Seaford were playing the better football of the two sides, and it was no surprise when they drew level ten minutes before the break.

The ball went wide of the six-yard box with Eastbourne keeper Luke Colquhoun following it. He was beaten to the ball with a smart chipped cross headed into the unguarded net by James Waters.

Half time was spent in frustration trying to play with my specs and listening with an increasing inevitability as Yorkshire capitulated, which I went for a walk to try and warm up a tad as I added the lower half to my cargo pants.

The Oval’s pitch wasn’t conducive to passing football, but it could be forgiven as groundsmen continued to struggle countrywide after the drought. A heavy shower would have done it the power of good.

The game continued in a tetchy nature, with the home side picking up a couple of injuries as well as the withdrawal of the rotund Jordan Woodley, who could certainly play but was too immobile and probably better suited to a leg or two of darts in the bar.

A real piece of quality from Saltdean’s Rabbit Kinkene saw him pull off a brilliant piece of skill in midfield before sending substitute Toby House through with a slide rule pass. The forward slotted past Colquhoun to make it 2-1.

Eastbourne saw an effort come back off the crossbar, but it would be the Tigers from Saltdean who would extend their lead and take all three points. A cross fell at the far post for House to volley home.

The challenges became more naughty. Mr Baker continued to give a running commentary on proceedings and eventually booked seven players. I’d seen enough and headed off ten minutes from full time to take the bus back into town.

For some reason, the driver waved me through without paying. I hope he didn’t think I was over 65!  The pubs of Eastbourne were certainly vibrant. I’d had enough for one day and got a spurt on, so I was in time for the 22.00 to Victoria.

It had been a nice enough few hours out of the metropolis, even if the game hadn’t really done it for me.