Page 16 - Raynes Park Vale v Guildford City

Godalming Town FC applied to it for Ground share with Cranleigh FC Rayner would go on to be both Guild- same thing again. That is what Kevin
a donation towards ground improve- In 2003/04 AFC Guildford were
ments. Controversially a substantial crowned champions of Division One
grant was made to Godalming for the and gained their first senior level hon-
installation of a main stand and flood- our. The first such honour for the sen-
lights. The grant was made on the ior Guildford side since 1971. Promo-
understanding that the club name be tion was obtained into the Combined
changed to Guildford & Godalming Counties Premier Division, and the
FC. After the grant was made Godalm- club had to ground share with Cran-
ing insisted on their name taking prec- leigh FC whilst the Spectrum pitch was
edence. This did not sit well with City brought up to the necessary standard.
people who remembered the end of Jo- In early November 2004, AFC Guild-
sephs Road and the move to Dorking. ford returned to their home ground at
The use of the appeal fund at Godalm- the town’s leisure centre.
ing was controversial and it seemed the An absence of over 30 years
last chance to get senior football back In 2005 the club changed its name to
in Guildford had gone. Godalming Guildford United, but quickly acquired
played as Godalming & Guildford un- the name of Guildford City. The once
til the end of the 2004-05 season when famous name had returned to senior
they reverted to Godalming Town. football after an absence of over 30
1996-2009 years.
At the same time that the Godalming Finished as runners-up
move was being completed there were In the two seasons 2004-06 the side fin-
moves in another direction. Burpham ished comfortably mid table. But twice
FC on the fringe of Guildford wanted at the end of the decade City were for-
to play at a higher level but their fa- tunate to be reprieved after finishing in
cilities didn’t match the level required. the relegation positions. Between the
As a result, and after a long period two poor seasons though in 2007-08,
of discussions, the Guildford club re- City, under the management of former
emerged as AFC Guildford in 1996 Woking pair Scott Steele and Lloyd
when the then Mayor of Guildford Wye, did finished as runners-up in the
John Woodhatch persuaded Burpham Combined Counties Premier Division.
FC to change its name and move to the The champions that year were Merst-
Spectrum Leisure Centre. AFC Guild- ham who finished 28 points clear of the
ford played that first season in the Sur- field! In the final year of the decade a
rey Premier League at intermediate former Croydon Athletic U18 manager
level where they remained until qual- took the reigns with his assistant Roly
ifying for the newly created Combined Martin. This was Kevin Rayner who
Counties League. turned out to be an inspired choice.
ford’s most successful and long serv- Rayner’s side did, this time winning
ing manager of the reborn club. the 2011-12 championship by one
2010-2020 point from Windsor in the runners-up
After some 16 months squad build- spot. The title was finally put out of
ing, and with a number of his for- Windsor’s reach on 14 April 2012
mer youth team graduates in the side, when City beat Raynes Park Vale 4-2 at
Kevin Rayner and his team set out on the Spectrum. This time City were not
a remarkable 2010-11 season. It was denied the promotion they deserved.
a season that saw both league suc- Three goal scorers led the way: Dan
cess in winning the Combined League Moody with 32, Austin Gacheru with
Championship, but also exciting cup 31 and Joel Hughes with 18. The cap-
runs in both the FA Cup and FA Vase. tain Simon Cooper and Elvis Defreitas,
The title was won at Ash United on 25 Gacheru, Anthony Hall, Corey Holder,
April 2011 when in a nervy display Moody and Ben Rayner were all near
City won 3-2. The league was won by ever-present.
three points from Chertsey Town in Made a remarkable start
second place. In the FA Cup Guildford Having achieved promotion City
had provided a big shock by winning played their inaugural Step Four sea-
at Isthmian League Premier division son in the Southern League Division
Tonbridge Angels. In front of a 500+ One Central. An early win at Slough
crowd, an 88th minute Joel Greaves Town in front of 231 spectators opened
goal clinched the tie much to the cha- many people’s eyes, and Guildford
grin of the Kent side. In the FA Vase, made a remarkable start to the season
City reached the Fourth Round before winning their first seven league match-
going out in extra-time to Suffolk side es. In the process they were Southern
Leiston. Over the season Joel Greaves League team of the month for August,
contributed 33 goals: a record for the and were top of the league in October,
reborn club at senior level. Ultimate- and still in the promotion places in late
ly the League success was bittersweet November. The bubble was always
however, as the club’s promotion was likely to burst and mid-season there
controversially denied due to the Spec- was a run of nine games without a win.
trum failing a ground grading inspec- But rally the team did and their final
tion, despite a verbal acknowledge- ninth place finish remains their highest
ment that the ground was satisfactory. since the rebirth in 1996. Dan Moody
It takes something special again top scored with 30 goals, whilst
After pulling out all the stops on the Simon Cooper, Anthony Hall, Junior
pitch but then being denied, it takes Kaffo, Moody, Ben Rayner and Jamie
something special to go out and do the Thoroughgood. Continued...