Page 17 - 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 ford’s most successful and long serv- Rayner’s side did, this time winning
ments. Controversially a substantial crowned champions of Division One ing manager of the reborn club. the 2011-12 championship by one
grant was made to Godalming for the and gained their first senior level hon- 2010-2020 point from Windsor in the runners-up
installation of a main stand and flood- our. The first such honour for the sen- After some 16 months squad build- spot. The title was finally put out of
lights. The grant was made on the ior Guildford side since 1971. Promo- ing, and with a number of his for- Windsor’s reach on 14 April 2012
understanding that the club name be tion was obtained into the Combined mer youth team graduates in the side, when City beat Raynes Park Vale 4-2 at
changed to Guildford & Godalming Counties Premier Division, and the Kevin Rayner and his team set out on the Spectrum. This time City were not
FC. After the grant was made Godalm- club had to ground share with Cran- a remarkable 2010-11 season. It was denied the promotion they deserved.
ing insisted on their name taking prec- leigh FC whilst the Spectrum pitch was a season that saw both league suc- Three goal scorers led the way: Dan
edence. This did not sit well with City brought up to the necessary standard. cess in winning the Combined League Moody with 32, Austin Gacheru with
people who remembered the end of Jo- In early November 2004, AFC Guild- Championship, but also exciting cup 31 and Joel Hughes with 18. The cap-

sephs Road and the move to Dorking. ford returned to their home ground at runs in both the FA Cup and FA Vase. tain Simon Cooper and Elvis Defreitas,
The use of the appeal fund at Godalm- the town’s leisure centre. The title was won at Ash United on 25 Gacheru, Anthony Hall, Corey Holder,
ing was controversial and it seemed the An absence of over 30 years April 2011 when in a nervy display Moody and Ben Rayner were all near
last chance to get senior football back In 2005 the club changed its name to City won 3-2. The league was won by ever-present.
in Guildford had gone. Godalming Guildford United, but quickly acquired three points from Chertsey Town in Made a remarkable start
played as Godalming & Guildford un- the name of Guildford City. The once second place. In the FA Cup Guildford Having achieved promotion City
til the end of the 2004-05 season when famous name had returned to senior had provided a big shock by winning played their inaugural Step Four sea-
they reverted to Godalming Town. football after an absence of over 30 at Isthmian League Premier division son in the Southern League Division
1996-2009 years. Tonbridge Angels. In front of a 500+ One Central. An early win at Slough
At the same time that the Godalming Finished as runners-up crowd, an 88th minute Joel Greaves Town in front of 231 spectators opened
move was being completed there were In the two seasons 2004-06 the side fin- goal clinched the tie much to the cha- many people’s eyes, and Guildford
moves in another direction. Burpham ished comfortably mid table. But twice grin of the Kent side. In the FA Vase, made a remarkable start to the season
FC on the fringe of Guildford wanted at the end of the decade City were for- City reached the Fourth Round before winning their first seven league match-
to play at a higher level but their fa- tunate to be reprieved after finishing in going out in extra-time to Suffolk side es. In the process they were Southern
cilities didn’t match the level required. the relegation positions. Between the Leiston. Over the season Joel Greaves League team of the month for August,
As a result, and after a long period two poor seasons though in 2007-08, contributed 33 goals: a record for the and were top of the league in October,
of discussions, the Guildford club re- City, under the management of former reborn club at senior level. Ultimate- and still in the promotion places in late
emerged as AFC Guildford in 1996 Woking pair Scott Steele and Lloyd ly the League success was bittersweet November. The bubble was always
when the then Mayor of Guildford Wye, did finished as runners-up in the however, as the club’s promotion was likely to burst and mid-season there
John Woodhatch persuaded Burpham Combined Counties Premier Division. controversially denied due to the Spec- was a run of nine games without a win.
FC to change its name and move to the The champions that year were Merst- trum failing a ground grading inspec- But rally the team did and their final
Spectrum Leisure Centre. AFC Guild- ham who finished 28 points clear of the tion, despite a verbal acknowledge- ninth place finish remains their highest
ford played that first season in the Sur- field! In the final year of the decade a ment that the ground was satisfactory. since the rebirth in 1996. Dan Moody
rey Premier League at intermediate former Croydon Athletic U18 manager It takes something special again top scored with 30 goals, whilst
level where they remained until qual- took the reigns with his assistant Roly After pulling out all the stops on the Simon Cooper, Anthony Hall, Junior
ifying for the newly created Combined Martin. This was Kevin Rayner who pitch but then being denied, it takes Kaffo, Moody, Ben Rayner and Jamie
Counties League. turned out to be an inspired choice. something special to go out and do the Thoroughgood. Continued...