Page 9 - Raynes Park Vale v AFC Croydon Athletic

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AFC CROYDON ATHLETIC
AFC Croydon Athletic was officially
born on 6th February 2012 after a
group of supporters gathered at Sel-
hurst Evangelical Church in South
Norwood to form a new club.
Worthy of a place
The newly appointed Committee had
just 7 weeks to put everything in place
to convince the Football Association
and the League that they were worthy back to the team. On 29th May the Club This was later than had been expected
of a place at Step 6 in the pyramid. De- there followed a long wait to see if they announced the appointment of Antony as there were problems with the pitch
spite the challenge it was a successful would endorse the application. On the Williams as its first manager and along and floodlights. Despite these problems
journey. day of the first Annual General Meet- with his management team he set about and having to play their first 10 match-
Cricket match-fixing scandal ing, on 10th May, the Club got the call the task of putting together a squad ca- es away from home the club maintained
The need to form a new club had about that they had been recommended to be pable of competing in the division. The a promotion chasing position all season
because of the demise Croydon Athletic placed at Step 6. preparations begun in earnest with the and finally clinch 2nd place with a 3-0
FC who had become the innocent victims Clubhouse was destroyed by fire first pre-season friendly against Fisher victory over Cobham FC. The club also
of an international cricket match-fix- The biggest challenge had been secur- FC and the journey had really begun. won its 2nd piece of silverware when
ing scandal by their then owner. Valiant ing a stadium to play at. The club’s real We completed our initial season in Di- winning the London Senior Trophy
attempts to find a buyer, which looked home remained the Mayfield Stadium vision One of the Combined Counties beating Interwood 4-3 after extra time.
very positive at times, turned out to be off Mayfield Road but that currently lies League in a creditable 8th position. The Following promotion
fruitless and with debts mounting and empty as the owners of the old Club re- club also won its first piece of silver- With the FA Leagues Committee having
owners unwilling to pay what they owed fused to give it up and back to the Coun- ware by winning the Lemon Recordings placed the club in The Southern Coun-
the club folded playing its last game in cil and whilst unused the clubhouse was Division One cup by beating Staines ties East Football League (formally the
December 2011. destroyed by fire. Lammas 5-0 at Windsor. The 2013/14 Kent League) following promotion for
The club got the call Both Croydon FC & Croydon Council Season was more a season of continued the 2015/16 season the club then main-
Having secured the support of the Com- For the first season the Club was in- consolidation. We finished one place tained their position in the League by
bined Counties League and the London debted to both Croydon FC and Croy- higher in the League and with a little bit finishing 11th.
FA, representatives of the Club met of- don Council who facilitated the use of more consistency could have been in the Antony Williams resigned to take over
ficials from the FA and made their case Croydon Sports Arena as the Club’s first final shake up for promotion. The Club at Chipstead FC and the club replaced
for being placed in Division One. Hav- home. returned to its Spiritual home of May- him with Kevin Rayner as they looked
ing made a presentation and answered With a place in the League secured, the field Stadium on 15th November 2014 to continue the progress they have made.
questions for more than ninety minutes focus shifted from off the field priorities with a game against Banstead Athletic. Continued....