Page 30 - CHESSINGTON & HOOK UTD vs WALTON & HERSHAM - 2019-20 Season

Walton F.C. was formed in 1895, and in England and Great Britain Olympic defender
1945, following World War II, amalga- C.R. ‘Jack’ Neale, and the prolific Reg Sent-
mated with Hersham F.C. to form Wal- ance, still the club’s all-time top scorer. Some
ton & Hersham F.C., the present club. lean years followed, although the FA Cup
They immediately joined the newly formed First Round was reached for the first time in
Corinthian League and followed a poor first 1957-58, Southampton winning 6-1 before
season with a hat-trick of Championships 6,000 people at Stompond Lane. Don Stok-
and a runners-up position. They also won the er’s popular sides of the early 1960’s brought
Surrey Senior Cup for the first time in 1947- cup fever back to the Lane and there were
48, beating Isthmian League neighbours fine runs again in the Amateur Cup. Two late
Kingstonian 2-1 at Crystal Palace. Election goals by the prolific and popular Brian Jen-
WELCOME

WALtOn&

HERSHAM

to the Athenian League soon followed and
in their first season, 1950-51, Swans finished kins beat the star-studded Wimbledon side
runners-up and again won the Surrey Senior in the Surrey Senior Cup Final of 1960-61,
Cup at Palace, defeating the much-vaunted and the trophy was retained against Sutton
Dulwich Hamlet 2-1. United the following season. After sever-
Great days, big crowds al years of mid-table respectability, the ap-
These were halcyon days for the Stompond pointment of Allen Batsford as manager in
Lane side and the FA Amateur Cup Semi-Fi- 1967 heralded the beginning of the most
nal was reached in successive seasons, 1951- successful period in the club’s history. At the
52 and 1952-53, only for Swans to go out to end of his first season, a superb victory over a
Walthamstow Avenue and Harwich & Park- powerful Wimbledon side in the two-legged
ston respectively. During this period the Final secured the Premier Midweek Floodlit
club enjoyed a tremendous following, and a League title, the first of three, followed a year
record crowd of 10,000 were at the Lane in later by the winning of the Athenian League
1952 when the famous Crook Town were championship for the first time. The FA Cup
the visitors for an Amateur Cup tie. Stars of First Round Proper was again reached in the
this era included Swans’ most famous player, following two seasons, only for Swans to lose