Page 16 - CHUFC vs Cove 2020-21 season

hiStorY of thE club

CHESSINGTON &

HOOK UNITED

ormed as Chessington F.C. in 1921, the club’s fortunes declined alarmingly in the
Fclub entered the Kingston & District early 80s. Relegation to the Surrey Premier
League and within two years were the Divi- League was quickly followed by further de-
sion 4 Champions. Further honours proved motion to the Surrey Combination, Bank-
elusive through the divisions until 1961 win- ruptcy was a real possibility. The introduc-
ning the Premier Division. tion of a new management team in 1986, led
By 1968, the club had moved to the Premier by Chairman Graham Ellis, (of Hook Unit-
Division of the Middlesex League, which ed & Hook Youth) saw a rebirth of the club
was their first taste of intermediate football. and return to former glory under the banner
They ended that first season as Runners-up ‘Chessington & Hook United FC’ & ex-skip-
and were consequently admitted to the Sur- per Eric Wicks as Manager & Graham’s son
rey County Senior League – a major mile- Paul assistant. By 1994, they were back in the
stone in the club’s history. Even more signifi- Surrey Premier League, by just one point to
cantly, they became Division 1 Champions in make a welcome return to Senior football in
the 1970-71 season. In 1972, the club joined the Combined Counties League. Eric stands
the Home Counties League and continued to down due to work commitments, Paul takes
play in the League until the formation of the the reins. Chessington played through to the
current Combined Counties League in 1978. League Cup Final in their first season versus
That season, the most successful in the Ash United at Woking, only to lose 6-1.
club’s history, when they brought home sev- They finished third in the Premier division
en trophies! ‘04/05 and the season after, made the 4th
Despite the successes of the late 70s, the round of the F.A. Vase, beaten 2-1 by finalists