Page 15 - Raynes Park Vale vs Balham 02-04-22

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BALHAM F.C.

The club was originally found-
ed by Greg Cruttwell in 2001
as Balham Blazers FC. It start-
ed with one Under 10 team in
2001/02 playing in the London
County Saturday Youth Foot-
ball League. double in the Surrey South-Eastern the London Senior Cup.2021/22
Following on from their success Combination League in 2013/14.In will be the club’s fifth season at this
more age group teams have grad- 2014/15 Balham finished in a pro- level after flirting with relegation
ually been added and the club now motion position again, in the Surrey in 2018/19 and then having null-
offers a direct pathway in boys Standard Community Club of the Elite Intermediate Football League, and-void seasons in 2019/20 and
football from Under 7 to Senior Year Award and a four-time winner however promotion was denied due 2020/21 due to COVID-19.Having
First Team semi-professional level of the Wandsworth Sports Club to Combined Counties League facili- begun on Wimbledon Extension,
at Step 5 in the football league lad- of the Year Award.After nine sea- ty requirements not being met. before moving to Cobham and then
der.The club also has an expanding sons of age group football between First league campaign to the Wibbandune Stadium, where
girls section which currently offers 2001-2010 an Under 18 Youth team Having moved to ground share the club ground shared with Col-
football from Under 12 to Under was launched. The team played for with Cobham FC, in order to meet liers Wood Utd, Balham were on the
16 and a pathway into the Senior seven seasons in the Southern Youth the facility requirements, Balham move again in 2020, this time to the
Women’s team who play in the League. finished as Runners Up in the SEIFL Mayfield Stadium, where the club
Greater London Women’s Football Flagship First Team in 2015/16 and as a result were has embarked on a two-year ground
League Division 2 South.Following The team moved into the newly promoted to Division One of the share agreement with AFC Croydon
a playing ethos of trying to bring a formed Combined Counties League Combined Counties League for the Athletic.Moving location meant hav-
bit of Barcelona to Balham the age Youth Section for the 2017/18 2016/17 season. The club had an ing to move sideways in the Football
group section of the club has been season and in 2018/19 were League exceptional first league campaign at League Pyramid, from the Premier
extremely successful to date, win- Champions and League Cup Win- Step 6, finishing in a promotion po- Division of the CCL into the Premier
ning or being runners up in over ners.Following the launch of a sition for the sixth consecutive sea- Division of the SCEFL (South East
450 League and Cup Competitions. Youth team the flagship First Team son and winning the London Senior Counties Football League)After one
The club, which has a partnership was founded as Balham FC in 2011. Trophy. In 2017/18 the club had an single season in the SCEFL however,
agreement with Fulham FC, has also Having won back-to-back promo- equally exceptional season finish- which was curtailed due to COV-
been an unprecedented three-time tions in 2011/12 and 2012/13, ing 5th at Step 5 in the Premier ID-19, the FA have brought Balham
winner of the London FA Charter Balham did the League and Cup Division of the CCL and winning back to the Combined Counties.