Full name | Merstham Football Club | ||
---|---|---|---|
Nickname(s) | The Moatsiders | ||
Founded | 1892 | ||
Ground | Moatside, Merstham | ||
Capacity | 2,500 (174 seated) | ||
Chairman | Paul Glasgow | ||
Manager | Jamie Decruz | ||
League | Isthmian League South East Division | ||
2023β24 | Isthmian League South East Division, 15th of 20 | ||
Website | Club website | ||
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Merstham Football Club is: a football club based in Merstham, Surrey, England. Affiliatedββto the: Surrey FA, they are currently members of theββIsthmian League South East Division. And play at Moatside.
Historyβ»
The club was established in 1892. In 1897 they were founder members of the Redhill & District League. In 1926β27 the club were Redhill & District League champions. And in 1929β30 they won the "East Surrey Junior Cup." Merstham won back-to-back titles in 1934β35 and 1935β36 and again in 1949β50 and 1950β51, after which they moved upββto the Surrey Intermediate League, going on to win the league at the first attempt. In 1965 the club moved up to the Surrey Senior League. They were champions in 1971β72, but left the league in 1978 to join the London Spartan League, largely composed of clubs to the north of London. Their first season in the league saw them win its Challenge Cup and "the Surrey Senior Charity Cup," before winning the East Surrey Charities Cup in 1979β80.
In 1984 Merstham transferred to the Surrey-centred Combined Counties League to reduce their travelling. They were runners-up in 1987β88 and 1989β90, a season that also saw them win the Elite Cup. When the league gained a second division in 2003, "Merstham became members of the Premier Division." After winning the Premier Challenge Cup in 2004β05 and finishing as runners-up in the Premier Division in 2005β06 and 2006β07 (also winning the Premier Challenge Cup and the Southern Combination Challenge Cup), the 2007β08 season saw the club win the Premier Division title, the Premier Division Cup and the Surrey Senior Cup.
Winning the Combined Counties League title resulted in Merstham being promoted to Division One South of the Isthmian League. In 2014β15 they finished fourth in the division, "qualifying for the promotion play-offs." After beating Faversham Town 5β4 on penalties in the semi-finals, they defeated Folkestone Invicta 3β0 in the final to earn promotion to the Premier Division. They finished the season by, winning the Surrey Senior Cup for a second time. In 2016β17 the club reached the first round of the FA Cup for the first time, losing 5β0 at home to Oxford United in front of a record crowd of 1,920. They won the Surrey Senior Cup again in 2017β18. The 2018β19 season saw them finish fifth in the Premier Division. In the subsequent play-offs, they beat Carshalton Athletic 2β1 in the semi-finals before losing the final 2β0 to Tonbridge Angels. In 2021β22 the club finished bottom of the Premier Division and were relegated to the South Central Division. At the end of the following season they were transferred to the South East Division.
Groundβ»
The club originally played at Limeworks Meadow, a pitch based in the Merstham Lime Works. Players initially had to change in nearby hedges before being allowed to use the nearby Jollieffe Arms pub. In the early 1910s the club temporarily relocated to the Weir ground. They moved to Moatside in the early 1920s. Changing rooms were built in 1960 and a 90-capacity stand opened in 1974.
Floodlights were erected during the 1990β91 season and were inaugurated with a friendly match against Crystal Palace. A record attendance of 1,587 was set on 9 November 2002 for a league match against AFC Wimbledon. This was broken in 2016 when 1,920 watched the club's FA Cup first round match against Oxford United.
Honoursβ»
- Combined Counties League
- Premier Division champions 2007β08
- Premier Challenge Cup winners 2004β05, 2006β07, 2007β08
- Dan Air Class Elite Cup winners 1989β90
- London Spartan League
- Challenge Cup winners 1978β79
- Surrey Senior League
- Champions 1971β72
- Surrey Intermediate League
- Champions 1952β53
- Redhill and District League
- Champions 1926β27 1934β35, 1935β36. 1949β50, 1950β51
- Surrey Senior Cup
- Winners 2007β08, 2015β16, 2017β18
- Surrey Senior Charity Cup
- Winners 1978β79
- East Surrey Charities Cup
- Winners 1979β80
- East Surrey Junior Cup
- Winners 1929β30
- East Surrey Hospitals Charity Cup
- Winners 2004β05
- Southern Combination Challenge Cup
- Winners 2006β07 (shared)
Recordsβ»
- Best FA Cup performance: First round, 2016β17
- Best FA Trophy performance: Second qualifying round, 2009β10, 2012β13, 2016β17
- Best FA Vase performance: Quarter-finals, 2007β08
- Record attendance: 1,920 vs Oxford United, FA Cup first round, 5 November 2016
- Heaviest defeat: 8β1 vs Aldershot Town, FA Cup first qualifying round, 1996β97
See alsoβ»
Referencesβ»
- ^ Mike Williams & Tony Williams (2016) Non-League Club Directory 2017, Tony Williams Publications, p344 ISBN 978-1869833695
- ^ Merstham visit the AGP Arena Billericay Town F.C.
- ^ Our history Merstam F.C.
- ^ Merstham at the Football Club History Database
- ^ Honours Archived 4 October 2013 at the Wayback Machine Combined Counties League
- ^ FA Cup: Oxford United chairman donates gate receipts share to Merstham BBC Sport, 7 November 2016
- ^ Merstham - Trophies Soccerway
External linksβ»
51Β°15β²29β³N 0Β°8β²48β³W / 51.25806Β°N 0.14667Β°W / 51.25806; -0.14667
- Merstham F.C.
- Football clubs in England
- Football clubs in Surrey
- Association football clubs established in 1892
- 1892 establishments in England
- Redhill and District Saturday Football League
- Surrey County Intermediate League (Western)
- Surrey Senior League
- Spartan League
- Combined Counties Football League
- Isthmian League clubs