Chertsey Town Football Club
Founded 1890

Organised football was evident in Chertsey well into the Victorian era, but county affiliation did not take place
immediately. The official founding of the club took place in 1890 when matches were played in the West Surrey
League. The first success came in 1897 when the Surrey Junior Cup was secured. A one year gap took place before
football resumed in the same competition which eventually became the East and West Surrey League. A further halt
in football took place during the Great War but soon after, in 1919, the club joined the Surrey Intermediate League
where it stayed, uneventfully, until 1939 and a further break. An invitation to become founder members of the Surrey
Senior League was not taken up in 1923 but membership was later assumed, on attaining senior status in 1946.
The club has played at various locations within the parish (Willow Walk, Free Prae Road Staines Lane and
Chilsey Green) before settling down at the present home in 1926. The suffix ‘Town’ was added to its title some 24
years later. The ground was donated by Sir Edward Stern as a football ground to the ‘premier club in the parish’. Next
door, a similar trust provides facilities for Chertsey Cricket Club. The main stand was constructed in the mid fifties; the
original clubhouse added in 1960 and the first covered enclosure was built some three years later. Cover behind each
goal was added in 1994 and 2010 respectively.

Chertsey became members of the Surrey Senior League in 1946, but success was scant until 1960 when
winning the league championship. This was repeated twice in the next three years, The League Cup was also won on
three occasions. The club could not progress to the preferred Corinthian League so, in 1963 it controversially turned
professional to enter the Metropolitan League. It gave an entertaining three but, the cost was too much. A drop to the
Greater London League for one season occurred before a further shift to the Spartan League was made in 1967.
Indifferent results then dogged the club for almost two decades. This situation was briefly relieved in 1974/75
when the club were league and league cup runners up to an up an coming Farnborough Town. Meanwhile, the fabric
of the club was being built up behind the scenes and despite lack of prominence on the park, movement was made
via the London Spartan (1975/76) and Athenian leagues through to the Isthmian family with a place in Division Two
South in 1984. Instant relegation to the Combined Counties League was suffered but a rejuvenated side won
promotion back to Isthmian ranks within the year whilst winning the League Cup on the way.

The club was rewarded with good league positions but further promotion denied at first. The worst season after
returning to the Isthmians came when the two Division Twos were split in 1991 and a place in the new Division Three
had to suffice. This position was quickly rectified with a runner’s up slot the next season. The club also reached the
quarter finals of the F.A. Vase, emulating a similar performance in 1987/88. One year later, 102 points and a runner’s
up promotion place to Division One was nailed. The League Cup was also secured together with the Carlsberg
Trophy in the same campaign along with the League Charity Shield and the Isthmian ‘Team of the Season’ trophy.
Only one campaign was required in Division One before further promotion, to the Premier Division. The first
season at that level was one of consolidation but the second was more difficult. A late rally was experienced, but was
insufficient to avoid the drop to Division One. Two subsequent Division One campaigns were comfortable but the third
proved too difficult after a very poor first half of the season.

Relatively respectable positions were attained for the next two seasons and then a return to Division One,
taking a place in the revised south section in the Isthmian re-organisation. The side was not able to compete at this
level and relegation to Division Two was suffered in 2003. With the dissolution of the division, the club was allocated
to Combined Counties League in 2006. Promotionally hopeful situations were created regularly over the five terms in
that competition.

Finishing as runners up in 2011 was enough to secure promotion to Division One Central of the Southern
League. Unspectacular, but safe, performances were achieved for two seasons but relegation was suffered in 2014,
and with it a return to the Combined Counties League where four modest seasons prevailed.

A massive change occurred in the 2018/19 season that resulted in the league championship being secured
with 13 points to spare. This led to promotion back to the Isthmian ranks and a place in the South Central Division.
However, more memorable, was winning the FA Vase after turning over the score in the final to beat Cray Valley 3-1.
The combination of these two feats made the 2018/19 the most successful season ever for the club. Covid affected
the next two campaigns, but then a runners up spot was attained at the end of the 2021/22 season but the side lost
out in extra time of the final of the play offs.

Following a turbulent season as far as managerial appointments was concerned, The current manager, Mark
Harper, was appointed at the start of the current season. The chairman’s role is held Mark Turner. The club, a
Charter Standard member, also has a comprehensive junior section of boys at all ages. Chertsey Town’s nickname,
the ‘Curfews’ is derived from a locally famous bell that hangs in nearby St. Peters Church. The bell has rung out the
evening curfew, now ceremoniously, for over five hundred years.