Staines Town Football Club was a semi-professional

football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball to score a goal. Unqualified, the word ''football'' normally means the form of football that is the most popular where the word is used. Sports commonly c ...

club based in

Staines-upon-Thames Staines-upon-Thames is a market town in northwest Surrey, England, around west of central London. It is in the Borough of Spelthorne, at the confluence of the River Thames and Colne. Historically part of Middlesex, the town was transferred to ...

, Middlesex.

History

Early days

Staines Town FC was founded in 1892 and was known under various names including ''Staines F.C.'',''Staines Albany F.C.'', 'Staines Lagonda F.C.', and 'Staines Town F.C.', until it folded in 1935. However, prior to

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

the club re-formed as ''Staines Vale''. In 1953 Staines Town were founder members of the Hellenic League, where they finished runners-up in 1956. In 1958 they joined the

Spartan League The Spartan League was a football league in England covering London and adjacent counties. Established in 1907, it merged with the South Midlands League in 1997 to form the Spartan South Midlands League. History The Spartan League was establish ...

and won the title two years later. After finishing second in 1971, Staines Town advanced to the Athenian League, where they won the Second Division title at the first attempt, amassing a record number of points.

Isthmian League

The club were elected to the new

Isthmian League The Isthmian League () is a regional men's football league covering Greater London, East and South East England, featuring mostly semi-professional clubs. Founded in 1905 by amateur clubs in the London area, the league now consists of 82 tea ...

Division One in 1973. In their second season, the club finished top and were promoted to the Premier Division. In a nine-year stay, the club's best finish was fourth. However, a ground grading ruling meant that the club were demoted in 1984. The club bounced back five years later only for its Premier Division status to be lost again in 1993 when the club were relegated for the first time in 63 years. Again the club were promoted in 1996 and again it was quickly lost, with the club returning to Division One after only a year. Having lobbied

Spelthorne Spelthorne may refer to: * Borough of Spelthorne, a local government district in the county of Surrey, England * Spelthorne (UK Parliament constituency), Surrey constituency in the British House of Commons * Spelthorne College, was a single-cam ...

Council on and off for 20 years, planning permission for a £6.5m conference and health facility was granted in April 2000 and finalised a year later. During construction, Staines groundshared with Walton & Hersham and Egham Town before the return to Wheatsheaf Lane on 22 February 2003. During 2002–03 and 2003–04, Staines played in Division One South of the

and on the last day of season 2003–04, under Steve Cordery, they secured a place in the Premier Division in the newly re-structured pyramid. The Swans spent five seasons in this division before winning promotion to the Conference South in 2009. They had finished second in the league and therefore gained promotion through the play-offs, beating

Carshalton Athletic Carshalton Athletic Football Club is an English football club based in Carshalton in the London Borough of Sutton. They currently play in the and are based at the War Memorial Sports Ground. The club also field a women's team playing in the Lo ...

1–0 in the final at Wheatsheaf Park on 2 May 2009. Louis Wells saved a Carshalton penalty in the 85th minute with Scott Taylor scoring the winning goal in extra time. Staines had also finished as runners up in the previous season, but had lost 2–1 to

AFC Wimbledon AFC Wimbledon is an English professional Association football, football club, based in London Borough of Merton, Merton, London, that plays in the EFL League Two, after being relegated from the EFL League One following the 2021–22 EFL Leagu ...

in the playoff final after taking a first half lead but conceding two late goals in the last seven minutes.

Life in the Conference South

The 2009–10 campaign marked the Swans' first ever appearance in the

Conference South The National League South, formerly Conference South, is one of the second divisions of the National League in England, immediately below the top division National League. Along with National League North, it is in the second level of the N ...

and they began their journey brightly, defeating Weston-Super-Mare 0–1 and

Dorchester Town Dorchester Town Football Club are a semi-professional football club, based in Dorchester, Dorset, England. They currently play in the . The club is affiliated to the Dorset County Football Association and is a FA chartered Standard club. They ...

3–0. A home defeat, 1–2, to Havant & Waterlooville was then followed by five consecutive draws and then a 1–3 victory away at St. Albans City. Two significant victories in late October 2009 were beating first place, and at the time unbeaten, Newport County 1–0 at home followed four days later beating third place Thurrock 1–2 away. On Boxing Day 2009, Staines won 4–1 away to rivals Hampton and Richmond Borough, following this up by beating them 4–0 at the Wheatsheaf on New Years Day 2010, with Ali Chaaban scoring a hat-trick. Another significant victory was away at Chelmsford, winning 0–1 through a Marc Charles-Smith goal, Charles-Smith's third goal in a little over 48 hours having scored twice at Dorchester only two days previously. Steve Cordery was named the Conference South manager of the month for January, 2010. Despite a magnificent February and March when Staines Town were in the play-off places, they finished in a very creditable eighth place in their first season in the Conference South.

Cup history

The club have reached the

FA Cup The Football Association Challenge Cup, more commonly known as the FA Cup, is an annual knockout football competition in men's domestic English football. First played during the 1871–72 season, it is the oldest national football competi ...

first round proper on six occasions, in 1879, 1880, 1984 (losing 2–0 at a

Neil Warnock Neil Warnock (born 1 December 1948) is an English former football manager and player. He is also a television and radio pundit. In a managerial career spanning five decades, Warnock has managed sixteen different clubs from the Premier League to ...

-managed Burton Albion), 2007, 2009 and 2015. In 2007 Staines were drawn away against League Two outfit Stockport County. A crowd of 3,460 saw Staines go behind to a Matty McNeil header but a 76th-minute equaliser from Charles-Smith earned a replay. It was announced on 12 November that the replay would be shown on Sky Sports, resulting in a £75,000 windfall for each club. Staines Town completed the improbable upset as they won the match in penalty kicks (4–3, two magnificent saves by Swans goalkeeper Shaun Allaway, the winning penalty scored by Dave Sargent) after drawing 1–1 in extra time, after having taken the lead in the eighth minute with an Adrian Toppin goal. In the next round they faced Peterborough United at home, and were beaten 5–0. Sir Alex Ferguson (father of Peterborough manager Darren) and Sir Trevor Brooking were among the guests of Staines Town FC on the day. On 7 November 2009 they beat

League Two The English Football League Two (often referred to as League Two for short or Sky Bet League Two for sponsorship purposes, and known as the Football League Two from 2004 until 2016) is the third and lowest division of the English Football Lea ...

Shrewsbury Town 0–1 at the

Prostar Stadium New Meadow, also known as Montgomery Waters Meadow for sponsorship purposes, is a stadium situated on the southern outskirts of Shrewsbury, Shropshire, between the districts of Meole Brace and Sutton Farm, and close to the A5. It serves the home ...

Shrewsbury Shrewsbury ( , also ) is a market town, civil parish, and the county town of Shropshire, England, on the River Severn, north-west of London; at the 2021 census, it had a population of 76,782. The town's name can be pronounced as either 'Sh ...

in the 1st Round proper of the F.A. Cup to reach the second round of the competition. The Second Round draw saw Staines Town drawn at home to the winners of the following evening's First Round game of Millwall vs

, which Millwall won 4–1. On 28 November 2009 they earned a place in the 3rd Round Draw for the first time ever after a 1–1 draw against League One Millwall, Ali Chaaban scoring a 79th-minute penalty to level the score after having gone behind ten minutes earlier, in front of a 2,753 crowd. The replay at the New Den was on 9 December and was broadcast live on the FA.com website. A home tie against Championship side Derby County in the 3rd Round awaited the winners of the replay, which Millwall won 4–0. There have been two appearances in the last 32 of the

FA Trophy The Football Association Challenge Trophy, commonly known as the FA Trophy, is a men's football knockout cup competition run by and named after the English Football Association and competed for primarily by semi-professional teams. The compet ...

, the first back in 1976, losing to

Morecambe Morecambe ( ) is a seaside town and civil parish in the City of Lancaster district in Lancashire, England. It is in Morecambe Bay on the Irish Sea. Name The first use of the name was by John Whitaker in his ''History of Manchester'' (1771), w ...

in a 2nd replay and then in a replay to Halifax Town in 2004 after drawing 1–1 at The Shay in the first match. Another significant match in the club's history was in 1975 when they beat Italian Amateur cup winners Banco di Roma 3–0 on aggregate (1-0 in Rome, 2–0 in Wheatsheaf Lane) for the Barassi Cup. Staines have also lifted the Middlesex Senior Cup on no fewer than ten occasions. In 1997 under Chris Wainwright, beating Yeading in a penalty shoot out, whilst the

Middlesex Charity Cup The Middlesex Senior Charity Cup is a knock-out system football competition that has been running since 1901. It was presented in 1901 by C.S. Goldmann, Esq. and was first played for in the 1901–02 season, the first winners being Clapton Orien ...

was lifted in 1994 with a 4–0 win over Northwood. The latest victory in the Middlesex Senior Cup was in 2013 with a 2–0 win over Ashford Town (Middx). The Carlsberg Cup (an

tournament now abolished) was lifted in 1995 against Boreham Wood where the Swans scored a last minute equaliser from the last experimental 'kick in' in English football. In the

London Senior Cup The London Senior Cup is the County Senior Cup of the London FA. The London Senior Cup was first won by Upton Park in 1882. Although the leading professional sides in London no longer compete, the Cup has been won in the past by the likes of Ar ...

, Staines were runners up in both 1977 and 1981, the earlier final went to a replay versus

Wimbledon Wimbledon most often refers to: * Wimbledon, London, a district of southwest London * Wimbledon Championships, the oldest tennis tournament in the world and one of the four Grand Slam championships Wimbledon may also refer to: Places London * ...

which 'The Dons' won in their last match as a non-League club.

Recent history

Staines have been involved in a protracted and bitter dispute over the club's land since 2018 with a London-based Investment firm Downing LLP, the club's current ownership has actively defended the club's position using its financial resources. In December 2020, the club's ownership group launched a multimillion-pound bid to buy out the investment firm, believed to be in the region of £2.5 million. In March 2022, the club said it has suspended its operations due to a dispute with its landlord. The club made several accusations against the investment firm, including breaches of the

Modern Slavery Act 2015 The Modern Slavery Act 2015 is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It is designed to combat modern slavery in the UK and consolidates previous offences relating to human trafficking, trafficking and slavery. The act extends essential ...

which were denied by the firm, the club suspending all primary operations as a result. Staines were due to take up a place in the Combined Counties League Premier Division North following relegation from Step 4. However, it was announced in July 2022 that their place was taken by Combined Counties Division One side Hilltop. On the same day, the club's website, Twitter account and all other associated social media pages were removed; all but ending 130 years of existence.

Records

*Isthmian League Premier Division Play-Offs, 2008–09 *

best performance: Second Round Proper, 2007–08 and 2009–2010 *

best performance: Fourth Round, 2003–04 *Record attendance: 2,860 vs Stockport County, FA Cup first round replay, 22 November 2007Mike Williams & Tony Williams (2020) ''Non-League Club Directory 2021'', p564 *Biggest victory: 14–0 vs

Croydon Croydon is a large town in south London, England, south of Charing Cross. Part of the London Borough of Croydon, a local government district of Greater London. It is one of the largest commercial districts in Greater London, with an extensi ...

Division One, 19 March 1994 *Heaviest defeat: 1–18 vs

Wycombe Wanderers Wycombe Wanderers Football Club is an English professional association football club based in the town of High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire. The team compete in League One, the third tier of the English football league system. They play their home ...

Great Western Suburban League The Great Western Suburban League was a football league that was primarily held in the Home counties, founded in 1904. History The Great Western Suburban League was founded in 1904, drawing its membership from the Home counties to the west of Lo ...

, 27 December 1909 *Most appearances: Dickie Watmore, 840 *Most goals: Alan Gregory, 122

Stadium

Wheatsheaf Park Wheatsheaf Park is a football stadium in Staines-upon-Thames, England. It was the home ground of Staines Town between its opening in 1951 and the club's disbandment in 2022. The stadium was renovated in March 2000, with Staines Town moving back ...

was the home of the Staines Town Football Club, situated in Wheatsheaf Lane,

, Middlesex, TW18 2PD. It had been the home of the club since it was purchased in 1951. Like many football stadia, it had changed greatly over time; the most recent of these changes was the development of the main stand in the Wheatsheaf Lane End. Planning permission for this was granted by

Council in March 2000, and Staines Town returned to the revamped ground on 22 February 2003. The club boasted a brand new sports bar with Sky Sports football each week and refurbished changing rooms. Wheatsheaf Park was one of the most developed stadiums in its league. Wheatsheaf Park had a total capacity of 3,009, with 300 seated and 800 in covered terrace. The record league attendance for a match at Wheatsheaf Park was 2,285 vs

in 2006. However, one year later Staines had an F.A Cup match against Stockport County and the attendance just crept over the 2,860 mark, setting the club's overall attendance record. Wheatsheaf Park was also previously the home stadium of Chelsea Ladies Football Club before their move to Kingsmeadow in 2017. In 2015 the ground received its UEFA Stadium Category 1 approval and hosted Chelsea L.F.C home fixtures in the

UEFA Women's Champions League The UEFA Women's Champions League, previously called the UEFA Women's Cup (2001–2009), is a European women's association football competition. It involves the top club teams from countries affiliated with the European governing body UEFA. The ...

Club honours

League * Athenian League Division Two ** Winners: 1971–72 * Great Western Suburban League Division Two ** Winners: 1920–21 *

Division One ** Winners (2): 1974–75, 1988–89 *

Premier Play-offs ** Winners: 2008–09 *

** Winners: 1959–60 * West London Alliance Division One ** Winners: 1899–1900 * West London League Division One ** Winners: 1900–01 * West Middlesex League ** Winners:

1904–05 Nineteen or 19 may refer to: * 19 (number), the natural number following 18 and preceding 20 * one of the years 19 BC, AD 19, 1919, 2019 Films * ''19'' (film), a 2001 Japanese film * ''Nineteen'' (film), a 1987 science fiction film Music ...

Cup * Barassi Cup ** Winners: 1975–76 * El Cañuelo Trophy ** Winners (4): 1993–94, 1994–95, 1995–96, 1996–97 * Geoff Harvey Memorial Vase ** Winners:

2010–11 1 (one, unit, unity) is a number representing a single or the only entity. 1 is also a numerical digit and represents a single unit of counting or measurement. For example, a line segment of ''unit length'' is a line segment of length 1. I ...

* George Ruffell Shield ** Winners:

* Jim Lawford Memorial Cup ** Winners: 1999–00 * John Livey Memorial Trophy ** Winners (2): 1993–94, 2013–14 * London Senior Cup ** Runners-up (2): 1976–77, 1980–81 * Lord of Ashford Charity Bowl ** Winners (2): 2001–02,

* Melksham Middlesex Charity Shield ** Winners: 1997–98 *Merthyr Middlesex Charity Shield **Winners: 1990–91 *Middlesex Junior Cup **Winners (2): 1901–02,

1903–04 Nineteen or 19 may refer to: * 19 (number), the natural number following 18 and preceding 20 * one of the years 19 BC, AD 19, 1919, 2019 Films * ''19'' (film), a 2001 Japanese film * ''Nineteen'' (film), a 1987 science fiction film Music ...

*Middlesex Senior Challenge Cup **Winners (10): 1974–75, 1975–76, 1976–77, 1987–88, 1989–90, 1993–94, 1996–97, 2009–10,

2012–13 1 (one, unit, unity) is a number representing a single or the only entity. 1 is also a numerical digit and represents a single unit of counting or measurement. For example, a line segment of ''unit length'' is a line segment of length 1. I ...

*Middlesex Senior Charity Cup **Winners: 1993–94 *

Southern Combination Challenge Cup The Southern Combination Challenge Cup is a football competition contested by non-league clubs. An independent cup, it was directly affiliated to the Football Association until 2015, when a change in FA Rules required such competitions to affili ...

**Winners (3): 1964–65, 1966–97, 1994–95 *

Challenge Cup **Winners: 1968–69 * Staines Cottage Hospital Cup ** Winners: 1925–26 * West Middlesex Cup ** Winners: 1924–25

Former players

1. Players that have played/managed in the Football League or any foreign equivalent to this level (i.e. fully professional league).
2. Players with full international caps.
3. Players that hold a club record or have captained the club. *

Adrian Clifton Adrian Lewis Clifton (born 12 December 1988) is an English born Montserratian footballer who plays as a forward for National League club Maidenhead United and the Montserrat national team. Club career Isthmian League Clifton started his ...

Ahmed Abdulla Ahmed Mohamed Abdulla ( ar, أحمد عبدالله; born 12 November 1991) is a Saudi Arabian born Association football, footballer who played as a central midfielder. He is currently assistant coach at CD Castellón, Castellón. Early life O ...

* Joe Aribo * Jordaan Brown *

Andy Driscoll Andrew Driscoll (born 21 October 1971) is an English retired professional footballer and manager who played in the Football League for Brentford. A knee injury saw Driscoll released in 1992 and he dropped into non-League football. He now works a ...

Dom Dwyer Dominic James Dwyer (born July 30, 1990) is a professional soccer player who plays as a forward. Born in England, he represented the United States national team. While in England, Dwyer represented, among other teams, Norwich City as a youth. ...

Jerel Ifil Jerel Christopher Ifil (born 27 June 1982) is an English footballer who plays as a defender who plays for Swindon Supermarine. He is the elder brother of fellow footballer Philip Ifil. Born in Wembley, Greater London, to a Greeks mother and ...

* Joe O'Cearuill * Gary MacDonald * Andre Scarlett *

Steve Scrivens Stephen Scrivens (born 11 March 1957) was an English professional football winger who played in the Football League for Fulham and Brentford. Club career Fulham Scrivens began his career as a trainee with Second Division club Fulham. Age ...

David Silman David Alan Silman (born 28 October 1959) is an English retired professional footballer who made one appearance as a central defender in the Football League for Brentford. He went on to play for over a decade in non-League football and had a spe ...

Tim Soutar Timothy John Soutar (born 25 February 1946) is an English retired footballer who made one appearance in the Football League for Brentford as an inside left. He went on to have a long career in non-League football and played until the age of 50. ...

Stephen Wilkins Stephen Wilkins (born 31 August 1959) is an English retired footballer who played as a midfielder in the Football League for Brentford. After his release in 1978, he embarked on a long career in non-League football and made a return to professi ...

* Mohamed Bettamer *

James Younghusband James Joseph Younghusband (born 4 September 1986) is a former professional footballer who played mostly as a right midfielder and sometimes as a forward. Born in Surrey, England to an English father and Filipino mother, Younghusband played fo ...

* David Wheeler * Gordon Hill, who went on to play for

Manchester United Manchester () is a city in Greater Manchester, England. It had a population of 552,000 in 2021. It is bordered by the Cheshire Plain to the south, the Pennines to the north and east, and the neighbouring city of City of Salford, Salford to ...

References

External links

Official website
* {{Coord, 51, 25, 11.0202, N, 0, 30, 7.4412, W, type:landmark_region:GB, display=title Association football clubs established in 1892 Association football clubs disestablished in 2022 National League (English football) Isthmian League Parthenon League Athenian League Defunct football clubs in Surrey 1892 establishments in England 2022 disestablishments in England Southern Football League clubs Defunct football clubs in England