AFC Whyteleafe
Full nameAFC Whyteleafe
Nickname(s)'Leafe
Founded2021
GroundChurch Road, Whyteleafe
Capacity2,000
ChairmanKelly Waters
ManagerKelly Waters
LeagueSouthern Counties East League Division One
2022–23Southern Counties East League Division One, 8th of 17
WebsiteClub website

AFC Whyteleafe is an English football club based in Whyteleafe, Surrey. The club was established in 2021 and plays at the Whyteleafe Stadium in Church Road, Whyteleafe following the demise of Whyteleafe FC and is currently a member of the Southern Counties East League Division One.

History

AFC Whyteleafe was formed in 2021 by Kelly Waters, replacing another club, Whyteleafe FC, which had existed immediately before. Waters had hoped to purchase the Church Road premises before it was sold to Irama Sports in February 2021,[1] but he discovered the auction a week too late, and the sale to Irama went through. Following the withdrawal of Whyteleafe FC from the Isthmian League, and inspired by the story of AFC Wimbledon in 2002,[2] AFC Whyteleafe was born.

The new club was granted a position in the Surrey South Eastern Combination League[3] for the 2021/22 season, having formed a merge of registration with Balham FC B Team.[4] This still left the club with less than one month to build a squad from scratch, ready for their debut match on 4th September 2021 at home to Earlsfield 2018.[5]

A crucial part of the successful formation of the club was securing a ground. Church Road was the preferred choice and a 4-year deal was reached with Irama to play at what is considered the spiritual home of football in Whyteleafe.[6]

Following a successful first season, AFC Whyteleafe merged with Whyteleafe Youth FC and Whyteleafe Women ahead of the 2022/23 season to form one AFC Whyteleafe club comprising a men's first team, U23's, women's team and 28 Youth teams from U7 to U18.

In May 2022, the club was admitted into the Southern Counties East League Division One which sits at Step 6 in the National League System.[7] The club achieved a respectable 8th-place finish[8] in their debut season at Step 6.

Ground

Church Road, the club's home ground

AFC Whyteleafe play their home games at Church Road, Whyteleafe, Surrey, CR3 0AR.

The site of Church Road was formerly farmland, and the farm's existing buildings were converted into the clubhouse and dressing rooms. Whyteleafe FC originally planned to add a running track and cricket pitch to the complex, but these plans were abandoned. Floodlights were added in the early 1980s and a new main stand added in 1999 for the club's first round FA Cup match against Chester City, which saw a record attendance of 2,164. Some of the turnstiles added at the ground were purchased from Stoke City's Victoria Ground after they moved to the Britannia Stadium in 1997.

In June 2021, following the purchase of the ground by Singaporean-based company Irama, Whyteleafe FC left Church Road due to no agreement being reached with Irama for a new lease with the club.[9]

In August 2021 the new club, AFC Whyteleafe, was formed under new management and a 4-year agreement was reached to play at Church Road.

Off the pitch

Name Role
Kelly Waters Chairman
Dan Thomas Head of Recruitment & Club Development
Oliver Keast Commercial Manager
Tim Deadman Matchday Coordinator
Felix Baker Supporters Association
Kieron Horn AFC Whyteleafe Youth
Nicola Adams AFC Whyteleafe Youth
Lisa Pacey Welfare Officer

Team Management

Manager Team
Kelly Waters Men's First Team Manager
Ennio Gonnella Men's First Team Assistant Manager
Wayne Bullen Men's First Team Coach
Antonio Gonnella Men's First Coach
Matt Grant Men's First Team Goalkeeping Coach
Daniel Morgan-Blake U23s Manager
Jack Badu Women's Team Manager

Men's First Team Squad

As of 13 January 2024

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player
1 GK England ENG James Shaw
2 FB England ENG Kleon James
3 FB England ENG Dami Olorunnisomo
4 CB Ghana GHA Kwabena Osei
5 CB England ENG Antone Douglas (on loan from Sevenoaks Town)
6 CM England ENG Helge Orome (captain)
7 FWD England ENG Temi Alaka
8 CM Eritrea ERI Buruk Tedros
9 FWD Uganda UGA Jesse Sentamu
10 FWD England ENG Omari Delgado
11 FWD Ghana GHA Daniel Adjei
12 FB England ENG James Teodorescu
13 CM Sierra Leone SLE Alton Leeward
No. Pos. Nation Player
14 FWD England ENG Gus Ward
15 CB Scotland SCO Jamie McGeoghegan (on loan from Sevenoaks Town)
16 FWD England ENG Pharrell Mensah
17 FWD Spain ESP Gaspar Mico
18 FWD England ENG Aaron Watson
19 FB England ENG Kane Orlebar
20 FWD England ENG Taurean Roberts (on loan from Walton & Hersham)
21 GK England ENG Jimmy Penfold
22 CM England ENG Adam Allen
23 CB England ENG Alfie Clark
24 CB England ENG Idris Gbadamosi
30 CM England ENG Mike Hill

Records

Men's first team:

  • Best League Performance: 8th - SCEFL Division One (2022/23)
  • Best SCEFL League Challenge Cup Performance: Quarter Final (2023/24*)
  • Best FA Vase Performance: 2nd Round (2022/23)
  • Record Attendance: 515 v Wimbledon Casuals - Surrey South Eastern Combination League Intermediate Division One, 9th April 2022
  • Lowest Attendance: 70 v Dorkinians - Surrey FA Premier Cup 2nd Round, 9th January 2024
  • Biggest Win: AFC Whyteleafe 7-0 SC Thamesmead - SCEFL Division One, 16th September 2023
  • Biggest Defeat: Tooting Bec Reserves 6-2 AFC Whyteleafe - Surrey South Eastern Combination League Intermediate Division One, 11th September 2021
  • Highest Scoring Match: Bermondsey Town 2-7 AFC Whyteleafe - SCEFL Division One, 10th December 2022
  • Most Appearances: Kane Orlebar - 83
  • All-time Top Goalscorer: Joe Condon - 28
  • Most Goals by a Player in a Season: Joe Condon - 22 (2021/22)
  • Most League Goals by a Player in a Season: Joe Condon - 16 (2021/22)
  • Most Goals in a Single Match: Daniel Adjei - 5 vs. Bermondsey Town - SCEFL Division One, 10th December 2022
  • Longest Scoring Streak: Aaron Watson - 10 games, 13 goals (2nd September 2023 - 7th November 2023)

References

  1. ↑ "Singapore-based firm buys up Whyteleafe's football ground". Inside Croydon. 26 February 2021. Retrieved 25 August 2021.
  2. ↑ "The story of AFC Wimbledon". AFC Wimbledon. Retrieved 19 May 2022.
  3. ↑ "Intermediate Division 1: League Table". Surrey South Eastern Combination League (Football.Mitoo). 25 August 2021. Retrieved 25 August 2021.
  4. ↑ "B TEAM". Balham FC. 18 August 2021. Retrieved 28 August 2021.
  5. ↑ "AFC Whyteleafe kick-off thinking 'the impossible could happen'". Inside Croydon. 2 September 2021. Retrieved 19 May 2022.
  6. ↑ "Phoenix club AFC Whyteleafe secure four-year deal to play at Church Road". SurreyLive. 17 August 2021. Retrieved 25 August 2021.
  7. ↑ "National League System club allocations – steps 5/6, season 2022–23" (.pdf). The Football Association. Retrieved 17 May 2022.
  8. ↑ "Southern Counties East Football League Division One Table 2022/23". The FA. 22 April 2023. Retrieved 26 April 2023.
  9. ↑ "WFC withdrawn from league". Whyteleafe FC. 14 June 2021. Retrieved 25 August 2021.

51°18′16.98″N 0°4′46.62″W / 51.3047167°N 0.0796167°W / 51.3047167; -0.0796167

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