AFC Whyteleafe

Last updated

AFC Whyteleafe
Full nameAFC Whyteleafe
Nickname(s)'Leafe
Founded2021
Ground Church Road, Whyteleafe
Capacity2,000
ChairmanKelly Waters
Co-ManagersKelly Waters & Ennio Gonnella
League Combined Counties League Premier Division South
2023–24 Southern Counties East League Division One, 1st of 16 (promoted)
Website http://www.afcwhyteleafe.com

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 are currently members of the Combined Counties League Premier Division South.

Contents

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 4 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 four-year deal was reached with Irama to play there. [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. The following season saw Whyteleafe promoted as champions. [9]

Ground

Church Road, the club's home ground Whyteleafe fc church road.jpg
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. [10]

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

NameRole
Kelly WatersChairman
Felix BakerSupporters Association
Kieron HornAFC Whyteleafe Youth
Nicola AdamsAFC Whyteleafe Youth
Lisa PaceyWelfare Officer

Team Management

ManagerTeam
Kelly WatersMen's First Team Co-Manager
Ennio GonnellaMen's First Team Co-Manager
Junior JamesMen's First Team Head Coach
Corey HolderMen's First Team Player/Coach
Danny RoseMen's Goalkeeping Coach
Jessicer TshibanguMen's First Team Physio
Sam EyarhonoMen's First Team Physio

Men's First Team Squad

As of 15 December 2024

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

No.Pos.NationPlayer
1 GK Flag of England.svg  ENG James Shaw
2FBFlag of England.svg  ENG Scott Jarvis
3FBFlag of England.svg  ENG James Teodorescu
4CMFlag of England.svg  ENG Daniel Bennett
5CBFlag of England.svg  ENG Antone Douglas
6CMFlag of England.svg  ENG Helge Orome (captain)
7FWDFlag of Spain.svg  ESP Gaspar Mico
8CMFlag of England.svg  ENG Eric De Melo Calheiros
9FWDFlag of England.svg  ENG Aaron Watson
10FWDFlag of England.svg  ENG Omari Delgado-Hibbert
11FWDFlag of England.svg  ENG Sirak Negassi
13FBFlag of England.svg  ENG Alton Leeward
No.Pos.NationPlayer
14FWDFlag of England.svg  ENG Gus Ward
15CBFlag of Scotland.svg  SCO Jamie McGeoghegan
16FWDFlag of England.svg  ENG Ryan Hall
18CMFlag of England.svg  ENG Essey Tedros
19FWDFlag of England.svg  ENG Jay Andrews
20FBFlag of England.svg  ENG Tyrone Gondoh
21 GK Flag of England.svg  ENG George Hill
22FBFlag of Montserrat.svg  MSR Craig Braham-Barrett
23FWDFlag of England.svg  ENG Ryan Gondoh
24CBFlag of England.svg  ENG Alex-William Nwadike
25CBFlag of England.svg  ENG Corey Holder
26CBFlag of England.svg  ENG Aaron Goode
30CMFlag of England.svg  ENG Jordan Johnson-Palmer

Honours

Records

(Competitive matches only)

Men's first team:

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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. ↑ "AFC Whyteleafe confirmed as First Division Champions!". www.scefl.com. 23 April 2024. Retrieved 23 April 2024.
  10. ↑ "WFC withdrawn from league". Whyteleafe FC. 14 June 2021. Retrieved 25 August 2021.

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