Cobham F.C.

Cobham Football Club is a semi-professional football club based in the village of Cobham, Surrey, England. Affiliated to the Surrey County Football Association,[2] they are currently members of the Combined Counties League Premier Division and play at Leg O'Mutton Field.

Cobham
Full nameCobham Football Club
Nickname(s)The Hammers
Founded5 November 1886
GroundLeg O'Mutton Field, Cobham
Capacity2,000[1]
ChairmanDave Tippetts
ManagerSam Merison
LeagueCombined Counties League Premier Division
2019–20Combined Counties League Premier Division (season abandoned)

History

The club was formed on 5 November 1886 by villagers connected with the local coffee tavern; the local vicar offered to supply it with a football.[3][4] In 1890, one of the club's players, Arthur Smith, died following injuries sustained in a match against Kingston Wanderers.[5] The club affiliated to the Surrey FA in October 1892,[6] and joined a local league.[7] They played in the Kingston & District League, winning Division One in 1928–29 and 1929–30. The club subsequently transferred to the Surrey Intermediate League (Central), winning the League Cup in 1933–34 and 1935–36.[8][9] They then moved up to the Surrey Senior League for the 1937–38 season.[10]

During World War II Cobham temporarily merged with the Avorians Sports Club to form Cobham Avorians to ensure local football continued.[11] After top half finishes in the two seasons before World War II, the club only finished in the top half on four further occasions until the league was transformed into the Home Counties League in 1978, finishing bottom of the league in 1953–54, 1955–56, 1961–62, 1963–64, 1970–71, 1971–72, 1972–73 and 1975–76.[10] The Home Counties League became the Combined Counties League in 1979, and Cobham spent the 1981–82 season in the Eastern Division when the league was divided into two divisions, before reverting to a single division the following season.[12]

In 1998–99 Cobham finished as league runners-up,[12] and in 2001–02 they won the Premier Division Challenge Cup, beating Bedfont in the final.[13] When the league gained a second division in 2003, the club were placed in the Premier Division. However, they were relegated to Division One after finishing bottom of the Premier Division in 2008–09.[12] In 2017–18 the club were Division One runners-up, earning promotion to the Premier Division.

Ground

The club played at several venues around the edge of the village in their early years, before basing themselves at Cobham Recreation Ground after World War II.[7] During the 1955–56 season they moved to Leg O' Mutton Field on Anvil Lane, with the road name leading to the club gaining the nickname of "the Hammers". In 1995 the ground was formally renamed the Reg Madgwick Stadium after Reg Madgwick, a former player, committee member and fundraiser who had died that year and had his ashes scattered on the pitch.

Floodlights were installed in the 1997–98 season and were first used in a friendly against Woking, which Cobham lost 8–0.[14] It currently has a capacity of 2,000.[1] The main stand was erected in 2004 and another 100-seat stand was installed in 2016.

Honours
  • Combined Counties League
    • Premier Challenge Cup winners 2001–02
  • Surrey Intermediate (Central) League
    • League Cup winners 1933–34, 1935–36
  • Kingston & District League
    • Division One champions 1928–29, 1929–30

Records
  • Highest league position: 2nd in the Combined Counties League, 1998–99[12]
  • Best FA Cup performance: First qualifying round, 2002–03, 2006–07, 2010–11, 2020–21[12]
  • Best FA Vase performance: Third round, 1985–86, 1998–99[12]
  • Record attendance: 2,000, charity match, 1975[1]

See also
  • Cobham F.C. players

References
  1. Mike Williams & Tony Williams (2012) Non-League Club Directory 2013, p631 ISBN 978-1-869833-77-0
  2. Cobham Combined Counties League
  3. "COBHAM". West Surrey Times. 13 November 1886.
  4. Taylor, David C. (2003). Cobham : a history. Chichester, West Sussex: Phillimore. ISBN 1860772471. OCLC 54894112.
  5. "Fatal Accident In Playing Field". The Evening Telegraph. 4 November 1890.
  6. Surrey County FA Handbook 1895/96
  7. Worcester Park v Cobham, Worcester Park Official Matchday Programme, issue 105
  8. Surrey County FA Handbook 1934/35, p82
  9. Surrey County FA Handbook 1936/37, p85
  10. Surrey Senior League 1922-1978 Non-League Matters
  11. "War Time Football: Joint Team In New League". Surrey Advertiser & County Times. 9 December 1939.
  12. Cobham at the Football Club History Database
  13. Honours Combined Counties League
  14. Soccer: Woking boss says keep your hands off my players Get Surrey, 21 February 1997

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