User:Nicholas84/Kew Association Football Club (Kew AFC)

Kew Association Football Club (Kew AFC)

Kew AFC is an amateur football (Soccer) team based at Ham Playing Fields, Riverside Drive, Ham, TW10 7RX.

They are affiliated to the Amateur Football Alliance, and run teams in the Southern Amateur Football League (SAL), and the West Surrey Boys League.

The club was formed in 1906 by bible class teacher Ken Leatherdale, later to be the club's first President. This bible class was based at St. Anne's Church on Kew Green. Initially only friendly games were played. Under the title Of St. Anne's Kew, their games were played at an area known as 87 Acres. In 1911 the club changed its name to Kew Association F.C., two years after entering the Middlesex County Amateur League. In the early twenties the Club continued its growth and entered the Amateur Football Association before moving on to the Southern Olympian and finally to the top grade of the Southern Amateur League. The club's most memorable result is an A.F.A. Semi Final victory over Ipswich Town in 1937, although its best years were in the 70's when they were Southern Amateur League Champions and AFA Cup holders on a number of occasions. During this period they also recorded a number of F A Vase victories over such opponents as Marlow Town and Uxbridge F C. The club now runs seven adult sides on a Saturday plus a veterans and a number of youth sides on a Sunday. Kew Association always played on rented grounds and it was not until 1996 they were able to conclude an agreement with London Borough of Richmond to have their own ground at Ham. There they have three pitches and in 2006 obtained planning permission and funding from FA Foundation to erect new dressing rooms and facilities, of which are now in use. Membership is open to anybody provided they pay their annual membership and abide by the discipline.