Full name Fisher Football Club Arena/Stadium Champion Hill Founded 2009 | Nickname(s) The Fish Manager Steve Firkins | |
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Ground St. Paul's Sports Ground, Salter Road, Rotherhithe Chairman Dan Feeney / Simon Shipperlee League Southern Counties East League Premier Division 2015–16 Southern Counties East League Premier Division, 17th | ||
Fisher F.C. is a non-League football team based in Rotherhithe, London Borough of Southwark, England who play in the Southern Counties East League Premier Division. The club is affiliated to the London Football Association
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Formation
The club was formed in 2009 by members of the 'Fisher Supporters Trust' when Fisher Athletic Football Club was wound up in the High Court due to financial problems and closed down. The name AFC Fisher was set up as a working name for the new club. They were accepted into the Kent League for the 2009–10 season, and were unanimously elected into the Premier Division of the Kent League at the league's AGM in June 2009. Gary Lisney was appointed manager on 26 June, having been assistant manager to Wayne Burnett at Fisher Athletic as well as a brief spell as manager. Donna Powell, the woman who made history in February by becoming the first female to manage a men's football side in England when she took over for one game of the former Fisher Athletic's doomed campaign, was handed a permanent position on Lisney's coaching staff prior to the new season. In the 2011–12 season the reformed club entered the FA Cup for the first time, making it to the preliminary round before being knocked out by Lingfield.
Ground
Fisher play their home games at St Paul's Stadium, Salter Road. The club returned home at the start of the 2016-17 season, having been in exile for 12 years. Following the founding of Fisher FC the club focused on moving back to Rotherhithe having seen Fisher Athletic uprooted to Dulwich Hamlet's home Champion Hill.
The club worked in conjunction with Southwark Council and Fairview New Homes towards the building of a new purpose built stadium across the road from the old Surrey Docks Stadium, which was completed in early 2016. Fisher played their first game at the 2500 capacity stadium on Saturday 30 July, a 4-0 win against Farnborough OBG.
The Fish return home - 2016/17 season
Fisher kicked off the 2016/17 South Counties East Football League Premier Division season back at home in Rotherhithe and Bermondsey, returning to SE16 after 12 years in exile. During pre-season coach Dean Harrison left the club, to be replaced by non-league legend Gary Abbott who took over in the dugout for his second spell having been manager of Fisher Athletic previously. Abbott was joined by technical coach (and professional Leo Messi body-double) Isa Hussein as player-First Team Coach. Donna Powell also returned to the dugout as First Team Physio.
There were also changes at Boardroom level, with long-serving Chairman Ben Westmancott standing down after seven years leading the Fisher, culminating in the successful return home. Westmancott appointed Directors Dan Feeney and Simon Shipperlee as Interim Co-Chairs, taking on responsibility for leading the club off the field and the search for a new Chairperson.
Following a poor start to the season Gary Abbott was removed from his position as First Team Manager in November 2016 after a 2-4 home defeat to Glebe; Abbott was replaced by former manager Harrison, who returned to the club the same month.