Ground Capacity 2,000 Manager Hayden Bird | Nickname(s) The Moatsiders Chairman Chris Chapman Founded 1892 | |
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League Isthmian League Division One South | ||
Merstham Football Club is a football club based in Merstham, near Redhill, in Surrey, England. They play in the Premier Division of the Isthmian League after promotion in 2015. The club is affiliated to the Surrey County Football Association.
Contents
History
Established in 1892, the club became a founder member of the Redhill and District League in 1897. The club went on to win the Redhill and District League for the first time at the end of the 1926–27 season, a feat they repeated four more times. After their last success in the Redhill and District League in the 1950–51 season the club applied to join the Surrey Intermediate league and in 1952 they were admitted to the Eastern section of the Surrey Intermediate League.
In their first season in the Intermediate league they went on to win the title. The club then joined the Surrey Senior League in 1964, and in their seventh season in the league became champions at the end of the 1970–71 season. In the 1974–75 season the club played in their first national competition by competing in the FA Vase, losing to Horley Town in the first round. In 1978 they joined the London Spartan League and finished in third place in their first two seasons. Their time in the London Spartan League also saw them make their debut in the FA Cup, losing to Hendon in the First Qualifying round.
In 1984 they joined the Combined Counties Football League finishing runners-up in 1987–88 and again in 1989–90. In 2007-08, after finishing as runners-up in the previous two seasons, the club won the championship as well as completing the treble of the Surrey Senior Cup and the Combined Counties League Challenge Cup. This triple success was followed with promotion to the Isthmian League Division One South.
In the 2015–16 season, Merstham were promoted to the Isthmian League Premier Division. After finishing 4th in the regular season, they met Faversham Town in the Play-off Semi Final, where they prevailed on penalties after a goalless draw in 120 minutes. In the final, they visited second-placed Folkestone Invicta. Merstham ran out 3–0 winners, winning a place in the Isthmian League Premier Division for the first time in their history. The average attendance for the season stands at 201.
In 2016–17 Merstham embarked on their best-ever FA Cup run, reaching the first round proper where they met League One opponents Oxford United.The match represented a windfall for the club as they were drawn as the home team and the match was selected for "live" screening on BT Sport, netting them £67,000, more than the club's annual playing budget. The Moatsiders eventually lost the game by 5 goals, although the game was more closely fought than the scoreline suggested. The game also saw the attendance record, which previously stood at 1,587 v AFC Wimbledon on 9 November 2002, broken. The Moatsiders welcomed 1,920 into the stadium, including 450 Oxford fans.
Ground
Merstham play their home games at Moatside on Weldon Way in Merstham. Floodlights were erected in the 1990–91 season at the Weldon Way ground and were inaugurated in an official ‘Floodlight Opener’ against Crystal Palace.
League honours
Cup honours
Club records
Current squad
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
Out on loan
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
Former players
- Players that have played/managed in the football league or any foreign equivalent to this level (i.e. fully professional league).
- Players with full international caps.
Former coaches
- Managers/Coaches that have played/managed in the football league or any foreign equivalent to this level (i.e. fully professional league).
- Managers/Coaches with full international caps.