There is no doubt that 2008/2009 will go down in the Club history as the most successful season since records began.
The first team took the South Midlands Division One League title with one of the best set of stats for any Step 6 Club in the country W33, D4, L3, GF138, GA30, GD+108, PTS 103.
They followed this up by winning the League Cup 2-0 against Ampthill and inspite of a disappointing result against Broxbourne in the Herts Charity Shield Final the season ended on a high when they came from 1-0 down to win the South Midlands Floodlit Cup 2-1 against Oxhey Jets.
The Reserves managed by Kevin Wilson & John Bloss nearly matched these performances by winning SSML Reserve Division II East with only one defeat all season and in what turned out to be one of the most exciting finals of the season came back from 2-0 down to beat St Margetsbury 3-2 to take the South Midlands Reserve Section Floodlit Cup.
There was also success for the Club’s A Side led by Graham Hagger who ended up runners-up in the KB Tyres, Hertford & District Division 1 to a very good Broxbourne Badgers team.
Add to this a near record breaking attendance of 822 for the last home game of the season against Buckingham Athletic and the honour of having the highest home attendance figures (2733) in the whole of the SSML.
At the SSML AGM the accolades continued to come thick and fast with awards for Best Discipline, Sportsmanship, Outstanding Hospitality and Leading Goal Scorer, Craig Hammond netting 61 league goals and a total of 75 in all competitions. In addition the first team picked up during the season two “Team of the Month” Awards in November 2008 and April 2009. The Reserves won the Sportsmanship Trophy and Simon Jeffries was voted runner-up in the Club Assistant of the Year Award.
So at the start of the 2009/2010 season it’s just down to Paul Attfield and Duncan Easley and their coaching staff to do it all again – no pressure then Paul!!
So when did it all begin – it’s a good question and one that at the time of writing does not have a definitive answer. The year 1872 is currently believed to be the year the Club was founded making it the second oldest club in Hertfordshire. However the first public reference to the Club appeared in the Herts & Cambridgeshire Reporter on October 13, 1876 with a report of a game between Saffron Walden and Royston played on Walden Common the result was a 0-0 draw.
During those early years the Club played mainly “friendlies” before floating in and out of the Cambridgeshire & Herts County Leagues in the late 1800’s and early 1900’s.
The Club’s very first honour came in 1911/12 when they won the Creake Charity Shield beating Wisbech 1-0 in extra time.
During the period up until the early 1930’s the Club played at grounds on Royston Heath, Mackerell Hall and Newmarket Road before acquiring our current home Garden Walk in June 1931.
The Club played in the FA Cup for the first time in 1947/48 losing to Tufnell Park 3-4.
For the sort of success the Club had last season you have to wait until the late 60’s and 70’s.
The Club’s first major honour came in the guise of the Herts County League Division One title in 1969/70 and they repeated the feat in 1972/73 and then went one better in 1976/77 by winning the Herts County League Premier Division. In 1978 we rejoined the South Midlands League and won the Division One title at the first time of asking. Success continued with a final appearance in the Herts Charity Shield for the first time in 1979 and runners up spot in the South Midlands League Premier Division in 1980. The Herts Charity Shield was won in 1981/82 and two years later the Club joined the Isthmian League Division Two North where we remained for six years.
In 1990 the Club lifted the Herts Charity Shield again with a 1-0 defeat of Pirton. However, after a bright start to the following season, we lost our way and dropped from 6th place to 16th. As a result were relegated to Division Three where we remained until resigning from the Isthmian League at the end of the 1993/94 Season despite finishing in 8th spot. It was during this season that the Club achieved its highest official attendance of 876 with the visit of Aldershot Town.
The resignation meant a return to the South Midlands for 1994/95 Season and with Tony Galvin in charge not only did the Club finish in a creditable 4th place, they also captured the South Midlands Floodlit Cup with a 2-1 defeat of Sawbridgeworth Town. The following Season saw a 6th place finish and the departure of Tony Galvin. Paddy Butcher took over as player/manager having returned to the Club from Ware Town. Prior to going to Ware Paddy had played for the Crows for over seven seasons and was the leading goal scorer in all of them.
In 1996/97 the Club finished 6th in the League again and won the Herts Charity Shield for the third time. 1997/98 saw the Club finish 4th in the Premier Division but concluded with the departure of Paddy Butcher.
The next nine seasons saw a period of instability and lack of success as six different managers came and went culminating in relegation from the South Midlands League Premier Division at the end of 2006/07.
Despite this setback the Committee decided to keep faith with the Management Team, and we started the 2007/2008 season under the continued management of Phil Snowden.
However, after a run of poor league results, Phil resigned in November 2007 and was replaced by Paul Attfield from Buntingford Town FC with Tony Galvin returning to Garden Walk as 1st Team Coach.
Paul immediately set about building a new 1st Team squad and a run of 17 games undefeated saw the Club move from bottom of the table to finish in a creditable 5th place in the League.
At the start of last season Paul and Tony were joined by ex-Town favourite Duncan Easley and although Tony moved on before Xmas the foundations had been laid for what turned out to be our amazing record breaking, history making season of 2008/2009.
Honours
First Team
| Winners | |
| 1911/1912 | Creake Shield |
| 1929/1930 | Cambridgeshire League Division Two |
| 1969/1970 | Herts County League Division One |
| 1972/1973 | Herts County League Division One |
| 1976/1977 | Herts County League Premier Division |
| 1977/1978 | South Midlands League Division One |
| 1981/1982 | Herts FA Charity Shield |
| 1989/1990 | Herts FA Charity Shield |
| 1994/1995 | South Midlands Floodlit Cup |
| 1995/1996 | South Midlands Challenge Trophy |
| 1996/1997 | Herts FA Charity Shield |
| 2008/2009 | Spartan South Midlands League Division One |
| 2008/2009 | Spartan South Midlands League Division One Cup |
| 2008/2009 | South Midlands Senior Floodlit Cup |
| Runner Up | |
| 1978/1979 | South Midlands Challenge Cup |
| 1978/1979 | Herts FA Charity Shield |
| 1979/1980 | South Midlands Premier Division |
| 1995/1996 | South Midlands Floodlit Cup |
| 1998/1999 | Herts FA Charity Shield |
| 2004/2005 | Herts FA Charity Shield |
| 2008/2009 | Herts FA Charity Shield |
Reserves
| Winners | |
| 1978/1979 | South Midlands Reserve League Division Two |
| 1979/1980 | South Midlands Reserve League Division One |
| 1988/1989 | Herts FA Intermediate Cup |
| 1992/1993 | South Combination Reserve Floodlit Cup |
| 2008/2009 | Spartan South Midlands Reserve Division Two East |
| 2008/2009 | Spartan South Midlands Reserve Challenge Trophy |
| Runner Up | |
| 1982/1983 | South Midlands Reserve Section Trophy |
A Team
| Winners | |
| 1978/1979 | North Herts Division Four League Cup |
| 1979/1980 | North Herts Division Four League Cup |
| 2006/2007 | Hertford and District League Division Three |
| Runner Up | |
| 1979/1980 | North Herts Division Four |
| 1981/1982 | North Herts Division Three |
| 1982/1983 | North Herts Division Two |
| 1993/1994 | North Herts Division One |
| 2008/2009 | Hertford and District League Division One |
Under 18's
| Winners | |
| 1989/1990 | Chiltern Youth League Division One |
| 1992/1993 | Chiltern Youth League Cup |
| 2001/2002 | Eastern Counties Youth Cup |
| Runner Up | |
| 1986/1987 | Chiltern Youth League Cup |
| 1992/1993 | Herts FA County Youth Cup |
| 2001/2002 | Eastern Junior Plate |
| 2002/2003 | Eastern Counties Youth League Championships |
| 2002/2003 | Eastern Counties Youth Plate |
| 2003/2004 | Eastern Counties Youth League Championships |
Ladies
| Winners | |
| 1998/1999 | Eastern Region Women’s League Division Two South |
| 1999/2000 | Eastern Region Women’s League Division One |
| Runner Up | |
| 1998/1999 | Herts FA Women’s Cup |
| 2001/2002 | Herts FA Women’s Cup |
