AFC Whyteleafe manager Kelly Waters is reflecting on Saturday, 27 April, when an 821-strong crowd raised the metaphorical roof of Church Road stadium as the ‘Leafe lifted the Southern Counties East Football League trophy and celebrated their promotion to step five in the national league system.
“It was magical. When we lifted the trophy with the flares going, and we saw the joy on people’s faces…that’s a feeling I’ve never experienced before. It was unique, and the 8-3 scoreline of that last game shows just what energy 821 fans bring with them!”
Leafe’s achievement of three promotions in three years is pretty impressive when you remember that AFC Whyteleafe didn’t exist before 2021. And when you realise that if it wasn’t for a chance encounter in a car park it probably wouldn’t exist now, the story of its latest promotion glory becomes even more compelling.
“I was coaching Balham reserves when I read about what had happened to Whyteleafe FC,” says Kelly, who only took up coaching five years ago after a back injury stopped him from playing and who still has, by his own admission, his ‘managerial L plates’ on.
“I was looking to transition to a bigger club and I’d been moved by their story, so I rang the estate agent to enquire about the stadium. I discovered Irama Sport had bought it a week before. I was so disappointed.
Later, out of curiosity, I drove down to Church Road to see what I’d missed. The new owners’ representatives just happened to be in the car park and, as the stadium was still empty, I cheekily asked them if I could rent the place from them. They said yes!”
Kelly had a stadium and a name – AFC Whyteleafe – but no players, coaching staff or league place and the season would be starting in two weeks. As a brand new team, they would have to start many levels below where the old Whyteleafe had been playing.
“I spoke to Balham about merging with some of their reserve players to form a new team. That way, we could play in a league only four levels below instead. Still a long way behind, but it gave me a goal: rebuild a new club out of the embers of the old one and get them back to where they’d once been in four seasons!”
Next on Kelly’s list was getting the supporters back. He wanted them to know that although it wouldn’t be at the same level as previously, the ‘ball would be rolling again at Whyteleafe’.
“We kept the name and colours, and tried to keep a lot of the old team’s character,” he says. “There were fans who’d been coming to Church Road for years, so we wanted them to return and support the club again.”
After signing up coach Wayne Bullen, and bringing over half a dozen Balham players, the new AFC Whyteleafe held trials, with 100 potential players turning up.
“The speed things progressed at was ridiculous!” remembers Kelly. “Three days after the trials, we played our first friendly, followed a week later by our second, and our first league game a week after that. 500 fans arrived at Church Road to watch that match, an unheard of number of supporters at step eight.”
Despite mixed results during the first half of the season, the scores started tipping in their favour as the players started to gel.
“By the end, we were winning five, six, seven nil every week. We finished runners up and it was obvious we were playing at the wrong level. A new club can go back into the national league system a year after being formed from a dead club, so I applied to the FA to move to step 6. We had facilities for a higher level, so they agreed, and we moved up.
We could then start charging entry, paying players and developing more of a semi-professional set up.”
Leafe’s second season was a tricky one, with a run of difficult pre-Christmas games leaving them low in the table and the fans wondering if this was going to work. But new signings in the new year gave them a boost, and they skirted around the playoff places for a while, before finishing eighth.
“We’d come from nowhere, with nothing, and still managed to get close to the playoffs,” recalls Kelly. “So I thought, if I invest in this team, bring in some stronger players, we could potentially win the league. That’s what I set out to do, although I still can’t quite believe we actually did it!”
Winners
Leafe knew they’d topped the table this season before they played their last game against Greenways at Church Road, meaning the trophy was waiting for them when the final whistle had gone.
“We made the match free entry, so we could give something back to Whyteleafe. It was a fantastic atmosphere, lots of kids there, which was great: we want to encourage them to support the club and get involved in playing football. There’s such a strong community feeling here, which I love.”
Kelly’s vote for Manager’s Player of the Season went to Aaron ‘Azza’ Watson, who had been part of the old Whyteleafe club.
“He’s a lovely, special person. He’s got a top attitude as a sportsperson, he stays positive and trains hard, and models good behaviour for our younger players. Azza is slowly becoming a Whyteleafe legend. He’s been brilliant.”
Defender Antone Douglas received Players’ Player.
“Antone is the unsung hero of the team. He’s reliable, calm and composed, steadying everything at the back.
He’s played virtually every minute of every game, and without him we would have been a really different team. He is a special player: the whole team loves and respects him.”
What’s next?
“Some teams get promoted and let most of their players go, to bring higher-level players in,” says Kelly. “I’m quite a loyal person and I have a level of sadness when people leave, and I actually would like to give the opportunity to continue to as many players as possible.
There are players in the squad who have played at a higher level than the one we’re going to, so I think we’re capable of competing there, and I can keep most of them, which I’m pleased about.
However, there are fringe players who are great players and great people but, because of the amazing squad we have, haven’t played as much as they deserve to. So I’ve been letting those players know they should move, to get more football, to get on the pitch.”
AFC Whyteleafe’s youth teams are also thriving, with many league and trophy wins between them: next season will see the creation of their first U18s team. Kelly is keen to join up the pathway from the younger players to the first team.
“The youth teams play really good, attractive football, and we want to show them that the opportunities are there to progress.”
The women’s team is under new management this year, and Kelly thinks they also have the potential to challenge the top of the table next season. They also reached the final of the Trophy Cup in May, losing 4-2 to Brentford at Dorking’s Meadowbank ground.
“To reach the final is a great achievement, especially with a team which is not that established yet. As they get more time together, and strengthen a few areas, they’re going to do well. And they’re always looking for new players, so there are chances for women with some experience who are looking to play at quite a high level locally to join them.”
The women’s team is sponsored by Ann Summers, a collaboration which Kelly is grateful for.
“There’s a lack of commercial development of women’s football at this level, so having sponsorship from Ann Summers makes a huge difference to our team. We need more sponsors across the club: it would allow us to grow the club. The more teams we can put on, the more kids from the community we can get playing football.”
In May, it was confirmed that AFC Whyteleafe will be playing in the Combined Counties Football League for the 2024/25 season, alongside local rivals Chipstead and Corinthian Casuals.
“At the beginning of this journey, I set out a vision of getting this new Leafe back to where the old Leafe was, which was step four,” smiles Kelly. “So for me, this is hopefully a four-year chapter. If we can win step five next year, then we can say ‘four promotions in four years’. That chapter, delivered.
But, as I said, I’m ambitious, so as soon as we get there, I’ll have a day off, and then I’ll be looking upwards again…”
Watch AFC Whyteleafe in their new documentary series on YouTube, and watch out for Greg Barber’s column opening the Leafe’s new season in September’s paper!
