Ashford Town (Middlesex) F.C.
Ashford Town Football Club are a football club based in Stanwell, Surrey, England. The club are currently members of the and play at the Robert Parker Stadium in Short Lane. They are affiliated to both the Middlesex FA and the Surrey FA.
History
The club was established in 1958 as Ashford Albion and joined Division Two of the Hounslow & District League. They finished second in their first season, earning promotion to Division One. They finished as runners-up again the following season, and were promoted to the Premier Division, adopting their current name in 1964. However, the club pulled out the Premier Division during the 1964β65 season, resulting in their record being expunged. The following season the first team took over from the reserves in Division Two.The club finished third in Division Two in 1965β66, resulting in promotion to Division One. After finishing as runners-up in Division One the following season, the club joined the Premier Division B of the Surrey Intermediate League (Western) for the 1967β68 season. They finished fourth in their first season, earning promotion to Premier Division A. After claiming the runners-up spot in 1972β73, they won the division in 1974β75.
Ashford became founder members of the Surrey Premier League in 1982. In 1989β90 they were league runners-up and won the Surrey Premier Cup, beating Farnham Town Reserves 3β0 in the final. In 1990 they were formally renamed Ashford Town to avoid confusion with the Kent club which previously shared the same name, but are now named Ashford United. In the same year they joined the Combined Counties League. They finished as runners-up in 1993β94, and won the league the following season. They went on to win the league in each of the next three seasons, and again in 1999β2000, after which they were promoted to Division Three of the Isthmian League.
After finishing third in their first season in Division Three, they were promoted to Division Two. In 2002, they were moved to Division One South as a result of league reorganisation and, in 2004, switched to the Western Division of the Southern League. In 2005β06, they finished second in the division, and were promoted, being placed in the Isthmian League Premier Division. In 2006β07 they won the Isthmian League Cup and, in 2008β09, the Surrey Senior Cup. At the end of the 2009β10 season, the club were relegated and placed in Division One Central of the Southern League; although they were offered a late reprieve from relegation after Merthyr Tydfil were liquidated, the club declined to take it and started the 2010β11 season in Division One Central.
In 2011β12 the club won both the Middlesex Senior Charity Cup and the Aldershot Senior Cup. The 2013β14 saw the club finish bottom of Division One Central, resulting in relegation back to the Combined Counties League. After finishing third in the Premier Division in their first season back in the league, they were runners-up in 2015β16 and were promoted back to Division One Central of the Southern League. The following season saw the club win the Middlesex Senior Charity Cup for the third time, beating Wealdstone 2β1 in the final. At the end of the 2017β18 season they were transferred to the South Central Division of the Isthmian League.
In 2024β25 Ashford finished third-from-bottom of the South Central Division and were relegated to the Premier Division North of the Combined Counties League.
Ground
Ashford Town have played home games at Short Lane in Stanwell since 1986. The ground has a capacity of 2,550, of which 250 is seated and covered. The ground was renamed the Robert Parker Stadium in 2010 in honour of Bob Parker, who had served as chairman for 28 years. The club groundshared with Cobham for the 2024β25 season while a new artificial pitch was installed.Honours
- Isthmian League
- *League Cup winners 2006β07
- Combined Counties League
- *Champions 1994β95, 1995β96, 1996β97, 1997β98, 1999β2000
- *League Cup Winners 1998β99
- Surrey Intermediate League
- *Premier Division A champions 1974β75
- Surrey Senior Cup
- *Winners 2008β09
- Surrey Premier Cup
- *Winners 1989β90
- Middlesex Senior Charity Cup
- *Winners 1999β2000, 2011β12, 2016β17
- Aldershot Senior Cup Final
- *Winners 2002β03, 2011β12
- Southern Combination Cup
- *Winners 1995β96, 2010β11, 2021β22
Records
- Best FA Cup performance: Fourth qualifying round, 2004β05, 2008β09
- Best FA Trophy performance: Second round, 2003β04, 2010β11
- Best FA Vase performance: Fourth round, 2000β01
- Record attendance: 992 vs AFC Wimbledon, Isthmian League Premier Division, 26 September 2006
- Most goals: Andy Smith