When I was younger, so much younger than today, Walton & Hersham was one of the big names in amateur football. They won the FA Amateur Cup at Wembley in 1973, and that season, and the following one, they reached the second round proper of the FA Cup.

Fast forward forty-five years, and The Swans were playing in the Combined Counties League Division One, which is Step 6 – that’s the equivalent of Wessex League One.

Then, in the summer of 2019, Walton & Hersham was taken-over by seven student friends, and the club’s subsequent rise has been nothing short of meteoric:

• 2019-20 – the season was expunged with The Swans playing at Step 6;
• 2020-21 – the season was curtailed, but The Swans were promoted to Combined Counties Premier Division (Step 5) on their record over the two non-completed seasons;
• 2021-22 – The Swans finished second and were promoted to Isthmian League Div One South Central (Step 4);
• 2022-23 – The Swans finished runners-up to Basingstoke, and were promoted to Southern Premier South (Step 3);
• 2023-24 – The Swans finished seventh, just three points short of a play-off spot;
• 2024-25 – Billy Rowley’s Swans finished third behind Merthyr and Totton, but lost on penalties in the play-off semi-final to Gloucester;
• 2025-26 – The Swans are currently top of our tree with a W7 D1 L1 GF 23 GA 11 record.

Let’s have a close look at their results this season. At home it’s 100%: Plymouth Parkway (6-3), Taunton (2-1), Evesham (2-1), and last time Sholing (2-0). Their single league defeat was at Hanwell (0-1) on 12^th August; and, of course, there was that remarkable 3-3 comeback at Dorchester when The Swans scored in the 92^nd, 93^rd and 95^th minutes! Rowley’s young team have been beaten at the Elmsbridge Hub though, 2-0 by Chippenham in the FA Cup Third Round Qualifying.

Young is an apt description of their squad – of the 20 players registered, only four are over 24. Captain Joey Jones, with Football League and National League experience, is one of them, as is Dawid Rogalski, currently our division’s leading scorer with eight. Two more of their squad are in the top 12 goalscorers in the division: Johl Powell (five), and summer-signing winger Jack Wood (five). It’s no wonder that The Swans are the division’s top scorers.

Wimborne’s leading league scorers are Will Fletcher (five) and Joe Smith (four), but we also have Lewis Williams whose five goals include four in the FA Cup. If Walton & Hersham are the division’s leading scorers, which team has the meanest defence? That would be Hanwell who’ve conceded nine in nine games. Wimborne have conceded just one more, which is one of the reasons why Tm Sills’ team is sitting 6^th with a W4 D3 L2 GF 16 GA 10 record.

We’ve visited the Elmbridge Sports Hub and its 3G pitch (opened in 2017) four times: three times to play the now defunct Walton Casuals in 2018-19, 19-20, and 21-22 – winning once, losing once, and drawing once; and last season to play The Swans when, after Josh Carmichael had given The Magpies an early second-half lead, 2 quick yellows saw Billy Walker sent for first dibs of the shower gel. Rowley then introduced winger Ryan Vigrass to turn the game on its head and inspire The Swans to a 2-1 win.

There’ll be no Vigrass in Rowley’s team this time, he’s on loan from Dagenham & Redbridge to Totton. Nor will we see Swans’ summer-signing midfielder Ben Acey who recently suffered an ACL injury. One of Wimborne’s summer-signings, Seung-Woo Yang will also be missing with a PCL injury – we wish both these young players a full recovery.

Walton & Hersham were one of the two teams to do the double over The Magpies last season. And they are one of the favourites for another top five position. But Tim’s team will take confidence from the point they won at 4^th-placed Farnham in August.

Back to this Saturday – this fixture has all the makings of being a cracker: the division’s top scorers against one of the division’s meanest defences; two proper footballing sides going head-to-head.

• There are seats available on the team coach, contact Paula if you’re interested.
• Walton & Hersham’s Ground: Elmbridge Sports Hub, Waterside Drive, Walton-on-Thames, Surrey KT12 2JP  – approx 90 miles
• Gates open at 1:30pm
• Average Attendance: 598
• Admission: Adults £14, concessions £10, 13-21 £7, U12 £2.
• Weather Forecast: Sunny; 17oC; <5% chance of rain.