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Vol 12 No 22 Through The Decades Part 1

Posted: Tue Apr 19, 2022 2:01 pm
by Les1949
HAMPTON, AROUND AND ABOUT

Things you may not know, or didn’t know you knew!

No 22 THROUGH THE DECADES Part 1
A potted history of the club

As we approach the end of our Centenary Season it seems to be appropriate for a quick review of 100 years. Part 1 in this programme, a further three parts will appear in our next three home programmes.
FORMATION
During the Spring and Summer of 1921, a group of people led by Bert Bowell met with the idea of starting up a new club to represent Hampton. There were several clubs in the area (Hampton Nursery Workers, Hampton Court Palace etc) however, at the time, none were thought strong enough to represent the town. Officials appointed including Bert Bowell as Chairman and local businessman Thomas Foster Knowles as President. Colours; Red & Blue Shirts. Ground; Gloucester Road. Leagues entered; Kingston & District (KDFL) and South-West Middlesex (SWMFL). First League game played against Long Ditton Old Boys – lost 1-0.


THE 1920’s
Hampton flip-flop between the KDFL and the SWMFL during the 1920s without threatening to win any championships. The club relocates to Priory Road before settling in at Hatherop Recreation Ground. Cyril Beeks (1900 – 1965) joins the club in 1921 as a player and remains a member until his death. George Knight scores 13 goals during 1921/22; Charlie Bulley scores over 40 goals during the mid-1920s. 1925/26; Sunbury Old Boys are beaten 2-1 in the Teck Senior Cup Final in front of 4,500 at Kingstonian FC, W Bond scores both goals.
THE 1930’s
The club wins its first championship at the end of the1929/30 season. A further three successive KDFL championships would be won in their first ‘golden period’. In 1929/30 the team were unbeaten in the league; winning 15 and drawing 1, finishing 10 points clear of Molesey. Between 1929/30 and 1932/33 Hampton played 62 league matches, won 55 games, with 2 draws and 5 defeats, scoring 282 goals and conceding 84. There would be no more Championships until winning the Surrey Senior League in 1963/64. Following this ‘golden period’ the club returned to the SWMFL where the club would remain until 1958/59.
The 1939/40 season is cancelled, competitive football would not re-start until 1946.
The Old Historian