BRIEF HISTORY OF CHESSINGTON & HOOK UNITED F.C.

Formed as Chessington F.C. in 1921, the club entered the
Kingston & District League and within two years were the Division 4 Champions. Further honours proved elusive as they rose through the divisions until 1961 when they won the Premier Division.

By 1968, the club had moved to the Premier Division of the Middlesex League, which was their first taste of intermediate football. They finished that first season as Runners-up and were consequently admitted to the Surrey County Senior League – a major milestone in the club’s history. Even more significantly, they became Division 1 Champions in the 1970-71 season.

Despite the successes of the late 70’s, the club’s fortunes declined alarmingly in the early 80’s. Relegation to the Surrey Premier League was quickly followed by further demotion to the Surrey Combination. Bankruptcy was a real possibility.

The introduction of a new management team, and amalgamating with Hook United/Hook Youth, led by Chairman Graham Ellis, saw a rebirth of the club and a return to former glory, now to be called Chessington & Hook United F.C.

By 1994, they were back in the Surrey Premier league and two years later, they made a welcome return to senior football in the Courage Combined Counties League.

Chessington played through to the League Cup Final in their first season versus Ash United at Woking, only to lose 6-1. They finished third in the premier division, season 2004/05 and 2005/06 season made the 4th round of the F,A. Vase to be beaten 2-1 by semi-finalists, Cammell Laird, from Liverpool, at Chalky Lane in front of some 500 supporters.

Extensive work was carried out during the close season of 2005/06 to bring the ground up to level five standard, and they now possess a fantastic stand for 200 spectators and also erected a covered area behind one goal!

Season 2006/07, and the first half of the season, languished in the relegation zone, but 15 games unbeaten in the second half saw them finish a respectable 10th position in the League.

2007/08 started with great optimism but after losing a replay at Crowborough in the FA Vase, we played just one game over the Xmas period, finally winning just one match, drawing two & losing seven out of the final ten games to finish 11th.

2008/09 & once again optimism was the word with some very good players on show, and with just one defeat from the first nine games that optimism seemed about right, but we went throgh our worst run of games to escape relegation by goal difference, to finish fourth from bottom.