Molesey is both a village and a club steeped in history stemming back as far as the 1800's and a Molesey side won the Surrey Junior Cup in 1913; It was in 1953 that the senior club was officially formed when Molesey St. Pauls United joined forces with another Molesey village side to become Molesey FC. The club spent its early years in the Surrey Senior League with some degree of success in both league and cup competitions.
It was back in 1958 that the club last enjoyed a major honour when they won the Surrey Senior League just five years after their formation. Whilst they have sampled life in the Isthmian Premier Division it was all too brief and the club have ambitions to climb the pyramid once again and hopefully return to the Premier Division and maybe beyond. Molesey FC enjoyed the halcyon days in the early 60's with three appearances in the Spartan League Cup final and Jack Anders' Easter tournaments which featured both local and German sides were always both well supported and financially rewarding but there was little to cheer again until 1972 when the club reached the Spartan League final once again but lost to Bracknell Town at Egham Town FC.
John Sullivan was the man who changed the direction of Molesey FC when he took over following the clubs election to the Athenian League. A host of star names appeared for the club over the next few years including Cyrille Regis who later went on to gain England honours. Regis netted 27 goals in a very short time here before departing suddenly and unexpectedly to Hayes who quickly benefited when they sold him for £5000 to West Bromwich Albion. During Sullivans reign Molesey enjoyed a fantastic record breaking season in the Premier Midweek Floodlit League in 1976/77.
The club won nine out of ten group matches, broke the aggregate goalscoring record and when Chris Proctor netted five times against Hayes it was an individual scoring record. Despite Sullivan's obvious eye for good players and some excellent runs in the FA Vase, Molesey failed to win a trophy during his time in charge although they did progress to the new Isthmian League set-up in 1977. They finished in the top half of the table for the first four seasons and only missed out on promotion to Division One in 1978 when they drew 1-1 at home to Camberley in their final game of the season, a game they needed to win.
After Sullivan's departure a yo-yo existence followed for many years and the club almost went out of business during the mid 80's under the chairmanship of Graham Pearce; his untimely but ultimately necessary departure forced three long serving members to take over and those three gentlemen with the backing of the members saw the club through a tough period; what they did not know was how inspirational their decision to appoint Martin Eede was to prove.
Eede arrived in 1987 and helped turn the club around. Together with his right hand man Ray Best, Eede was responsible for a gradual improvement in the clubs playing fortunes and that improvement reaped its' due reward when Molesey were runners-up to Yeading in 1990 and gained promotion to Division One.
Eede stepped aside to become football chairman and Tony Dunne joined the club to lead them through an incredible spell; again with Ray Best in the back room staff alongside Richard Higgs the club earned two Southern Combination Cup successes, promotion into the Premier Division and runners-up in the League Cup final in 1993. This was the clubs best ever season and included a club record eleven straight victories. This was also the season in which the club made its only foray into the 1st round proper of the FA Cup but they were beaten by Bath City after a glorious run.
Off the field Eede became the principal figure in cajoling the clubs members and supporters through hours of hard work as they carried out the necessary ground improvements required for our promotion to the Premier Division. Dunne eventually left due to business pressures but former Sutton defender John Rains kept the momentum going and in what was an exciting season the club finished 8th in the Premier Division, their best ever league placing at the end of 1994/95.
Sadly Molesey lost the services of both Rains and Eede and two relegations in three years saw them back where they were ten years earlier. South African businessman Norman Clark joined the club in 1997 but departed in January 2004 after seven somewhat controversial years. Ray Best returned to the club during the ex-football chairman's early years and his influence was again obvious as he took the side into the top half of Division One before a somewhat surprising departure, one which Molesey supporters found difficult to comprehend given the sides position at the time.
Several managers came and went during Clark's tenure at the club as Molesey fought to gain promotion once again and Pete Johnson was appointed as manager in May 2002; under his command the club enjoyed their best FA Cup run for ten years; by mid October they had already beaten Hassocks, Fisher Athletic, Hitchin Town and Chertsey Town scoring twelve goals and conceding just two defeats in their last fourteen matches he walked away when he seemed set to lead us into the new campaign while Steve Moss's reign was brief and his departure very acrimonious and public.
Everton and Wales legend Neville Southall took the reigns on a caretaker basis, before the club appointed Steve Beeks as boss in October 2003. However, the club was shrouded in off-pitch problems, and following a long term investigation by the Football Association, who insisted the club hold an EGM, Norman Clark resigned as Club and Football chairman in January 2004. Steve Beeks and his back room team stayed on with the full backing of the new committee and he became the clubs longest serving manager since Martin Eede and was greatly admired around the club.
Off the field, there was tremendous progress around the ground, by some amazing people and club volunteers. The much needed new clubhouse, driven by Chairman John Nunn, was finally opened in April 2006.
However the ongoing legal battles took their toll, with the club being forced to significantly reduce its playing budget for the 2007/08 season, resulting in the resignation of Beeks, who felt he had taken the club as far as he could.
Sadly, the club struggled both on and off the pitch; key off-field personnel left during the Summer and relegation seemed inevitable from an early stage, as the team begun the new year on a torrid run that saw them amass just four points from the opening sixteen games, culminating in relegation to the Combined Counties Leagues, a very hard pill for all to swallow after 30 years in the Isthmian League.
Webb continued as manager in 2008/09, once again assembling a squad virtually from scratch. His new-look side took time to adjust to life in the Combined Counties League, although a fine run either side of Christmas took the club to the outskirts of the promotion race, before injuries and loss of form took their toll, resulting in a mid-table finish. The club enjoyed moderate success in cup competitions, reaching the semi final of the league cup, and bowing out of the FA Vase at the third round after a long trip to Norfolk to face Dereham Town.
Molesey started 2009/10 with Webb continuing as manager, the Moles began the season with a settled side, a top six finish being the aim. After a dreadful start the ship was settled and the Moles finished the season relatively successfully.
The Moles now look to break out of the Combined Counties League sooner rather than later and seem set to be perennial challengers for the title.
The Molesey committee are continuing to try and build links with the local community and steady the club after decades of turbulence.
It was back in 1958 that the club last enjoyed a major honour when they won the Surrey Senior League just five years after their formation. Whilst they have sampled life in the Isthmian Premier Division it was all too brief and the club have ambitions to climb the pyramid once again and hopefully return to the Premier Division and maybe beyond. Molesey FC enjoyed the halcyon days in the early 60's with three appearances in the Spartan League Cup final and Jack Anders' Easter tournaments which featured both local and German sides were always both well supported and financially rewarding but there was little to cheer again until 1972 when the club reached the Spartan League final once again but lost to Bracknell Town at Egham Town FC.
John Sullivan was the man who changed the direction of Molesey FC when he took over following the clubs election to the Athenian League. A host of star names appeared for the club over the next few years including Cyrille Regis who later went on to gain England honours. Regis netted 27 goals in a very short time here before departing suddenly and unexpectedly to Hayes who quickly benefited when they sold him for £5000 to West Bromwich Albion. During Sullivans reign Molesey enjoyed a fantastic record breaking season in the Premier Midweek Floodlit League in 1976/77.
The club won nine out of ten group matches, broke the aggregate goalscoring record and when Chris Proctor netted five times against Hayes it was an individual scoring record. Despite Sullivan's obvious eye for good players and some excellent runs in the FA Vase, Molesey failed to win a trophy during his time in charge although they did progress to the new Isthmian League set-up in 1977. They finished in the top half of the table for the first four seasons and only missed out on promotion to Division One in 1978 when they drew 1-1 at home to Camberley in their final game of the season, a game they needed to win.
After Sullivan's departure a yo-yo existence followed for many years and the club almost went out of business during the mid 80's under the chairmanship of Graham Pearce; his untimely but ultimately necessary departure forced three long serving members to take over and those three gentlemen with the backing of the members saw the club through a tough period; what they did not know was how inspirational their decision to appoint Martin Eede was to prove.
Eede arrived in 1987 and helped turn the club around. Together with his right hand man Ray Best, Eede was responsible for a gradual improvement in the clubs playing fortunes and that improvement reaped its' due reward when Molesey were runners-up to Yeading in 1990 and gained promotion to Division One.
Eede stepped aside to become football chairman and Tony Dunne joined the club to lead them through an incredible spell; again with Ray Best in the back room staff alongside Richard Higgs the club earned two Southern Combination Cup successes, promotion into the Premier Division and runners-up in the League Cup final in 1993. This was the clubs best ever season and included a club record eleven straight victories. This was also the season in which the club made its only foray into the 1st round proper of the FA Cup but they were beaten by Bath City after a glorious run.
Off the field Eede became the principal figure in cajoling the clubs members and supporters through hours of hard work as they carried out the necessary ground improvements required for our promotion to the Premier Division. Dunne eventually left due to business pressures but former Sutton defender John Rains kept the momentum going and in what was an exciting season the club finished 8th in the Premier Division, their best ever league placing at the end of 1994/95.
Sadly Molesey lost the services of both Rains and Eede and two relegations in three years saw them back where they were ten years earlier. South African businessman Norman Clark joined the club in 1997 but departed in January 2004 after seven somewhat controversial years. Ray Best returned to the club during the ex-football chairman's early years and his influence was again obvious as he took the side into the top half of Division One before a somewhat surprising departure, one which Molesey supporters found difficult to comprehend given the sides position at the time.
Several managers came and went during Clark's tenure at the club as Molesey fought to gain promotion once again and Pete Johnson was appointed as manager in May 2002; under his command the club enjoyed their best FA Cup run for ten years; by mid October they had already beaten Hassocks, Fisher Athletic, Hitchin Town and Chertsey Town scoring twelve goals and conceding just two defeats in their last fourteen matches he walked away when he seemed set to lead us into the new campaign while Steve Moss's reign was brief and his departure very acrimonious and public.
Everton and Wales legend Neville Southall took the reigns on a caretaker basis, before the club appointed Steve Beeks as boss in October 2003. However, the club was shrouded in off-pitch problems, and following a long term investigation by the Football Association, who insisted the club hold an EGM, Norman Clark resigned as Club and Football chairman in January 2004. Steve Beeks and his back room team stayed on with the full backing of the new committee and he became the clubs longest serving manager since Martin Eede and was greatly admired around the club.
Off the field, there was tremendous progress around the ground, by some amazing people and club volunteers. The much needed new clubhouse, driven by Chairman John Nunn, was finally opened in April 2006.
However the ongoing legal battles took their toll, with the club being forced to significantly reduce its playing budget for the 2007/08 season, resulting in the resignation of Beeks, who felt he had taken the club as far as he could.
Sadly, the club struggled both on and off the pitch; key off-field personnel left during the Summer and relegation seemed inevitable from an early stage, as the team begun the new year on a torrid run that saw them amass just four points from the opening sixteen games, culminating in relegation to the Combined Counties Leagues, a very hard pill for all to swallow after 30 years in the Isthmian League.
Webb continued as manager in 2008/09, once again assembling a squad virtually from scratch. His new-look side took time to adjust to life in the Combined Counties League, although a fine run either side of Christmas took the club to the outskirts of the promotion race, before injuries and loss of form took their toll, resulting in a mid-table finish. The club enjoyed moderate success in cup competitions, reaching the semi final of the league cup, and bowing out of the FA Vase at the third round after a long trip to Norfolk to face Dereham Town.
Molesey started 2009/10 with Webb continuing as manager, the Moles began the season with a settled side, a top six finish being the aim. After a dreadful start the ship was settled and the Moles finished the season relatively successfully.
The Moles now look to break out of the Combined Counties League sooner rather than later and seem set to be perennial challengers for the title.
The Molesey committee are continuing to try and build links with the local community and steady the club after decades of turbulence.
