Latest news with #AFCWhyteleafe
The Sun
22-05-2025
- Sport
- The Sun
Non-league team handed league title despite finishing THIRD… a whole month after season finished
A NON-LEAGUE team has been handed their league title despite a third-place finish. Despite all the money and talent in the Premier League and EFL the Combined Counties South Premier League has been more dramatic. 2 The league ended on April 22, over a month ago, but it was not yet known who had won the league. Jersey Bulls and Redhill lead the table and were only separated on goal difference. But it was neither of these sides that would enjoy a title celebration. That honour instead has gone to third-placed AFC Whyteleafe due to rule-breaks. Both Jersey Bulls and Redhill were docked three points for fielding ineligible players. Jersey were top with 96 points but played a player who should have been suspended on March 20 in the 4-0 victory over Tooting and Mitcham United. As a result, this catapulted the Surrey side with only 95 points to top spot and promotion to the eighth-tier Isthmian League Division One South East. Jersey and Redhill now have to settle for a place in the play-offs and will face Fleet Town and Cobham, respectively. JOIN SUN VEGAS: GET £50 BONUS Whyteleafe boss Kelly Waters has spoken about the surprising turn of events. He admitted that he felt for Jersey and Redhill, having gone through it himself in the past. Every Premier League club's most famous and also most surprising fan Whyteleafe's promotion statement Here is the statement that was shared by Whyteleafe on social media followinf their promotion... It read: "AND, JUST LIKE THAT…. "We say farewell to the Combined Counties South Premier League and (finally) farewell to the end of the 24/25 season. "We've thoroughly enjoyed ourselves this season, taking part in one of the most talked about and evenly contested battles for the title (at this level) in the country. "We've built friendships and relationships with clubs, staff, management, players and fans in this league that will last a long, long time. "We'd like to think that, we played our part in bringing some attention to this excellent league and the amazing clubs in it. "We accept the way we did things at times may of upset one or two. But, we got people talking and piqued people's interest and hopefully, encouraged people to come to games to see what all the fuss was about! "We hope the issues that have tainted the end of the season will be remedied by the FA and League as, the teams in this league deserve so much better. "We wish the teams in the play offs the very best of luck, we know how hard this has been for everyone. "And to all the teams, we wish you all the best for the future and look forward to meeting you soon (hopefully at a higher level!). "Thanks for having us." He told the BBC: "I feel great that we've been crowned champions and been promoted to Step Four, but at the same time it's a very strange way to go about it. "I feel quite sorry for Jersey and Redhill in the situation that they've had, I've experienced it myself before when I was managing at Balham and it's painful. "But they have to enforce the rules to make sure people don't use them inappropriately and in the end we've been a beneficiary of that and we couldn't be happier to be back in Step Four." Whyteleafe is a phoenix club of Whyteleafe FC, which folded back in 2021. The current version was formed by Waters, who acts as the chairman and co-manager. The club did reach the final of the FA Vase this season but were beaten 2-1 by Whitstable Town.
BBC News
22-05-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
Third-placed team wins title after top two docked points
Two teams locked level on points and separated only by goal difference at the top of the league at the end of a 38-game season - yet the title is won by a side one point below is the story in the Combined Counties Premier South, where the top two have been docked three points each for both fielding an illegible player and the title has instead gone to Surrey side AFC caps an amazing season for the club, who were only formed four years ago but reached the FA Vase final earlier this month, where they were beaten 2-1 by Whitstable Town at Bulls finished top with 96 points but were docked three points for fielding a player who should have been suspended in their 4-0 win over Tooting and Mitcham United on 20 Redhill were then set for the title having finished below the Channel Islands side on goal difference but have now also been deducted three points for the same means the trophy has gone to Whyteleafe, who would have finished third with 95 points, and the club have been awarded automatic promotion to the Isthmian League Division One South Jersey will take on Fleet Town and Redhill will face Cobham in the play-offs. "I feel great that we've been crowned champions and been promoted to Step Four, but at the same time it's a very strange way to go about it," Whyteleafe boss Kelly Waters told BBC Radio Surrey."I feel quite sorry for Jersey and Redhill in the situation that they've had, I've experienced it myself before when I was managing at Balham and it's painful."But they have to enforce the rules to make sure people don't use them inappropriately and in the end we've been a beneficiary of that and we couldn't be happier to be back in Step Four."The original Whyteleafe FC folded in 2021 and the current version of the club was formed shortly after by chairman and co-manager Waters.'Leafe entered the Surrey South Eastern Combination League in 2021-22. The club are now back at the same level Whyteleafe FC had been at at the time it folded.
Yahoo
11-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Whitstable beat Whyteleafe to win FA Vase
Whitstable Town came from behind to beat AFC Whyteleafe 2-1 to win the FA Vase at Wembley Stadium. Daniel Bennett put Whyteleafe in front inside 20 minutes, calmly dinking the ball over Whitstable keeper Daniel Colmer after taking a pass from Craig Braham-Barrett. Harvey Smith levelled for Whitstable early in the second half with a long-range shot which went right through Whyteleafe keeper George Hill. The Oystermen completed their comeback when Ronald Sithole was able to find a moment of quality in the first half of extra time, firing into the roof of the net for the winning goal. This was the first time that Whitstable had won the FA Vase, their previous best finish in the competition being the fifth round in the 1996-97 season. Both teams were welcomed out in glorious sunshine, with forecasts predicting temperatures as high as 25C on Sunday at the national stadium. The FA Vase features teams playing in steps 5 and 6 of the English National League system - Whitstable play in the Southern Counties East Football League and Whyteleafe in the Combined Counties Premier Division South. It was Whyteleafe who opened the scoring 18 minutes into the game when Braham-Barrett picked up the ball on the left wing and drove forward before passing infield to Bennett, who chipped it over Colmer before wheeling off in celebration. Whitstable came close to equalising just after the half-hour mark, Finn O'Mara heading narrowly over the bar from a corner kick. Moments later Bennett had a penalty appeal waved away after the forward showed smart footwork in the box and looked to break through for a shot but appeared to be bundled to the ground. Whyteleafe had another call for a penalty kick denied after a similar incident, but again nothing was given. Despite going into the interval a goal down, Whitstable took only seven minutes to find a second-half equaliser. Smith picked up the ball just outside the area in a central position and hit a shot which Hill failed to deal with. Aaron Watson had a great chance to retake the lead for Whyteleafe moments later, running through on goal but his effort was well saved by Colmer. Hill then managed to partly redeem his earlier mistake with 15 minutes remaining as he produced a fine save from close range to deny Whitstable substitute Robbie Rees. Whyteleafe almost found a winner six minutes into added time, but Rodney Eruotor's stunning effort with his left foot thundered off the crossbar. Whitstable were denied by the woodwork in the first half of extra time, the ball crossed from the right and Sithole was at the back post waiting to tap it home, but his effort bounced off the inside of the upright and away. But minutes later Sithole made the breakthrough, as he picked the ball up in the box, cut inside a defender, and fired his shot into the roof of the net with his right-foot. At full time the Whitstable players celebrated in the Wembley sunshine, hugging each other in relief before sprinting over to celebrate with their jubilant supporters.
BBC News
11-05-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
Whitstable beat Whyteleafe to win FA Vase
Whitstable Town came from behind to beat AFC Whyteleafe 2-1 to win the FA Vase at Wembley Bennett put Whyteleafe in front inside 20 minutes, calmly dinking the ball over Whitstable keeper Daniel Colmer after taking a pass from Craig Smith levelled for Whitstable early in the second half with a long-range shot which went right through Whyteleafe keeper George Oystermen completed their comeback when Ronald Sithole was able to find a moment of quality in the first half of extra time, firing into the roof of the net for the winning goal. This was the first time that Whitstable had won the FA Vase, their previous best finish in the competition being the fifth round in the 1996-97 season. Both teams were welcomed out in glorious sunshine, with forecasts predicting temperatures as high as 25C on Sunday at the national FA Vase features teams playing in steps 5 and 6 of the English National League system - Whitstable play in the Southern Counties East Football League and Whyteleafe in the Combined Counties Premier Division was Whyteleafe who opened the scoring 18 minutes into the game when Braham-Barrett picked up the ball on the left wing and drove forward before passing infield to Bennett, who chipped it over Colmer before wheeling off in came close to equalising just after the half-hour mark, Finn O'Mara heading narrowly over the bar from a corner later Bennett had a penalty appeal waved away after the forward showed smart footwork in the box and looked to break through for a shot but appeared to be bundled to the had another call for a penalty kick denied after a similar incident, but again nothing was given. Despite going into the interval a goal down, Whitstable took only seven minutes to find a second-half picked up the ball just outside the area in a central position and hit a shot which Hill failed to deal Watson had a great chance to retake the lead for Whyteleafe moments later, running through on goal but his effort was well saved by then managed to partly redeem his earlier mistake with 15 minutes remaining as he produced a fine save from close range to deny Whitstable substitute Robbie almost found a winner six minutes into added time, but Rodney Eruotor's stunning effort with his left foot thundered off the were denied by the woodwork in the first half of extra time, the ball crossed from the right and Sithole was at the back post waiting to tap it home, but his effort bounced off the inside of the upright and minutes later Sithole made the breakthrough, as he picked the ball up in the box, cut inside a defender, and fired his shot into the roof of the net with his full time the Whitstable players celebrated in the Wembley sunshine, hugging each other in relief before sprinting over to celebrate with their jubilant supporters.
BBC News
11-05-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
Whitstable and Whyteleafe fans head to Wembley for FA Vase final
Tens of thousands of fans are travelling from Kent and Surrey to Wembley as Whitstable Town FC and AFC Whyteleafe face off in the FA Vase is the first time either side have made it to the final of the competition, which is for non-league teams in steps nine and 10 of the English football teams were expected to bring thousands of fans to the home of football, with Southeastern predicting up to 10,000 Whitstable fans could be at the Whyteleafe's joint-manager Gino Gonnella said: "This is bigger than football, non-league brings the community together." AFC Whyteleafe have enjoyed a successful few years since joint-manager and chairman Kelly Waters took over in 2021 after Whyteleafe FC said: "Just to walk out at Wembley in front of our local community all there cheering for the boys, with this team, will be such a treat. I just cant wait."Gonnella added: "There'll be two postcodes on Sunday, one from Whitstable and one from us, but the non-league will bring us both together and we will be one family." Whitstable goalkeeper Dan Colmer runs a coffee van with his mum said: "I think he'll hear us, well he'll hear me, that's for sure."It's once in a lifetime, I think he should soak it all up, it's an amazing experience for any player at any level."Fans heading to the capital from the Whitstable area are being urged to set off early as replacement buses will be are no trains running from Whitstable Station on the day and a replacement bus service, calling at Whitstable, is running between Ramsgate and Faversham. What is the FA Vase? The FA Vase gives teams in steps nine and 10 of the English football pyramid the chance of playing in a national final at Wembley Town play in the Southern Counties East Premier and AFC Whyteleafe play in the Combined Counties League Premier Division South - which are both in the ninth tier of English get to the final, Whitstable Town beat Hartpury University FC 2-0 on aggregate over two legs, while AFC Whyteleafe beat Andover New Street FC 3-1 at home and 1-0 fans have been swept up in their clubs' runs to the final, as 2,000 spectators watched AFC Whyteleafe at home in their 3-1 semi-final win, while Whitstable had an attendance of 2,905 for their home semi-final tie.
