Cobham Football Club was formed on Friday 5th November 1886 by villagers connected with the local Coffee Tavern and the Vicar offered to supply it with a football. The original club colours were scarlet and green.

On 4th November 1890, the Evening Telegraph reported on the death of centre-half Arthur Smith following injuries sustained in a match versus Kingston Wanderers.

In October 1892, the club affiliated to the Surrey FA. The club’s home ground was never settled, using various fields around the outskirts of the village.

Club Secretary Charles Denly served for a record 25 years (1889–1914). During the late 1920s, Cobham played in the Kingston & District League, winning Division One in 1928/29 and 1929/30.

In 1933, Cobham gained Surrey Intermediate status and won the Surrey Intermediate (Central) League Cup in 1933/34 and 1935/36. In 1937/38, Cobham won election to the new Surrey Senior League.

The war years between 1939 and 1945 saw a vote to agree a temporary merger with the Avorians Sports Club to form Cobham Avorians to ensure local football continued.

After the war, the club’s home was Cobham Recreation Ground until 1955/56 when it moved to Anvil Lane, also known as the ‘Leg ‘o’ Mutton Field. The club took its nickname from the word “Anvil” and thus became “The Hammers”.

Phil Walker and Trevor Lee of Millwall FC and cricketer Bob Willis MBE of Surrey & England are amongst famous ex-players. The world-famous rock band The Moody Blues annual charity matches at Cobham led to a record attendance of 2,000 in season 1974/75.

In 1978, The Hammers were founder members of the Combined Counties League, moving up from the now defunct Surrey Senior League.

Long-serving stalwart Dave Tippett first joined the club in the 1980s, serving as player, captain, manager and current chairman since 2015.

In the 1987/88 season, Cobham reached the Surrey Senior Cup semi-final, beating three bigger Vauxhall League sides before losing to Sutton, who went on to knock out Coventry FC in the FA Cup the next season.

Liverpool FC trained in the stadium in the late 1980s on the eve of matches versus Chelsea FC.

The pride of place on the clubhouse wall goes to a painting of Reg Madgwick, who served as player, committee member and fundraiser. When he died in 1995, he requested his ashes be scattered on the pitch and left all his worldly possessions to the club. The ground was renamed The Reg Madgwick Stadium in his honour.

In season 1996/97, the floodlights were installed and christened with a game against Conference side Woking FC in February 1997.

The Hammers’ first senior post-war silverware came in 2001/02 when they beat Bedfont FC 3–2 in the Combined Counties League Premier Challenge Cup.

After the stand went up in 2004, the club remained a mainstay in Combined Counties Division One under the guidance of the late Ken Reed until 2015.

After a new committee was selected in 2015, the club rebuilt its junior football structure with 16 sides to complement the men’s team. A new seated stand, fencing and dual turnstiles were installed during April 2016 to allow the ground to achieve a graded Step 4 rating.

The 2017/18 season saw promotion to the Combined Counties Premier Division under the guidance of Sam Merison and the introduction of an Under-23 side to support the first team.

In August 2019, the club was awarded FA Charter Standard status.

During the Covid years, Cobham enjoyed record cup runs in the FA Cup (1st Qualifying Round) and reached the last 16 of the FA Vase in 2020/21. The U23 side achieved a unique weekend cup double in 2021.

The 2023/24 season saw the laying of a new 3G pitch and new floodlights as part of a £1.2 million investment in partnership with the Football Foundation and Elmbridge Council, led by Sam Merison and Dave Tippetts alongside growth to 20 football teams.

The Hammers remain on a firm footing for continued progression and remain a progressive club epitomised by club servants such as Mark Cornish and Ewemade Orobator.

Ex-pro and senior player Craig Lewington-Era has been the most successful manager in the club’s history, first winning the Combined Counties League Premier Challenge Cup again in 2024/25, beating North Greenford 3–1 in the final.

In 2025/26, Cobham won its first senior league title since 1930, earning promotion to Step 4 for the first time. History was again made when Craig Lewington led the team to the club’s first double by winning the Southern Combination League Cup Final, beating Reading City 5–4 on penalties after a 4–4 draw after extra time.

The team also achieved the club’s highest ever competitive victory, 12–0 versus Chessington & Hook in the Southern Combination Cup quarter-final on 26 March 2026. The match also saw the UK’s best competitive post-war goal-scoring performance, with nine goals scored by Ryan Marklew.


15	Hartley	11	10
16	Hayes	9	7
17	Harrow	9	11
18	Cobham	9	10
19	Ascot	8	11
20	Littlehampton	6	11
21	AFC Stoneham	5	8

Cobham

Match Outlook

South Central Division