| Clubname: | AFC Croydon Athletic |
| Fullname: | AFC Croydon Athletic |
| Nickname: | The Rams |
| Founded: | 2012 |
| Owner: | AFC Croydon Athletic 2023 Ltd |
| Chairman: | Danny Young, Wilfried Zaha and Stormzy |
| Chrtitle: | Co-chairmen |
| Manager: | Jermaine McGlashan |
| Website: | http://www.afccroydonathletic.co.uk/ |
| Pattern B1: | _thinskycollar |
| Leftarm1: | 800000 |
| Body1: | 800000 |
| Rightarm1: | 800000 |
| Shorts1: | 800000 |
| Socks1: | 800000 |
| Pattern B2: | _navycollar |
| Leftarm2: | FFFF00 |
| Body2: | FFFF00 |
| Rightarm2: | FFFF00 |
| Shorts2: | FFFF00 |
| Socks2: | FFFF00 |
AFC Croydon Athletic is a football club based in Thornton Heath in the London Borough of Croydon, England. The club are currently members of the and play at the Mayfield Stadium. They are affiliated to the London Football Association.[1]
The club was formed in 2012 by fans of Croydon Athletic F.C. after that club withdrew from the Isthmian League during the 2011–12 season and eventually folded.[2] Prior to their resignation, the club's owner Mazhar Majeed had been jailed following his involvement in the Pakistan cricket spot-fixing scandal, Majeed had been recorded admitting that he had purchased the club solely in order to launder money, and the club had been locked out of its ground by the local council due to unpaid debts.[2]
The new club joined Division One of the Combined Counties League for the 2012–13 season. In their first season they finished eighth and won the Division One cup, beating Staines Lammas 5–0 in the final.[3] They finished seventh the following season and were runner-up in 2014–15, earning promotion to level eight of the pyramid. Rather than entering the Premier Division of the Combined Counties League, they were transferred into the Southern Counties East League.[4] The season also saw them win the London Senior Trophy, beating Interwood 4–3 after extra time.[5] The first season in the Southern Counties East Football League saw them finish eleventh, their highest finish to date.
After four years at the club, manager Antony Williams left to join Chipstead in May 2016, and was replaced by Kevin Rayner.[6] At the end of his first season in charge he led the team to their highest finish of seventh. At the end of the 2020–21 season the club were transferred to the Premier Division South of the Combined Counties League.
In 2023 the club was bought by consortium consisting of Premier League footballer Wilfried Zaha, rapper Stormzy and former Crystal Palace head of care Danny Young.[7] [8] In their first season following the takeover the club finished fifth in the Premier Division South, qualifying for the promotion play-offs. After beating Jersey Bulls 2–1 in the semi-finals, they defeated Knaphill 2–1 in the final to earn promotion to the South East Division of the Isthmian League.[9]
After its establishment the club were unable to continue playing at the former club's Mayfield Stadium, and so arranged to groundshare with Croydon F.C. at the Croydon Sports Arena.[10] In January 2013 the Mayfield Stadium clubhouse was destroyed in a fire,[10] but was rebuilt and the club moved to the ground in 2014, playing their first match there against Banstead Athletic on 15 November 2014.[11]
| Position | Name | |
|---|---|---|
| Chairman | Danny Young | |
| Vice-chairman | Paul Smith | |
| Secretary | Paul Pickering | |
| Commercial and Fundraising | Sean Ryan | |
| Manager | Jermaine McGlashan | |
| Assistant Manager | Chris Zebroski | |
| Coach | Michael Kamara | |
| Physio | Denis Lawton |
As of matches played 7 May 2024. All competitive matches are counted.[12]
| Name | From | To | G | W | D | L | %W |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Antony Williams | 29 May 2012 | 4 May 2016 | |||||
| Kevin Rayner | 26 May 2016 | 18 May 2023 | |||||
| Lee Roots & Kevin Rayner (comp & friendlies) | 19 May 2023 | 13 September 2023 | |||||
| Danny Young (temp) | 16 September 2023 | 11 October 2023 | |||||
| Jermaine McGlashan | 11 October 2023 | to date |