Association Football Club Croydon Athletic is a football club based in Thornton Heath in the London Borough of Croydon, England. Founded by supporters of Croydon Athletic after it folded, the club are currently members of the and play at the Mayfield Stadium. They are affiliated to the London Football Association.
The club was formed in 2012 by fans of Croydon Athletic F.C. after that club withdrew from the Isthmian League during the 2011âÂÂ12 season and eventually folded. 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.
The new club joined Division One of the Combined Counties League for the 2012âÂÂ13 season. In their first season they finished eighth and won the Division One cup, beating Staines Lammas 5âÂÂ0 in the final. They finished seventh the following season and were runner-up in 2014âÂÂ15, 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. The season also saw them win the London Senior Trophy, beating Interwood 4âÂÂ3 after extra time. 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,although Peter Deadman was heavily linked to the role he was replaced by Kevin Rayner. At the end of his first season in charge he led the team to their highest finish of his reign of seventh. At the end of the 2020âÂÂ21 season the club were transferred to the Premier Division South of the Combined Counties League.
In 2023, the club was bought by a consortium consisting of Premier League footballer Wilfried Zaha, rapper Stormzy and former Crystal Palace head of care Danny Young. Jermaine McGlashan was appointed manager during the 2023âÂÂ24 season and led the club to a fifth-placed finish in the Premier Division South, qualifying for the promotion play-offs. After beating Jersey Bulls 2âÂÂ1 in the semi-finals, they defeated Knaphill 2âÂÂ1 in the final to earn promotion to the South East Division of the Isthmian League. McGlasham left the club nine matches into the 2024âÂÂ25 season and was replaced by Keith Millen. In February 2025, Danny Kedwell replaced Millen.
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. In January 2013 the Mayfield Stadium clubhouse was destroyed in a fire, but was rebuilt and the club moved to the ground in 2014, playing their first match there against Banstead Athletic on 15 November 2014.