Banstead Athletic Football Club is a football club based in Tadworth, Surrey, England. The club are currently members of the and play at Merland Rise in Tadworth. They are affiliated to the Surrey County Football Association.
The club was established in 1944 as Banstead Juniors, before adopting their current name during the 1946âÂÂ47 season. After winning the Surrey Intermediate Cup that season, the club won back-to-back league titles before moving up to the Surrey Senior League in 1949. They finished as runners-up in their first season, and went on to win four consecutive league titles between 1950âÂÂ51 and 1953âÂÂ54, with Harry Clark scoring 81 goals in 26 games in 1950âÂÂ51. The next two seasons saw them finish as runners-up to Dorking, before they won their fifth title in 1956âÂÂ57. Although they finished as runners-up again for the next two seasons, the club went into decline at the start of the 1960s, and finished second-from-bottom in 1961âÂÂ62.
The 1964âÂÂ65 season saw Banstead win their sixth Surrey Senior League title, claiming the championship on goal average from Chobham, and they moved up to the Spartan League. When the league merged with the MetropolitanâÂÂLondon League in 1975, forming the London Spartan League, Banstead were placed in Division One.
In 1979 the club switched to the Athenian League, where they remained until it disbanded in 1984, winning the League Cup in 1980âÂÂ81. When the league folded most clubs (including Banstead) joining the Isthmian League, with Banstead placed in Division Two South. The league was reorganised in 1991, with the club placed in Division Two. They remained in the division until 2002 when further league reorganisation saw them moved to Division One South. Two years later another reorganisation saw them placed in Division One.
At the end of the 2005âÂÂ06 season Banstead resigned from the Isthmian League and dropped into the Combined Counties League Premier Division. After finishing bottom of the division in 2011âÂÂ12 they were relegated to Division One. They were Division One champions in 2016âÂÂ17, earning promotion back to the Premier Division. Following league reorganisation in 2021 the club were placed in the Premier Division South. However, after finishing second-from-bottom of the division in 2022âÂÂ23 they were relegated to Division One of the Southern Combination.