Chesham United Football Club is a semi-professional football club in Chesham, Buckinghamshire, England. Nicknamed "the Generals", they are currently members of the and play at the Meadow. They are sponsored by the Channel 4 programme Taskmaster.
The club was established in 1917 by a merger of Chesham Town and Chesham Generals. The new club joined the Spartan League in 1919, which the Generals had been members of prior to World War I. They won back-to-back league titles in 1921âÂÂ22 and 1922âÂÂ23, and were champions again in 1924âÂÂ25. League reorganisation in 1928 saw them placed in Division One West. However, the following season saw them placed in the Premier Division after further reorganisation, and they were league runners-up in 1929âÂÂ30, before going on to win the league in 1932âÂÂ33. During World War II they played in the Great Western Combination.
When the league resumed after the war, Chesham were placed in the Western Division of the Spartan League for the 1945âÂÂ46 season. The league was reduced to a single division for the 1946âÂÂ47 season, after which the club switched to the Corinthian League. They were runners-up in 1960âÂÂ61 and 1961âÂÂ62, but the league disbanded in 1963 and together with the majority of clubs in the league, Chesham were founder member of the new Division One of the Athenian League. In 1966âÂÂ67 the club reached the first round of the FA Cup for the first time, losing 6âÂÂ0 at Enfield. The following season saw them reach the final of the FA Amateur Cup, losing 1âÂÂ0 to Leytonstone at Wembley Stadium. Another FA Cup first round appearance in 1968âÂÂ69 ended with a 5âÂÂ0 defeat at Colchester United.
In 1973 Chesham switched to Division Two of the Isthmian League, which was renamed Division One in 1977. They reached the FA Cup first round again in 1976âÂÂ77, losing 2âÂÂ0 at Brentford. In 1979âÂÂ80 the club progressed beyond the FA Cup first round for the first time; after beating Minehead 2âÂÂ1 in the first round, they defeated Merthyr Tydfil 3âÂÂ1 in a second round replay, before losing 2âÂÂ0 at home to Cambridge United in the third round. A fifth appearance in the first round in 1982âÂÂ83 resulted in a 1âÂÂ0 defeat by Yeovil Town. The club were relegated to Division Two North at the end of the 1985âÂÂ86 season, but won the division at the first attempt and were promoted back to Division One.
The 1990âÂÂ91 season saw Chesham win Division One, earning promotion to the Premier Division. They went on to win the Premier Division in 1992âÂÂ93, but were denied promotion to the Football Conference due to their ground failing to meet the necessary criteria. The club were subsequently relegated back to Division One at the end of the 1994âÂÂ95 season, although they did reach the FA Cup first round, losing 1âÂÂ0 to Bashley. However, they returned to the Premier Division after winning Division One in 1996âÂÂ97. Following relegation to Division One North at the end of the 2002âÂÂ03 season, the club finished fourth in 2003âÂÂ04, earning promotion back to the same level, although they were transferred to the Premier Division of the Southern League.
Chesham finished bottom of the Southern League Premier Division in 2005âÂÂ06, resulting in relegation to Division One South & West. After one season in the division they were transferred to Division One Midlands. A fifth-place finish in 2008âÂÂ09 saw them qualify for the promotion play-offs, in which they lost 2âÂÂ1 to Nuneaton Town in the semi-finals. They reached the play-offs again the following season with a fourth-place finish, and after beating Burnham 1âÂÂ0 in the semi-finals, they defeated Slough Town 4âÂÂ0 in the final to earn promotion back to the Premier Division.
The club went on to qualify for the Premier Division promotion play-offs in 2011âÂÂ12, losing 3âÂÂ2 to AFC Totton in the semi-finals. The following season resulted in another play-off qualification, this time losing 2âÂÂ0 to Hemel Hempstead Town in the semi-finals. A third successive play-off campaign was secured when they finished as Premier Division runners-up in 2013âÂÂ14, but after beating Stourbridge 2âÂÂ1 in the semi-finals, they lost 3âÂÂ1 to St Albans City in the final. The following season saw them reach the first round of the FA Cup for the first time since 1994, and after beating Bristol Rovers 1âÂÂ0, they were beaten 4âÂÂ0 by Bradford City in the second round. In 2016âÂÂ17 another first round appearance resulted in a 2âÂÂ1 defeat at Peterborough United.
At the end of the 2017âÂÂ18 season Chesham were placed in the Premier Division South due to league reorganisation. They finished fifth in 2022âÂÂ23 and qualified for the promotion playoffs, but lost 1âÂÂ0 to Bracknell Town in the semi-finals. The following season they were Premier Division South champions, earning promotion to the National League South.
In 2022 comedian Alex Horne was appointed a director of the club, whose ground had previously appeared as a location in his television series Taskmaster. In the 2022âÂÂ23 season Taskmaster became the club's shirt sponsor. In the series 20 episode "Thompson", contestants were tasked with creating miniature representations of Chesham's mascot.
Chesham United reserves played in the Great Western Suburban League in the 1919âÂÂ20 season, before joining the new Division Two of the Spartan League, a year after the first team had joined the league. They were Division Two champions in 1921âÂÂ22, the same year as the first team won Division One. When a second Division Two was added in 1925, they became members of Division Two A. League reorganisation in 1928 saw them placed in Division Two West. They did not rejoin the league after World War II.
After playing in the Suburban League, in 2010 the reserve team joined Division One of the Spartan South Midlands League. They left the league at the end of the 2016âÂÂ17 season.