Merstham Football Club is a football club based in Merstham, Surrey, England. Affiliated to the Surrey FA, they are currently members of the and play at Moatside.
The club was established in 1892. In 1897 they were founder members of the Redhill & District League. In 1926âÂÂ27 the club were Redhill & District League champions, and in 1929âÂÂ30 they won the East Surrey Junior Cup. Merstham won back-to-back titles in 1934âÂÂ35 and 1935âÂÂ36 and again in 1949âÂÂ50 and 1950âÂÂ51, after which they moved up to the Surrey Intermediate League, going on to win the league at the first attempt. In 1965 the club moved up to the Surrey Senior League. They were champions in 1971âÂÂ72, but left the league in 1978 to join the London Spartan League, largely composed of clubs to the north of London. Their first season in the league saw them win its Challenge Cup and the Surrey Senior Charity Cup, before winning the East Surrey Charities Cup in 1979âÂÂ80.
In 1984 Merstham transferred to the Surrey-centred Combined Counties League to reduce their travelling. They were runners-up in 1987âÂÂ88 and 1989âÂÂ90, a season that also saw them win the Elite Cup. When the league gained a second division in 2003, Merstham became members of the Premier Division. After winning the Premier Challenge Cup in 2004âÂÂ05 and finishing as runners-up in the Premier Division in 2005âÂÂ06 and 2006âÂÂ07 (also winning the Premier Challenge Cup and the Southern Combination Challenge Cup), the 2007âÂÂ08 season saw the club win the Premier Division title, the Premier Division Cup and the Surrey Senior Cup.
Winning the Combined Counties League title resulted in Merstham being promoted to Division One South of the Isthmian League. In 2014âÂÂ15 they finished fourth in the division, qualifying for the promotion play-offs. After beating Faversham Town 5âÂÂ4 on penalties in the semi-finals, they defeated Folkestone Invicta 3âÂÂ0 in the final to earn promotion to the Premier Division. They finished the season by winning the Surrey Senior Cup for a second time. In 2016âÂÂ17 the club reached the first round of the FA Cup for the first time, losing 5âÂÂ0 at home to Oxford United in front of a record crowd of 1,920. They won the Surrey Senior Cup again in 2017âÂÂ18. The 2018âÂÂ19 season saw them finish fifth in the Premier Division. In the subsequent play-offs, they beat Carshalton Athletic 2âÂÂ1 in the semi-finals before losing the final 2âÂÂ0 to Tonbridge Angels. In 2021âÂÂ22 the club finished bottom of the Premier Division and were relegated to the South Central Division. At the end of the following season they were transferred to the South East Division.
The club originally played at Limeworks Meadow, a pitch based in the Merstham Lime Works. Players initially had to change in nearby hedges before being allowed to use the nearby Jollieffe Arms pub. In the early 1910s the club temporarily relocated to the Weir ground. They moved to Moatside in the early 1920s. Changing rooms were built in 1960 and a 90-capacity stand opened in 1974.
Floodlights were erected during the 1990âÂÂ91 season and were inaugurated with a friendly match against Crystal Palace. A record attendance of 1,587 was set on 9 November 2002 for a league match against AFC Wimbledon. This was broken in 2016 when 1,920 watched the club's FA Cup first round match against Oxford United.