AFC Whyteleafe
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| Full name | AFC Whyteleafe | ||
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| Nickname | 'Leafe | ||
| Founded | 2021 | ||
| Ground | Church Road, Whyteleafe | ||
| Capacity | 2,000 | ||
| Chairman | Kelly Waters | ||
| Manager | Ennio Gonnella | ||
| League | Isthmian League South East Division | ||
| 2024–25 | Combined Counties League Premier Division South, 1st of 20 (promoted) | ||
| Website | http://www.afcwhyteleafe.com | ||
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AFC Whyteleafe is an English football club based in Whyteleafe, Surrey. The club was established in 2021 by Chairman Kelly Waters and plays at Church Road, Whyteleafe. The club currently competes in the Isthmian League South East Division, following promotion in the 2024/25 season.
AFC Whyteleafe was formed in 2021 by Kelly Waters, replacing another club, Whyteleafe FC, which folded shortly before. Waters had hoped to purchase the Church Road premises before it was sold to Irama Sports in February 2021,[1] but he discovered the auction a week too late and the sale to Irama went through. Following the withdrawal of Whyteleafe FC from the Isthmian League, and inspired by the story of AFC Wimbledon,[2] AFC Whyteleafe was born.
The new club was granted a position in the Surrey South Eastern Combination League[3] for the 2021/22 season, having formed a merge of registration with Balham FC B Team.[4] This still left the club with less than one month to build a squad from scratch, ready for their debut match on 4 September 2021 at home to Earlsfield 2018.[5]
A crucial part of the successful formation of the club was securing a ground. Church Road was the preferred choice and a four-year deal was reached with Irama to play there.[6]
Following a successful first season, AFC Whyteleafe joined up with Whyteleafe Youth FC ahead of the 2022/23 season to form one AFC Whyteleafe comprising a men's first team and over 30 Youth teams from U7 to U18.
In May 2022, the club was admitted into the Southern Counties East League Division One which sits at Step 6 in the National League System.[7] The club achieved a respectable 8th-place finish[8] in their debut season at Step 6. The following season saw Whyteleafe promoted as champions.[9]
The 2024–25 season saw AFC Whyteleafe crowned champions of the Combined Counties Premier Division South. Despite being third heading into the final day of the season, points deductions for both Jersey Bulls and Redhill saw the club finish top of the league, promoted to the Isthmian League South East Division.[10] The club also made a historic appearance at Wembley in the 2025 FA Vase Final, losing 2–1 to Whitstable Town after extra time.[11]
Ground
AFC Whyteleafe play their home games at Church Road, Whyteleafe, Surrey, CR3 0AR.
The site of Church Road was formerly farmland, and the farm's existing buildings were converted into the clubhouse and dressing rooms. Whyteleafe FC originally planned to add a running track and cricket pitch to the complex, but these plans were abandoned. Floodlights were added in the early 1980s and a new main stand added in 1999 for the club's first round FA Cup match against Chester City, which saw a record attendance of 2,164. Some of the turnstiles added at the ground were purchased from Stoke City's Victoria Ground after they moved to the Britannia Stadium in 1997.
In June 2021, following the purchase of the ground by Singapore-based company Irama, Whyteleafe FC left Church Road due to no agreement being reached with Irama for a new lease with the club.[12]
In August 2021 the new club, AFC Whyteleafe, was formed under new management and a 4-year agreement was reached to play at Church Road.
Committee
In the summer of 2025, having gone up 4 levels in 4 years, a management committee was formed to assist the Chairman with the higher demands of step 4 football.
| Name | Role |
|---|---|
| Kelly Waters | Chairman |
| Niall Maguire | Club Secretary |
| Will Blundell-Moseley | Finance |
| James Lacey | Commercial |
| Gillian Bullen | Match Day |
| Ennio Gonnella | Football |
Management/Coaching Staff
For the first 4 years the team was managed by owner/manager Kelly Waters. After winning back to back titles and making a historic appearance at Wembley in the FA Vase final, Kelly handed over the reigns. The current management team is as follows:
| Name | Role |
|---|---|
| Ennio Gonnella | Manager |
| Danny Rose | Asst. Manager & Goalkeeping Coach |
| Wayne Bullen | Asst. Coach |
| Milvin Boadi | Analyst |
| Lydia Passera-Hughes | Physio |
Squad
- As of Apr 2026
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
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