Formed in 2021 after the previous club Whyteleafe FC folded - Kelly Waters was inspired by the afc Wimbledon story and that’s how they landed on the new name.
Kelly Waters actually managed the club for the first four years but handed over the reins at the start of last season.
In 2025 the club had an amazing run to the FA Vase final at Wembley against the kent side Whitstable town. The game went to extra time with Whitstable coming out on top in the end but the club simply reaching the final was an incredible achievement
FA Vase Final 2025
AFC Whyteleafe lining up pre-match
I spoke to the main man himself Kelly Waters:
From a club formed in 2021 to jumping up 5 levels in just five seasons, your rise has been extraordinary. Looking back, what have been the biggest factors behind that success, both on and off the pitch?
Incredible. We started at step 8 in 2021 and are competing in the Isthmian Premier at step 3 this season. There are many factors to be successful on the pitch. Finances are definitely a part of it, to recruit the best players in the league, but then you have a lot of big personalities to manage and get playing as a team. We did that well by recruiting players that already knew our existing players, so we could build a good culture as well as having good individuals. Then of course there's also management - good man management, good tactics, good recruitment and selection decisions, good substitutions, etc. Off the pitch, we galvanised the community around our phoenix story and rely heavily on the goodwill of our fans and volunteers to help the club.
Winning promotion from three different divisions in consecutive seasons is something very few clubs achieve. Was there a defining moment when you realised this project could go much further than anyone expected?
Climbing the leagues was always the aim and the club has been built from the ground up with that ethos in mind, however it has been done far quicker than anyone expected.
You've strengthened the squad again this summer ahead of the step up to the Isthmian Premier League. What qualities were you looking for in your new signings, and how important is it to balance experience with the culture you've already built?
We have specifically been recruiting younger players with experience at higher levels in order to rebalance the age of the team. Our success so far has come from using very experienced players. We will retain some to make sure there is a mix of experience and younger legs.
The Isthmian Premier League is another significant step up in quality. What challenges are you expecting this season, and what excites you most about competing at this level?
We know it will be harder so we have to recruit some even better players to complement our promotion winning players.
This season you'll be ground-sharing with Cray Wanderers at Flamingo Park. While it's a change from Church Road, what opportunities do you think the move presents for the club and its supporters?
The journey aside, it's a great opportunity to play in a nearly new stadium with superb facilities and a beautiful new 3G ptich which will suit our playing style. I'm expecting some high quality, exciting play on that pitch with the supporters enjoying the new facilities.
One thing that's stood out throughout AFC Whyteleafe's journey is the connection between the club, its volunteers and supporters. How important has that community spirit been in helping drive the club's success?
When the old Whyteleafe club folded, that was a heartbreaking feeling for all our regular fans. From day one, we galvanised the community around the restart story and brought them with us on the new journey from the start. Many of our fans have lived the whole experience, from tthe old club going bust, the new club restarting and climbing five levels in five years with a historic final at Wembley in the FA Vase. Fans and volunteers have been a crucial factor.
After achieving three consecutive promotions and reaching the highest level in the club's short history, where do you see AFC Whyteleafe in the next three to five years? Is the focus on consolidating, or do you believe the club can continue climbing the football pyramid?
It's hard to look that far ahead tbh. With the top 7 in the playoffs now, we will be aiming for top half with an eye on the playoffs. I believe we have the quality to continue climbing and we will see if we need longer to do so from this level. We are also working hard behind the scenes to find a route back to the Whyteleafe area. In the meantime we will keep doing everything we can to be successful on the pitch.
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The season is here....and I for one will be keeping a keen eye on how this group manage to come together and perform on the pitch in what will likely be an extremely competitive Isthmian Premier League.
As they have already shown, one thing teams should not do is underestimate them.
If they do, come the end of the season it might well be 6 levels in 6 seasons!
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