Wands welcome Whyteleafe
AFC Whyteleafe won their promotion to the Isthmian League Premier Division as a result of the Isthmian League South East Division play-offs, beating AFC Croydon Athletic 5-4 on penalties in the final following a 1-1 score line.
Considering that it is quite a haul around the M25 between Whyteleafe in Surrey and Cray's ground in Chislehurst, I find the groundshare between the two clubs a little bit surprising, as surely there are clubs with Step 3 ready grounds a lot nearer to the 'Leafe that could have offered a groundshare option. Having said that, Cray Wanderers have always been a helpful lot, most certainly all of my lifetime, so I am not surprised if AFC Whyteleafe put out a 'Mayday!' request and the Wands gladly came to the rescue. It rather puts other, more closer, clubs in Surrey to shame.
The groundshare will obviously benefit Flamingo Park regulars, who can't travel to Cray's away matches, in that now there will be Step 3 matches played there at most weekends, at least for the forthcoming 2026-27 season, although I doubt if any Wands' season ticket holders will get in to see the Whyteleafe games and vice-versa for free. However, stranger things and agreements have happened before in non-League circles...
My one trip to watch the Wands play at Church Road, where the original Whyteleafe played and the newer AFC Whyteleafe still maintain their headquarters, was not a happy occasion. It was a London Spartan League Cup second-replay in the 1975-76 season (yep, we had them in those days) against Farnborough Town. The first game at then EFL club Aldershot's ground and the replay at Oxford Road had both ended 1-1. In the second replay, the Wanderers zipped into a 2-0 half-time lead before a couple of schoolboy errors let Farnborough back into the game in the second half and they went on to win 4-2. Then I found out on my car radio that same afternoon that Southampton had beaten Crystal Palace 2-0 at Stamford Bridge in that season's F A Cup semi-final (no Wembley Stadium for semi-finals in those days) and my afternoon was totally wrecked.
AFC Whyteleafe hope to return to a new ground in their home land in the not-too-distant future but I am sure that all at Cray Wanderers will make their club and supporters feel welcome at Flamingo Park in the meantime.
Trevor Mulligan