Tell me about the Walton Football Club

The Walton Casuals Football Club was a semi-professional football club based in Walton-on-Thames, Surrey. Founded in 1948, the club was affiliated to the Surrey County Football Association, and had been a part of the football pyramid since 1992.

The club joined the Surrey Intermediate League upon formation, and remained there until the league disbanded in 1965. A move to the Surrey Senior League lasted just two years before becoming founding members of the Suburban League. Walton Casuals won their first major honour in 1983 as champions of the Suburban League Southern Section. In 1992, the club turned semi-professional and entered the football pyramid by joining the Surrey Premier League. The Stags earned promotion to the Combined Counties Football League in 1995, and the Isthmian League 10 years later. After two years of groundsharing, the club moved into the Elmbridge Sports Hub – a £20 million sports complex development – for the 2017–18 season. In their first season at the new stadium, Walton secured a top six finish on goal difference and went on to win the play-offs.

Walton Casuals' most notable rivalry came with Combined Counties Premier Division club Walton & Hersham, due to their close proximity. The club also had a rivalry with Molesey, who play in the Isthmian League South Division. The two teams previously competed in an annual pre-season fixture for the Mick Burgess Memorial Trophy, but the competition was halted when Molesey earned promotion to the same league in 2015.