Spotlight On – Royston Town Football Club Celebrates 150 Years!
Founded in 1875 “The Crows” are the third oldest club in Hertfordshire after Hitchin and Bishops Stortford and in December this year the Club will be celebrating its 150th anniversary.
It really is a truly remarkable achievement when you think that Disraeli was Prime Minister when the club was formed and has since seen a further 28 Prime Ministers, seven British Monarchs serve the country, survived two world wars and the perils of the Covid pandemic.
In 1931 due to the foresight of a small group of Royston businessmen and notables, the club acquired the freehold of its ground in Garden Walk for the princely sum of £200 and has played there ever since.
Royston won its very first piece of silverware in 1911/12 when we lifted the Creake Shield and it has seen periods of success when competing in the Cambridgeshire league in the early 1930’s and 1940’s. After switching the Herts County league shortly after the end of WWII there was a ‘golden period’ during the mid-1960’s to late 1970’s which saw major championship and cup success.
The progress made by the Club on the playing side since the beginning of 21st century is beyond compare at any stage in our history with promotion to the Southern League Central at Step 4 of the National Non-League Pyramid 2011/12 shortly followed in 2016/17 with promotion to Step 3 and winning the Southern League Challenge Cup.
The Club achieved FA Charter Standard Community status in 2009 by providing a wide range of football activities for both youth and adult groups.
Currently the Club has over 45 youth teams for both boys and girls starting with under 7’s.
For over 25 years the club has been at the forefront in developing Women’s football with ambitions to play in the Women’s National League and the team have won the Herts County Cup for the last two years.
In 2019 the Club launched its Community Programme which has been a huge success in providing local schools sports activities in 22 schools in North East Hertfordshire and can boast engagement with 2000 children in any one week. In addition, the Community programme includes a range of football development and holiday programmes employing four full-time and one part-time coaching staff.
Running parallel to our footballing and community success has been a major investment in our facilities at the ground in Garden Walk for both players and supporters. This includes a total refurbishment of the Clubhouse, the building of a purpose made hospitality and education centre, two new stands, and improvements to the dressing rooms and physio room.
There is absolutely no doubt that Royston Town plays a highly significant role in our Community and is a tribute to the endeavours of all those volunteers who have given freely of their time and skills over 150 years – Royston is a far better place as a result.
RTFC Memorabilia – Royston Museum are hosting a special exhibition marking 150 years of Royston Town Football Club.
The exhibition runs from Thursday 13th November – Sunday 21st December 2025 (during the museum opening hours), and showcases the history of The Crows, celebrating the club’s players, fans, and unforgettable moments from 1875 to today.
If you have any photos, shirts, medals, newspaper cuttings, programmes, or other memorabilia that could be loaned for the exhibition, RTFC would love to hear from you.
While space isn’t guaranteed to display everything due to limitations, all items will be carefully considered.
Sponsorship Opportunities – RTFC are also seeking local businesses and partners who would like to sponsor this historic exhibition.
Your support will help showcase the heritage of Royston Town FC for the whole community to enjoy.
Join us in celebrating 150 years of passion, pride and community at the heart of Royston.
Please get in touch via: marketing@roystontownfc.co.uk
To follow the monthly RTFC Home Fixtures, visit: https://bit.ly/RTFCHomeFixtures
Royston Town Football Club, Garden Walk, Royston, SG8 7HP
www.roystontownfc.co.uk | 01763 241 204
