The Corinthian-Casuals Football Club was formed in 1939 following the merger of the two great amateur sides bearing those names. The clubs’ coat of arms is a double-headed lion grasping the flags of the two parent clubs: the blue and white of the Corinthians and the chocolate and pink of the Casuals. The Coat of Arms was granted to the Corinthian-Casuals in 1959 by the College of Arms in recognition of the club’s services to football. No other club, amateur or professional had been so honoured. Corinthian-Casuals joined the Isthmian League for the 1945/46 season. New ground-sharing rules created by the league saw the club unceremoniously thrown out in 1983/84.This coming after 65 years of continuous membership, and in spite of a 5th place finish, simply because the club's long nomadic history meant it shared a ground, thus did not have one of its own. Ironically, the year this occurred was the best in quite a while.
Years were spent in the London Spartan League before moving over to the Combined Counties League for one season where their runners-up position earned them a return to the Isthmian League for the 1997/98 season. Various re-organisations of the league followed until the present structure for the 2006/07 season saw them join the Isthmian League South. In 2015/16 they were subject to a points deduction which cost them a play-off place but the following year they achieved their goal and finished fourth. They beat Greenwich Borough in the play-off semi before losing out in the final, 4-5 on penalties, to Dorking Wanderers. The three previous seasons they had finished 14th, 17th and 13th.
We have met 10 times in the Isthmian League, winning five (twice at home), drawing once (away) and losing four times (three times at home). Last campaign 22nd placed Herne Bay turned over third-placed Casuals, at Winch’s Field in October, thanks to a goal from Adam Woollcott and a Man of the Match performance from Jack Delo. The return in November saw Danny Williams’ opener put Bay in front, the lead cancelled out less than 60 seconds later. Just before the break, as the players gathered in the box ready for a Bay corner, Danny Dudley needlessly lashed out with his foot in un-Corinthian-like spirit and Casuals were down to ten men. But the home team went in front on 63 and minutes before the final whistle Adam Woollcott was the victim of a horrendous challenge from behind which saw him stretchered off. Only a yellow was waved at the perpetrator.
Corinthian-Casuals started this season slowly, 12th after four games, but had moved up to 2nd after 10. Their form in the last 10 has not been great, winning just three, drawing four and losing three, but they did beat Walton Casuals last Saturday, the winner coming in the 86th minute, to jump up to third in the league, 11 places above Bay who are 17 points behind but have played two times less.
The return is at King George’s Field, Queen Mary Close, Hook Rise South, Tolworth, Surrey. KT6 7NA. 76.1 miles from Winch’s Field. Estimated journey time 1 hour 41 minutes on Saturday 21/04/2018 (the last away match of the season).
The first Saturday of the New Year in 2012/13 saw Bay lose 0-1 at home to Chipstead, with the following two seasons seeing the rain winning with postponements at home to Worthing and away at Walton & Hersham. With torrential downpours throughout, Herne Bay fell to a 0-4 defeat at future Champions Folkestone Invicta in 2016/17. Last campaign saw a visit to league leaders Dorking Wanderers and Bay were 3-0 up (it could and should have been five) when the home side pulled one back just before the break. By the hour mark the Surrey side had levelled and but deep into injury time Connor Sanders headed in the winner.