Whyteleafe F.C. was formed in 1946, replacing another club, Whyteleafe Albion. Whyteleafe were Surrey Senior League champions on at least one occasion in the 1960s before switching to the London Spartan League in 1975. In 1981 they moved to the Athenian League and then in 1984 to the Isthmian League. In 1989 they were promoted to Division One, a level at which they played for 23 years (albeit with league reorganisations placing the team in Division One South from 2002 to 2004 and again in 2006). The 2011/12 season ended in bitter disappointment and the club’s first relegation in its history. Herne Bay, as Kent League Champions, took Leafe’s place in the Isthmian South and the Surrey side dropped into the Kent League, ending their first season in 6th position.

The 2013/14 season saw a change in name for the league to the Southern Counties East Football League and an upturn in Whyteleafe’s fortunes as they won 26 out of their 32 league matches. The title was won by 11 points from second placed Ashford United and Leafe sealed their return to the Isthmian League. A 3g pitch was installed in the summer of 2014.

Whyteleafe lead the Isthmian League meetings between our two clubs having won four as opposed to Bay’s three. Back in October it was 2-2 at half-time with Danny Rumbol and Tom Carlton both equalising 4th-placed Leafe goals, but the home side went on to score four more in the second period.

On 21st October 2017 Leigh Dynan was Whyteleafe’s manager for the visit of Greenwich Borough to Church Road and by the evening he had resigned and been installed as manager of Bostik Premier Kingstonian. Whyteleafe were 5th at the time. Ex- Bay defender John Scarborough and Danny Rose were appointed as joint-managers and with the disruption and coming and goings of players Leafe went into freefall, failing to win any of the next 11 matches (5 draws, 6 defeats) and by the time of their next victory, at home to Chipstead over two months later they had dropped to 15th. Fortunes changed and only one game was lost from the following 11, including nine wins.

Up to and including last Saturday, a 1-0 home win over Hastings United, they were third in the form table with 16 points from the last 18, moving them up to 8th, but Tuesday saw them defeated 1-5 at Cray Wanderers.

The three meetings so far in the Isthmian League at Winch’s Field have seen crowds of 115, 151 and 191 (an average of 152), only Three Bridges and Crawley Down Gatwick have attracted a smaller average crowd to the Field of Dreams, whilst Whyteleafe have played in front of an average of 155 this campaign.

Whyteleafe currently sit in 8th place, 5 positions and 14 points ahead of Herne, who have four games in hand.

Results on the corresponding weekend in Herne Bay’s Isthmian League history have seen two wins and two defeats, with the away trip to Walton & Hersham in 2012/13 postponed with a waterlogged pitch. Redhill were beaten 2-1 in Surrey in 2013/14 and Molesey at home last campaign. The defeats were in 2014/15, 0-1 at home to Burgess Hill Town, and 2-4 away at Dorking Wanderers in 2015/16.