Local coach launches Kingston FC to fill gap left by Kingstonian's move
A new community football club, Kingston FC, has been established in Kingston after the town's better-known side, Kingstonian FC, moved its home matches to the Robert Parker Stadium in Surrey. The club’s founder and coach, a longtime local volunteer identified in reporting as Adam Smith, says the aim is to provide an affordable, accessible option for local adults and to rebuild Saturday grassroots football in the borough.
Smith, who has coached Little League, under-18s and men’s teams in Richmond and Kew, told local media he had been considering starting a club for several years. The catalyst was both the relocation of Kingstonian FC and what he describes as growing costs and unfriendly practices in grassroots football that put pressure on players and families.
"I just felt that the rising costs for the players and families actually to join a football team were too much, and the way players and families were being greeted, it just didn't sit right with me how grassroots community football was going," Smith said.
Club purpose and structure
The new Kingston FC is aimed at over-18s and focuses on Saturday men’s grassroots football. Smith emphasised that the club’s founding was not solely a reaction to Kingstonian’s departure, but that the move presented an opportunity to promote an inclusive, community-centred alternative.
- Accessibility: Kingston FC will prioritise lower costs for players to reduce financial barriers to participation.
- Community focus: The club intends to support local fundraising and charitable activities, using its presence to benefit neighbourhood groups.
- Local roots: Smith chose Kingston because he lives in the borough and wanted to develop a team that reflects and serves the local community.
What the club offers and the void it fills
According to Smith, Kingston did not have a men’s Saturday grassroots football team after Kingstonian FC’s move. While Kingstonian remains an established club playing at a higher competitive level, Smith said it was not always accessible to people seeking low-level grassroots football. Kingston FC aims to be that accessible option.
Smith described practical motivations for the club, including making the sport affordable and creating a welcoming environment for players and families. He plans to leverage local support to help the team run sustainably and to be active in community fundraising.
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Target players | Over-18s (Saturday men’s grassroots football) |
| Main goals | Affordability, accessibility, community fundraising |
| Founder | Adam Smith (local coach and resident) |
The move by Kingstonian FC to play at Robert Parker Stadium in Surrey left a gap in the borough’s community-level football offerings. Smith said Kingston FC’s formation was not solely a reaction to that relocation, but the timing helped to sharpen the club’s community message.
Organisers say the club will also aim to strengthen ties within the borough by running events and fundraisers that benefit local charities. That intention underscores a wider ambition to ensure the club is more than a team: a civic asset that helps knit together local neighbourhoods.
For residents who have watched grassroots sport shift under financial pressure and changing club priorities, Kingston FC’s arrival will be seen as a return to community-led football: lower fees, neighbourly engagement and a place for casual players to compete on Saturdays.
As the club takes shape, details about training times, match fixtures and registration are expected to be shared by its organisers. For now, Smith’s message is straightforward: he wants a club that is run with the community in mind and open to the many people who love the game but have been priced or pushed out of local teams.
The development illustrates a recurring theme in urban boroughs: when higher-level clubs shift ground or focus, grassroots organisers often step in to preserve local access to sport and community activity. Kingston FC’s success will depend on whether it can sustain affordable operations and build the volunteer base needed to keep Saturday football alive in the borough.
