The history of Hemel Hempstead Town FC is rich and complex, marked by mergers, name changes, and significant developments before settling into the club we know today.

 

Of the various clubs that merged to form the current team, Apsley FC's history dates back the furthest. Formed in 1885 as Apsley End FC, the club played at Salmon Meadow in claret and blue colours. The first recorded competitive match was in 1889 when Apsley End entered the Herts Senior Cup. As a founding member of the West Herts Football Association, they entered their first league competition in the 1891/92 season and changed their name to Apsley FC two years later. The club's first major success came in 1894/95 when they won the Division One championship. At this time, it was common for clubs to compete in multiple leagues to play more regularly. Apsley participated in both the Wolverton League and the Herts County League, the latter as a founding member in the 1898/99 season. The club enjoyed success before and after the First World War, winning three Herts County League championships.

 

In 1922, Apsley FC joined the Spartan League, where they remained for 30 years, moving first to Gee’s Meadow in Bourne End for one season, and then to the Wood Lane Ground, known as Crabtree Lane, where they stayed until 1972. While in the Spartan League, the club had some near misses, with three runners-up spots in the lower divisions, a Division One championship in 1933/34, and promotion to the Spartan Premier League for the 1951/52 season. Around this time, the club changed its name to Hemel Hempstead Town, reflecting its move away from Apsley.

 

Hemel Hempstead Town joined the Delphian League but struggled, finishing in the bottom two on five occasions over 11 seasons. The club’s best Delphian League finish was as runners-up in 1961/62. After poor weather led to the abandonment of the Delphian League the following season, Hemel became part of the Athenian League Division Two. In January 1962, a record 3,500 spectators watched Hemel in their first Amateur Cup First Round Proper, where they lost 1-3 to Tooting & Mitcham.

 

In their first Athenian League season, Hemel finished fifth in Division Two and were promoted to Division One due to league restructuring. The 1964/65 season saw Hemel promoted to the Premier Division after finishing runners-up in Division One. However, the club's stay in the Premier Division was brief, with relegations following in the late 1960s, leading to a near 30-year stint in Division Two. Hemel reached the finals of the Herts Senior Cup in 1962 and 1966 but lost on both occasions. In 1967, they reached the final of the Herts Charity Cup for the first time, only to lose 0-1 to St Albans City.

 

In 1972, Hemel Hempstead Town merged with Hemel Hempstead United, adopting United’s Vauxhall Road ground as their new home. With the merger and name changes complete, the club settled in the Athenian League for six more seasons, only shining in the last two with consecutive fourth-place finishes. Despite their success, they never advanced past the FA Cup First Qualifying Round during this period.

 

In 1977, Hemel left the Athenian League for the expanding Isthmian League. They joined Division Two but struggled to progress, often finishing mid-table. Despite several restructurings, Hemel only finished in the top half of the table seven times in 25 years, with their best finishes being three fourth-place finishes in 1976, 1977, and 1993. The 1993 season saw them narrowly miss promotion, losing out by two points to rivals Berkhamsted Town. The 1990s also brought challenges, including a fire at the Vauxhall Road ground in 1992, leading to temporary facilities that remained for over five years. The 1996/97 season was particularly dismal, with Hemel finishing bottom of the league and relegated to Isthmian Division Three, marking only the fifth relegation in the club’s 112-year history.

 

The following decade was eventful, with significant ground improvements, two league championships, a play-off final win, two automatic promotions, and a relegation. In 1997, a new committee took over the club, reverting the name to Hemel Hempstead Town FC and appointing Mick Vipond as manager. Hemel won the Division Three championship at the first attempt, conceding only 28 goals and scoring 86—a remarkable turnaround. However, after a slow start in Division Two, Vipond was replaced by Neil Price, who guided the Tudors to a fourth-place finish and the Division Two championship the following season, although promotion was denied due to insufficient ground grading.

 

In 2001, Gary Phillips took over as manager and led Hemel to a 6th-place finish, but he resigned after a poor start to the 2001/02 season. Tony Kelly, a former Hemel player, took charge but was unable to achieve promotion. In 2004, Hemel joined the Southern League for the first time, competing in the Premier Division. After initial struggles and several managerial changes, Steve Bateman guided the club back to the Southern Premier Division in 2006/07, where they finished in a play-off position but lost in the semi-final.

 

The 2008/09 season began promisingly, but inconsistent form led to the sacking of Steve Bateman in February 2009. Paul Byrne was appointed as his successor, and under his management, Hemel fought their way into the play-offs, only to lose on penalties in the semi-final. The 2009/10 season saw three different managers take charge, with Dean Brennan eventually steering the club to safety after a poor campaign. Despite finishing in a relegation position, Hemel was spared by league restructuring and ended the season with a St Mary’s Cup final win.

 

In the summer of 2010, Colin Payne was appointed as manager in time for the club’s 125th anniversary season. Despite a strong start, inconsistent form saw Hemel finish 15th. Payne was replaced by Tommy Widdrington in October 2011, but despite some improvement, Widdrington left after just four months. Mark Eaton and Alan Biley took over but couldn’t save the club from relegation, though they were reprieved.

 

Dean Brennan returned as manager for the 2012/13 season, bringing in new players and leading Hemel to a club-record fourth-place finish. The Tudors reached the play-off final but lost on penalties after a dramatic comeback. However, the season ended on a high note with the club winning the Herts Senior Cup for the first time since 1926.

 

The 2013/14 season was one of the best in Hemel’s history. After a strong start, the Tudors dominated the Southern League Premier Division, eventually winning the championship. Striker Ben Mackey set a club record with 43 goals, and Hemel achieved the highest average attendance in the league.

 

In August 2014, Hemel played their first season in the Conference South, finishing a respectable 9th and reaching the FA Cup first round and FA Trophy third round. The 2015/16 season was marked by inconsistent form and injuries, but a late-season surge saw Hemel finish sixth, just missing out on the play-offs. Dean Brennan and Stuart Maynard became the club’s longest-serving managers in 30 years.

 

The 2016/17 season was significant as Chairman Dave Boggins marked 20 years in charge. On the pitch, Hemel had an inconsistent season, finishing 12th. However, the Tudors bounced back in 2017/18, finishing a club-record fifth in the National League South and reaching the play-offs, although they were defeated by Braintree on penalties. The club also reached the Herts Senior Cup final but withdrew due to safety concerns about the playing surface.

 

The 2018/19 season was disappointing, with Dean Brennan and Stuart Maynard leaving early on, and Hemel finishing 16th, their worst position since joining the National League South. The following summer, Sammy Moore was appointed as manager, and Hemel started the 2019/20 season strongly. However, the campaign was cut short by the COVID-19 pandemic, with Hemel in 11th place. Despite reaching two cup finals, the season ended prematurely, and Moore's contract was not renewed.

 

Lee Bircham and Steve Bateman took charge for the 2020/21 season, which was also disrupted by the pandemic. They were replaced by Mark Jones in 2021/22, who strengthened the squad, but Hemel finished 15th. The 2022/23 season saw further inconsistency, leading to Mark Jones’s departure in December 2023. Brad Quinton took over, sparking a brief resurgence, although a play-off push remained unlikely with the Tudors eventually finishing the season in 15th. 

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At the start of the 2023/2024 season, Vauxhall Road underwent a makeover as long-standing sponsors and friends of the club, Focus Rigging and Scaffolding, took on the stadium's naming rights. The newly christened Focus Community Arena hosted its first match in front of a bumper crowd of over 1,200, where The Tudors secured a 1-0 victory over Yeovil. 

 

Following a promising start to the season, a challenging winter period saw a difficult run of results. However, this was overturned after a Derby Day victory at Clarence Park on Boxing Day. The reverse fixture began brightly, with The Tudors taking an early 2-0 lead, but this was short-lived as The Saints scored a 90+ minute winner to claim all three points in a 3-2 victory.

 

Wins became hard to come by from that point onwards, leading to Brad Quinton's departure and interim manager Alan Dowson being tasked with accumulating enough points to avoid a relegation battle. Everything was to play for on the final weekend of the season, with The Tudors teetering on the brink of the relegation zone. However, with Taunton losing their games in hand, The Tudors secured their place in the National League South for a 10th consecutive year.