Corsham Print
Wiltshire Senior League
Former Clubs
Kington Langley
Grounds
Kington Langley Playing Fields, Church Road, Kington Langley, SN15 5NJ

Seasons in League (Number and period)
2 Seasons (1982-83 & 1983-84)

Status
Folded

League & Cup Honours (when in WSL)
Division 4 Winners 1982-83
Ghia Junior Cup Runners-up 1982-83
Ghia Junior Cup Runners-up 1983-84

Club Notes
The first evidence found of a side from Kington Langley is in Season 1922-23 when a team from the village entered in the newly formed Division 2 of the Chippenham & District League. Kington Langley finished as runners-up to Chippenham Albions that season. The following season they remained in Division 2 and were crowned champions at the end of the season finishing eight points clear of second placed side Railwaymen. This time Kington Langley were promoted but they initially found Division 1 much tougher, failing to win any of their league fixtures in the first season and finishing bottom of the table. They bounced back the following season winning a couple of cups and going close in the league and were to remain in the Chippenham & District League for the rest of that decade.

The start of the 1930’s saw Kington Langley in the Calne & District League and they were champions in 1930-31, finishing four points ahead of Wootton Bassett Town. The following season they played in both the Calne & District league and the Chippenham & District League. Whilst they were only able to achieve a mid-table finish in the Calne League they were champions of the Chippenham League’s Northern Section in a competition that involved just eight games. They then appear to have possibly folded for a period as it has not been possible find trace of them in any league until Season 1936-37 when they were again in the Chippenham & District League but they did not see out the season as they had disappeared from the published tables by March 1937.

After the Second World War Kington Langley were again in the Chippenham & District which for the first few seasons after the war was divided into a Northern & Southern Section. When the League reverted to divisions based on merit in Season 1949-50 they found themselves in Division 2, but a good season saw them finish runners-up to Shaw & Whitley and promoted to Division 1. Season 1951-52 was to prove highly successful as they lifted the title finishing two points clear of Box Rovers. Another good season in 1952-53 saw them finish as runners-up and they were to remain a real force in the Chippenham & District League and, whilst it has not been possible at present to trace details of all seasons, further honours included runners-up in Season 1958-59.

Kington Langley joined the Trowbridge & District League in 1966-67 and had immediate success winning the Division 2 title and achieving promotion at the first attempt, also lifting the Knockout Cup, a trophy they would get to see a lot of in the next few seasons. Having been promoted to Division 1 they went on to be one of the most consistent sides in the division in the next two decades. They won the Knockout Cup in each of the next three seasons to make it four consecutive seasons that they won the trophy. They also were losing finalists in the A & B Cup in both 1968-69 and 1972-73. In the league they finished as runners-up in 1969-70, 1972-73 and 1974-75, the final of these three seasons also saw them lift the Knockout Cup for the fifth time.

It was not just the league cup competitions that they excelled in, Kington Langley reaching the final of the prestigious Wiltshire Junior Cup in Season 1970-71 but they were unable to lift that trophy as they lost to Durrington Dynamos in the final. Unfortunately after a long period of success the club was forced to disband in 1976 but was reformed at the start of the 1980’s and the decade saw Kington Langley briefly back in the Trowbridge & District League as they won Division 4 in Season 1981-82, the season prior to joining the Wiltshire County League. They also had another great run in the Wiltshire Junior Cup and again reached the final, losing to Swindon & District League side Dolphin Hotel in the final.

Season 1982-83 saw them join the Wiltshire County League and an impressive first season saw them lift the Division 4 title, losing just two games all season to finish seven points clear of Wootton Bassett Town Reserves at a time when it was still two points for a win. They led the way in Division 4 from start to finish, scoring more goals than anyone else in the league, 143 in total, with the duo of Bob Turner and Martin Abbott hitting 67 goals between them. They became Division 4 champions following a midweek away win at Sarsen Reserves. A 60th minute winner from Steve Lever with a header from a free kick secured the title. They also went close in the Ghia Junior Cup, going down 2-1 in a replay to Malmesbury Victoria after the first game between the two sides had finished level at 2-2 after extra time.

Promoted to Division 3 after their title success they quickly adapted to the higher level and were again involved in the title race the following season as they battled with the top Junior sides from Swindon, Penhill Reserves and Park Reserves, and also Malmesbury Victoria for the league title. In the end they had to settle for third place, just missing out on further honours. They also made the final of the Ghia Junior Cup for the second consecutive season, this time going down to Plessey Sports. They once again had the top scorer in their division, Tony Audis netting 26 times.

After two highly successful seasons at Junior level in the county, Kington Langley looked to try and go Senior status but the ground at Kington Langley did not meet the ground grading requirements and a loss of key players to other Senior sides in the area saw Kington Langley forced to withdraw from the league. They sought to then re-join the Trowbridge & District League but with the ground not available at Kington Langley the remaining players were forced to play as Langley Sports in Division 3 of the Trowbridge & District League in Season 1984-85, winning the Division 3 title that season.

They were back as Kington Langley in the Trowbridge & District League for Season 1985-86 and once again had further success, winning the Division 2 title and again making the final of the A & B Cup. However, once again they were to suffer defeat in the final of this particular cup as they were beaten by Hilperton United who by defeating Kington Langley won that particular cup for the fourth consecutive season.

There was to be no further league honours but Kington Langley were to remain in Division 1, the top division of the Trowbridge & District League, for the next six seasons before being forced to withdraw from the league at the end of the 1991-92 season. Whilst there were no more league honours, there were a couple of cup finals. In the Trowbridge & District League Knockout Cup they defeated Broughton Gifford in the final of the 1986-87 season to lift the cup for the sixth time. They also once again reached the final of the Wiltshire Junior Cup in Season 1987-88 but once again it was heartache as they lost to Nomansland & Landford in the final in their third appearance in the county’s most prestigious competition for Junior status sides.

There remains a football pitch and facilities at Kington Langley and perhaps one day a club will once again be operational in adult football on a Saturday afternoon.

Team Record
Kington Langley 1982-83 (Picture courtesy of Pete Jefferies)
Kington Langley 1983-84 (Picture courtesy of Pete Jefferies)
Share by: