Croydon FC, in blue, have had a mixed season, such as on Wednesday, losing 2-0 at home to Whitstable. Tomorrow, they celebrate the club’s 65th anniversary

NON-LEAGUE NEWS: Croydon FC is marking its 65th anniversary tomorrow with a reunion for all past players and officials at Croydon Arena, when the club hosts Cray Valley.

The celebration includes Croydon Women’s FC who were once a force to be reckoned with in national women’s soccer.

The celebration runs from 1 pm till 11pm.

The get-together gives the chance to reflect on how the club has had an improved season. They might just end up pipping rivals AFC Croydon Athletic in the league this season. While not yet showing enough maturity to be real promotion contenders, the team backed up by the Kinetic Foundation charity, with its strong roots in local youth football, Croydon are now an attractive, top-six-aspiring side in the Southern Counties East Football League.

Manager Harry Hudson sees a top-six placing target by season’s end as being “a good achievement” to aim for.

An extended period of the club being at risk of relegation to the sad, obscure depths of Level 10 non-league football seem to have been ended with the club stabilised under the chairmanship of Martin Burr.

The club’s future seems a good deal stronger than when Croydon Council chief executive Jon Rouse and Tory councillor Sara Bashford tried to force a merger of FC and a then scandal-prone AFC, so that the council could get its hands on a development site at the Arena.

More than 50 people have volunteered over the past week to help with a Sport England-backed scheme to rebuild the clubhouse

The bright future for the club was underlined by the youth team’s 8-1 win at home to Corinthian under-18s last night.

The improved spirit after the shock departure of club legend Dickson Gill at the beginning of 2017 can also be seen in the recent volunteering spirit refurbishing the club house entrance and creating a new facility at the back of the club house, too, and all in time for tomorrow’s celebration.

Kick-off tomorrow is at 3pm against 11th placed Cray Valley at Croydon Arena. Allow extra travel time, due to suspension of some tram services.

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