NON-LEAGUE NEWS: It’s been an impressive start to the season for Croydon Athletic as they eye up promotion, while there’s been more of a mixed bag at Croydon FC. ANDREW SINCLAIR reports
Rammed: FA Cup goal-scorers Kadell Daniel and Nya Kirby helped Athletic make history
Croydon Athletic last season, playing in the lofty echelons of the Isthmian League for the first time since formed as a phoenix club in 2012, looked solid under the leadership of new manager Danny Kedwell, the former Wimbledon striker.
But the Rams, owned in partnership by Stormzy and Wilf Zaha with Danny Young, have enjoyed a power-packed start to 2025-2026, winning six of their first seven games in all competitions.
Three of those victories have come in the FA Cup, with the club progressing to the second qualifying round for the first time in their history.
Having beaten Roffey and Tooting and Mitcham in the two preliminary rounds, Kedwell’s men came from behind to beat league rivals Sittingbourne 2-1 thanks to goals from Kadell Daniel and Nya Kirby. As a check on the videos available on the club’s social media will show, neither of the goals were shabby…
It was a fifth goal of the season for Guyana international Daniel, who has filled the void left by last season’s star man and captain Brandon Pierrick leaving in the summer for National League South side Tonbridge Angels.
Kirby, who won the Under-17 World Cup with England in 2017, got the winner three minutes from time and will be hoping to play a key part in the second qualifying round when the Rams travel to face Hampton and Richmond Borough a week on Saturday.
The FA Cup run has already bagged the club almost £6,000, but a victory on September 13 will take those winnings into the five figures and make more history for the club.
The Rams didn’t enjoy the same success in the FA Trophy, losing 3-1 in the first round to AFC Whyteleafe, but they are unbeaten in the league with three wins from three, including two clean sheets.
Isthmian League SE Division on September 4: early days, but three wins and two cleansheets have Croydon Athletic in a strong position
The Rams’ hot form has seen Kedwell named Manager of the Month for August in their Isthmian division, with goalkeeper Amadou Tangara getting the Isthmian League South East Golden Gloves award for August.
Either side of that history-making FA Cup tie coming up at Hampton, Kedwell’s men will be looking to extend their positive league start with home ties against Sussex clubs Broadbridge Heath and Crowborough Athletic.
Golden gloves: keeper Amadou Tangara has become a favourite with the Rams fans
Their run of games through September and early October looks favourable, which bodes well for the club’s owners’ ambitious goal of promotion come next May.
Over at Croydon Arena, there’s no chance of even a sniff of FA Cup glory yet again, with the men’s team mired in the 10th tier of English football, the Southern Counties East Football League first division for a seventh season.
The Trams have played more games than anyone else in the league so far, with a record of three wins, one draw and three losses, including last night’s impressive 4-2 win away at Elmstead, off the back of their 4-1 away win at Lydd on Saturday.
That’s quite the bounceback, after set-backs in their first two matches, defeats by promotion rivals Rochester United and SE Dons in their first two games.
Since then, joint managers Alex White and Ryan Watts’ side have won three of their last five, and on this week’s evidence, have found their scoring boots, too.
They now face another two away games. The next trip for the Trams looks to be more of a challenge – despite having only survived relegation by reprieve in each of the last two seasons, Gravesend side Greenways have enjoyed a perfect start to the season with five wins from five.
Given that they’ve had a packed start, league action does slow up for the Trams in the coming weeks, with just one more game in the month of September.
Before they round out their league road trip against SC Thamesmead, Watts and White’s former employers, a much longer journey awaits as the Albert Road side have been drawn away to Guernsey in the FA Vase first round.
It’ll be a tough task against a side who’ve only just dropped down into the ninth tier, but maybe there’s another waft of cup magic in the air for our local sides.
Fixtures
(Subject to change. Check the clubs’ online fixture lists)
Croydon Athletic
Sat Sep 13: FA Cup 2nd Q Rd v Hampton & Richmond B (A)
Tue Sep 16: Isthmian SE Div v Crowborough Ath (H)
Sat Sep 20: Isthmian SE Div v Hastings Utd (A)
Sat Sep 27: Isthmian SE Div v Jersey Bulls (H)
Tue Sep 30: Isthmian SE Div v VCD Ath (A)
Sat Oct 4: Isthmian SE Div v Margate (A)
Sat Oct 11: Isthmian SE Div v Erith T (H)
Tue Oct 14: Isthmian SE Div v Crowborough A (A)
Sat Oct 18: Isthmian SE Div v Eastbourne T (A)
Croydon FC
Sat Sep 20: FA Vase Rd 1 v Guernsey (A)
Sat Sep 27: SCEFL Div 1 v Thamesmead (A)
Sat Oct 4: SCEFL Div 1 v Halls (H)
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