West Didsbury & Chorlton AFC
Our Vision
West Didsbury & Chorlton are one of Manchester's oldest and leading amateur clubs with a Vision to become a Community Club for the Chorlton and South Manchester area.
The First Team and Reserves play in the FA Vase, Lancashire FA Challenge Trophy and North West Counties Football League.
The A Team are in the Altrincham and District [Saturday] League and the Veterans teams in the Cheshire Veterans Football League on a Sunday.
We have links with local junior clubs and are also planning to develop this with women's and girls football on new grass pitches on the former University Playing Fields at Hardy Farm, adjacent to the club.
We are a volunteer run, not for profit, members club, open to all.
History
The club was formed in West Didsbury as Christ Church A.F.C. in 1908 by a local Sunday School Superintendent. Christ Church joined the Manchester Alliance League, in which they played until 1914.[2] For the 1920–21 season, the club changed its name to West Didsbury A.F.C. and joined the Lancashire and Cheshire League. West played at the top level of this league for many years, finishing runners-up four times and winning the Rhodes cup in 1932. The club was relegated in 1951–52 but were promoted back the following year. In 1959–60, West were again relegated, but this time took six years to regain a place in Division One.[2] This was short-lived, however, as West were relegated again in 1968–69. Despite this, the club won the Rhodes cup for the second time in 1969–70. After again achieving promotion to Division One in 1970–71, two relegations in three years saw West playing in the Lancashire and Cheshire League Division Three, in which they stayed until the late 1980s.[2] In the 1987–88 and 1988–89 season the club achieved back to back promotions as champions. In 2003, the club changed its name to West Didsbury & Chorlton, to reflect its new location after an earlier ground move. In 2006, they entered the Manchester League Division One, won two Murray Shields in three seasons, and were crowned champions in 2010–11, gaining promotion to the Premier Division.[2] In the 2011–12 season, the club played in the FA Vase for the first time, and were knocked out in the Second Qualifying Round by Ashville F.C.[3] For the 2012–13 season the club had its application to enter the North West Counties Football League Division One accepted.[4] This will be the first time the club has played at level 10 of the English football league system.