From Beating Leeds To Playing In Step Five- The Story Of Histon FC

Down in the depths of Step Five, the United Counties League Premier Division South to be more specific, lie a familiar side for lovers of the FA Cup. Histon FC sit a few points from the playoffs in the hopes of returning to their former glory. In this article, we look at the history of Histon, including the highs and recent lows of The Stutes.

Founding Of The Club and Early Years

Since its founding in 1904, Histon FC, also referred to as "The Stutes," have undergone an incredible adventure. Originally founded as Histon Institute FC, the team started playing football in the Cambridgeshire Football League with support from John Chivers, chairman of the nearby business Chivers & Sons. The rose on the club's crest represents the rose-covered pitch that the company donated for athletic events.

Histon participated in regional competitions such as the Eastern Counties League, Delphian League, and Spartan League over several decades. In the 1999–2000 season, Histon won the Eastern Counties League Premier Division title under the leadership of Steve Fallon, a former Cambridge United player, and were promoted to the Southern League Eastern Division.

Historic Cup Run & Rise To Prominence

The team's rise continued, and in the 2008–09 season, they made a historic FA Cup run. Histon met the famous Leeds United in the second round after overcoming League One team Swindon Town in the first round. Histon defeated Leeds 1-0 in a match that was televised live on national television on November 30, 2008, with defender Matt Langston scoring the game-winning goal. Leeds had never lost to a non-league team in the FA Cup until this game.

Following this monumental win, Histon advanced to the third round, where they faced Swansea City of the Championship. The Stutes were narrowly defeated 2–1, concluding their most successful FA Cup campaign to date. In the same season, Histon finished third in the Conference National (now the National League), qualifying for the promotion play-offs. However, their aspirations for promotion to the Football League were dashed after a 2–1 aggregate loss to Torquay United in the semi-finals.

Recent Struggles

The subsequent years were a struggle for Histon as they finished eighteenth the following season, followed by a bottom place finish in the 2010/2011 season resulting in relegation to the National League North.

After two seasons of lower-mid table finishes, the club were relegated from the Conference North at the end of the 2013-2014 season. Returning to the Southern League Premier Division, they were relegated again in 2015/2016, this time to Division One Central. The following season saw the club suffer a second successive relegation, resulting in them returning to the Premier Division of the Eastern Counties League.

These days, Histon play in Step Five of the Non-League pyramid, with hopes of climbing the divisions once more.