Who are Fisher Athletic?
The Fish first emerged on the London football scene in 1908; created to give local youths something to do with their time. For the most part, the club competed in local district leagues. Going forward, they became members of the Parthenon League in 1961. But there’s a small twist in that the club folded and reformed in 1966; setting up camp in Mitcham, not Bermondsey, and signing up the Kent Amateur League ahead of the 1967-8 season.
In 1975, the club secured a spot in the Spartan League; winning the title two seasons on the spin at the top end of the 1980s. The second of these would be achieved in 1982, which is the year they moved to Surrey Docks and moved into the Southern League. Five years later and the Fish were champions of the Southern League; gaining promotion to the Conference if you’d believe. Alas, this was perhaps one step too far; four years of relative struggles resulting in relegation in 1991.
They’d actually have to put up with two successive relegation; diving straight through the Southern League Premier Division. It’s at this point that we have a couple of name changes too. ‘Athletic’ would be lopped off the club’s name in 1993 as the club struggled to regain lost ground. Three years later and more changes to the name were made. ‘Athletic’ made a return to the name – along with London, presumably to make it clear where they were from.
As Southern League Eastern Division champions in 2005, the Fish would return to the Isthmian League in its Premier Division; finishing third at their first attempt. It got them a place in the playoffs to reach Conference South; a chance they took by overcoming AFC Wimbledon and Hampton & Richmond Borough.
