Directions: Take A421 Bedford bypass turning to Kempston onto A5140 (Woburn Road). At the second roundabout take the first exit into St Johns Street. At the next roundabout (Lidl) turn right into Bedford Road. Continue along Bedford Rd through Kempston towards Bedford (Sainsbury's will be on you right). A park will appear on your left. At the end of the park is a set of traffic lights - turn left into Hillgrounds Road. AFC Kempston is down the hill, past the swimming pool on the right hand side.
Kempston Rovers were formed in 1884 and their first league competition was the Bedford & District League. Their first league championship was won in 1908 and twelve months later Rovers retained the title while also carrying off the Bedfordshire Senior Cup and North Beds Charity Cup.
Kempston joined the South Midlands League in 1927, and while league honours eluded them they continued to enjoy cup success, winning the Senior Cup for a second time in 1938 and winning the Hinchingbrooke Cup in 1926, 1928 and 1932.
The Walnut Boys joined the United Counties League in 1953 and fortunes took an upturn. After winning the Second Division League and cup double in 1955, Kempston continued to enjoy success as the competition reverted to a single division. They were champions in 1958 and runners-up in 1957 and 1960, while in the Knockout Cup they contested five successive finals between 1957 and 1961, winning the trophy in 1958 and 1960.
When the league returned to a two division format a lack of facilities saw Kempston placed in Division Two. They upgraded the Hillgrounds facilities but after being readmitted to the top flight they suffered instant relegation in 1963 with just five points to their name. A top division place was regained in 1968 after Rovers finished Second Division runners-up.
1973 saw the start of a new era as Kempston relocated to a new ground further down Hillgrounds Road. A magnificent season saw the Walnut Boys storm to the Premier title losing only once in 32 games. A golden period in the club's history saw League Cup successes in 1975 and 1977, the Beds Senior Cup was again captured in 1977 while the Walnut Boys reached the last 16 of the FA Vase in 1975.
The club nearly folded in the early eighties and were relegated in 1983, but they bounced back to the top flight in 1986 before moving to their current ground, their third in the same road.
Kempston won the Beds Senior Cup in 1992 and the Hunts Premier Cup and North Beds Charity Cup in 2000
In 2002 Kempston Rovers, Kempston Colts and Kempston Town joined forces to pool resources under the name AFC Kempston The club suffered a fourth relegation from the top flight in 2003.
For the last two seasons the club finished third from bottom in division, 2005 saw the start of major re-developments at Hillgrounds Road with the building of new changing facilities and the building of a Artificial Training Pitch. On the pitch Clive Black and John ‘Buzz’ Leeson were appointed joint managers and the club fortunes on the pitch turned around which saw the walnut boys only just missed out on promotion at the end of the season.
2006 saw the completion of the new £3/4 million Football Foundation funded project, including a state of the art 3rd generation all weather training pitch, new changing facilities that comprise of dressing rooms, laundry / kitchen areas, match officials dressing rooms, physiotherapy room and meeting room. Along with a new stand, on-going ground improvements and with the existing clubhouse due for refurbishment shortly, AFC Kempston now have some of the best facilities in the area for non-league football.
Relegation from the Premier Division at the end of the 2007/08 season means AFC Kempston Rovers will start the 2008/09 in Division One of the United Counties League.
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