History : 1948-65

Tonbridge Football Club were formed in October 1947 following the suggestion of local businessman and founder chairman Mr. Herbert Portch, and were one of four clubs to be elected to the Southern League for the 1948-49 season.

‘Jock’ Dunoon, a former Chelsea player, was the club’s first manager. The club took out a lease on the Angel Ground, formerly the home of Kent County Cricket Club and named after the nearby pub ‘The Angel’. Hence Tonbridge FC became known as ‘The Angels’. A crowd of around 5,000 turned up for the club’s opening league fixture against fellow newcomers Hastings United but the match was lost 2-1 with Albert Ronson scoring the club’s first ever goal. Progress was slow in the early days with the club rock bottom at Christmas and with Harold Hobbis taking over as manager from Dunoon and Marshall Raybould, but the club would improve their form in the second half of the season to finish third from last.

Throughout the 1950s the Angels would struggle to make any progress in the Southern League and a peak of 11th place was reached in 1949/50, the club’s second season, however Tonbridge would prove to be a strong side in cup competitions. In 1949/50, the club reached the semi-finals of the Southern League Cup, losing 3-2 to Colchester United. In three successive seasons, 1950-51, 1951-52 and 1952-53, Tonbridge reached the First Round Proper of the FA Cup, only to lose each of the three after a replay. 

The Angels' opponents were Chelmsford City, Aldershot and Norwich City respectively. The Aldershot tie at the Angel Ground saw a record attendance of 8,236, while the Norwich City game was shrouded in controversy with a late goal at Carrow Road settling the tie. The first trophy to be lifted came in 1951/52 with the Angels winning the Kent Senior Shield. Tonbridge would go on to win this trophy a further four times, in 1956, 1958, 1959 and 1964. Two Southern League Cup finals were reached and lost, beaten in 1954/55 by Yeovil Town and two seasons later by Hereford United, and two Kent Senior Cup finals were also lost in 1956/57 and 1958/59. 

The club were relegated from the Premier Division in 1961/62, but were promoted two seasons later finishing in 4th place after narrowly missing out the year before. However the club were then relegated back to Division One in 1965-66. The notable success of the 1960s was the achievement of reaching the First Round Proper for a fourth time, this time being knocked out 1-0 by Dagenham. The club also won the Kent Senior Cup for the first time in 1964/65.