The original Fisher club was founded in 1908 by the John Fisher Catholic Society whose aim was to provide football facilities for under privileged children in the London district of Bermondsey. The club was named after the Catholic martyr, blessed John Fisher. The Fish are thus one of the few sports clubs in the world to take their name from a person. However, the original club folded in 1964.

Fisher Athletic were reformed two years later, playing in the Kent Amateur League before being elected to the London Spartan League in 1974. At this point the club played at a poorly-equipped pitch in Mitcham, Surrey and their main achievements up until this time were winning the London Intermediate Cup in 1959/60 and the Surrey Intermediate Cup in 1961/62.

They were always keen to return to their original base in London's Docklands and, in 1982, Fisher were able to relocate to the purpose built Surrey Docks Stadium. In the same season Fisher won the Spartan League championship for the second successive season and the new facilities enabled them to join the Southern League.

Fisher won the Southern League Southern Division title at the first attempt with 23 wins from their 34 games. Among their star players were skipper Dennis Sharp - who made over 750 appearances for the club and later had a spell as manager - top scorer and 205 goal club record marksman Paul Shinners who joined Gillingham in 1984, his brother Bobby and Dave Samson - brother of England full back Kenny. They were also Merit Cup winners as the league's top scoring side.

In 1983/84 Fisher were narrowly pipped to the Premier Division title by Dartford but lifted the Southern League Cup in 1984/85. They did however eventually win the league championship in 1986/87 to embark on a golden age for the club as members of the then Vauxhall Conference (Blue Square Premier), the Fish being hailed as the next Wimbledon. During the 1980's the club also won the London Senior Cup three times and the Kent Senior Cup once and also reached the F.A Cup First Round Proper twice, losing to Bristol City in 1984/85 and Bristol Rovers in 1987/88.

Fisher's success came to an end in season 1990-91 when the club finished bottom of the Conference suffering back-to-back relegations to the Southern Division where they remained, generally finishing in mid-table. It was during the 1997-8 season that a new limited company was formed and the club was rewarded with a long term lease on their stadium.

The 1999 - 2000 season saw the arrival of Alan Walker as manager. Walker assembled a fine squad of players to launch a serious promotion challenge. Promotion was secured two weeks before the end of the campaign, but the battle to go up as champions was left to the final day of the season however, when Fisher beat Newport IOW 2-0 to be crowned Eastern Division Champions.

Fisher's success was short lived, after just one season in the Dr Martens Premier Division they were relegated back to the Eastern Division. This was despite the arrival mid-season of the ex-Millwall manager Keith 'Rhino' Stevens.

During the close season, Rhino left the club and former Director of Football Bob Davies took over as manager. He departed in October 2003 to be replaced by non league scoring legend Gary Abbott. However Abbott's reign was cut short when in February 2004 Wayne Burnett came in to take over team affairs.

New chairman Eren Muduroglu took over in 2004 signalling his intentions to take Fisher back towards the heady heights of the Blue Square Premier with a raft of top signings. This paid instant dividends in 2004-5 with the Fish winning the Southern League Division 1 East title and the London Senior Cup. The double was secured despite leaving the Surrey Docks Stadium for a ground share agreement at Dulwich Hamlets' Champion Hill Stadium.

In November 2005 Wayne Burnett left the club by mutual consent. Player Lenny Piper took over the managerial duties for a 6 week stint until new boss and former Spurs player Justin Edinburgh was installed in January 2006. Edinburgh oversaw the clubs second successive promotion to the Blue Square South via the play-off's, Hampton & Richmond Borough defeated 3-0 in the final. The club also secured the London Senior and Isthmian League Cups to complete a record breaking treble. Justin Edinburgh soon left Fisher to take over the Grays Athletic hot seat in November 2006, after guiding the club to a top three position in the then Nationwide Conference South and the 4th qualifying round of the FA Cup. Gavin Rose, the Fisher Academy Director, took over 1st team responsibilities till the end of the season, leading the club to a respectable top ten finish. Wayne Burnett has since been re-instated as Fisher manager after an 18 month spell at Champion Hill landlords Dulwich Hamlet.

Off the field planning permission has recently been granted for a major redevelopment of the Surrey Docks Stadium. Before the long awaited return to Rotherhithe, the Fish are hoping that it will be with a side worthy of their redeveloped facilities.

Attendance: 4,283 v Barnet, GMV Conference 4/5/91

Win: 7-0 v Lewes Sept 95, FA Cup Defeat: 0-6 v Salisbury, 21/8/93

Career Goalscorer: Paul Shinners 205 Career Appearances: Dennis Sharp 720

Transfer fee paid: £2,000 for Bryn Charles (Fleet Town)

Transfer fee received: £45,000 for Paul Gorman (Charlton 1991)

FA Cup: 1st Rnd 84-85 (0-1 at home to Bristol City), 88-89 (0-4 at Bristol Rovers)

FA Trophy: Third Round replay 87-88 FA Vase: Second Round replay 82-83

Southern Lg 86-87 (R-up 83-84, Southern Div 82-83, Lg Cp 84-85, Championship Cup 87-88, Merit Cup), London Spartan Lg 80-81 81-82 (R-up 78-79, Senior Div 77-78, Div 2 R-Up 76-77), Parthenon Lg 61-62 (Lg Cup 63-64 65-66), Kent Amateur Lg 73-74 74-75 (R-Up 72-73), London Senior Cup 84-85 87-88 88-89 04-05 05-06, London Intermediate Cup 59-60 (R-Up 75-76), Kent Senior Cp 83-84, Kent Senior Trophy 81-82 82-83, Surrey Intermediate Cup 61-62, Isthmian League Cup 05-06, Southern League Eastern Division 1 04-05, Ryman Premier Play-off Winners 05-06

John Bumstead (Chelsea), Trevor Aylott (Bournemouth), Paul Shinners (Orient 84), Dave Regis (Notts Co. - via Barnet), Paul Gorman(Charlton 91), Sean Devine (Barnet via Okonia Nicossia), George Barry (Leyton Orient), Dean Martin (West Ham Utd.), Jason Lee (Charlton), Ken Charlery (Barnet), Lee Bowyer (Charlton), Steve Watts (Leyton Orient)

Note

The Fish also have a boxing department, which is one of the largest boys boxing clubs in the UK.

Born in Yorkshire, England in 1469, Fisher was appointed Bishop of Rochester in 1504 at the personal insistence of Henry VII where in remained in that position for the remaining 31 years of his life. He was also elected Chancellor of Cambridge University in the same year. At this date he is said to have acted as tutor to Prince Henry, the soon to be Henry VIII. John Fisher remains patron to many schools including the Saint John Fisher College in Rochester, New York and Hobart - Tasmania. However Fisher Athletic FC remain the only Football Club!