The earliest record of a team from Walton was one playing friendlies in 1896. Very little records of those days exist although the league table from the Kingston & District League Division 2 in 1899/00 included a side called Walton St Marys.
Walton United was the playing name in 1901/02 and this team won the Kingston & District League Division 1 during that season, although finishing nearer the bottom than the top in the next. Home games were played at Elm Grove. In May 1903 a new club was formed, Walton-on-Thames FC, again based at Elm Grove, and this team entered the stronger East and West Surrey League, which became the West Surrey League in 1905/06. Few events of note occurred during this time although the club did enter the FA Amateur Cup for the first time in the 1907/08 season.
In 1908/09 and 1909/10 Walton finished bottom of the league but thereafter performances improved and Walton topped the league in 1910/11, also the first season that the club entered the FA Cup, and were runners-up the following season. 1911/12 also saw the club reach the first round proper of the FA Amateur Cup and the semi-final of the Surrey Senior Cup.
In 1912/13 the club entered the South West Middlesex League in addition to the West Surrey League becoming champions of the former that season. They entered both leagues again the following season although without the same success and it was also during 1912/13 that the club moved to a new ground at Mount Felix. This was the last season before the enforced break in football as World War One took its toll on Europe.
When football recommenced for the 1919/20 season Walton entered a team in the South Suburban League as well as the FA Cup, FA Amateur Cup and the Surrey Senior Cup. Homes games were again played at Mount Felix and they finished 8th (out of 11) with a similar placing in the following season. 1921/22 was better with the club taking runners up spot in a 9 team division.
In 1922/23 Walton moved to the Surrey Senior League but with little success finishing 8th from 11 and one place below Hersham FC. Little changed in the following seasons with Walton's best finish being 5th in 1925/26. Before the 1926/27 season Walton moved to a new ground in Terrace Road but their performances did not improve with a 10th place league finish. They were forced to move from Terrace Road before the start of the 1928/29 season and commenced it by playing at Annett Road although this was only until December of that year when they moved yet again, this time to Cottimore Lane.
League performances were much the same although Walton improved on their previous best with a 4th place finish in the 1930/31 season. The following season they moved back to Mount Felix but on the pitch it was a disastrous season as they finished second from bottom but things improved after and they were runners up in 1932/33.
Much was going on off the pitch and Walton had sought the help of the local Council in an effort to find a permanent home. Eventually in readiness for the 1934/35 season the club moved into an old cricket ground come overgrown golf course at Stompond Lane. The ground was acquired by the local Council for the sum of £7,500 and the pitch was aligned at 90 degrees to that of today.
It was a good start for Walton at their new home with a 4th place Surrey Senior League finish in 1933/34. This was bettered in 1934/35 and 1935/36 when they were runners up both years (tempered in the latter season as the Champions were Hersham FC). The two local teams also met in the preliminary round of the FA Cup, and again Hersham came away victors with a 4-3 scoreline. They met for a 4th time that season in the League Charity Cup at Mitcham's ground and Walton gained some solace with a 4-3 victory of their own.
1936/37 saw a reversal with Walton being Surrey Senior League champions pushing Hersham into the runners up spot, both teams having amassed 45 points from their 26 league matches. At Stompond Lane a new pavillion had been built and this now included changing rooms.
For 1937/38 Walton joined the London League and finished a very creditable 3rd. The following season was not so good as the club finished in 10th place but Stompond Lane underwent some significant improvements. The Council spent in the order of £2,700 on the ground which included building a new grandstand, a cinder running track, bowling green, tennis courts and car park.
As World War II raged the London League continued albeit with small numbers of teams and so numerous friendlies were played with various military sides. Indeed the last reported match for Walton FC was at home in May 1945 against the Scots Guard.
Later in 1945 a merger with Hersham FC was agreed and a new era as Walton & Hersham FC began