Kempston Rovers were formed in 1884 and entered the Bedford & District League. Rover’s first league championship was won in 1908 and twelve months later Rover’s retained the title while also carrying off the Bedfordshire Senior Cup and North Beds Charity Cup.
The Walnut Boys, the club’s official nickname, comes from the large walnut orchard in Kempston around the time of foundation. This identity is carried forward by one of the main supporters’ groups at the club, “The Nuts on Tour”.
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. In 1986, the club moved again, this time to the current ground, their third in the same road.
Kempston last won the county’s highest honour, the Beds. Senior Cup, in 1992, the fourth time the trophy has come to Hillgrounds.
In 2002 Kempston Rovers and Kempston Colts began an alliance to pool resources/personnel under the name AFC Kempston. The youth teams at Rovers still go by the name “Colts”, keeping the history of youth football in the town alive.
The beginning of 2005 saw the start of major re-developments at Hillgrounds Road with the building of new changing facilities and the building of an artificial training pitch, which is available to book all year round for training sessions, small sided games or just a kick around with friends. The new ground facilities were completed in 2006 and along with a new stand; on-going ground improvements and the existing clubhouse refurbished and ready to hire for functions and events, Kempston now have some of the best facilities in the area for non-league football.
In 2015-16, Rovers won the United Counties Football League Premier Division, with a thrilling final win on the last day of the season, a campaign in which they only lost one league game. This resulted in promotion and saw us move into the Southern League Division One which represents the highest level we have attained within the FA pyramid system so far.
Since promotion, the club has twice narrowly missed out on a place in the end of season promotion play offs.
Tony Joyce took over as manager in November 2018 and has reshaped the side, guiding the team through some tough transitions. Joyce resigned in August 2021, shaping the way for Scott Dash to take over in difficult circumstances. Dash kept rovers up in dramatic fashion, a penalty shoot-out victory over Eccleshill Utd. Rovers parted company with Dash and appointed Chris Nunn to take the reign for 2022-23.
The club currently operates one of the largest youth systems in the county, with over thirty sides at various age groups with a reserve side, a County League team, a Sunday side and a senior women’s team for players to progress all the way through.

Kempston Rovers, the heart of the community.

Kempston Rovers Football Club

Club Cup Honours

Beds County Cup Winners: 1908-09
Beds Premier Cup Finalists: 1991-92
Beds Senior Cup Winners: 1937-38, 1976-77, 1991-92
Finalists: 1926-27, 1927-28, 1928-29, 1992-93
Beds Senior Trophy Finalist: 2008-09
Beds County under 18 Floodlight challenge Cup Winners: 2008-09
Beds Intermediate Cup Winners: 1976-77, Finalists: 1977-78
Beds County Hospital Cup Winners: 1930-31, 1932-33, 1935-36, 1936-37, 1938-39
North Beds Charity Cup Winners: 1908-09, 1934-35, 1999-2000, 2000-01, 2015-16,
Finalists: 1910-11, 1935-36
Hinchingbrooke Cup Winners: 1926-27, 1928-29, 2010-11,
Finalists: 1923-24, 1930-31, 1932-33, 1947-48
Hunts Premier Cup Winners: 1999-2000, 2000-01
UCL Premier Division KO Cup Winners: 1974-75, 1976-77
UCL Premier/Division 1 KO Cup Finalists: 1999-2000
UCL Division 1 KO Cup Winners: 1957-58, 1959-60, Finalists: 1956-57, 1960-61
UCL Division 2 KO Cup Winners: 1955-56, 1974-75, Finalists: 1972-73
Britannia Cup Winners: 1957-58, 1958-59 Finalists: 1947-48
Beds Sunday Junior Cup Winners: 1989-90
Bedford & District Under 16 Cup Finalists: 1995-96
Bedford & District Under 18 Cup Winners: 1983-84
Lisa Slater Memorial Shield Finalists: 2004-05 (AFC Kempston Rovers Ladies)
Eastern Region League Plate Winners: 2005-06 (AFC Kempston Rovers Ladies)

Club League Honours

UCL Premier Division Champions: 1973-74, 2015-16
UCL Division 1 Champions: 1957-58, 1985-86, 2010-11, Runners Up: 1956-57, 1959-60
UCL Division 2 Champions: 1955-56 Runners Up: 1967-68
Bedford & District Premier League Champions: 1958-59, 1960-61, Runners Up: 1959-60
Bedford & District League Division 1 Champions: 1907-08, 1908-09
Bedford & District League Division 2 Champions: 1922-23, 1933-34
Biggleswade & District League Division 1 Champions: 1911-12, Runners Up: 1909-10
Bedford & District Under 14 Colts League Champions: 1985-86
Bedford & District Under 16 Colts League Champions: 1973-74
Bedford & District Under 18 Colts League Runners Up: 1974-75
Bedford & District Sunday League Division 1 Runners Up: 1990-91
Bedford & District Sunday League Division 2 Runners Up: 1989-90
Bedford & District Sunday League Division 4 Champions: 1987-88
Eastern Region League Division 1 West Champions: 2005-06 (AFC Kempston Rovers Ladies)
Eastern Region League Division 1 West Runners Up: 2004-05 (AFC Kempston Rovers Ladies)
Chiltern Youth League Under 18 Division 1 Champions: 2017-18