Get the lowdown on our next opponents: Walton & Hersham.

The Opposition

Walton & Hersham’s rise across the last few years has been defined by stability, momentum and strong decision-making on and off the pitch.

After achieving three promotions in a row between 2020 and 2023, the club appointed Billy Rowley as manager in 2024, and his impact was immediate, continuing the superb progress made during his time within the club’s backroom team, having been a coach across the previous four years. The 2024/25 campaign produced a dramatic upturn in results, including a 14-game unbeaten run with 11 wins by March 2025, pushing the Swans into the play-off positions, with much of that progress being driven by the attacking output of Johl Powell, who had contributed more than 40 goals and assists in all competitions since joining at the start of 2024, along with Dawid Rogalski, who notched an impressive 23 goals following his arrival from Marlow.

Their play-off qualification marked clear progress under Rowley and, while they were unable to secure promotion to the sixth tier after defeat against Gloucester City in the play-off semi-final, their heartbreak on penalties only drove the Swans further, having set the foundation for the next step.

That momentum carried straight into the 2025/26 season, with Walton & Hersham quickly establishing themselves as title contenders in the Southern League Premier South. Under Rowley’s guidance, the Swans climbed to the top of the table after victory over Berkhamsted in September and have remained their ever since, so far racking up more than 50 points already after losing just one game all season.

However, a crucial change in leadership has led to Walton beginning their highly-anticipated search for a new man in the dugout. With Rowley developing a growing reputation across the English game after playing a key role in their meteoric rise through the non-league pyramid, along with an exciting, front-foot style of football, his inevitable departure for greener grass became a reality when he made the switch to National League side Yeovil Town at the end of November.

Despite this, the Swans so far haven’t faltered, and have remained unbeaten in the weeks that have followed his exit with temporary bosses Jakub Pietrzak and Joey Jones securing three wins and a draw to keep Walton afloat at the summit of the Southern League Premier Division South. They have demonstrated the resilience and structure now embedded in the squad that has seen them rise from the depths of non-league to one of the most dangerous, exciting teams in it, with Walton & Hersham building a trajectory that only continues upward.

The Manager

Jakub Pietrzak

The departure of Billy Rowley has led to a hotly anticipated replacement in the dugout at the Elmbridge Xcel Sports Hub, but First Team Coach Jakub Pietrzak has taken the reins in the meantime alongside experienced midfielder Joey Jones.

Hailing from Poland, Pietrzak began as an Assistant Coach at PFC Victoria London, a club he later took charge of the following year. He followed this up with a spell as Under-23s coach at Crawley Town, and preceded similar roles at Kingstonian and Bromley, coaching the Under-18s at the former and Under-15s and 16s at the latter.

This then led to a move to Millwall, spending almost three years as a First Team Scout, before returning to a coaching role at Walton & Hersham, joining the Swans in August 2025.

Having been a part of Rowley’s coaching staff as the club finished third in the Southern League Premier Division South, missing out on promotion with defeat on penalties in the semi-final against Gloucester City.

The Swans have since enjoyed a superb start to the current campaign though, and currently sit first in the division, with Piertzak extending their unbeaten run by guiding them to wins over Berkhamsted, Basingstoke Town and Uxbridge and a draw with Poole Town.

One to Watch

Dawid Rogalski

Polish-born forward Dawid Rogalski has established a reputation for being one of the most dangerous forwards, with two prolific seasons at Marlow preceding an equally prolific stint so far at Walton & Hersham.

After moving to England at the age of five, Rogalski played for various non-league sides including White Wings, Greenford Celtic, Wealdstone, Spartans Youth and Harefield United, before being picked up by Maidenhead United.

He made his only competitive appearance for the Magpies in January 2015, before departing the club two years later following a loan move at PFC Victoria London.

Rogalski returned to his native Poland with a switch to GKS Tychy ahead of the 2017/18 season, and spent the following campaign on loan at Gryf Wejherowo with a successful spell that saw him notch 11 goals.

A move to GKS Katowice followed, scoring a further ten goals in 2019/20, and subsequently earned a move up a division, joining Resovia Rzesźow, before returning to England in 2021.

Making the move to Chalfont St Peter, the forward spent a single season with the Saints before joining Marlow, where he enjoyed the most prolific period of his career, scoring 43 goals in 64 games to fire the club to the Southern League Premier Division South in his second season, winning the play-offs with victory over Leatherhead after finishing the campaign as runners-up.

This preceded a move to the Swans in the summer of 2024, and he has gone on to enjoy an even more successful period since making the switch to Surrey, scoring 34 goals including 15 this term.

Recent Form

Uxbridge 2-3 Walton & Hersham

Poole Town 2-2 Walton & Hersham

Basingstoke Town 0-3 Walton & Hersham

Walton & Hersham 2-0 Berkhamsted

Walton & Hersham 0-0 Hungerford Town

Walton & Hersham 4-0 Weymouth

Last Time Out

For the second time inside a week, Walton & Hersham responded to going 2-1 down with a terrific second-half performance to rescue a result and keep their record intact of just one League defeat, this time taking all three points with a sensational winner in the 90th minute against Uxbridge.

The lead came after 21 minutes; Rhys Forster’s attempt to kick clear from a back-pass could only find Jack Wood inside the right corner of the box, and when he laid the ball inside to Dawid Rogalski, he set up Johl Powell to send a shot low into the left corner.

The home side continued to look threatening, and their pressure paid off with the equaliser after 32 minutes, as Daniel Hector sent Frank Keita on a surging run down the left that took him clear into the box to get in a low shot that brought another fine save from Josiah Barker, but Ada Okorogheye followed up to score, and Uxbridge then took the lead after 37 minutes when another quick break on the left led to Cam’ron Ismail driving into the box and laying the ball back to Hector, who swept it past Barker.

Swans equalised just past the hour with a terrific goal though, with Barker’s kick downfield found Rogalski on the edge of the box, and he held the ball up for Stefan Parkes. Parkes laid the ball off to his right to Wood, who curled a superb left foot shot into the far, top corner.

With the final minute of the ninety being played, Riley Horan found Wood on the right, and he slipped Powell through into the box. Powell laid the ball across for Rogalski to get to the near-post and side-foot home for a sensational winner.

Photo Credit: Walton & Hersham Football Club