AFC Dunstable started life as Old Dunstablians Football Club in 1981. The name Old Dunstablians originated from an organisation formed in 1888 for old boys from Dunstable Grammar School. The most famous member of the club is Hollywood actor Gary Cooper, who attended the school in the early 1900’s.

When the Grammar School closed down and Manshead School opened they took over the mantle but the old boys club was in decline. In 1981 the head teacher was asked if he could re launch the name, hence the football club was born.

By 1988 after its centenary, the Old Dunstablians Club ceased to exist but the football club carried on in commemoration and to this day still bears the club crest on its badge.

The club started in the Dunstable Alliance Football League for a couple of seasons then moved onto the Luton District and South Bedfordshire League in 1983. Still playing at Manshead School with the 1^st team and reserves, success was limited with the 1^st team runners up twice in Division One and runners up in the William Pease Cup. While in the Luton League though the 1^st team did land the Bedfordshire Junior Cup beating Leighton Athletic on penalties in 1989 –90 season. The reserves did win some silverware, when back in the day a cup final went to a replay. The season was 1993-94 when they beat overwhelming favourites Luton Old Boys.

With the club using Dunstable Town Cricket Club as their social base in Bull Pond Lane, the cricket club was looking to move to a larger site in Totternhoe and when the new club was opened in 1994, a football pitch was accommodated, so the football club moved there from Manshead School.

An improvement in facilities gave the club a chance to apply to join the South Midlands League in 1995.  Accepted into the then Division One (Premier and Senior Divisions were the higher divisions) the club struggled, as they flirted with being relegated straight back to the Luton League in the first 2 seasons. Going through new managers every season, we finally started to gain some consolidation and in season 2001-02 the 1^st team finished 4^th in the league and won the Division One Cup. The following season we just missed out of the title, which was now Division Two.  Looking to go one better we finally clinched the title the next season and was runners up in the Division Two Cup. Ground Grading issue’s were now starting to stop the team from getting promoted, as 2 ground sharing agreements were turned down by the league.

This was now the start of a trophy laden period as the current management team has secured the Division Two title again and back-to-back Bedfordshire Senior Trophy’s. Added to that, the Division Two Cup was won again.

The club in 2003-04 decided to launch its youth policy and when the Under 15’s were runners up in the Chiltern Youth league, it started on the path to work its way through the FA Charter Standard. We achieved Adult status in 2003-04. The club then made the decision to change its name to AFC Dunstable, so not to get confused with the local rugby club, as the club started to grow and the name was more associated to a football club. The club kept the name The OD’s, as their nickname. The youth then was awarded the Charter Standard in 2005-06. The next big step was to become a Development Club and a great deal of work saw the club achieve this in 2007. Next up was our goal to become a FA Charter Standard Community Club and 2008 saw the club get there. In that time the club has been awarded the Development Club Of The Year in 2008 and the Community Club Of The Year in 2009.

Since we launched the youth policy back in 2003, the club have had over 30 managers/coaches pass various FA coaching courses and more are still to come.