Erith Town F.C.

Erith Town Football Club is a football club based in Erith in the London Borough of Bexley, England. They are currently members of the Southern Counties East League Premier Division and play at the Erith Sports Stadium.

Not to be confused with Erith & Belvedere F.C..

Erith Town
Full nameErith Town Football Club
Nickname(s)The Dockers
Founded1959
GroundErith Stadium, Erith
ChairmanMark Deveney
ManagerAdam Woodward
LeagueSouthern Counties East League Premier Division
2019–20Southern Counties East League Premier Division (season abandoned)

History

The club was established in 1959 as a Sunday league club under the name Woolwich Town. They initially played in the London Metropolitan Sunday League and were Senior Section champions in 1965–66, 1970–71 and 1974–75.[1] In 1989 the club was renamed Woolwich Heathway, but reverted to their original name within a year.[2][1] In 1991 they began playing Saturday football,[1] joining Division Two of the Spartan League.[3] Despite only finishing ninth in their first season in Division Two, the club were promoted to Division One due to league restructuring.[1] In 1994–95 they finished second in Division One, earning promotion to the Premier Division.[4]

In 1996 Woolwich transferred to the Kent League, and at the end of the 1996–97 season were renamed Erith Town due to their move to the Erith Stadium.[1][4] They won the Kent League's Premier Division Cup in 2007–08, beating Hythe Town 1–0 in the final.[5] The club reached the final again the following season, losing 3–1 on penalties to Croydon after a 1–1 draw. A proposed merger with Dartford Town in the summer of 2010 was abandoned,[6] and the club went on to win the Kent Senior Trophy in 2010–11 with a 3–1 win over Tunbridge Wells in the final.[5] In 2013 the league was renamed the Southern Counties East League.[7]

Ground

During the club's time in Sunday league they played at the Woolwich Barracks Stadium. When they joined the Spartan League, they moved to Greenwich Borough's Harrow Meadow ground.[2] In October 1995 they moved to the Erith Sports Stadium,[1] an athletics stadium. They temporarily returned to Harrow Meadow during the 1998–99 season whilst the Erith Sports Stadium was renovated.[1]

In 2008 the club began groundsharing at Thamesmead Town's Bayliss Avenue,[8] before returning to the Erith Sports Stadium the following season.[9] In 2013 they moved to Cray Valley PM's Badgers Sports Ground in Eltham.[1] In 2016 they returned to the Borough of Bexley, moving to VCD Athletic's Oakwood ground.[1] The club moved back to the Erith Sports Stadium in 2018.[10]

Honours
  • Southern Counties East League
    • Premier Division Cup winners 2007–08
  • London Metropolitan Sunday League
    • Senior Section champions 1965–66, 1970–71, 1974–75
  • Kent Senior Trophy
    • Winners 2010–11

Records

See also
  • Erith Town F.C. players

References
  1. Erith Town - A Brief History Erith Town F.C.
  2. Erith Town Pyramid Passion
  3. Spartan League 1983–1997 Non-League Matters
  4. Woolwich Town at the Football Club History Database
  5. Honours Erith Town F.C.
  6. Merger wasn't going to work, admits Erith Town chief Kentish Football, 11 July 2010
  7. Erith Town at the Football Club History Database
  8. Tompkins leaves Dockers' in lurch with late resignation Kentish Football, 6 August 2008
  9. Royston misses Dockers' homecoming Kentish Football, 6 August 2009
  10. We need to get back to the stadium and make it our own home, says Erith Town boss Adam Woodward Kentish Football, 2 May 2018
  11. Mike Williams & Tony Williams (2016) Non-League Club Directory 2017, Tony Williams Publications, p512 ISBN 978-1869833695
  12. Club Info Erith Town F.C.

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