Erith Town F.C.

Erith Town
Full name Erith Town Football Club
Nickname(s) The Dockers
Founded 1959 (as Woolwich Town)
Ground Erith Stadium
Erith
(Capacity: 1,450 (1,006 seated))
Chairman Albert Putnam
Manager Tony Russell
League Kent League
Premier Division
2010–11 Kent League
Premier Division, 8th
Home colours
Away colours

Erith Town Football Club is a football club based in Erith in the London Borough of Bexley, England. In their previous guise as Erith Town, they had reached the Second Round of the FA Vase five times in their history. They are currently members of the Kent League Premier Division.

Contents

History

Erith Town were originally formed in 1959 as a Sunday club under the name Woolwich Town and played in the London Metropolitan Sunday League. In 1989 they briefly changed their name to Woolwich Heathway before reverting back to their original name within a year.

In 1991, the club made the step up to Saturday football and joined the London Spartan League Division Two. In their very first season, they were promoted to Division One due to the restructuring of the league despite having finished in a lowly ninth place. At this time they also left their home at the Woolwich Barracks Stadium and entered into a ground-share agreement with Greenwich Borough at their Harrow Meadow ground.

In 1995, the club gained full senior status and were promoted to the Spartan League Premier Division and also moved to a new home at the Erith Sports Stadium, Avenue Road, Erith.

In March 1996, at the third request, the Dockers were granted permission to leave the Spartan League and they thus entered the Kent League, where they remain to this day.

In June 1997 the club decided that they should more fully represent the community of their new home and changed their name to Erith Town FC (although due to building works they returned to spend one more season sharing with Greenwich Borough in 1998/99).

In 2010, the club changed its name to Erith & Dartford Town Football Club following the arrival of Roy MacNeil, the club's new chairman. However towards the start of the 2010/11 season, the deal fell through and the club reverted to being Erith Town Football Club. Albert Putnam returned as chairman. Erith and Dartford Town have since become an independent club, playing in the Kent Invicta Football League. Erith Town won the Kent Senior Trophy in 2011.

Club records

Ground

Erith Stadium is a council-run facility and thus has plentiful car parking, a well-maintained playing surface, and ample (albeit uncovered) seating. All the facilities however, are on one side of the pitch and the fans are separated from the action somewhat by an athletics track. The dugouts are mobile and have to be pushed into position on match days.

In February 2006 the ground hosted international football for the first time when it staged an under-21 ladies' international between England and the USA.

Sources

External links